In recent years, the debate over whether the UK should remain a part of the European Union has intensified, in part due to the large bailouts required by countries such as Greece and Portugal. It is an issue that divides the Conservative Party where differences about whether continued membership is good or bad for business are never far from... Read More
The commercial property market in France dropped for the first time since 2009, due to the sluggish economy and increased selectivity of investors. In the first six months of the year, investment volumes were down 22 percent from 2012 levels, according to a report released by Savills. From January to June, €6.1 billion was invested in... Read More
This time last year, the news coming from garden centres and DIY stores was less than positive. A washout summer and a wide choice of sporting events on television drove people indoors, causing sales to drop for both chain and independent brands across the country. Fortunately, the summer this year appears to have reversed this trend,... Read More
News from the high street has certainly taken a turn for the better in the past few months, with footfall and retail sales slowly increasing thanks to the hot summer. However, many believe that plans set out in the Portas Review have proven ineffective, and are therefore encouraging communities to get involved and tell local authorities what... Read More
Confidence in the sustainability of the UK's economic recovery has spread from London to the rest of the country's commercial property market. This pattern is likely to be mirrored throughout continental Europe and underpin shares of listed property companies, according to an Exane BNP Paribas analyst who spoke at the European Public Real... Read More
Consumer spending is on the up, with retailers enjoying a relative boom in sales after a drought-filled recession. Autumn and winter collections have now hit the shelves of the UK’s top fashion retailers, meaning that a further boost is expected as consumers stock up on coats, hats and boots. "All pretty much the same" says Jo... Read More
Did you know that your high street may have a champion? High Street Champions is a scheme launched by Business in the Community (BITC) to help support the high street. Mary Portas The scheme has a number of large companies involved, which include: Boots, Co-operative Group, JD Wetherspoon, Lloyds, Marks & Spencer, The Post Office... Read More
Fashion favourite Next has posted positive first-half results contributing to growing indicators which suggest recovery for the retail sector is in full swing. During the six months to July 2013, pre-tax profits climbed by 8.2 per cent to £271.8 million. Total revenue, meanwhile, rose by 2.2 per cent to £1.68 billion, giving the... Read More
Supermarket giant Tesco is to lend Investment Company Yucaipa Companies £80 million to take the loss-making Fresh & Easy stores off its hands, marking the end of a six-year struggle to crack the U.S. market. Tesco has confirmed Yucaipa will acquire over 150 of the California-based Fresh & Easy stores as well as its Riverside... Read More
A High Court judge yesterday ordered the Metropolitan Police to settle a multi-million pound bill for the destruction of an Enfield warehouse during the riots that took place in the summer of 2011. Many commercial properties were damaged during the riots The 260,000 sq ft Sony warehouse was looted and set alight on the night of 8th... Read More
The government has today confirmed that the Royal Mail will be privatised “in the coming weeks” and has officially notified the stock exchange of the impending floatation. However, at this point it is not certain exactly how much of the business will be sold – government sources have revealed that it will certainly be “the... Read More
Many companies have offices based abroad, or have clients who they must regularly make trips to see. The cost of travel and accommodation are already expensive but mobile phone charges from the UK to Europe and vice versa are also costing business huge sums of money. But the European Commission is now in talks to scrap roaming charges... Read More
The manufacturing sector has become a powerhouse of British industry in the past year, with many firms choosing to rapidly expand thanks to a booming exports market. However, there are concerns that a shortage of skilled workers such as engineers may limit the growth potential in the country in future, making now the optimum time for... Read More
Now that Tokyo has been chosen to play host to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, British SMEs need to get involved and win business ahead of the event. Speaking at a conference in Canary Wharf, Mayor of London Boris Johnson addressed 500 London-based small businesses to encourage them to use their skills and the experience of the... Read More
The government has today published guidance to help local authorities administer the new empty property rate relief for newly built commercial buildings which will be available from next month. The scheme, which the government estimates will benefit over 11,000 new commercial properties, was initially announced by the Chancellor in his... Read More
Pressure is mounting on Justice Secretary Chris Grayling to outlaw squatting in commercial property. Last year squatting in residential property was made a criminal offence and the industry has been calling for the law to be brought into line to cover commercial premises ever since. Former minister Tessa Jowell has called for an extension... Read More
British banknotes have been around since the 16th century and have pretty much remained the same since then. Obviously they have been updated and reprinted regularly with different designs, but apart from that not much has changed. But that could all change in December. The Bank of England is proposing that we change to a plastic style... Read More
It was revealed yesterday that the number of empty commercial properties on UK high streets remains worryingly high despite improving economic fortunes. A number of initiatives have been put in place to address this situation but, according to a new report, they may be obscuring the real issue. The Centre for Cities says that town and... Read More
Manchester Council has drawn up a planning framework showing it wants the proposed HS2 terminal to be the centrepiece of a huge regeneration scheme that will breathe new life into the former Mayfield station area, Piccadilly Basin, and the area between the station and Great Ancoats Street. The plans include a new boulevard which runs... Read More
As you walk down your local high street, you may have noticed the amount of empty boarded up shops. Unfortunately this trend is set to continue as the number of unoccupied high street commercial properties remains worryingly high. According to the Local Data Company (LDC) 14.1 per cent of shops are empty in 650 city centres throughout... Read More
SME lending has become a hugely contentious issue in the UK this year. On one hand, the government does not believe that sustainable growth can be achieved without small firms accessing the funds they need to expand, but on the other the banks remain wary about lending in the wake of the financial crisis. According to a survey... Read More
Investment in Italy's industrial, retail, and office markets increased by 54 per cent during the first six months of 2013 compared to the amount invested last year, according to data released by Cushman & Wakefield. During this period, transactions totaled €760 million compared to 2012 levels of €495 million. Office investments... Read More
