Why London must retain its lead as the world’s number one retail destination July 16, 2015 One thing underpins Britain’s economic recovery more than anything else: the resilience and potential of London’s economy. While the capital’s financial sector was first to feel the pain nearly a decade ago, London has also led the UK’s economic fightback – attracting global investment, growing employment and pushing up living standards. We are the world’s [...]
Camden undergoes digital revolution June 24, 2015 Camden Market’s shopping stalls are being hauled into the modern age Camden Market and its eclectic mix of stallholders sell everything from vintage clothing to lava lamps and general bric-a-brac. The shopping haven has remained the unchanged for years – its punks and goths mixing with the millions of tourists who flock to the neighbourhood [...]
Mayoral candidate Ivan Massow plans to raise £400m from a London tourist tax June 16, 2015 London could rein in almost half a billion pounds in public revenue with a tourist tax, a Conservative mayoral candidate has told City A.M.. Ivan Massow, who is in the running to take over from Boris Johnson as mayor of London, believes there should be a charge a rate of £1 per star per [...]
House of Fraser owner Sanpower eyes takeover of toy shop Hamleys June 15, 2015 The Chinese owner of House of Fraser is rumoured to be planning another buying spree in the UK with the country’s most famous toy shop Hamleys next on its shopping list. Yuan Yafei, the chairman of Nanjing-based conglomerate Sanpower, is understood to be in talks to buy the famous chain from its French owner, [...]
The ultimate foodie break to Jersey: The largest Channel Island has more than tax breaks and sunshine to offer June 2, 2015 Have you been to Jersey lately? Why not? It’s the sunniest place in the British Isles. You can leave your City office at 6pm and make an 8pm dinner reservation (I flew from London City with Blue Islands, which provides you with free drinks and won’t shout at you about the size of your carry-on [...]
The Cayman Islands: The least taxing holiday you will ever have May 31, 2015 Robert moved to the Cayman Islands after three years of working as an accountant in London. It was the best decision he ever made: “What’s there to miss? The freezing British winter? Commuting from Platform 10 of Clapham Junction? Here it’s tax-free so I get to keep my income.” Favourable tax laws aren’t the [...]
Taiwanese insurer Fubon Life Insurance snaps up site of Madame Tussauds May 25, 2015 Top tourist attraction Madame Tussauds Marylebone site has been snapped up by a Taiwanese insurer in a multi-million pound deal. Fubon Life Insurance bought the premises, which has been home to the waxwork museum for about 130 years, for £348.8m according to media reports. It's located on Marylebone Road near Regents Park and displays waxworks figures of [...]
Counter culture: How Melbourne changed the way the entire world enjoys its morning cup of coffee April 2, 2015 There are few places in the world where coffee is taken as seriously as it is in Australia. The country’s unrivalled coffee capital, Melbourne, blazed the trail for the cold drips, aero-presses and cupping that have become de rigueur in hipster coffee houses across the world. Every day Melbourne handles 30 tonnes of coffee beans. [...]
The Shanghai’s the limit in this city that never stops March 29, 2015 Londoners are obsessed with christening skyscrapers. From the Walkie Talkie to the Cheesegrater, new buildings are barely granted planning permission before they are slapped with a nickname, reducing years of meticulous planning to a childish slogan. If the residents of Shanghai had a similar habit, they’d have little time to do anything else. The skyline [...]
Budget 2015: The stories that broke during George Osborne’s speech March 18, 2015 The announcement of the UK government’s annual budget is one of the biggest dates in the financial calendar. City hacks' ears were tuned into George Osborne’s speech this lunchtime, as eyes were glued to Twitter for all the breaking hot takes on the chancellor’s tie colour and fingers were madly typing away to produce a [...]