The best Christmas markets in Germany November 8, 2009 BerlinThe German capital is also very much the country’s Christmas market capital, with over 50 taking place – and there’ll be extra festivity this year as the city marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. The most popular market is the one in central west Berlin’s shopping district, next to the [...]
OUT OF OFFICE November 8, 2009 JAPANESE WHISKY TASTING AT TSURUWhisky is almost as popular as sake in Japan and it goes surprisingly well with sushi. Japanese whisky is similar to Scottish in style and as good. To prove it, Tsuru restaurant will hold a tasting with five whiskies, and Japanese whisky expert Jen Dickson will demonstrate subtle difference between the [...]
THE TIPSTER GOOD RESULTS BUT OUTLOOK QUESTIONED November 8, 2009 WE ARE still in earnings season and mobile telecoms giant Vodafone is due to report its interim results tomorrow. Last week’s comments by Cisco that technology spending is on the up may be the sort of signal to encourage further support for the company, but with competitor Orange launching their UK iPhone sales on the [...]
OUT OF OFFICE November 5, 2009 FILM BRIGHT STAR Ben Wishaw stars as Thomas Keats in Jane Campion’s powerful biopic. A CHRISTMAS Carol Animated version of the Dickens classic, with Jim Carrey as Scrooge. CD ROBBIE WILLIAMS Robbie’s first album in three years is called Video Killed the Radio Star. SNOW PATROL The Irish band’s Best Of should show they weren’t [...]
Strike threat still on at BA as court date pushed to next year November 5, 2009 BRITISH AIRWAYS’ (BA) staff will still be balloted on strike action over the Christmas period, despite the union’s legal challenge to new contracts being delayed. The Unite union had requested a High Court injunction to block new working patterns, which BA is enforcing as it seeks desperately to cut costs at the airline, but the [...]
UK retail sales to dip in 2010 November 4, 2009 British retail sales will be flat over Christmas and are expected to fall 1.5 per cent in 2010, according to data from Deloitte. The business advisory firm said shoppers were moving towards supermarket groups and non-food retailers need to focus more on differentiating their products and improving customer service.
SIR STUART UNVEILS A CELEBRITY CRUSH AND A HOT ‘N’ SPICY FETISH November 4, 2009 SIR Stuart Rose was on fire yesterday as he churned out Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) half-year figures in his customary staccato tones, pausing only to dwell upon his favourite subjects. The presentation, you see, included the unveiling of the retailer’s latest Christmas advertising campaign, which will this year feature regulars singer Myleene Klass and model [...]
M&S beats forecasts as it says no to discounting November 4, 2009 MARKS & SPENCER (M&S) yesterday said that there would be no blanket promotions that dominated the high street last year in the run up to the Christmas period, after its half year sales beat City forecasts. Executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose yesterday said that this year included very different circumstances. He said: “Last year people [...]
Christmas retail sales will bounce back, says report November 3, 2009 BRITISH retail sales will rise 1.9 per cent over Christmas, bouncing back from last year’s decline, but below the increases of the previous nine years, according to research published yesterday. The Centre for Retail Research forecast retail sales would rise £832m to £44.7bn in the last six weeks of 2009. That compares with a £27m [...]
CITY’S BIG SPENDERS PROVE EASY TARGET FOR DEN OF DEBAUCHERY November 3, 2009 AFTER all the talk of City types shying away from blowing their cash in lap-dancing clubs in these bleak post-crisis days, it comes as a bit of a surprise to see that one such chain has opened up yet another den of debauchery on the fringe of the Square Mile. Yes, club operator Secrets, which [...]