Christmas can be an incredibly profitable time of year for many people, but especially those looking to pad out their CV with temporary seasonal work. And with unemployment remaining relatively high in the UK, many retailers advertising for help over the festive period will have been inundated with applications from eager... Read More
Earlier this month Amazon, the largest online retailer in the world, revealed it is conducting tests on unmanned drones to make deliveries to customers. You are more likely to spot Rudolph in the sky than a drone The news was greeted with a mixture of amusement and alarm. Book seller Waterstones responded by issuing a statement of... Read More
Birmingham office, retail and leisure development The Mailbox has recently signed a contract with Everyman Cinemas. Under the new agreement, the cinema operator will open a three-screen, 12,000 square foot cinema late next year. The Mailbox's owners, Brockton Capital and Milligan, had apparently wanted to broaden the centre's offering... Read More
Insurance isn’t a top priority at this time of year, but for businesses which concentrate their activity into just a few weeks each December — or even a single night — getting the right cover is an interesting question. Santa Claus would need commercial property insurance and he would certainly find himself limited to high-risk... Read More
Business leaders across the North-East have welcomed plans to expand Britain’s largest airport, claiming any extra capacity at Heathrow would “galvanise” the region’s reputation. London’s busiest airport has unveiled three options for its controversial third runway. Each will allow Heathrow to increase flights from 480,000 to... Read More
Whether its the apparent ease of internet shopping or the seasonal goodwill, Christmas is a gift for online fraudsters. So, knowing what to look for — and there are 10 basic scams — could save you both money and heartache this festive season. ❐ Phishing is one of the originals. Fraudsters send you a message, usually after... Read More
This weekend provides the last opportunity for shoppers to catch Manchester’s world famous Christmas Markets. Now in its 15th year, the annual array of over 300 stalls has become a hugely popular destination that has put the city firmly on the festive shopping map. The stalls are spread over nine locations throughout the city... Read More
Tis the season to be jolly and retailers nationwide are hoping to be singing all the way to the bank this Christmas. However, with only a few days to go until the big day, it is imperative that those looking to make a few last minute sales truly capitalise on the opportunities the festive season affords them. Christmas retailing has... Read More
Trust a luxury department store to refuse to be satisfied with offering ordinary wares like fizzy soda in its vending machines. That is something that any retailer can offer but today's distinguished buyer will appreciate the convenience of being able to pick up his or her very own bottle of champagne, quickly and conveniently. The... Read More
Global retail properties saw the highest levels of growth in capital values and rents of all property types during the third quarter, according to a new report released by CBRE. The global retail capital value index increased by a full two percentage points during Q3 and eight per cent year-on-year. The industrial value index rose... Read More
A 48-acre Edinburgh development site has sold for 50 per cent over estimate, reflecting the strength of Scotland’s recovering property market. Jones Lang Lasalle had valued the 48-acre plot and an adjacent 60,000sq ft building at £10m in response to offers it received in 2012. Recent interest from property firms and sovereign wealth... Read More
Publicans, hairdressers and restaurateurs — whose businesses have long been backbone of town centres — have been invited to join the Government’s town centre think tank. Local Government minister Brandon Lewis says enlarging the Future High Streets Forum to include representatives of the hospitality, leisure, food and service... Read More
Retailers are now looking for ways to cater to the needs of not only consumers, but the environment too. As well as providing space for recycling bins in car parks and encouraging consumers to re-use their plastic bags, it appears that the majority of small retailers now believe that a small charge for new bags should be applied in England,... Read More
Scotland Yard — the backdrop to thousands of crime stories and hundreds of film and television mysteries — is being converted into a £10,000-a-night luxury hotel. The Grade II listed former headquarters of the Metropolitan Police is one of a number of iconic buildings being sold or leased by the Government as it seeks to cut... Read More
London landlord Capital and Counties has received permission for another important phase in its overhaul of Covent Garden. The new public courtyard and the transformation the Carriage Hall building on Floral Street will now go ahead. The firm, which has been overseeing the £7 billion redevelopment of Earl's Court, has been driving... Read More
Finding a £10 or £20 note in a pocket is usually welcome; the exception being when the pocket in question has just exited the spin cycle in the washing machine. Every year, hundreds of British consumers manage to “lose” their cash in this way – but from 2016, obsessively checking clothing for money before putting it in the laundry... Read More
Britain’s airport capacity has become a highly contentious issue of late, with all parties in agreement that additional runways are essential in maintaining and expanding the country’s current rate of business growth. However, the way in which these increased targets can be met has provoked controversy, with some believing that... Read More
IM PROPERTIES has completed the pre-let of a 50,000sq ft customer delivery hub at Solihull Business Park to retailer John Lewis. The new West Midland’s facility — expected to create at least 100 jobs — is the first of John Lewis’s new customer delivery hubs which will focus on fulfilling all its UK online orders and deliveries.... Read More
The Autumn Statement, in which Chancellor George Osborne froze business rates increases at 2 per cent for the next two years, took a significant amount of pressure off small retail businesses operating commercial properties in town centres. However, the government still faces criticism over attempts to regenerate the nation’s high streets,... Read More
2013 has been an encouraging year for British businesses, with improved economic conditions and a rising consumer confidence allowing large and small companies alike to post steady results throughout the past 12 months. With unemployment and underemployment still causing issues for jobseekers, many have honed their entrepreneurial... Read More
Kier Property has been awarded a £50m contract to build prestige offices within Northampton’s Waterside Enterprise Zone. The 215,000sq ft business development is on a five-acre brown field site at St Peter’s Waterside between the River Nene and St Peter’s Way. Preparation work, including the demolition of a gasometer, ten houses... Read More
In the years before the recession hit, the peak trading period before Christmas was a chance for fashion retailers to increase profit margins and shift huge amounts of stock in preparation for the arrival of new lines during the key Spring/Summer season. However, some of the UK’s largest fashion brands have been forced to alter their... Read More
