Marks & Spencer (M&S) was once the pinnacle of British retailing, known for providing value for money and forward-thinking style in its popular clothing line. However, in recent years the chain has seemed unable to click with customers in the way it once did, with critics claiming it has “lost direction” in the fashion... Read More
The increasing stability of the UK economy has attracted a raft of international investors to the country, with London fast becoming the most sought-after investment location in the world. Yet while players from many different countries now have a stake in the capital’s commercial property market, it seems that Chinese investors are the... Read More
The recent hot weather has seen consumers flock to their nearest supermarkets and DIY stores in earnest to make the most of the summer. Memories of last summer, when cloud and rain kept the majority of British people indoors, have ensured that the public is keen to embrace the current spell of good weather. Barbecue foods, sun cream... Read More
British Land has bought the majority of the Paddington Central estate in London’s West End, a move which underlines widespread confidence in the potential of Crossrail to generate rental growth. The property group has invested £470 million to acquire assets comprising 610,000 sq ft of office space, 435,000 sq ft with development... Read More
Music festivals have become as much as part of the British summer as Wimbledon and Royal Ascot. While organisers benefit hugely from ticket sales, it is arguable that the real winners in the festival season are retailers as demand for clothing and essentials soars ahead of popular events such as Download, Reading, Leeds and... Read More
At 500 metres in length, 400 metres wide and 100 metres high, the New Century Global Center almost defies imagination. The total floor space of this colossal structure is 1.76 million square metres, and it has recently been opened to the public in southwestern China's Sichuan province. Officially declared the largest freestanding... Read More
With the global economic problems steadily receding, London is now attracting international investors and firms looking to gain a stable foothold in Europe. As a result, it has become apparent that London’s airport capacity is lacking when compared to cities such as Amsterdam and Paris. Research released last week by the mayor’s... Read More
Global property consultancy CBRE has released figures showing that take-up of Central London office space increased by 32 per cent in the second quarter of 2013. The total take-up in Central London was 3.4 million sq ft, which brings the total for the year to 5.9 sq ft. This number is significantly higher than the 4.7 million sq ft... Read More
Recovery in the retail industry is beginning to gather momentum; although five high street chains entered into administration last week, results are showing that on the whole consumers are once more beginning to spend in earnest. However, retail is still trailing behind other sectors, with the service and manufacturing industries posting... Read More
Whiteley, Hampshire’s newest retail and leisure destination, has enjoyed a bumper first month’s trading. Since its official opening, on 23rd May, more than 750,000 visitors have shopped at the 320,000 sq ft scheme including a huge 48,000 on the launch day alone. Whiteley, which is owned by British Land and Universities... Read More
Since the start of the year, when all signs indicated a significant improvement in the economic situation in this country, businesses across the board began hiring again in order to be prepared for a post-recession boom period. While retailers remain cautious, and high street banks continue to close branches in an attempt to return to... Read More
The rise in US interest rates has raised speculation in the commercial real estate industry that close to four years of gains in property values may be about to come to a halt, The Wall Street Journal reports. Low rates have been fueling the rise in property values until recently, while rents and occupancy rates have remained below... Read More
Online grocer Ocado has announced it is in talks over tie-ups with other retailers following its £170 million deal with WM Morrisons, but denied receiving a takeover approach for its own business. The retailer, which has never made an annual profit, revealed it had been in talks with other interested parties looking to move online,... Read More
It was only a few weeks ago that high-end furniture retailer Dwell entered administration after a period of sustained financial difficulties. Along with leaving the future of its employees highly uncertain, the company also enraged consumers by announcing that there was no guarantee existing orders would be honoured – something which... Read More
Businesses which trade online, thus avoiding the costs associated with a bricks and mortar commercial property, have been warned that they may be liable for a new tax. The government is currently considering a plan to target online retailers to level the playing field between physical stores and virtual ones. The British Retail... Read More
Results posted by the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) indicate that business confidence has reached its highest level in 6 years. This, in turn, has led the BCC to up its forecast for GDP growth to 0.6 per cent in the second quarter. According to the BCC, this boost in business confidence is largely due to an upturn in export sales,... Read More
Since the financial crash, the vast majority of Britain’s high street banks have pulled out all the stops to ensure they are run more cost-efficiently on both a local and national level. This has led to widespread closures and redundancies within the banking sector which are becoming an all-too-regular occurrence. Now Ulster Bank,... Read More
But it’s bad news for insolvency practice There is good news for the high street this week as new figures from Deloitte show that the number of retailers entering administration fell by a third in the first six months of the year. But while the news will be welcomed by shops, workers and landlords, insolvency firm Begbies Traynor may not... Read More
David Cameron has hailed the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station as the jewel in the crown of London’s renewal. "It felt like you were more likely to see a flying pig than a viable development" says Cameron Writing in the Evening Standard the Prime Minister said that attracting overseas investment is the key to stimulating... Read More
Construction activity increased for the second consecutive month during June as new order growth hit a 13 month high. The Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose from 50.8 in May to 51.0, the strongest reading since May 2012. The rise was largely driven by house-building, which enjoyed its fifth consecutive... Read More
Now that the worst of the economy’s problems appear to be behind us, the government can once more begin to address issues which were temporarily pushed to the bottom of the pile whist battling an altogether more immediate threat. One of the most prominent of these issues is the need to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by utilising new... Read More
Since the banking crisis brought the issue of bad lending to light, banks have become increasingly wary of signing off on loans to small businesses. And while lending has gradually increased in recent months due to governmental pressure on the UK’s largest banking chains, SMEs still find themselves unable to access emergency funds or borrow... Read More
