Farepak starts to send cheques out, three years after its collapse September 28, 2009 Administrators acting for the collapsed Christmas hamper firm Farepak yesterday said they have started sending out cheques to customers who were left out of pocket by the group’s demise. BDO Stoy Hayward, which is acting as liquidator, said cheques worth a total £240,000 have been sent to 6,000 customers who placed orders in the company’s [...]
New Look set for return to public market September 27, 2009 HIGH street retailer New Look is mulling a £1.7bn stock market flotation – six years after it was taken private. The budget fashion chain owned by private equity firms Apax and Permira has enjoyed robust trading throughout the downturn as it steals cash-strapped shoppers away from its mid-market rivals. Founder Tom Singh, who still owns [...]
THE TIPSTER ALL EYES ON GDP FIGURES THIS WEEK September 27, 2009 A LOT of bullish confidence is riding on the expectation that the UK will exit recession in the third quarter and so investors will be keenly interested in the final second quarter GDP figures for the UK, which are released tomorrow. Cable (sterling-dollar) could move on the back of any surprises and the pair has [...]
CITY ON THE CUSP OF APPOINTING NICK ANSTEE AS NEXT LORD MAYOR September 23, 2009 UNDER a week to go until the appointment of the man who will replace Lord Mayor Ian Luder at the helm of the City of London. The new boss won’t officially take up residence in his swanky Mansion House digs until his official inauguration in November, though the election – if you can call it [...]
THE JOY OF A GOOD STOVE September 23, 2009 JEFF GALVINWE FOLLOW THE GALVIN BROTHERS AS THEY COUNT DOWN TO THE OPENING OF THEIR NEW CITY RESTAURANT A GOOD STOVE is the heart of any restaurant, so you just have to make sure it’s right. Which is why for our new restaurant my brother Chris and I have designed our own, which was made [...]
Game Group profits tumble as new releases fail to impress consumers September 23, 2009 VIDEO games retailer Game Group yesterday posted a 60 per cent slump in first-half profit and said sales were continuing to fall. The group said profits had crashed to £10.8m in the six months to 31 July, from £32.5m in the same period last year. The company had told shareholders to expect profits between £13m [...]
Business activity picking up across the eurozone September 23, 2009 PRIVATE sector output in the eurozone increased for the second consecutive month in September, as the services sector returned to positive territory, according to data released yesterday. Markit’s purchase managers index (PMI) for the eurozone rose to a 16-month high of 50.8 in the period, up from 50.4 in August, though this was a smaller [...]
THE LONDON REPORT September 22, 2009 BRITAIN’S top share index edged higher yesterday as miners and oil stocks buoyed by firmer commodity prices lent support, though with investors nervous before the group of 20 leaders’ meeting at the end of the week. The FTSE 100 closed 8.24 points, or 0.2 per cent, higher at 5,142.60, after ending Monday’s session 0.7 per [...]
Tiffany upbeat despite downturn September 20, 2009 Luxury jewellery chain Tiffany remains upbeat about trading prospects during the crucial Christmas holiday period but said its flagship New York store was still not in positive territory. “We are reasonably optimistic about the holiday season,” the firm’s president James Quinn said at an economic forum in Dublin. Trading remains difficult for the firm as [...]
A true chalet paradise in the Alps September 16, 2009 ACTIVE Ski Retreats is not your average ski holiday resort. It’s not just that Sting has stayed in the chalet– it provides exceptional all-inclusive service, from the provision of the perfect ski boot, to delicious aperitifs to four course dinners, with an efficiency and enthusiasm that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere. All wood [...]