Sterling at highest point against the Euro in 21 months November 17, 2021 The pound is at its highest rate against the euro for nearly two years after data revealed UK inflation is at its highest rate for a decade. Interest rates surged to 4.2 per cent in the year to October, more than double the central bank’s target of two percent and the highest level since December [...]
House of Fraser flagship Oxford St store to shut as firm warns of ‘inevitable’ further closures November 17, 2021 The House of Fraser flagship store on Oxford St is set to permanently close, in another blow to the capital’s shopping district. Frasers Group said it had been served notice by the landlord to close the site, after an application for planning permission to redevelop the site was given the green light. A spokesperson for [...]
Swelling energy bills propel inflation to 4.2 per cent, more than double Bank of England’s target November 17, 2021 Swelling household energy bills have propelled inflation to more than double the Bank of England’s target, dialling up pressure on the Old Lady to act to hose down red-hot price rises. Inflation scaled to 4.2 per cent in October, up sharply from 3.1 per cent in the previous month, according to the Office for National [...]
Millions more Brits in debt as debt pile owed to HMRC balloons to £42bn November 17, 2021 Around 2.4m more taxpayers are in debt to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as tax debt is at more than double its pre-pandemic levels, according to a spending watchdog. In fact, tax debt ballooned by £26bn between January 2020 and September of this year. Staffing levels at HMRC are unlikely to be enough to manage [...]
Experian crosses $3bn in revenue as consumer services drive post-lockdown recovery November 17, 2021 Experian has upgraded its guidance with revenues rising 23 per cent and operating profits soaring 29 per cent in the first six months of the year. The credit reporting company has been boosted by a recovering economy with its consumer services enjoying standout growth. The firm’s half-year results showed that overall revenues reached $3.06bn while [...]
Sage reports 10 per cent profit drop as it gears up for scaling November 17, 2021 Accounting software company Sage reported a 10 per cent drop in full-year organic operating profit to £343m as investment in its cloud offer squeezed its margin to 19.3 per cent from 22 per cent a year ago.
Retailers slam rocketing interchange fees as UK firms face £36.5m increase November 17, 2021 UK and European Economic Area (EEA) retailers are facing a cost increase of around £150m a year to accept cross-border card payments. UK businesses may be forced to take on an additional £36.5m, according to research by retail payments advisory firm CMSPI, alongside the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The BRC has called on ministers and [...]
Want a contract? Flash your green credentials on your way in, please November 17, 2021 Mining magnate Brian Gilbertson once recalled a results day at the turn of the Millennium. Ready to take City analysts through impressive figures on iron ore production he was somewhat surprised when asked: “What’s your internet strategy?” The South African spent the rest of the morning hurriedly writing down a dot com plan on an [...]
Revealed: Amazon to open 260 supermarkets across UK as it plots to take on Tesco and Sainsbury’s directly November 17, 2021 Amazon has developed detailed plans to storm the UK supermarket sector as the e-commerce is planning to open hundreds of cashierless grocery stores across the country in the next three years. More than 260 Amazon-owned and run supermarkets are to be launched before the end of 2024, namely 60 in 2022, another 100 per year [...]
Pathways to progression through socio-economic inclusion November 16, 2021 DiverCity® Podcast · Pathways to Progression through Socio-Economic Inclusion Reshaping the makeup of corporate leadership will help instil a culture of progression Socio-economic diversity seems to garner little specific attention as an element of corporate strategy, with the makeup of financial institutions rarely reflecting the wider public. Yasmine Chinwala, OBE, is a partner at capital [...]