Shopping in style at the City’s 10 best June 17, 2012 Paul A Young, Bank 1 London’s most delectable chocolatier has shops in Islington and Soho, but our favourite is the outpost on Threadneedle Street. Just a stone’s throw from Bank, the store is a beacon of temptation, with its opulent display window and signature purple exterior. Paul, who has flame-red hair, oversees an operation in [...]
Good marketing can be as impossible as trying to read minds June 10, 2012 THE blond haired, middle-aged PR guru slouched back in his armchair and confidently announced his “stunning” idea to me. The little girl, Madeleine, had recently disappeared in Portugal and there was massive public sympathy and frenzied press coverage. To my sensitive agent, struggling to justify his hefty monthly fees, this represented a fantastic opportunity. “A [...]
Jubilee attracts two million to West End June 6, 2012 SOME two million visitors flocked to the West End over the bank holiday weekend, as the capital went into full swing celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Theatres, hotels, restaurants and retailers are together expected to have made more than £120m over the four-day weekend, according to the New West End company, which represents 600 firms [...]
£140m deal for Makro UK will boost Booker May 30, 2012 FOOD wholesaler Booker aims to turn around the loss-making cash and carry firm Makro UK after taking it off the hands of German retailer Metro in a £140m deal. It will hand Metro £15.8m and a 9.99 per cent stake in Booker as the two firms agree to work together on improving their supply chains [...]
Jubilee weekend highlight: the ultimate Royal pageant May 29, 2012 Without doubt, the focus of the weekend is the Jubilee Pageant flotilla on Sunday 3 June, running from Putney past Tower Bridge. The procession will be led by the Gloriana, a £1m barge built for the occasion, with 18 oarsman including Olympic athletes Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent. The flotilla is so grand [...]
Get on the starting grid for charity night May 28, 2012 City A.M.is offering readers the chance to win a pair of VIP tickets to a fundraising dinner at Boisdale restaurant in Canary Wharf. The event takes place on Monday week, 11 June, and marks the opening of Motorexpo, the UK’s largest free to enter motor show. All you have to do to enter the draw [...]
London’s developers have a prime role in ensuring its future success May 28, 2012 IF LONDON is to retain its status as a global capital for business in the face of technological revolution and the rise of mega cities in the South and East of the globe, it is vital for property developers to respond to changing business needs. This is not just building new offices that are well [...]
Booker bullish as beats slump May 24, 2012 BOOKER Group, Britain’s biggest cash and carry wholesaler, said it remains on course to meet its expectations for the year despite a challenging economy as it posted a 27 per cent rise in full-year profit. The company, which has over 170 branches that supply convenience stores, restaurants, pubs, schools and prisons, said pre-tax profits increased [...]
CRASH PADS May 24, 2012 For the City’s movers and shakers, it’s the million pound question: do you live in the town centre and save yourself hours of tedious, stressful commuting, safe in the knowledge that you own property in one of the world’s cultural hubs? Or, do you move to the commuter belt, get yourself a bigger house with [...]
Shaftesbury profits rise as West End sites fend off retail gloom May 23, 2012 THE PROSPEROUS West End continued to shelter Shaftesbury from the wider gloom in the retail sector as the London property firm posted a 15 per cent jump in first half profits. The company, which owns 500 properties across London’s key tourist hotspots including Carnaby Street and China Town reported a pre-tax profit of £16.1m in [...]