The results of Goldman Sach's semi-annual Insurance Pricing Survey for 2013 have been released, and they indicate that US providers are continuing to charge increased prices for commercial property cover. The survey has been in existence since 1988. It is conducted to give the firm data on industry pricing, especially what a typical... Read More
For 55 years now, Little Chef has been an established stop for drivers, with restaurants lining motorways and A roads nationwide. However, turnaround specialists RCapital have warned that the brand may soon disappear forever after failing to find a buyer willing to continue the chain’s name. RCapital placed the chain of 83 commercial... Read More
The rise of internet shopping has caused severe problems on the high street as more consumers turn from traditional shopping methods in favour of having their items delivered straight to their doors. Now a new report has revealed the repercussions of this consumer trend and the permanent affect it could have on the British retail... Read More
Lord Sugar has hit the jackpot following the sale of a prime location Mayfair office block he bought just five years ago. The Apprentice supremo has reportedly made close to a £50 million profit on 2 Harewood Place after receiving an offer he couldn’t refuse from a Hong Kong based investor. The recently refurbished property was... Read More
Daisho Group, the Japanese developer, has recently broken ground on a multi-million dollar office tower in Brisbane, the capital city in the Australian state of Queensland. According to a report published in Architecture and Design, the new 34-storey commercial project will be the first speculative high-rise tower on the city's skyline... Read More
In recent years, fashion retailers have come under increasing amounts of pressure to address the issue of welfare in the modelling industry. With stories circulating regarding the working hours and treatment of models by even some of the world’s leading fashion houses, and rumours of photographers refusing to allow their subjects to take... Read More
Last summer the Olympics, and especially the success of Team GB on the medals front, caused a sporting boom in the UK which boosted the profits of specialist retailers at a time where any small rise in fortune was to be welcomed. Car parts and bicycle retailer Halfords was one such chain which profited from the summer of sport and posted a... Read More
IPD has announced the winners of its European Property Investment Awards at a ceremony in Lisbon. The annual awards recognise outperforming regional European funds over a three year period. The standardised performance measurements apply to pension and life funds, property investment companies and other professionally managed property... Read More
Levels of investment in European commercial property in the first quarter were 4.4 per cent up on the same period in 2012 according to Cushman & Wakefield. The increased activity is supported by greater equity in the market and a willingness to take on higher levels of debt. The core markets, including France, increased their market... Read More
Investors looking for the best returns in Australia should take a look at the office markets in Perth and Melbourne, a new survey reveals. The first quarter NAB Commercial Property Survey predicts that these markets will both see rising capital values and rents over the next two years. Perth Central Business District across the Swan... Read More
Despite the fact that the UK economy grew by just 0.3 per cent in the first quarter, growing demand for modern warehouse accommodation has led to news of the first large-scale speculative development for five years. Midlands’ based developer, IM Properties, has demonstrated confidence in the region’s economic prospects by... Read More
Nationwide has increased its share of the UK mortgage market to an unprecedented level. It has been aided by government programmes to support homebuyers, including the Funding for Lending Scheme offered by the Bank of England. The largest building society in the UK by customer numbers had a 17 per cent increase in gross mortgage... Read More
Can design influence productivity? Internet companies have somewhat broken the mould when it comes to office design, as many businesses which require constant adaptation to technological advances and place a high value on forward thinking also take that attitude towards their place of work. As a result, “fun” business premises... Read More
A redevelopment project for the Shell Centre has been granted planning permission by Lambeth Council, sparking a flurry of preparations for the coming year. Canary Wharf Group and Qatari Diar joint venture Braeburn Estates, who are co-managing the development works, have confirmed that work on the site will commence later this year, with the... Read More
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned that problems such as hacking, computer viruses and data security breaches were a “barrier to growth” that could no longer be overlooked. A report from the FSB found that cyber crime is costing its 200,000 members a total of £785m a year – or £3,750 for every small... Read More
After retail sales were hit by unexpectedly deep snowfall in March, many were hoping that last month would signal the start of a more positive spring/summer season than has been seen for quite some time on the high street. Unfortunately, figures released today show just how misguided that hope was, with food sales in particular suffering from... Read More
Mothercare was once the store all new mothers in the UK relied upon to provide them with their every need, whether this was a pram, reasonably priced clothing or even just some advice. However, the boom of internet shopping and an increasing number of chains moving in on the “baby market” has caused the chain to struggle in recent... Read More
Morrisons, Britain’s fourth largest supermarket chain, is going into business with online retail grocer Ocado. Morrisons says it has agreed an online food tie-up with Ocado that will enable the group to launch an online grocery service by January 2014. The delivery vans will carry the Morrisons brand, with logistical support by... Read More
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is preparing to market nine school sites, complete with planning permission, in order to raise money for its capital programme. Most of the schools are due to become redundant this summer when pupils and staff relocate to new buildings in the city. A report to the cabinet calls for the land to be sold as quickly... Read More
The results of the Deloitte 2013 Q1 Survey have been released and they show a steep drop in uncertainty, as well as rising optimism among UK corporations. Launched in 2007, the quarterly survey gathers data from a panel made up of over 300 CFOs, mainly from FTSE 350 companies. It measures shifts in the CFOs' opinions on "valuations,... Read More
Poundland has begun an audacious price-war by charging consumers just 97p in locations where arch rivals including 99p Stores have opened up. Jim McCarthy, Poundland chief executive said the price drop is part of the retailer’s “competitor response” approach, which includes offering consumers vouchers promoting ‘two for £1’... Read More
The results of a survey conducted by De Montfort University indicate that UK commercial property investors may be facing a £92 billion funding gap. About half of the £198 billion in bank loans may be "unrefinanceable on terms available in today's lending market," it says. The report, released on May 17, collected information from... Read More
