FTSE 100 opens lower as trade war worries weigh November 29, 2019 The FTSE 100 opened lower this morning as escalating trade tensions between the US and China took their toll. London’s blue-chip index was down 0.5 per cent in early trading, as stuttering trade talks were compounded by a lack of economic data or earnings. Read more: EU and UK feel the pain as global pain [...]
Inside Amazon’s Black Friday operations hub: How the e-commerce giant prepares for its busiest day of the year November 29, 2019 Where could be a better place to witness the behind-the-scenes impact of Black Friday than at the heart of Amazon’s UK warehouse operations? Some of the credit – or perhaps, blame – for the annual shopping event’s popularity in Britain surely lies with the US e-commerce giant. The fulfilment centre – which is the size [...]
Asian expansion boosts Fortnum & Mason sales growth November 29, 2019 London luxury food retailer Fortnum & Mason has reported double-digit sales growth in its full-year results, boosted by the company’s global expansion. Sales across the business increased 12 per cent to £138m, while profits soared 26 per cent, driven by growth in Hong Kong and Japan where sales grew 16 and 28 per cent respectively. [...]
Napoleonic cellars and Peaky Blinders: How the old merchants of St James’s Street are fighting to stay relevant November 28, 2019 Reserved, polite and unashamedly old-fashioned, the shop-owners of St James’s Street do not offer many similarities with the brash retail bosses we so often see in the news. Unlike Mike Ashley or Sir Philip Green, they are not waging takeover wars or stirring up corporate controversies. They are cautious in their ambitions, and conservative in their tastes. But just [...]
Christmas travel chaos looms as South Western rail staff prepare to strike from Monday November 28, 2019 Londoners are set to endure a month of chaos on one of the capital’s busiest railways, after last ditch strike talks between union bosses and the rail operator broke down again today. The 27 day strike, which begins on Monday, is on course to be London’s worst ever, and will hit all South Western rail [...]
UK supermarkets further increase plastic footprint despite pledges November 28, 2019 Seven out of the UK’s top 10 supermarkets increased their plastic footprint , as the total amount of plastic packaging used rose to 900,000 tonnes a year. Out of the UK’s 10 largest supermarkets, only Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s achieved marginal reductions over the past 12 months. Read more: Unilever pledges to cut plastic use [...]
City Moves for 27 November – Who’s switching jobs at Revo, Ted Baker and Hertz? November 27, 2019 Today’s City Moves includes Revo, Ted Baker and Hertz Revo Revo, the organisation that represents the UK’s £360bn retail property and place making sector, has announced that it has appointed Vivienne King as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Vivienne brings more than 30 years of business, advisory and real estate industry experience and joins [...]
FCA to ban marketing of mini-bonds amid concerns over investor losses November 26, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today set out to ban the mass marketing of speculative mini-bonds to ordinary investors. The watchdog said the unregulated bonds could cause harm to amateurs, following a spate of investor losses. Read more: What are mini-bonds? Everything you need to know about the products hit by the FCA’s marketing ban [...]
What are mini-bonds? Everything you need to know about the products hit by the FCA’s marketing ban November 26, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today announced it is using its special powers to ban the marketing of some unregulated mini-bonds to individual investors. Mini-bonds have come under scrutiny since the collapse of lender London Capital & Finance (LCF) earlier this year, but what exactly are the controversial investment products, and what has the FCA [...]
Troubled burrito bond chain Chilango postpones AGM amid questions over future November 26, 2019 Chilango has postponed its annual general meeting (AGM) amid continued questions over the burrito chain’s future, City A.M. can reveal. The Mexican restaurant group is in talks with restructuring firm RSM to secure its long-term future, and is almost eight weeks late posting its accounts to Companies House. Read more: FCA to ban marketing of [...]