A Legacy of Difference Making August 24, 2023 We were basically running insurance companies,” the likable Barry Gale tells City A.M. of his career before joining Aon. Gale was at a Big Four consultancy firm, working on restructuring and insolvency. “But without the front-end, bringing in new clients.” He and his colleagues soon found out that winding up insurance firms was notably more [...]
Wilko: ‘Genuine grounds for hope’ over future of troubled retailer as possible buyers circle August 18, 2023 There are “genuine grounds for hope” over the future of stricken retailer Wilko after interest from potential suitors, the GMB union has said. The retailer tumbled into administration last week, putting the future of its 400 shops and 12,500 workers at risk. Administrators from PwC swiftly sought offers from potentially interested firms which could save [...]
Wilko rumour mill: B&M shares up as takeover whispers gather volume August 15, 2023 Wilko has fallen into administration but rumours are flying that fellow discounters could be circling the stricken retailer
Analysis: Wilko collapse is the Woolworths of this financial crisis August 10, 2023 The collapse of Woolworths was described as “the first domino of physical retail Armageddon.” Although it might not justify that epithet, the collapse of Wilko shows which way the wind is now blowing.
Last orders! Rate of pub closures reaches decade high as rate hikes and inflation bites August 7, 2023 The number of pub closures in the UK reached its highest quarterly figure in over a decade, new data reveals, as soaring costs force more of the country’s local watering holes to close their doors for good. Some 223 pub businesses entered insolvency in the second quarter of this year, up from 200 in the [...]
Retailers in trouble as 51 per cent of punters cut back on clothes shopping July 31, 2023 Retail and hospitality industries continue to be bruised by the UK’s cost of living crisis as 59 per cent of people have cut their spending on eating out and a further 51 per cent have cut spending on clothing. As Brits continue to watch their pennies amid high inflation, figures from Oxera show that in [...]
Insolvencies hit highest level since 2009 as firms feel pressure from rates and inflation July 28, 2023 The number of company insolvencies in the second quarter hit its highest level since 2009, new figures showed, as firms struggled with a cocktail of rising costs and a tightening lending environment. In the three months to June 2023, there were 5,240 seasonally adjusted registered company insolvencies, nine per cent higher than last quarter and [...]
Sam Bankman-Fried used $10 million of stolen funds to pay legal bills, lawsuit claims July 21, 2023 Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the collapsed FTX exchange, has paid $10 million to his legal defence counsel using stolen funds, it is alleged.
À la Parisienne: we need to make space for more al fresco dining – and less cars – in our cities July 21, 2023 Demand for al fresco dining in London is strong, but there's no space for restaurants to spread out on the streets. But we should be following this demand, like they do in France, writes Max Pearson-Smith
British Business Bank chief Louis Taylor on risk: ‘Even if the worst happens, you learn’ July 20, 2023 For a man running a bank that has found itself at the centre of a fraud storm over the past two years, Louis Taylor talks warmly about the concept of risk. The state-owned British Business Bank he now runs shot to household-name status through the pandemic and enjoyed a moment in the sun as the [...]