THE TIPSTER CHRISTMAS HAS ARRIVED EARLY IN THE MARKETS November 16, 2009 THE FTSE 100 smashed through 5,300 yesterday, rising 86 points to close at 5,382.67. For weeks the blue-chip index had been struggling to get through this resistance level but yesterday, it was firmly back on the upward trend. Has the traditional Santa rally started early? If so, the next target level would be the 5,500 [...]
M&S offers penny delivery November 15, 2009 Marks & Spencer kick-started its Christmas online sales campaign today by offering shoppers delivery for a penny. The penny delivery deal, which only lasts until Saturday, is part of the retailer’s 125th birthday celebrations but is also likely to boost online sales. M&S usually charges £3.50 for UK standard delivery.
House prices fall in run up to Christmas November 15, 2009 ASKING prices for homes in England and Wales are expected to see three months of price falls as sellers postpone moving until after the Christmas period, property website Rightmove will say today. The 1.6 per cent monthly fall in November marks an end to the buoyancy that has characterised the property market during the autumn [...]
John Lewis sales boost shows confidence is back November 15, 2009 Bellwether retailer John Lewis provided fresh signs of confidence seeping back into the high street by reporting a 17.1 per cent rise in sales last week compared to last year. And the group said that the past week’s trading is also £500,000 up on 2007, pre-credit crunch, when shoppers spent £71.98 on average each. John [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPER SAY THIS MORNING November 15, 2009 THE SUNDAYSThe Sunday TelegraphUK FACES MAJOR OBSTACLES IN BID TO BE A LOW-CARBON LEADERThe UK risks missing out on its slice of the £4.5 trillion low-carbon industry, the manufacturers’ trade body has warned. The EEF said the country faces major obstacles to becoming a leading centre for so-called “cleantech” products and services, “most notably question [...]
O2 tops rivals and grows in third quarter November 12, 2009 Mobile operator O2 said yesterday that it was the only UK network to grow its revenues in the third quarter, as it benefited from its since-expired deal to be the exclusive seller of Apple’s iPhone. The UK arm of Spain’s Telefonica said that it saw demand for its mobile data services – customers accessing the [...]
WH Smith braced for a competitive Christmas November 12, 2009 RETAILER WH Smith yesterday said it remains cautious about trading in the run up to Christmas after reporting a decline in sales in the first 10 weeks of the financial year. Total group sales in the period to 7 November dipped one per cent compared to the same period last year, while like-for-like sales at [...]
Asda launches price cuts as discount war hots up November 12, 2009 ASDA has raised the stakes in the Christmas price war by slashing £150m from the price of products in a discount drive designed to put pressure on its rivals. Asda, which has based its marketing on being the cheapest of the big four supermarkets, said consumers were still unwilling to part with cash. A day [...]
More pain for restaurants as firms cut back on Christmas November 12, 2009 THE number of restaurants falling into insolvency is set to rise again next year after one of the quietest corporate Christmases on record. The industry’s woes over the financial crisis have been well publicised by the difficulties experienced by the UK’s celebrity chefs. Gordon Ramsay revealed earlier this year that his restaurant empire had teetered [...]
Q&A: SALES November 12, 2009 Russell HuntDIRECTOR OF PROPERTY HUNT Q.Dear Russell, There’s not a lot on the market and I keep losing out. With Christmas coming up, I’m really tempted to put my search on hold until January. A.People are always asking about how best to succeed when there’s a lack of stock on the market and I would [...]