Sainsbury’s braced for first loss in a decade as supermarkets move to downsize May 5, 2015 Battling with excess space and a revival at Tesco, Sainsbury’s is having to fight harder than ever. It is early on a weekday morning, and the first wave of customers are yet to arrive at Sainsbury’s revamped store in Wandsworth – its aisles stacked high with everything from garden furniture to Le Creuset-style saucepans [...]
City Moves for 05 May 2015 | Who’s switching jobs May 4, 2015 Lloyds Bank Kash Ahmad has been appointed managing director for mid markets in Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking’s global transaction banking division. He previously worked at Barclays Bank for 21 years years, latterly as managing director of inward business for its global corporates division. Mayer Brown The law firm has announced the appointment of David Harrison [...]
Foxtons warns of sales slowdown as home buyers await General Election outcome April 30, 2015 London estate agency Foxtons warned that the General Election had put the brake on sales as prospective homebuyers await the outcome of next week’s polls before making plans. The company, famous for its fleet of Green Mini Coopers, reported revenues of £33.1m in the three months to 31 March, down 3.1 per cent on [...]
Zoopla snaps up price comparison website uSwitch in £190m deal April 30, 2015 ZOOPLA has bought price comparison website uSwitch for up to £190m as the property portal seeks to expand its reach into other household consumer services. Shares in the company rocketed 16.4 per cent yesterday as Zoopla announced it will pay £160m plus a performance-based fee of up to £30m for uSwitch’s parent company Ulysses Enterprises, [...]
General Election 2015: Property experts play down ballot box fears April 30, 2015 General Elections past and present have had little effect on the UK’s commercial property market, economists at property advisory firm Colliers have claimed, arguing that investors are more pre-occupied with the timing of the first UK interest rate hike. Colliers’ economist and research director Walter Boettcher said a study of the UK’s 2001, 2005 and [...]
City Moves for 01 May 2015 | Who’s switching jobs April 30, 2015 Colliers International The commercial real estate services firm has announced the appointment of Meg Brown to its capital advisory team, part of its capital markets department. She is an equity placement expert, and joins from JLL, where she worked in its corporate finance department. Brown has also held roles at CR Investment Management, Barclays Capital, [...]
General Election 2015: The three bold productivity-boosting policies the Big Three will never touch April 30, 2015 As we approach the General Election, politicians are battling over the question of what is wrong with Britain’s economy. The usual suspects are out in force: “benefit-scroungers”, “fat cat bosses”, “price gouging energy companies” to name but a few. What I find frustrating is the lack of substance behind many of these arguments. Rarely is [...]
Zoopla share price soars as it buys uSwitch in £160m deal April 30, 2015 Property website Zoopla has snapped up price comparison website uSwitch in a £160m deal sending shares surging. The group, which also owns Prime Location, is aiming to become a one-stop shop for property buyers and those moving house. "The acquisition of uSwitch is a significant step in Zoopla's mission to be the most useful resource for [...]
Sky high: Introducing the most expensive homes in the world April 30, 2015 For the super rich, a trophy home isn’t simply a place to live, it’s a savvy investment; the discreet market in prestigious properties is booming and they’re selling for record-breaking prices. The cities that are home to these super-luxe homes also get an ego boost, as their ability to attract some of the wealthiest individuals [...]
Architects of the future: How young designers are taking on space constraints, the cost of living and technology April 30, 2015 As property prices continue to rise and land available for development dwindles, architects and designers are tasked with devising ways to recommission and re-purpose spaces to make them suitable for modern life. Five architects and designers under 40 explain how they are taking inspiration from these challenges, and how they see their industry changing in [...]