London’s iconic department store Liberty ‘seeks £300m sale’ February 12, 2019 London retail landmark Liberty department store could be set for new ownership for the first time in nearly 10 years. Its largest shareholder, private equity firm Bluegem Capital Partners, has reportedly hired UBS to look into potential buyers for the business. Read more: West End property giant Shaftesbury posts 'resilient' retail demand The company, which [...]
Busting the millennial myth February 11, 2019 Last month I was invited to present at a conference in Berlin; I spent a couple of days preparing and got up at 4am to fly over. The speaker before me confidently told the audience that millennials lacked their elders’ work ethic so would drag down productivity and GDP growth. As I took to the [...]
DEBATE: As London Blockchain Week kicks off, will people ever feel safe buying their groceries in bitcoin? February 11, 2019 As London Blockchain Week kicks off, will people ever feel safe buying their groceries in bitcoin? Dr James Smith, co-founder and chief executive of Elliptic, a cryptocurrency intelligence agency, says YES. Cryptocurrencies are in still their early stages, used more as an investment and tradeable asset than as a form of money, and a lot [...]
Mike Ashley throws accusations at administrator as he abandons bid for cake shop Patisserie Valerie February 11, 2019 Retail tycoon Mike Ashley has pulled his bid for scandal-hit Patisserie Valerie, lashing out with claims the cafe chain’s administrators withheld vital information. Ashley’s Sports Direct said today it was “reluctantly” withdrawing its bid to lift the struggling firm out of administration, just two days after the offer was tabled. Read more: Sports Direct makes [...]
West End property giant Shaftesbury posts ‘resilient’ retail demand ahead of investor showdown February 8, 2019 London landlord Shaftesbury said this morning that demand for retail space had been resilient over the crucial Christmas trading period, with consumers continuing to visit bars and restaurants in the firm’s West End portfolio during the festive season. The FTSE 250 group, which is bracing itself for a shareholder showdown at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) [...]
Food waste startup Too Good To Go gobbles up €6m from investors February 5, 2019 Danish leftover food startup Too Good To Go has grabbed €6m (£5.3m) from some of its existing investors, as it prepares to expand into four new countries in 2019. The firm, which enables users to collect leftover dishes from restaurants and stores at discounted prices, has partnered with 1,500 retailers in London to date, including [...]
City Moves for 6 February – who’s switching jobs at Browne Jacobson, EY and Freshfields? February 5, 2019 Who’s on the move today? Browne Jacobson Browne Jacobson announced that Caroline Green has been elected the firm’s new senior partner with effect from 1 May 2019 for a three-year term. Caroline, who is one of the firm’s longest serving partners and jointly heads up the firm’s retail sector group, will be its first female [...]
Unilever swallows healthy food startup Graze February 5, 2019 Retail giant Unilever has agreed a deal to buy UK healthy snacks firm Graze at a reported valuation of £150m. Founded in 2008, the brand had raised just £2m from London investors Octopus Ventures and Draper Esprit before being acquired by US buyout group Carlyle in 2012. The bidding war for Graze had garnered interest from [...]
UK economy set for much-needed spending boost thanks to Chinese tourists February 5, 2019 The UK economy is set to receive an international spending boost as tourists from outside the EU continue to splash out in spite of Brexit worries. International spend will increase four per cent year-on-year over the next 90 days, according to forecasts from tourism shopping firm Global Blue. Read more: China's success will depend on the [...]
TfL urged to be ‘open’ with Londoners about Northern Line extension delay February 5, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) has been told to be "open" with Londoners about the reasons behind the Northern Line extension delay after boss Mike Brown said a revised opening date would have "no material impact" on its revenues. The extension, which will lengthen the Northern Line to Battersea and create 25,000 new jobs and 20,000 new homes, was scheduled to open next [...]