Christmas shopping: UK high street benefits from rise in customer numbers at start of Christmas shopping season December 11, 2017 The UK high street benefited from a slight rise in footfall last month as retailers started selling their Christmas ranges. Footfall rose by 0.2 per cent in November, according to data from Springboard. This was a significant improvement on last year, when footfall fell by one per cent year-on-year. Read more: Bright spot for BrightHouse? [...]
Train fares are going up by an average of 3.4 per cent in January 2018 December 5, 2017 UK train fares are set to rise by an average of 3.4 per cent next year, above the rate of inflation, the rail industry has revealed. From 2 January 2018, all national rail fares will rise, including both regulated fares, like season tickets, and unregulated fares, including off-peak tickets. The Rail Delivery Group said the [...]
Carwow backer Episode 1 revs up with new £60m venture capital fund as SyndicateRoom launches new EIS | City A.M. December 1, 2017 Episode 1, the software-focused venture capital firm, has launched a new £60m fund to seed UK entrepreneur-led companies. The Enterprise Capital Fund is 60 per cent larger that Episode 1’s first, and received investment from the likes of the British Business Bank and later-stage venture capital firm Draper Esprit. Simon Murdoch, former Amazon UK chief [...]
Bitcoin bubble will burst but blockchain technology will be useful, says private equity investing giant Harbourvest November 28, 2017 The bitcoin cryptocurrency is a bubble which will burst, but the underlying blockchain technology will have some useful applications, according to a director at Harbourvest Private Equity (HVPE). Speaking on investment megatrends this morning, Richard Hickman – director of investment and operations at the £995m London-listed HVPE trust – said he believed bitcoin was one [...]
UK small and mid cap shares: in search of growth November 28, 2017 For equity investors seeking exciting growth companies the UK market offers some compelling opportunities. Investors in UK-quoted companies have two key markets from which to choose: the main market of the London Stock Exchange with its well-established FTSE indices and 319-year pedigree (see footnote 1), and relative newcomer the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). For active [...]
Staying afloat: What the string of shelved IPOs means for investors November 28, 2017 It takes a brave business leader to list their company on a public stock exchange, and while the success of an IPO is largely based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals, it’s also a delicate act of timing. This month, we’ve seen a string of British companies shelve their plans to float, including the likes of [...]
Bricks or clicks? Rumours of the high street’s demise have been greatly exaggerated November 28, 2017 The way we shop may have changed markedly over time, but the nation’s appetite for shopping is as voracious as ever. This was shown, once again, in the frenzy around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, now important landmarks in the retail calendar. Early estimates suggest that spending exceeded £7bn. The fundamental shift has been driven [...]
Transport for London blames Brexit uncertainty for surprise fall in passenger numbers November 27, 2017 Transport for London (TfL) has blamed an unexpected fall in passenger numbers on Brexit uncertainty and "economic factors affecting the whole of the UK". The transport body said in its draft business plan for 2018/19 to 2022/23: We have seen lower growth in demand for our services than previously forecast for this year, largely owing [...]
Victoria Beckham’s fashion brand nabs £30m from Paul bakery chain backer Neo Investment Partners November 27, 2017 Victoria Beckham Limited (VBL), the luxury fashion brand founded by the former Spice Girl whose name it shares, has caught the eye of London-based Neo Investment Partners. The growth investor, which specialises in high-end brands, has ploughed £30m into VBL to allow the company to expand its digital and physical retail presence. Beckham’s fashion business [...]
Crowdfunding round on Seedrs launches for London’s latest meal delivery startup Independence Market, to rival Hello Fresh and Blue Apron November 27, 2017 Today sees the launch of London’s latest meal delivery startup, Independence Market, on crowdfunding platform Seedrs. But this business – described by its founder as “Amazon meets Avon” – is not just another Hello Fresh, Blue Apron or Graze replicant. With Independence Market, Rob Hocking – a teaching fellow at Oxford University’s Said Business School, [...]