Focus on Victoria: Grab a prime bargain in SW1 November 27, 2014 Victoria has long been a place of work, but it’s been a while since it’s been a place to live. Dominated by a mixture of grey government office blocks and its various transport hubs, it certainly doesn’t fit the desirable London village trend. But that may be about to change. Developer Land Securities [...]
It doesn’t get more central than The Beecham in Covent Garden November 27, 2014 Covent Garden, that stretch of meandering streets off The Strand that culminates in the famous piazza, has been through every stage of London life. It started out, as many of the City’s suburbs did, as countryside, serving as gardens for Westminster Abbey. Then came its first gentrification phase when Henry VIII seized the land [...]
Poundland’s quids in with 11.7 per cent rise in profits November 27, 2014 Shares in discount retailer Poundland edged 3.7 per cent higher to just under 314p after it posted a 11.7 per cent rise in pre-tax profits, which hit £9.3m in the six months to the end of September. Sales rose 15 per cent to £528.2m, while net debt fell 83 per cent to £4.4m, as it [...]
John Lewis Christmas ad crooner Tom Odell launches London City Island dream of Irish billionaire Sean Mulryan November 26, 2014 London had a taste of Manhattan-style island life last night, as Irish billionaire Sean Mulryan and his property firm Ballymore launched its new 12-acre island neighbourhood, City Island, across from Canning Town. There are 1,700 new properties going up for sale on City Island, and no doubt Mulryan was hoping some of the [...]
French connection beats the autumn blues November 26, 2014 FRENCH Connection Group said its full-year results were likely to meet market expectations after a strong quarter for its wholesale business, giving it an edge over rival British fashion retailers in a tough market. Shares of the company, known for its FCUK brand, rose as much as 19.6 per cent on the London Stock Exchange [...]
LondonMetric sees profits rise on £21.8m sale November 26, 2014 LONDONMETRIC Property yesterday reported strong first-half earnings growth, driven by a move away from offices and homes and into retail distribution properties. The company also continued its portfolio shuffle, selling the Cairngorm Retail Park in Milton Keynes to Royal London Asset Management for £21.8m, reflecting a net initial yield of 6.10 per cent, and exchanging [...]
Paragon Group banks on shift from home owning as Britain becomes nation of renters November 25, 2014 Britain is increasingly becoming a nation of renters rather than home owners, Paragon Group’s boss told City A.M. yesterday. The lender increased its buy-to-let mortgage loans by more than 80 per cent this year, as homes become increasingly unaffordable. On top of sharp price rises in London, the mortgage market review (MMR) rules put in [...]
Home Retail and TfL take Argos underground at Cannon Street Tube station November 25, 2014 Commuters will now be able to pick up everything from laptops and televisions to furniture as they hop on the Tube after Argos launched its first Underground store yesterday. The retailer’s parent company Home Retail Group has signed a partnership with Transport for London to open a store “the size of a large family kitchen” [...]
City Moves for 26 November 2014 | Who’s switching jobs November 25, 2014 Standard Chartered Euan Campbell has been appointed to the newly-created role of global head of retail segments for retail clients at the bank. He joins from Santander Group, where he was executive vice president responsible for the strategic direction of its US cards business. Campbell has also held senior roles at HSBC. Cordea Savills The [...]
Santander share price rises as Ana Botin replaces chief exec with José Antonio Álvarez November 25, 2014 Banco Santander’s new executive chairman Ana Botin has wasted no time in restructuring the bank, replacing its chief executive within her first two months in the role. José Antonio Álvarez is the new chief executive of Europe’s biggest bank, taking the place of Javier Marin, who had held the role for less than two [...]