Exclusive: West End bounces back with rush for fresh office space October 20, 2022 The West End has come roaring back to life after firms committed 1.2m sq ft of office space in the third quarter. A race for space is also heating up, with the post-pandemic renaissance of the capital’s shopping heartland seeing prime rents for offices soar 6.5 per cent in the past year, data from Knight [...]
Demand destruction? Two reasons to be sceptical October 20, 2022 Global central banks have made an ‘all-in’ effort to front-load monetary policy tightening to dampen demand. But softer economic data in the eurozone and United States have exacerbated recession fears. As the growth outlook dims, many anticipate demand destruction to lead to lower inflation. That is, tighter monetary policy and the associated higher funding costs [...]
Dunelm sales slip as pent up demand eases against ‘demanding backdrop’ October 20, 2022 Dunelm posted dented sales after last year saw a flurry of pent up demand post-lockdown. In first quarter results, the homeware retailer said its sales were down eight per cent compared to the same period last year. Bosses said the performance came despite “a challenging environment”, posting sales of £357m. A dip in sales had [...]
Truss won’t be the first or the last to U-turn, but she taught us how not to do it October 20, 2022 It has been less than four weeks since the disastrous mini-budget, followed by a series of screeching U-turns in government policy. It’s made for sickeningly compelling viewing, partly because most of us have, at times, experienced our own shocking about-turns and forced mea culpas. We can all relate. And the next 12 months look likely [...]
Asos new CEO vows to rebuild ‘inefficient’ model as fashion seller posts £32m loss October 19, 2022 The new CEO of Asos has said he will refresh the fashion marketplace’s commercial model after the online retailer swung to a loss. In results for the year to 31 August 2022, Asos said gross margins had been impacted by a supply chain “inefficient in the face of supply chain disruption and macroeconomic challenges”. After [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile? October 19, 2022 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every morning. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Merkle Customer experience management firm Merkle has posted a new chief operating officer to lead its business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Christiane Georg, who brings more than 25 years worth of experience to [...]
Hunt has killed off Trussonomics but his next steps vary from bad to worse October 19, 2022 This week, new chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered a damning eulogy of Trussonomics right in front of its creator.
No Brexit karma in Delhi: Whisky and visas increasingly complicate £27bn trade deal between UK and India October 18, 2022 The 24 October deadline set by Boris Johnson for finalising the UK–India trade deal will be missed after both parties have hit a roadblock in discussions. Although a detailed reason hasn’t been given by both sides, sticking points include a steep import duty on British whisky for sale in India, and demands for more visas for [...]
Pension triple lock at risk as Truss warns of ‘difficult decisions’ October 18, 2022 Number 10 has refused to commit to the state pension triple lock, after Liz Truss promised to keep the measure just weeks ago. Truss’ spokesperson refused four times to say Truss would uphold the triple lock, which would ensure state pension payments stay in line with inflation next year. New chancellor Jeremy Hunt warned yesterday [...]
Half-term boom: Stansted expects 400,000 departures October 18, 2022 Over 400,000 people are expected to fly from Stansted during the October half-term, according to forecasts released today. Stansted has predicted that more than 800,0000 passengers will pass through its gates between 21 and 30 October, with Friday 21 being the busiest day. This is up on last year’s levels as 500,000 passengers were reported [...]