Interiors: We see what’s on offer at London’s Japan House, a new restaurant, shop and exhibition space in Kensington June 22, 2018 Since the jet age, tourism to Japan has grown slowly and steadily, but recently it has shot up, doubling in the past four years. The government can see that tourism is a big earner, the language is no longer a stumbling block, and, as hosts to the Rugby Wold Cup 2019 and the Tokyo 2020 [...]
Last Week in the City: Markets Trumped by trade fears June 22, 2018 The week was dominated by trade war fears as Donald Trump said he would slap further tariffs on Chinese goods should there be any retaliatory measures. Despite this, Nasdaq hit a record high, although the Dow Jones Industrial Average erased all its gains in 2018 so far. The FTSE 100 fell 0.5% over the week [...]
Brexit vote two years on: seven charts that tell the story June 22, 2018 On 23 June 2016, the UK public voted on whether or not to stay in the European Union (EU). Many expected the UK to remain in the EU, but by a majority of 52% to 48% the Leave campaign won. The UK is scheduled to leave the EU at 23:00 UK time on 29 March [...]
House of Fraser closure vote looms as politicians fear jobs cuts and end to iconic stores June 21, 2018 Politicians and landlords fear thousands of job losses and the death of beloved high street stores ahead of House of Fraser’s vote on store closures tomorrow. The struggling retailer’s creditors will decide tomorrow whether to approve a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), which will result in 31 of the 59 House of Fraser stores closing down. [...]
Ranked: The banks that have closed the most branches since 2015 – and which regions have been hardest hit June 15, 2018 New analysis has revealed which of banks have shut the most branches since 2015, with NatWest, HSBC and Lloyds Bank reporting the highest number of closures. Some 2,868 UK retail branches will have shut up shop by the end of this year, with 879 bank closures during last year, according to Which? Money research. That [...]
Residents versus the local economy: The battle of Oxford Street pedestrianisation June 14, 2018 Last week, we heard of Westminster council’s surprise decision to pull the plug on a joint plan with the mayor of London to pedestrianise Oxford Street. Coincidentally, the shelving of the £60m project came a day after House of Fraser’s decision to pull its own plug on its flagship Oxford Street store alongside 30 others. [...]
Fintech and funding: LendInvest’s path from adversity to opportunity June 13, 2018 Entrepreneurs often thrive in circumstances where traditional, established companies struggle – Microsoft, General Electric and Disney were all started during recessions. Nonetheless, 2008 was a precarious time to set up a mortgage business – as LendInvest co-founders Christian Faes and Ian Thomas candidly pointed out during a recent Leap 100 Breakfast. Although the online marketplace [...]
We talk to Tradeweb about how investing has evolved over the last 20 years June 12, 2018 It's a busy time for Tradeweb, the provider of electronic trading for fixed-income, derivatives, and exchange-traded funds, following a recent announcement that it would be adding an equity trading facility to its list of products. The company, which launched in 1998 as a marketplace for investors to buy and sell US Treasury bonds, will later [...]
Bitcoin was just the beginning of the imminent blockchain era June 12, 2018 Mention “blockchain”, and most people still immediately think of bitcoin – or ethereum, or ripple, or other cryptocurrencies. That’s not surprising, given that bitcoin was the first expression of blockchain technology. As the values of cryptocurrencies have soared and fallen, speculation has risen that the “bitcoin bubble” is about to burst. However, it is the [...]
Alton Towers owner and multi-millionaire Nick Leslau on the “constipated” property market and that rollercoaster tragedy June 12, 2018 Nick Leslau, one of Britain’s wealthiest property entrepreneurs, loves buildings other people would find ugly. “I have a thing for unfashionable buildings that people generally hate,” says the multi-millionaire who turned two sixties office blocks in London into the St Martins Lane and Sanderson hotels. “I like them because of the opportunity they represent and [...]