How to cut perks without making your team hate you October 27, 2010 I have been asked to get rid of some of my staff’s perks in order to save money, but I am worried about the effect this will have on morale. How can I do this without causing resentment and discord? Ceri Roderick Business psychologist, Pearn Kandola Taking away people’s perks is always problematic – they [...]
A home away from home in Poland’s loveliest city October 26, 2010 IT is a pity that ancient and beautiful Krakow is no longer the capital of Poland – sometime towards the 19th century Polish kings veered towards Warsaw for business but they always asked to return to Krakow for their final resting place, as did many famous Polish saints, poets and bishops. These days, Krakow is [...]
Sony launch VAT back scheme October 26, 2010 Sony will tomorrow launch the UK’s first consumer electronics VAT-back scheme. The firm will allow customers shopping between now and Christmas to claim back the VAT from products across its range, including cameras, e-Readers and Blu-ray players. The firm hopes the deal will convince customers to make big money purchases in the run-up to Christmas.
HMV pins its hopes on DVD Xmas sales October 26, 2010 MUSIC, games and books retailer HMV says releases of films such as Sex and the City 2 and Toy Story 3 will help its key Christmas period as it tries to bounce back from a disappointing start to the year. “All I can say about Christmas is that the release schedule in particular is looking [...]
CITY VIEWS: WILL THE ONE NEW CHANGE SHOPPING CENTRE ATTRACT SHOPPERS TO THE CITY? October 26, 2010 HARRIETTE DERBYSHIRE | HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL “I think it will be good for workers in the City – it’s quite close by and it gives us something to do in our lunch breaks. It also means we can shop during the week, so the weekends are free for other things. I’m not sure people will come [...]
Desperate partners spell redundancies October 26, 2010 MCGRIGORS, a top Scots law firm, stunned the profession last week by announcing the first market-driven redundancies in the sector in the last 18 months. Some 40 staff – most of them lawyers – will lose their jobs. McGrigors has tried pretty much everything to avoid this: pay cuts, enforced unpaid holiday etc. But there [...]
Google and Carphone in mobile deal October 25, 2010 THE SECOND Google-branded mobile phone will hit the UK in time for Christmas through an exclusive deal with Carphone Warehouse, City A.M. has learned. Its predecessor, the Nexus One, is the flagship device for the search giant, which is desperately trying to wrest market share from Apple’s iPhone. The deal with Carphone represents a major [...]
Rose: Shoppers can cope October 25, 2010 Stuart Rose, chairman of bellwether British retailer Marks & Spencer, said consumers can cope with government spending cuts and retail sales will grow next year, even though trading will be tough. “I believe that consumers want clarity and what the chancellor did last week was give consumers absolute clarity about what to expect,” Rose said [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS October 25, 2010 BENARES’ DIWALI FEAST Mayfair’s favourite posh Indian restaurant is going to be celebrating Hindu festival Diwali in style with a special menu. Michelin-garnering chef Atul Kochhar’s menu, on offer throughout November, will two or three courses with paired wines, of which highlights include smoked lamb kebabs with pickled red cabbage; tandoor sea trout with marinated [...]
Reduced real income will hit retail October 24, 2010 RETAIL sales fell in September for the second month in a row. Real incomes are suffering and consumer confidence is weak. Some are questioning whether Apple’s disappointing iPad sales figures last week are a sign of things to come. So should spread betters take the hint and shun the sector? Demand certainly looks like it [...]