Chained to its rival? Halfords swoops in for embattled bike chain Evans Cycles September 27, 2018 Britain’s largest bike chain Halfords is in talks to rescue its beleaguered rival Evans Cycles, according to Sky News late last night. Halfords is understood to be one of several parties which have shown interest in buying Evans, which has hurried up the bidding process in an effort to avoid collapse. The news comes [...]
Indivior shares plunge as firm reduces full-year sales guidance September 27, 2018 Shares in addiction treatment pharma firm Indivior took a eight per cent hit this morning after it said sales for the year would be lower than expected. Indivior on Wednesday said full-year sales would be revised down to between $990m (£755m) and $1.02bn (£780m) from its February estimate of between $1.13bn and $1.17bn. In particular, it [...]
Saga’s voyage of recovery interrupted by declining profits September 27, 2018 Retirement insurance and travel firm Saga this morning said it was making strong progress on its recovery despite reporting declining underlying before-tax profit. Underlying profit at the firm dropped 3.7 per cent to £106.8m – which was due to Saga investing heavily in its business and marketing, chief exec Lance Batchelor told City A.M. The firm's [...]
Automation and AI are leading the UK into a new industrial age September 27, 2018 Last year, the government’s Made Smarter Review set out how digital technologies can transform UK manufacturing by 2030. Receiving contributions from more than 200 organisations, the review spelled out how technologies like automation, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality, and additive manufacturing could help Britain lead the fourth industrial revolution, raising productivity, creating new, better-paid jobs, [...]
Ofgem investigates complaints handling at four energy firms, calling industry performance ‘unacceptably low’ September 27, 2018 Ofgem today announced it has opened investigations into four energy firms' complaints procedures, blasting the industry's performance on handling complaints as “unacceptably low”. The watchdog is investigating complaints handling at First Utility, Ovo Energy, Utilita and Scottish Power. Read more: SSE share price suffers as it issues profit warning It has also demanded that [...]
Read reshuffles WPP as he combines two leading marketing agencies September 26, 2018 Advertising giant WPP continued consolidating its business today as it said it would merge two of its leading agencies. It confirmed it would combine VML and Y&R into a new agency called VMLY&R. It will be headed up by global chief exec Jon Cook, who will report to newly appointed WPP boss Mark Read. In his [...]
Asda sparks petrol pump price war as it cuts costs by 2p per litre September 26, 2018 Supermarket chain Asda cut petrol prices by 2p per litre this morning, sparking a supermarket petrol price war as Morrisons and Sainsbury’s followed suit shortly after. Asda, which accounts for about 7.5 per cent of the fuel market, cut the price cap for its pumps to no more than 126.7p per litre for unleaded [...]
Online-only retailers outpace their bricks and mortar rivals as fresh evidence of high street troubles emerge September 26, 2018 Online-only retailers’ sales have grown 24 times faster than those of bricks and mortar firms in the last five years, according to new data which underlines the current woes facing high street shops. A report out today from data specialist GBG Loqate shows that pure-play online retailers have grown their sales by 281 per [...]
Barclays apologises for giving customers wrong PPI information September 26, 2018 Barclays has apologised for giving customers seeking compensation for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) false information. The bank told a number of customers using claims management firms that they did not hold PPI policies when they did. Read more: PPI scandal turning Brits into 'fraudsters', Barclays boss claims A "very small percentage of customers" were [...]
Transport for London steps up property ambitions after unveiling new partnership September 26, 2018 Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled plans for a new partnership with one of the capital’s affordable housing developers today, in a sign that the body is ramping up its move into the property market as it looks to pay off its near-£1bn debt pile. In a new joint venture with property developer Apartments [...]