We can thank Britain’s services industries for powering the recovery October 27, 2013 AS EXPECTED, the latest GDP figures show that the UK economy grew healthily in the third quarter of this year. All the main sectors – services, manufacturing and construction – contributed to growth for the second quarter in a row. This provides some reassurance that the recovery is broad-based, and that the momentum will continue [...]
Debenhams boss backs call for rates reform October 24, 2013 DEBENHAMS chief executive Michael Sharp became the latest retail boss yesterday to call on the government to overhaul the way in which it determines business rates, describing the current system as “outdated”. “It is clear that the current calculation is archaic and does not fit for the modern consumer world of today,” Sharp said. However, [...]
Bottom Line: Revamp can’t happen fast enough October 24, 2013 CHANGE can be good – great even – but it always come with risks. For months now Debenhams’ flagship Oxford Street store has been covered in scaffolding, with shoppers pointed towards a temporary entrance before being directed into a store that looks more like a building site than a shopping haven. All signs point to the [...]
Move into the heart of city living October 24, 2013 Make a smart international investment or simply live among some of the world’s most famous landmarks There are certain things non-Londoners take for granted that seem like every-day miracles to those living in the capital. Walking to work is one of them – the morning commute is inescapable in the Big Smoke. You can also [...]
Costa owner Whitbread sees strong growth despite unimpressive restaurant results October 22, 2013 Costa Coffee and Premier Inn owner Whitbread has reported strong interim results, with profit before tax up 12.6 per cent at £216.1m and a 12.4 per cent revenue increase in the six months to August. (Release) Whitbread, who also owns Beefeater Grill, saw like-for-like sales up 2.8 per cent for the period, and have increased [...]
Fast food sales growth slows at McDonald’s October 21, 2013 MCDONALD’S missed forecasts with its quarterly revenue figures yesterday, and warned that global sales in October are likely to be flat on last year. Sales at stores opened for at least 12 months rose 0.9 per cent in the third quarter, missing analysts’ expectations of a one per cent rise, according to Consensus Metrix. A [...]
The range of premium mixers produced to raise gin’s spirits October 21, 2013 Annabel Palmer talks luck, liquor and a lightbulb moment with Charles Rolls, co-founder of drinks label Fever-Tree WHILE gin may not be the most popular global spirit (that prestigious title goes to Korean rice wine brand Jinro), the world consumes 440m litres of it each year. But back in 2000, Charles Rolls, co-founder of the [...]
Grafton keen on further growth after switching Irish roots for UK listing October 20, 2013 Gavin Slark, boss of the builders’ merchant, tells Kasmira Jefford what’s next for his company WHEN Gavin Slark was handed the toolbox and made chief executive of the Irish-based builders merchant two years ago, Grafton was in dire need of repairs. The global financial crisis had all but flattened the UK and Ireland’s construction market [...]
Saluting all those who served the country October 20, 2013 ALMOST 400 guests flocked to the Guildhall on Friday for the third Square Mile Salute banquet, hosted by Michelin-starred chefs Albert and Michel Roux Jr. With support from leading players in business and politics, including Lord Ashcroft and the spread-betting group CMC Markets, the event has grown into a hotly anticipated culinary masterpiece and a [...]
Irish bank puts Royal Exchange up for sale with £75m price tag October 17, 2013 THE ROYAL Exchange looks set to change hands after its Irish owners put it up for sale with a £75m price tag. The iconic site above Bank station is being sold off by The Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, which said yesterday it has hired property advisers CBRE to market the 450-year-old building. The Royal Exchange [...]