Sports Direct accounts probe announced by watchdog November 28, 2016 The accountancy watchdog has today launched an investigation into Sports Direct, probing into claims surrounding the relationship between the retailer and a firm run by chief exec and founder Mike Ashley's brother. In particular, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is taking a closer look at the accounts for the 52 weeks to 24 April and whether [...]
Black Friday 2016: Five fitness and activewear-tastic bargains to snap-up, stay fit and stay warm November 24, 2016 Usually the time to think about getting fit is after you have plumped yourself up full of turkey and Christmas pud… not before. But there are a bundle of Black Friday activewear deals out there so you can get a headstart on a healthy 2017. Or at least, grab a bargain that will stay in its box until your return to [...]
Retailers’ share prices stung by the rise in the national living wage in the Autumn Statement November 23, 2016 Retailer's share prices are suffering this afternoon after chancellor Philip Hammond said the national living wage would rise in April next year. The national living wage hourly rate will increase from £7.20 an hour £7.50 an hour in 2017, Hammond said. Read more: The National Living Wage is going up again next April The change [...]
Leicester City’s Premier League title win delivered £140m to the local economy – and this year it will be even more November 21, 2016 Leicester’s Premier League title triumph contributed £140m to the local economy during 2015-16, according to a new study, and that figure is expected to rise again this season. The Foxes’ historic 5000-1 success delivered a total economic output of £193m, generated taxes of £78m and supported 2,500 jobs, the report by EY for the club [...]
Why the famed “hairdryer treatment” dished out by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United should not be used as a leadership template November 11, 2016 Sir Alex Ferguson was unusually coy this week. When giving a talk to the World Business Forum in Milan the former Manchester United boss claimed his infamous "hairdryer treatment" was more myth than reality, a story that grew during his 27-year tenure at Old Trafford. "It happened about half a dozen times in 27 years and the [...]
Sandwichgate: The chair of the Business Select Committee has written to Mike Ashley and he’s not happy November 9, 2016 The chair of the Business Select Committee that paid Sports Direct a memorable visit earlier in the week, has written to Mike Ashley. And boy, he's not happy. "For an organisation in the process of reviewing its corporate governance and working practices, it is difficult to understand how a representative of the company thought that [...]
New targets to have women in 33 per cent of top exec jobs by 2020 unveiled November 8, 2016 New targets has been set for FTSE 100 companies to have at least 33 per cent of their executive pipeline positions filled by women for 2020. The government-commissioned Hampton-Alexander Review has been unveiled with statistics to be released tomorrow showing that 25 per cent of those currently sitting on FTSE 100 exec committees and their direct [...]
Sandwichgate: Sports Direct hits back at MPs claims saying they overshadowed the happiness of Shirebrook workers November 8, 2016 Sports Direct's share price plummeted over three per cent after responding to the sensational allegations from MPs that its staff spied on a private meeting of MPs from the business select committee. "The Board would like to make it clear that it did not authorise or have any knowledge of the possible recording device," Sports Direct said [...]
Toyota profits driven off track by strong yen but it lifts full-year forecast after cost-cutting November 8, 2016 Toyota looks to have set its sights on long-range electric cars for 2020, and in its latest results, the car firm dropped a heavy hint that's the direction it's going in. But first, it needs to fend off a strong yen that's impacting profit. The figures For the July-September period operating profit fell 43 per cent to [...]
Portugal training camp straight out of old school manual November 7, 2016 Boarding school dorms A training camp in Portugal might be mistaken to be the product of a modern approach to rugby coaching. It is not. Eddie Jones is as old school as they come and, coupled with the Warren Gatland-Shaun Edwards bone-on-bone methodology, at least two of the home nations are now fully compliant with [...]