Why yak hair is taking over our homes and wardrobes February 1, 2021 As we sit around our houses staring at the same four walls, we seem to have come to a collective conclusion: short-legged, long-haired ox and even-toed ungulates are in. One of the less predictable trends emerging in 2021 is our increasing propensity to dress ourselves and our interiors in the understated but highly functional elegance [...]
The changing face of markets February 1, 2021 I see myself as a ‘global’ citizen that, through my work over the last 20+ years, has developed a deep experience of capital markets and exchanges. At the beginning of this century I was part of the creation of Euronext that resulted a few years later in leading its European cash market from Paris before [...]
Asos buys Arcadia’s Topshop and Miss Selfridge in £330m deal, leaving thousands jobless February 1, 2021 Arcadia’s Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands have been sold to online retailer Asos in a £330m deal. Arcadia’s administrator Deloitte this morning confirmed Asos would buy the brands for £295m, and would also take on certain liabilities for forward committed stock orders. Asos paid around £265m for the brands, some £30m for the [...]
Insurance, disrupted: What does the start of 2021 tell us about the industry? January 29, 2021 We waited patiently for the new year. January was meant to be a fresh dawn, with many businesses embarking on transformation programmes to emerge stronger from the pandemic. But, looking at the economic and political events from this month, we see more disruption ahead. Particularly for insurance companies. Before founding OLIVER, I spent 15-years at Commercial [...]
Covid-19 pummels US economy in 2020; performance weakest in 74 years January 28, 2021 The U.S. economy contracted at its sharpest pace since World War Two in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic depressed consumer spending and business investment, pushing millions of Americans out of work and into poverty. The Commerce Department’s snapshot of fourth-quarter gross domestic product on Thursday also showed the recovery from the pandemic losing steam as the year wound down amid a resurgence [...]
Post-Brexit Special: UK business leaders on access to EU talent January 28, 2021 Since the turn of the year, UK companies exporting into the EU have to fill out a set of customs declaration forms and some goods, like agricultural products, have to undergo rigorous checks at the border. This has led to border disruption and delays. These issues are scrutinised in the first instalment of this 2-part [...]
Crypto AM shines its Spotlight on BitcoinPoint.com January 28, 2021 With the largest ATM network in the UK, innovative ‘on-ramp’ solutions to instantly buy and ‘off-ramp’ to sell Bitcoin, BitcoinPoint.com brings cryptos closer to Mass Adoption, with the vision of bringing financial inclusion to the unbanked and the non-tech-savvy. 16,000 ATMs Bitcoin sales from cash withdrawals have reached an unprecedented scale in the UK, as [...]
Office demand drops as Workspace reports 33 per cent fall in enquiries January 28, 2021 Workspace remains optimistic about the future of London’s office work despite a sharp drop in enquiries throughout the pandemic. This morning’s results show the group averaged 672 enquiries per month in the third quarter, a 33 per cent drop from the previous year. Lettings per month also fell by 3.4 per cent to 109, driven [...]
With no office, our future leaders are being held back January 27, 2021 In spite of the challenges facing central cities around the world at the moment, they are and will remain places with huge concentrations of the jobs which provide the greatest opportunities to learn and to move up the job hierarchy. For young people, Central London offers an unparalleled combination. A range of independent employers with [...]
City Moves for 27 January: Who is switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? January 27, 2021 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Lombard Odier IM bolsters institutional sales team Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM) has bolstered its UK and Ireland institutional sales team with two new hires. Chris Vogtherr and Claudia Ziebart joined the investment [...]