Have yourself an analogue Christmas: Vinyl outsold digital downloads for the first time last week December 6, 2016 It's going to be a crackly, scratchy sort of Christmas this year, after new figures showed sales of vinyl outstripped those of downloaded music for the first time since the advent of digital downloads last week. The Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) said £2.4m was spent on vinyl albums in week 48 of 2016, compared with £2.1m [...]
Real Good Food’s shares plummeted as exec warns earnings could fall short of estimates December 6, 2016 Real Good Food reported sales growth but experienced losses following trouble with commodity pricing and weak sterling. Executive chairman Pieter Totté said "there is a risk" the company's earnings won't meet market estimates. The figures Total group sales for the Aim-listed ingredients and baking products company grew by 5 per cent to £49m, the company reported in its interim results for [...]
HMRC told to hurry up and produce “tangible results” by Treasury Committee chairman December 5, 2016 A Tory heavy-hitter said workers with life-threatening diseases could miss out on compensation pay-outs because of failings by the taxman and today urged authorities to speed up the process. Victims of occupational diseases can only claim compensation from employers once they have received a full record of their employment. However, tax records are a vital part [...]
Greenergy in sale talks with Brookfield December 4, 2016 Fuel supplier Greenergy is in advanced talks to sell a stake to Canadian giant Brookfield. Greenergy, which claims to transport a quarter of the road fuel used in the UK at around 18bn litres each year, has been locked in negotiations with the infrastructure group for several months, it was first reported by Sky News. It’s [...]
Digital defence school to bolster UK’s cyber ranks December 4, 2016 Bletchley Park will again house the nation’s top talent as cyber security threats soar, writes Billy Bambrough Over 70 years since Alan Turing and his Bletchley Park colleagues made history during World War II by figuring out the Nazis’ enigma machine, code breakers are set to return to the now famous site. The National College [...]
The Children’s Food Campaign says the FDF’s top UK brands don’t oppose the sugary drinks tax, so the FDF shouldn’t either December 2, 2016 The Children's Food Campaign (CFC) has asked the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) to stop opposing the tax on sugary drinks, claiming its top UK member brands are less aggressively opposed to the duty than the trade association. Out of 55 FDF members contacted by CFC, 14 gave full responses, including Birdseye, Slimfast, Wrigleys, Mars, Weetabix and Haribo. Seven [...]
Has the plunging pound pumped up Bridgestone tyre prices? December 1, 2016 First the cost of a holidays abroad, then a pot of Marmite. Now the price of tyres is on the rise. One of Britain's best known automotive brands, Bridgestone, today said it would be increasing the price of its tyres. Read more: #Marmitegate: Tesco boss warns suppliers against hiking prices An extra three per cent would [...]
FCA wants customers to shop around for the best bank interest rates and have revealed who gives the best returns on cash December 1, 2016 With interest rates at rock bottom levels we've all become accustomed to the fact we shouldn't expect much of a return from our bank accounts. And today, the UK's financial watchdog named and shamed the banks paying the lowest interest rates on cash savings accounts. Read more: City watchdog warns of asset management "market failure" [...]
Thousands of online accounts feared hacked at National Lottery operator Camelot November 30, 2016 National Lottery operator Camelot thinks 26,500 accounts have been hacked. The company said it didn't think its own systems had been compromised, but that players' login details had been pinched from elsewhere. It discovered "suspicious activity" after online security monitoring on Monday. "No money has been deposited or withdrawn from affected player accounts," it said [...]
The cost of Christmas dinner has dropped 10 per cent since 2009 November 30, 2016 Inflation may be creeping up, but the price of your Christmas dinner isn't – in fact, this year's festive feast may be cheaper than ever before, after a new study suggested its price has fallen 10 per cent since 2009. Good Housekeeping's Christmas index found the cheapest place to buy turkey and all the trimmings [...]