Boris Johnson: £35m cost to host 2017 Tour de France in London better spent elsewhere September 29, 2015 Mayor of London Boris Johnson has taken responsibility for the capital's decision not to host the start of the 2017 Tour de France, arguing that it would be too expensive. Read more: London pulls out of hosting Tour de France Grand Départ in 2017 London had trumped competition from Manchester and cities in Germany to win [...]
Findel share price soars as Sports Direct takes 19pc chunk of Kitbag parent September 29, 2015 Sports Direct has taken an 18.9 per cent stake in Kitbag parent company Findel, almost a year after Mike Ashley first started eyeing up the football strip retailer. The move comes as Findel confirmed it had received an approach for the sports retail business from an unnamed third party and had “agreed terms, subject [...]
Sports Direct gives up chase for posh fitness chain Soho Gyms September 27, 2015 Sports Direct has abandoned its bid for upmarket fitness centre chain Soho Gyms, according to reports. The retailer had held discussions with the gym company with the aim of reaching a deal that would extend its own gym business, Sports Direct Fitness, which launched in November last year. However, The Sunday Telegraph reported that the [...]
This time it’s personal: Lida’s Matthew Heath discusses direct marketing and virtual cars September 27, 2015 In their landmark book The One to One Future, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers told marketers to "operate in realities, not abstractions of realities". But in 1993, when their book was published, neither could have foreseen how quickly their idea of personalised advertising would be realised. "That idea was ahead of its time," says [...]
Debenhams coup: Shareholders and City stockbroker Cenkos plot shake-up at retail chain September 20, 2015 Debenhams could be forced to undergo a shake-up of its senior management after coming under pressure from a group of disgruntled investors unhappy with the department store group’s performance. City stockbroker Cenkos is understood to have been asked by Debenhams shareholders that collectively own a stake of around 20 per cent in the company to [...]
An enduring bond September 20, 2015 Aston Martin’s Simon Sproule talks balancing growth and exclusivity THE UK has long distinguished itself as a leader in luxury goods. Increasing wealth in the Gulf states and the Far East has opened up opportunities in new markets for high-end brands with a heritage. But when exclusivity is so important to a brand’s appeal, pursuing [...]
Rugby World Cup 2015: All Blacks haka leader Liam Messam shrugs off favourites tag – “nothing’s taken for granted” September 17, 2015 New Zealand flanker Liam Messam has shrugged off the All Blacks’ favourites tag for the Rugby World Cup and insisted the reigning champions will take nothing for granted. Read more: Pressure is all on England and not New Zealand, insists All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu The All Blacks kick off their campaign against [...]
Wins won’t be restricted to the pitch if England profit at the Rugby World Cup September 17, 2015 Winning and losing affects revenues for many businesses both directly and indirectly associated with sports teams and individuals. Our business at Sportsrisq is to recognise how those sports results have a financial impact on companies and help them manage it accordingly. We have taken a look at some examples of companies that may [...]
From the Apple iPhone 6s launch and Labour’s mayoral race to the refugee crisis and Sports Direct: Here’s what got us talking this week September 11, 2015 There was a record breaker. There was some space whisky. And somewhere in the heart of the City, there was a good old-fashioned knees up. Here's what got us talking this week 1) The bus driver's son won Sadiq Khan beat favourite Tessa Jowell to become the Labour candidate for London Mayor in 2016, [...]
Sports Direct AGM: Mike Ashley can ignore the outraged of Twitter – but in the new world order, he ignores investors at his peril September 10, 2015 Shareholder unrest over corporate governance or transparency is nothing new, but in this age of social media and e-petitions, public outcry over certain business practices is often louder than it once was. Last week, public opinion, along with a dollop of union pressure, forced restaurant chain Pizza Express to change its policy over tipping. [...]