Scottish independence: Boost for No as Alex Salmond’s economic plan torn apart September 11, 2014 An influential thinktank yesterday tore apart Alex Salmond’s economic plan for an independent Scotland, warning that a Yes vote will make it harder to protect public spending from cuts. The blow to Salmond’s case for independence came as a number of high-profile UK retailers and banks added their names to a growing list citing concerns [...]
Philips needs solid numbers if he’s to see through his three-year plan – Bottom Line September 11, 2014 So you’ve had a row with your other half, and the next day, with the ensuing awkwardness still lingering, your eyes drift towards the posh chocolates in Waitrose. Combine ’em with some flowers, you reckon – chuck in a faux-sentimental card and maybe even a two-day break in Bruges – and hey presto, problem solved. [...]
Tesco beware: Aldi to double UK store count September 11, 2014 Tesco beware – Aldi has set its sights on the UK as a market ripe for growth, and it's backing its expansion plans with £70m. The budget supermarket today announced plans to almost double the number of stores in the UK from 531 to 1,000, and expand its UK headquarters in Atherstone, Warwickshire. The [...]
Scottish independence: Now Tesco Bank says it will move to England September 11, 2014 Tesco Bank has confirmed it will redomicile in England in the event of Scotland gaining independence, following commitments from four other major banks this morning. The supermarket's personal finance arm issued a statement this afternoon saying that it had been “developing contingency plans…. regardless of the outcome of the referendum” throughout the campaign. [...]
RIP iPod Classic: Apple kills off original design September 10, 2014 In the midst of all the fuss about Apple's new launches, the tech giant appears to have quietly killed off its genre-busting iPod Classic nearly 15 years after its creation. The iPod Classic, which was first launched in 2001, is no longer available for sale on the Apple Store, although some branches of Tesco [...]
Analysts to the fore in big sectorial shakeups September 9, 2014 ANALYST of the year The role of the analyst has become increasingly important at such an uncertain time in the economy, when everyone is looking for guidance. With the UK retail sector in turmoil over the decline of Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, Waitrose and especially Tesco – caused mainly by the rise of the German discounters – their views [...]
Even Primark sales aren’t sweet enough to save Associated British Foods from a 4pc share price slump September 8, 2014 Associated British Foods (ABF) went on the offensive in a trading update this morning, saying it expects strong Primark sales to contribute to an increase in adjusted earnings per share for the year ending September 13 – but that wasn't enough to stop shares falling 4.4 per cent in early trading as investors worried about [...]
City AM awards: Business of the Year nominees announced September 7, 2014 I have great pleasure in introducing the first of our shortlists for the annual City A.M. awards. As ever, the awards have attracted nominations from all sorts of diverse businesses and people who have done great things during the course of the past year, a year of recovery in the UK. We have taken on [...]
And the nominees are… September 7, 2014 TOMORROW: ACCOUNTANCY FIRM OF THE YEAR ALDI The German discounter has taken the British high street by storm. Aldi now has a 4.6 per cent share of the UK market, up more than one third in a year due to consumers choosing its quality and low prices over the more established retailers. It has even [...]
London Report: Retailer data to reveal strength of UK recovery September 7, 2014 THE NEWLY-MERGED Dixons Carphone will report its maiden quarterly results tomorrow in a week containing a flurry of updates for retailers. Figures for the company, whose merger only completed a month ago, will be keenly watched by investors, who will be hoping the firm’s planned synergies are starting to take effect. Other retailers due to [...]