SIGNS OF LIFE AFTER SHOPPERS RETURN August 5, 2012 LONDON’S retailers were handed a welcome boost over the weekend as shoppers flocked back to stores, though figures released today show Britain’s high streets have seen their worst monthly sales in almost a year. Footfall picked up in the second half of last week and over the weekend, with the capital’s retailers reporting a leap [...]
London must become a global tourist magnet August 5, 2012 EXTRAORDINARY. That was the only way to describe the atmosphere at the Olympic stadium this weekend. Team GB’s astonishing triumph has enthused the nation – it has become virtually impossible to walk anywhere in London without spotting someone sporting a Union Jack – and Usain Bolt’s spectacular 100m Olympic record last night was a magical [...]
Olympic slump as ghost town effect worsens August 2, 2012 NEW DATA released yesterday shows just how hard central London has been hit by the Olympics’ focus on the east of the City, with fewer visitor numbers and a significant drop in traffic in the area. Figures from retail specialist Springboard shows that shops and restaurants were much quieter than expected over the first weekend [...]
Time Out goes free in London as buyers fall August 2, 2012 TIME OUT has become the latest title to reinvent itself as a free publication, with its London edition set to launch across transport networks in the capital in the coming weeks. The weekly magazine has seen fewer casual buyers in recent years, and says the move is part of a new strategy following increased traffic [...]
CITY VIEWS | IS THE CITY SUFFERING FROM THE OLYMPIC EFFECT? August 1, 2012 GRAEME KALBRAIER CALL CONNECTION (LLOYDS OF LONDON) I don’t think City business has been affected by the Olympics at all, though I do think the smashing Olympic complex and the new Westfield complex is a people-magnet. PAUL ALLAN F W BERRINGER Walking around I can see retail activity is still robust, and there are a [...]
How Olympic organisers can get shot of the West End ghost town August 1, 2012 WE’VE scared them off. Somewhere between Boris Johnson’s ominous ode to overcrowding, and TfL’s weird posters of diligent Londoners in their underwear, planning routes to work, the city’s attempts to keep moving during the Games have frightened droves of tourists into barely venturing out of the confines of the Olympic Park. If organisers don’t act [...]
As London firms report low visitor numbers, is hope for an Olympic business boost dead? July 31, 2012 YES Nica Burns So London has a big hit – the Olympics. A brilliant show, with a cast of outstanding performers – drama, fulfilled and shattered dreams, laughter and tears. It’s a once in a lifetime and we’re riveted. We’re either going to see the events, or we’re watching them on a screen. We’ve listened [...]
CITY VIEWS | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE OLYMPICS SO FAR? July 30, 2012 JOHN JONES CLARKSONS The energy and organisation exceeded expectations and it was a shame that I missed out on tickets, especially considering the rows of empty seats during the weekend coverage. TIM DAVIS CALYPSO I thought it was a decent and positive opening weekend having seen the men’s cycling road race. It seems like business [...]
TfL: Steer clear of London Bridge July 30, 2012 Commuters should avoid London Bridge station today, Transport for London has warned. Up to 50,000 spectators are expected to use the station on their way to equestrian events at Greenwich Park, making the area extremely busy throughout the day, and platforms one to six for National Rail services to Kent will be exit-only between 6pm [...]
All hail this techie who is a boost to black cabs July 29, 2012 FOR anyone who has waited on the pavement, praying that the next car to turn the corner is a black cab, Hailo could prove a godsend. Founded in 2010, Jay Bregman’s business lets you hail a black cab through your mobile phone. The app is free to download and the service is free to the [...]