Sports Direct to pay staff above minimum wage from 2016 December 31, 2015 Sports Direct has said it will pay its staff above the minimum wage from 1 January 2016, as the retailer looks to shrug off criticisms of its working conditions. The minimum threshold will apply for both directly employed casual staff and its UK employees. It estimates that this and associated costs will cost the business [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 index makes strong gains on the back of commodities December 23, 2015 The FTSE 100 index closed sharply higher on Wednesday, with the bounce-back led by mining companies with oil companies not far behind. The UK's top blue-chip index closed 2.6 per cent up at 6,240 points, as the dead cat bounce in resources continued. "Stock markets have been encouraged by a stabilisation in commodity prices which has picked up [...]
A Christmas competition with a difference – and the chance to win a bottle of champagne December 22, 2015 For the prolonged holiday break, a quiz is appropriate. But one with a difference: not just questions, but comments to go with them. A prize of a bottle of champagne to the best answers – just email them to me. The last couple of years have seen the rise of populist left-wing movements. Syriza [...]
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct hits back after facing defeat in Findel shareholder vote December 21, 2015 Sports Direct has lashed out at Findel after shareholders today overwhelmingly voted against appointing one of its representatives to the board. In a fiery statement issued this evening, the company said the combination of Sports Direct's retail expertise and having Ben Gardener as a board director "would have added value to Findel for the benefit of all of its [...]
Countdown to Christmas: From Volkswagen’s emissions scandal and Ed Ball’s surprise defeat at the General Election to the Paris terror attacks, these are the most surprising news stories of 2015 December 20, 2015 Some news you register with perhaps a shrug of the shoulder, while other stories might prompt an arched eyebrow. There are some events, however, that make you sit up and pay attention. This year was not without a few of those key moments – good and bad – that gripped us. Here are the most [...]
Panic Saturday is here: 12.6m Britons hit the shops for busiest day of Christmas shopping as sales start early at M&S, Sports Direct, H&M, Argos and Sainsbury’s December 19, 2015 Brace yourselves, Panic Saturday is here. If you still haven’t bought your Christmas presents, be prepared for crowds. A stampede of last minute Christmas shoppers are bearing down on UK retailers today, making it the busiest day of this year’s Christmas shopping. 12.6 million Britons are forecast to hit the shops, spending over £1.1bn on [...]
From Star Wars and the Fed rate rise and UK housing crisis to Chelsea’s crisis and Sports Direct’s working practices: Here’s what got us talking this week December 19, 2015 There were some outrageous predictions for 2016. Our homes got a bit smarter. And somewhere, floating over our heads, there was a British man in space. Here's what got us talking this week 1) We learned where you can buy a home And for those on less than £43,000, London is out of bounds. And things are [...]
Rangers £5m loan from Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct on verge of being repaid December 18, 2015 Rangers are in the final stages of paying back an outstanding £5m loan to Mike Ashley's Sports Direct retail company, director Paul Murray has confirmed. Ashley made a £5m loan to the club in January when his associates Derek Llambias and Barry Leach were on the board. Initially, the new board opted not to repay [...]
Sports Direct breaks silence on working practices, says Mike Ashley will carry out review of terms and conditions in new year December 18, 2015 Sports Direct has issued an unprecedented statement, rebutting claims made about its working practices as putting forward "an unfair portrayal" and said it will carry out a review of staff terms and conditions. The retailer, which has come under fire for many months because of its widespread use of zero-hour contracts, has issued a lengthy statement to [...]
Hold onto your hat: It’s Saxo Bank’s outrageous predictions for 2016 including the oil price, the US presidential campaign, euros vs dollars, Brazil, Russia and the end of the luxury sector December 16, 2015 Bored by predictions for 2016 that tentatively forecast interest rate rises and a slight dampening of the property market? Want something that will really make you prepare for the worst (or best) case scenarios out there? Well hold onto your hat, because it's Saxo Bank's annual outrageous predictions for the year ahead, and they are just [...]