Although inflation and the employment rate are both beginning to take tentative steps towards improving household budgets, fluctuations in the market for essential items continue to put a strain on the purses of workers. This became hugely apparent this week, with data provided by Asda’s Income Tracker showing family spending power fell to... Read More
The fact that the Royal Mail's land is worth much more than the newly-privatised carrier paid for it is no secret. The question that remains is how much the property is worth. Royal Mail office in Crowthorne Over time, the estimated value could be billions of pounds. The sale of one 2.3-acre site situated north of Oxford Street fetched... Read More
With unemployment remaining a very real concern for British workers, many are taking the matter into their own hands by launching a business which, if successful, will guarantee them a steady income for years into the future. However, with banks remaining unwilling to lend, being unable to acquire the funds to turn plans into action often... Read More
Whitbread, the owner of Costa Coffee and the Premier Inn hotel chain reported a 12.6 per cent rise in first-half profit after opening several new coffee outlets. The UK's largest hotel and coffee shop operator announced a pre-tax profit of £216.1m ($349m) in the six months up to 29 August. The profit beat analysts' predictions of... Read More
Walsall College has unveiled details of the proposed Walsall Business and Sports Hub it plans to develop. The planned site for the new Hub is next to its Wisemore Campus on Littleton Street West, on unused land the college is obtaining from Walsall Council. The £11m complex is intended to complement the current college facilities... Read More
A report prepared for the Mayor says that unemployment will increase by up to 14,000 around Heathrow if the airport closes. If the airport was closed down in 2029 and the site was bulldozed for a major residential development, the number of jobless in the area would grow to 38,000 by the year 2050, a figure 58 per cent higher than it is... Read More
In the battle of the department stores, it is fair to say that John Lewis has resoundingly come up on top. Posting steady profits even at the height of the recession, incorporating the group’s Waitrose brand to strengthen the business and even pushing forward in the competitive electronics sector, it managed to leave main rival Debenhams in... Read More
When squatters occupy commercial property, landlords are often faced with an uphill battle to regain possession of their premises. They are often faced with a long struggle to accomplish this goal. Here are a few tips to help you regain possession of a commercial property. Seek Help from the Authorities Their action is likely to seek... Read More
A historic Liverpool property with links to the Titanic is set to be transformed into a hotel themed around the doomed ocean liner. The building in question is Albion House on the Strand, which was once the head office of Titanic operator the White Star Line. Albion House on the Strand, Liverpool It was from this address that news of... Read More
In the past year or so, there has been a lot of talk regarding steps retailers and the government can take to save the high street. With internet becoming more and more popular, however, the question has largely focused on how consumers can be tempted to leave the comfort of their own homes in a bid to save small retail businesses in the... Read More
Many retail businesses decided to implement turnaround schemes following tough trading during the recession, and now with consumer confidence on the rise the effects of these plans are beginning to be seen. One of the most impressive turnarounds has been that of the Home Retail Group, which owns both Argos and Homebase. This week, the... Read More
Commercial property investors from the Middle East, Asia and the United States have declared London their location of choice, and the trend shows no signs of changing soon. There have been several high-value deals completed this year in central London, including the £260 million purchase of the Lloyd's building by Chinese life assurer... Read More
Manchester’s MediaCityUK is proving a popular location for SMEs, statistics collected by Gather Digital reveal. The company, which is based at the Greenhouse on the site, began the data collection to learn more about their fellow tenants, but made the results public when they realised they contain some interesting... Read More
Internet shopping has become hugely popular and most retailers are attempting to incorporate modern technology into their commercial property based operations in a bid to blur the boundaries between retailing and e-tailing. As well as attracting a younger crowd of shoppers to the high street, this has the advantage of streamlining customer... Read More
A report designed to prevent the UK’s financial stability being threatened by a future commercial property market downturn has been issued. The document comes from the Real Estate Finance Group (REFG) – a body comprising leading industry figures – and contains draft recommendations for wider discussion before a final report is published... Read More
World renowned architect Frank Gehry has been chosen to design the third phase of the Battersea Power Station development. Gehry, whose best known building is the Guggenheim Museum in the Spanish city of Bilbao, will work alongside Lord Foster on what will be his first project in the UK. Gehry’s style is instantly recognisable and... Read More
Everyone enjoys the personal touch when they are out and about. From a swan made of towels placed on your bed in a hotel room, to a biscuit with your initial iced on top in a café. But are personalised price tags in shops taking things too far? Electronic price tags are currently being trialled in B&Q, which tailors a price... Read More
For the majority of workers, taking a holiday from the office is always a major highlight of the year. Whether the break is used to go on a foreign holiday or simply relax at home, they can return to work feeling refreshed and better able to cope with the tasks set for them. Yet a new study has shown that British workers are now... Read More
With expansion firmly on the cards for UK businesses thanks to the economic upturn, bosses nationwide will be seeking ways to make the most of their workforce and encourage staff to do their best in order to gain repeat custom and drive growth. Yet whilst many believe that simply offering financial incentives will be enough to motivate... Read More
St Martins, the property investment arm of the Kuwaiti government, is considering a bid for the More London development alongside Tower Bridge. The 53,000 sq m site includes City Hall, headquarters of Mayor Boris Johnson and the London Assembly. The complex, which also includes offices, shops, restaurants and cafés, is currently owned... Read More
The government yesterday gave the go ahead for the UK’s first nuclear power station in a generation to be constructed in Somerset. The £16 billion Hinkley Point C scheme will be largely financed by France’s EDF, along with a consortium of investors from China – making this the first British nuclear station built without the assistance... Read More
At the recent World Retail Congress in Paris, a panel of international retail executives discussed emerging trends in the industry. Their wide-ranging discussion included a number of topics, including co-operatives, emerging markets, and online shopping. The panel was particularly interested in the views of Ocado chief executive Tim... Read More
