Burberry first half profits jump November 15, 2011 Luxury goods group Burberry met forecasts with a 26 per cent rise in first-half profit, helped by buoyant tourist spending around the world, and kept its growth targets despite an uncertain economic backdrop. “We remain mindful of, and prepared to react to, any local or global uncertainties,” said the 155-year-old maker of raincoats and leather [...]
Reclaim the City from Robin Hood tax risks November 6, 2011 MUCH has been written in recent weeks about the protest camp outside St Paul’s and about the City of London Corporation’s attitude to it. I would like to take this opportunity to bring a degree of clarity to the situation. The City fully supports the democratic right to protest and at no point have we [...]
Affjordable Norway: a mountainous trekker’s paradise October 30, 2011 IF you want to turn back at any point, you can.” Our sympathetic Norwegian host was suddenly full of reassurance. She was looking across the breakfast table with the concerned expression of a mother observing her sick, ailing child. Fear, dread. Pity. Maybe a hint of disdain for being put in this position. With a [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING October 25, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES SHAREHOLDERS IN EVOLUTION BACK BID BY INVESTEC Investec’s £202m takeover of Evolution Group will go ahead despite last-minute resistance from Evolution’s biggest shareholder after the broker’s other big investor backed the bid. Aberforth Partners, which owns 10.8 per cent of Evolution, said last week it had withdrawn its support for the all-share offer [...]
Hong Kong has a budget surplus – the UK could too October 10, 2011 WHEN Vince Cable arrived too late to hear Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang speak at a special dinner in London three weeks ago, some suggested he was saving face. Indeed, where would Cable have looked while Tsang was expounding on Hong Kong’s HK$71.3bn (£5.84bn) budget surplus? How does it feel to be the representative [...]
Chinese shoppers splash out after fashion week October 9, 2011 THE West End was boosted last month by record sales to Chinese shoppers in a wave of spending triggered by London Fashion Week. There was a 59 per cent increase in tax free shopping sales to tourists from the country in September compared with the previous month. The figures from Global Blue, which analyses shopping [...]
How Boisdale owner fell hard for Jamaica October 5, 2011 I HAD never been particularly desperate to visit Jamaica despite its proximity to Cuba – to which I am a frequent and enthusiastic visitor. In truth I imagined it to be overrun with tourists and relatively hostile. What I encountered, though, was completely different to what I had imagined. I certainly cannot claim to be [...]
EasyJet ups dividend as earnings rise September 22, 2011 EASYJET yesterday announced a £150m special dividend as the company raised profit guidance, thanks to a boost from business travellers and short-break tourists. The airline announced a total payout of £190m – including a year-end dividend of £40m – for the year to 30 September. Chief executive Carolyn McCall said: “When we announced our strategy [...]
LONG ISLAND COMES TO THE CITY IN CLUB FOR DISCERNING DINERS September 1, 2011 GERALD RONSON and his business partner Enzo Quaradeghini spent 12 years building up their joint restaurant and bar interests in Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid, including the Irish pub O’Sullivans and a 3,500-capacity club called Guru. But now the Heron International boss and the restaurateur have sold off their Spanish assets, Quaradeghini is free to devote [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 1, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES FOXCONN LOOKS TO AN AUTOMATED FUTURE WITH 1M ROBOTS BY 2013 Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer by revenue, plans to have as many robots as workers in its China factories within three years, according to Terry Gou, chairman and chief executive. Foxconn, China’s biggest employer, produced Apple’s iPad and other electronic [...]