In the past year or so, there has been a growing trend of retailers expanding into other businesses. These tend to be high-profile brands, with homeware giant IKEA just one example of a retail chain which is now testing the waters of the hotel industry. Now British chain Laura Ashley has made the leap from retail to leisure by opening... Read More
London is set to become home to the largest indoor ski resort in the world. The attraction, which carries a price tag of up to £200 million which is being funded by shopping centre developers Westfield, will be built next to the Olympic Park site in Stratford. When complete, visitors will be able to try a number of runs of varying... Read More
Leeds Metropolitan University has unveiled its new name and will now be known as Leeds Beckett University. The Board of Governors has settled on the new name and will now pursue formal permission from the Privy Council to change the university’s name. It is estimated that the rebranding exercise could cost around £250,000. The... Read More
The poor weather at the start of the year considerably dampened consumer enthusiasm in an environment already damaged by the impact of the double dip recession. In turn, this had a negative effect upon the sales figures of many high street brands. However, the recent heatwave has lit a fire under disaffected shoppers everywhere, and as... Read More
Investors who bring jobs to Birmingham will be rewarded with free or discounted office space by city inward investment programme Business Birmingham. It offers this incentive to investors for six months to help them get established and create jobs in the city. Eligible businesses will be offered space in the Custard Factory in Digbeth.... Read More
Throughout the recession London gave the impression that it was insulated from the cold economic winds that swept the rest of the country. New commercial buildings continued to appear on the skyline while, in the provinces, investment disappeared and development all but ground to a halt. Now a new paper from the London Assembly reveals... Read More
Although unemployment rates have managed to stabilise since the start of 2013, many believe that this does not paint the full picture of working lives today. Due to a lack of full-time positions, a high number of workers are being forced to take on one or more part-time jobs in a bid to pay the bills, with underemployment remaining a huge... Read More
According to property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton, confidence is beginning to return to the industrial and distribution sectors of the West Midlands commercial market. The return of speculative investment in the sector is one of the indicators the market is showing signs of improvement. Alex Carr, the consultancy's director of... Read More
The British Property Federation (BPF) has issued a stinging response to the government’s empty property rates consultation. The industry body says the proposal to extend relief on new-build properties will do little to encourage development and appears designed never to be used. The measure was announced by Chancellor George Osborne... Read More
The retail industry is making huge steps towards recovery as improvements in the economy have finally begun to have a positive impact on consumer confidence. This fact has been further compounded by the warm weather, and as a result UK retail sales hit a six-month high during July. According to the Confederation of British Industry... Read More
Businesses relocating to properties within Birmingham's Enterprise Zone are likely to miss out on the business rates relief which is intended to give them the incentive to move. According to rating experts at property management consultancy CBRE, only one building in the central business district, Two Snowhill, will qualify for the full... Read More
One of the key points in Mary Portas’ report detailing the reasons for the high street decline addressed the issue of town centre parking. Many drivers find that their local towns fail to provide adequate affordable parking, and as such turn to out of town retail parks where hundreds of spaces are on offer, usually free of... Read More
The multi-million pound redevelopment of Northampton town centre is gathering pace, with commercial property agent Prop-Search forecasting that the next twelve months will be a ‘defining period’ in the process. The regeneration encompasses six schemes which, together, are unlocking key sites in the town for development in all commercial... Read More
If you have a pet, whether it is a cat, a dog or a chinchilla, you will more than likely have ventured into a Pets At Home store at some point during their lifetime. Let’s face it, they cover everything from grooming products to toys and you can even pick up a new furry friend for your companion if you like. Some stores even have veterinary... Read More
The pub industry has suffered in recent years, with the number of daily closures of both independent and chain bars outstripping even high street casualties. In fact, the problem has become so severe that groups such as the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) warned the damage to one of Britain’s most traditional industries could well prove to be... Read More
The UK has many more technology companies than the government estimates, according to a new report. According by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) there are almost 270,000 such companies in the UK, 40 per cent more than the government recognised. Under its classification the government identified 187,600... Read More
The most expensive shopping district in the world is not in New York, London, or Paris - it's on Russell Street in Hong Kong. This 150-yard stretch of luxury stores is chock full of designer brands and caters to tourists from mainland China. Over the last 10 years, the Causeway Bay shopping area in the former British colony has been... Read More
Commercial property group Hammerson is considering expanding the Bullring only two months after increasing its stake in the Birmingham shopping centre. The details are yet to be decided but the group has confirmed that it is considering several options to ensure that it continues to outperform in the coming years. Meanwhile... Read More
Last week, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that a crackdown on internet pornography will come into effect by October, with adults having to “opt in” for access with their broadband provider. The change in law followed calls by various parenting groups to protect children from inappropriate content which, at present, is easily... Read More
While figures have certainly improved over the past few months, unemployment remains a key issue standing between Britain and full economic recovery. Although the unemployment rate has fallen at an impressive rate so far this year, sectors such as youth and long term unemployment continue to remain high, prompting the government to question... Read More
The advent of the internet brought huge changes to the way we communicate. Tools such as Skype have allowed businesses to keep in touch with clients and offices across the world, while social networking now plays a dominant role in advertising and marketing campaigns for firms across all industries. However, technological advances have... Read More
There has been an improvement in the regional office market, according to the latest analysis from independent property adviser GVA. Its report, The Big Nine, indicates a more stable economic outlook is raising business confidence and boosting property demand. The nine GVA regional office centres recorded 1,730,000 sq ft in... Read More
