Small Business Saturday hopes to bring back confidence ahead of new year December 6, 2024 Small Business Saturday could boost business confidence this year if Brits once again flock to the streets and show their support, a leading campaign group has said. The hope comes ahead of this year’s Small Business Saturday UK on 7 December, an annual campaign created to encourage consumer engagement with the local high street ahead [...]
Why Brits are backing cash and shunning the stock market December 5, 2024 Brits are sitting on a record amount of cash and shunning the stock market – Elliot Gulliver-Needham looks at why the UK has become a nation of savers. UK cash savings have surged to a record £2.1 trillion this month, up more than £51bn since the start of 2024, according to new data from Janus [...]
‘Losing faith’: Just one in four bosses has confidence in government December 2, 2024 Just one in four bosses has confidence in the government to deliver economic growth, in a sign firms are “losing faith” in ministers’ strategy. A London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) snap poll found 81 per cent of business leaders said they were not confident the government will address firms’ concerns. While 77 per [...]
Lacoste: Flagship London store fails to boost sales as label falls to loss November 29, 2024 The opening of a flagship store in London’s Regent Street failed to stop the UK arm of sports fashion label Lacoste entering the red, it has been revealed. The business has reported a pre-tax loss of £3.2m for 2023, according to delayed accounts filed with Companies House. The results for the brand also show its [...]
Loss widens at Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard November 28, 2024 The five-star Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard is eyeing an improvement in its financial performance in 2024 despite its pre-tax loss widening during its latest year. The hotel has reported a pre-tax loss of £7.3m for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The figure compares to the £6m pre-tax loss it posted in [...]
Tesco Clubcard and Sainbury’s Nectar schemes do help consumers, regulator says November 27, 2024 A year-long probe into UK supermarkets’ pricing practices has found “very little” evidence that shoppers are being treated unfairly with loyalty programmes such as the Tesco Clubcard scheme and Sainsbury’s Nectar points. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) probe, which has been ongoing since November last year, investigated whether supermarket loyalty schemes cause inflation by faking the [...]
The Notebook: T’is the season of goodwill and charity. Here’s how to make yours count November 27, 2024 Christmas is when most of us become our most charitable, but here's how to make your goodwill actually count, writes James Reed.
CBI chief: Ministers must ‘co-design’ economic growth with businesses post-Budget November 25, 2024 Businesses should have a stronger voice in setting economic growth policies, the boss of an influential business lobby group has urged, including a shift from “consultation to co-design”. Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), told attendees at the group’s annual conference that the government and firms share a “vision of [...]
How Tiktok is driving Brits to spend local instead of luxury this golden quarter November 22, 2024 Black Friday is known for being the one of the few days of the year when budget-conscious shoppers can flock to their favourite online retailer or high street shop and not feel (too) guilty with the price of their purchases. High-priced, big-name brands have traditionally taken the lead in terms of ringing in the festive [...]
Ofgem: Energy price cap to rise by £21 to £1,738 a year on average November 22, 2024 The UK’s energy price cap is set to rise by £21 for an average household, taking a standard yearly bill to £1,738, Ofgem has said. The energy regulator opted to announce a 1.2 per cent hike in the cap for the period January to March 2025 – or £1.75 a month, on average. It sets [...]