Fortnum & Mason to ‘limit price rises’ as it battles surging costs January 14, 2025 Iconic London store Fortnum & Mason has vowed to limit increasing prices in the wake of tax rises by the Labour government. The retailer, which can trace its roots back to 1707, has said the outlook for its operating costs in 2025 “remains challenging”. The company pointed to inflation, labour costs, tax increases, raw materials, [...]
CMA launches probe into Google search dominance under new regime January 14, 2025 Google has been placed under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to assess whether its search and advertising services deliver fair results within the UK. In a statement today, the watchdog announced the launch of its first “strategic market status designation investigation” under a new Strategic Market Status (SMS) regime, which was rolled [...]
‘A speculative figure’: Cost of Sizewell C nuclear plant nearly doubled since 2020 January 14, 2025 The cost of building Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk could reach nearly £40bn, according to reports. Developer EDF and the UK government anticipated the project’s final price tag would be around £20bn in 2020, as it struggled to bring down construction costs and reduce delays. But the Financial Times on Tuesday reported the [...]
Nvidia data centre opens in London Docklands as Starmer launches AI action plan January 14, 2025 London Docklands and Crawley will host some of Europe’s largest Nvidia AI platforms in two newly operational data centres, after Britain launched its’ AI Opportunities Action Plan this week New York-based cloud provider CoreWeave announced the opening of these sites as Keir Starmer’s government looked to pour more money into data centre infrastructure. Its London [...]
‘We hope this is not goodbye’: Partridges to close iconic London store after 53 years January 14, 2025 Independent family-run food store Partridges is to close its iconic London location after 53 years. The company is to shutter its fine food store in Duke of York Square, Chelsea, on 2 February. Partridges confirmed that its location in Gloucester Road, Kensington, will continue to trade as usual and that a new store will open [...]
Are American stocks too expensive? January 14, 2025 American stocks are expensive – really expensive. The way analysts measure how expensive stocks are is looking at the ratio of their price to the company’s annual earnings. Goldman Sachs has calculated that even excluding the largest technology companies, US market valuations are at a 20-year peak, currently sitting at a ratio of 19.3 price [...]
EG Group: From a Bury service station to a $13bn IPO January 14, 2025 EG Group is set to end 24 years as a private company with a $13bn float on the New York Stock Exchange, according to reports. Co-founder of EG Group and current non-executive, Zuber Issa, told the Sunday Times that “the road map is starting now” on an IPO, with the float expected to complete this [...]
Skoda Superb iV Estate review: A family car with no compromises January 14, 2025 Finding a family estate used to be an easy process, with almost every car manufacturer offering a ‘longroof’ version of its hatchback or saloon models. Fast-forward to the present day, however, and finding a new wagon can feel trickier than having a balanced argument on social media. We can thank the exponential rise of the [...]
Fewer firms expanded headcount following the Budget, BCC says January 14, 2025 Fewer firms increased their headcount in the final quarter of last year, a new survey showed, as businesses prepare for the impact of the national insurance hike.
Kiki McDonough: Business lessons from 40 years as a royal jeweller January 14, 2025 Royal jeweller Kiki McDonough has made a name for herself in fine jewellery over the last 40 years. She shares her business lessons in today's Notebook.