Mall brings fresh hope to struggling UK shopkeepers September 13, 2011 RETAILERS nationwide are facing tough conditions as the economy slows down, but Westfield will transform trade across Stratford and the wider borough, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Retail is currently hard hit. ONS figures for the year to the end of July 2011 show zero growth in the volume of sales. Footfall across [...]
Dukes: it’s no longer just for martinis September 12, 2011 Thirty Six Dukes Hotel, St James’s Place, SW1A 1NY 020 7491 4840 www.dukeshotel.com FOOD **** SERVICE ***** ATMOSPHERE ** Cost per person without wine: £60 DUKES Hotel, which lies in one of those impossibly cute courtyards off St James’s street, has for aeons been famous for one thing: martinis. Its bar, a cosy nest of [...]
HTC uses Google patents to extend Apple lawsuit September 8, 2011 HTC has stepped up its war with arch-rival Apple by adding nine recently acquired patents to its ongoing lawsuit. The ammunition was provided by Google, which sold the patent portfolio to the Taiwanese firm, threatening to further sour its relationship with Apple. Google, which appears unwilling to sue Apple directly, acquired the patents over the [...]
Apple man to freshen up supermarket September 8, 2011 A quick glance at his CV shows that Morrisons’ appointment of Simon Thompson to managing director of its website is something of a coup. He left Apple in May after rising to become one of the most senior marketing-men in its European office. While working under Steve Jobs headed up the team responsible for its [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS September 8, 2011 EMPRESARIA Merchant Securities Research, which downgraded Empresaria to a “sell” last month, said the firm’s interim results yesterday confirm its fears. It points out that operating profit is down 52 per cent, the UK is flat, the boss is stepping down and market expectations will now not be met. Its price target of 25p has [...]
Seville can bounce back and upset Sea Moon in tomorrow’s St Leger September 8, 2011 WHEN Sea Moon quickened eight lengths clear of the Great Voltigeur field at York last month, he immediately shot to the head of the betting for tomorrow’s Ladbrokes St Leger. Sir Michael Stoute’s new stable star was having only his fourth racecourse start and has apparently blossomed since that jaw-dropping York performance. As a half-brother [...]
Dixons cuts costs and vows to pay £150m bond on time September 7, 2011 DIXONS is cutting more costs and trimming investment plans to counter a drop in sales and profit margins as shoppers rein in spending. Europe’s second-largest electricals retailer and home to the Currys and PC World chains said it would cut an extra £10m of costs and limit capital spending to £100m, down from an original [...]
Keep football safe from the stats bores September 7, 2011 FOOTBALL magazine FourFourTwo has launched Stats Zone, which will “change the way you watch football”. For the worst, if you ask me. I can’t stand the kind of “name tag and goody bag” corporate football fan who spends all game staring at his iPhone working out pass rates and possession percentages. If you think football [...]
Dixons sales fall as shoppers cut back September 7, 2011 Dixons , Europe’s second-biggest electricals retailer, has posted a drop in first-quarter underlying sales and profit margins as shoppers reined in spending on discretionary items amid rising prices and austerity measures. The group, which owns the Currys and PC World chains, has said sales at stores open at least a year fell seven per cent [...]
Dell to launch a tablet in China in deal with Baidu September 6, 2011 DELL and China’s top search engine Baidu plan to jointly develop tablet computers and mobile phones, targeting the Chinese market dominated by Apple and Lenovo. China is one of the fastest growing markets for tablets and is home to more than 900m mobile phone subscribers, but analysts were sceptical that the partnership would unseat Apple [...]