Virgin to fight franchise loss August 12, 2012 VIRGIN Trains is preparing to mount a legal challenge to its expected loss of the West Coast main line franchise this week. The Department for Transport is ready to announce as soon as tomorrow that FirstGroup has won the £6bn-plus franchise, which will run from December 2012 to March 2026. Virgin Trains has run the [...]
Battle of the cabs: Hailing competition in London’s transport August 12, 2012 WHEN I lived in Monaco, I had Ferraris. Now, living in London, I have a basic car but barely use it. The hassle of parking and traffic have made me a cab and minicab user, and I’ve recently noticed interesting things going on in their business world. Cabs have had two unique selling points. Unlike [...]
London firms give mixed views on the benefits of the Olympics August 9, 2012 LONDON businesses think the Olympics provided less of a boost in demand than they anticipated, claims a survey by Deloitte. Some 42 per cent of firms said they have seen a positive impact on demand since the start of the games compared with 27 per cent who reported a decrease. But this is in stark [...]
CITY VIEWS | CAN THE OLYMPICS LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY? August 8, 2012 GREG MURRAY LLOYDS It depends on how well the site is integrated and the transport links are maintained. If we continue to fund our sports well then further success is guaranteed in the future. MALCOLM BIRD RR DONNELLY I think that much of the Olympic buzz will fade after the Games. But the Olympic park [...]
The Santa Fe bar with a useful lesson for London’s Olympic organisers August 7, 2012 IT NOW seems like a distant memory, as London has again filled up with shoppers, tourists and people celebrating Team GB’s historic gold medal haul. But last week, the city was notoriously labelled a ghost town, despite official predictions that the capital would be heaving. No doubt, Transport for London had used its hugely complicated [...]
MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR August 6, 2012 A SUCCESSFUL campaign has the power to become one with the company it advertises, to end up as iconic as the brand it represents. The final shortlist for City A.M.’s marketing campaign of the year award attempts to portray a snapshot of advertising in the last year, showcasing a range of themes, designs, products and [...]
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 [...]