Strong retail sales growth but 2010 outlook uncertain November 9, 2009 RETAIL sales enjoyed their strongest October growth for seven years with retail sales values rising 3.8 per cent on a like-for-like basis, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). But the BRC warned that last month’s strong performance was compared to October 2008, when sales fell 2.2 per cent due to turmoil in the financial [...]
Remember, remember, to buy in November November 9, 2009 NOVEMBER is often considered one of the worst months of the year: the days are getting shorter, the holidays are still at least six weeks away and it is markedly colder and wetter. In short, not a month to get that excited about. That is, unless you are an investor. Forget the dismal weather and [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPER SAY THIS MORNING November 8, 2009 THE SUNDAYSThe Sunday TelegraphBAE HIRES PINOCHET LAWYER FOR SFO FIGHTBAE Systems has instructed General Pinochet’s former QC to handle its defence if the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is successful in persuading the Attorney General to proceed with a fraud prosecution against the arms manufacturer. GOVERNMENT PLANS FAST-TRACK NUCLEAR EXPANSIONThe government is set to hand an [...]
British Airways staff to vote on Christmas strike action November 8, 2009 Passengers flying on British Airways over Christmas are bracing themselves for mayhem after 2,500 cabin crew backed union leaders’ decision to call a strike vote at a mass meeting. The ballot – in protest over the company’s imposed job cuts and two-year pay freeze – will start next week and close on 14 December. Unite [...]
WHAT GOD COMPLEX? BLANKFEIN IS JUST FEELING A WEE BIT LONELY November 8, 2009 One could feel a bit sorry for Goldman Sach’s chairman and chief executive Lloyd Blankfein. Push aside the fact that he earns more than the GDP of a small country for doing “God’s work”, and life on the 30th floor starts to look very lonely. “People are pissed off, mad and bent out of shape. [...]
Tourists will fill West End November 8, 2009 CENTRAL London shops expect to receive a glut of foreign customers this winter, enticed to the capital by the current weakness of the pound. The New West End Company, which represents retailers in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, is expecting a 5-10 per cent year-on-year increase in foreign shoppers over the festive period. [...]
Christmas will be make or break for our retailers November 8, 2009 WHEN the Christmas lights on Regent Street were switched on last week, it marked the beginning of the most important period of the year for high-street retailers. Many can earn 60 per cent of their annual profits in the peak weeks of Christmas. After a dismal end to 2008 when it seemed like retail chains [...]
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 [...]