Pop-up revolution? The pop-up economy is now worth £2.3bn August 13, 2015 The trend for pop-ups, whether that be shops, bars, cinemas or even beaches, may leave some people rolling their eyes, but their success is adding billions to the UK economy. Revenues in the pop-up retail sector grew at 12.3 per cent last year, meaning it's now worth £2.3bn annually, up on £2.1bn last year, and employs [...]
Leaving London: Half of those living in the capital want to leave – here’s where they want to move to August 13, 2015 Is everyone in London packing their bags for more than just a holiday? There's talk of leaving London flying all over the place – from HSBC to the liberal left, apparently, and a third of Londoners think they'd be better off elsewhere due to the stress and expense of living in the capital. Now, it's not [...]
Sofa chain SCS keeps shareholders comfortable after pick-up in sales August 13, 2015 SOFA chain SCS hailed an improvement in sales in the last three months of a difficult year hampered by warm weather and the uncertainty in the run-up to the 7 May General Election. The retailer, which floated on the London stock market earlier this year, said total like-for-like sales for the year to 25 July [...]
Death of clubbing? Why that’s bad news for the UK’s night time economy August 12, 2015 The UK’s late night sector, its bars, live music venues and nightclubs, is rightly recognised as one of the most vibrant and progressive in the world. The sector forms an integral part of the UK’s cultural zeitgeist and has provided a breeding ground for much of this country’s world-renowned musical talent. Our nightclubs and venues [...]
Hornby completes £15m placing and makes junior market debut August 12, 2015 HORNBY, the toymaker behind Thomas the Tank Engine, has delisted from London’s main market and launched on Aim today as part of a radical turnaround of the troubled business. The Kent-based company said it has also completed a £15m placing, which will be used to pay down bank debt and fund its recovery. Hornby has [...]
Game Digital puts profit warning behind it despite slowdown in console sales August 11, 2015 It has been almost two years since the launch of Sony’s latest console, the PlayStation 4 (PS4) and Microsoft’s Xbox One and after the initial sale frenzy, demand is now cooling, according to Game Digital. The video games retailer said revenues at its hardware division were hit by a near 20 per cent drop in [...]
London startups grow by 21pc – fuelled by a booming tech industry August 10, 2015 London’s startup scene is booming as the number of new ventures launched increased by nearly a quarter in just a year, shows data from Companies House. Startups increased by 21 per cent in just a year, according to Instant Offices, which compared how many businesses registered with Companies House last year with the year before [...]
Joblessness data and retail figures focus of quiet week – London Report August 9, 2015 THE CORPORATE results season has past its peak, but the week ahead is due to see some big financial news nonetheless, including UK unemployment figures on Wednesday. Tomorrow retail sales data will be published, while on Friday construction industry output figures will be out. Prudential is reporting its half-year interims tomorrow after chief executive Tidjane [...]
These cities are the biggest tech lovers in the UK: Exeter, Cheltenham and Loughborough buy the most, while London fails to rank August 6, 2015 Londoners may like to think they are ahead of the curve on most things – fashion, food, and the latest trends – but there's one area in which the capital's residents are left trailing. Where technology is concerned, it's the residents of Exeter who are buying more gadgets than anywhere else in the country. Cheltenham, [...]
Stop ruining Bake Off August 6, 2015 GREAT British Bake Off is the TV event of the year, but London’s media teams may be sick of the show after just one episode. Hundreds of businesses had the same clever idea of sending out press releases and tweets tenuously linked to the series. Estate agents eMoov revealed the most expensive British baked goods [...]