For many years, the black cab has been an iconic symbol of London. Despite the recession, business has been booming for taxi drivers in the capital this year – especially with thousands of foreign visitors pouring into the city for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the wet weather dampening shopper’s enthusiasm for walking home or to... Read More
Sainsbury’s has become the first of the supermarket giants to launch a shopping app that lets customers use their smartphones to scan all their items as they shop and use it to pay at the checkout. It leads the way for the kind of personal, one to one relationships that all marketers should be targeting , and it won’t be long until... Read More
In an era where online scams and computer hacking are relatively common, it can sometimes be difficult for users to differentiate between genuine and falsified offers from retailers. And with fraudsters becoming more and more inventive in their schemes, the battle to preserve online privacy has never been more challenging. Shoppers are... Read More
Britain’s consumers remain cautious about spending thanks to the instability of the country’s economy, making luxury goods something to be saved for special occasions for the majority of shoppers. Since the start of the recession, items such as expensive jewellery, designer clothing and electronics have failed to sell as well as expected... Read More
Gillian Clarke, the National Poet of Wales, has honoured John Lewis with a new poem to mark the third anniversary of its Cardiff branch. Clarke’s tribute is now on display in the department store’s window and she hopes the idea might be extended to other branches across the UK. Gillian Clarke became the National Poet of... Read More
The Dubai Land Department has released a statement indicating the total value of property transactions in the first nine months of the year has reached a very impressive Dh83 billion. A total of 20,925 sales were completed during the period, and 5,042 mortgage transactions worth Dh36.3 billion were also finalized. A number of... Read More
The double dip recession has taken its toll on all sectors of industry in the UK. However, while there are signs of recovery, especially in the automotive industry, it appears that the retail sector is by no means out of the woods yet. Although the drop in the inflation rate last month, from 2.5 per cent to 2.2 per cent, has... Read More
Since the start of the financial crisis in late 2008, banks have become increasingly wary of lending to small businesses, fearing that they would never see a return on their loan and thus plunge the economy into further dire straits. However, while this may be a sure fire way of protecting themselves from financial ruin, it is causing a... Read More
Everyone is aware of the difficulties facing retailers in the current economic climate. Equally there has been a great deal of speculation surrounding the impact of the rise in tuition fees. However, one company is targeting students with a series of organised shopping events and it appears they are still prepared to splash the cash providing... Read More
Electrical goods retailers have had a fairly tough time during the double dip recession. As well as a dip in consumer interest driven by the need of many households to cut back on luxuries such as new computers and televisions, strong competition from online retailers and supermarket chains has meant that some specialist stores have simply... Read More
Many of us spend our working lives frantically funneling part of our monthly wage into a workplace or private pension, meaning that while we may be out of pocket now, at least we will have enough money behind us for support when the age of retirement arrives. Saving for a pension usually starts at a young age now, with many employees in... Read More
This year has been tough for many in the UK. Both consumers and retailers have been hit by rising costs of commodities such as gas and electricity, along with a fluctuating rate of inflation and pay freezes lowering the average household’s disposable income. While this has meant that many people have cut down on luxuries... Read More
Canada's real estate industry is in good health, according to figures released by BMO Economics. Interest rates are expected to remain low over the medium term, which will make the prospect of purchasing income-producing properties very appealing to investors. The report indicates that real estate management and development... Read More
The theme of the Emerging Trends in Real Estate report is one of optimism, even though the U.S. recovery remains a slow one. The report is a joint venture between PricewaterhouseCoppers and the Urban Land institute. Jonathan Miller, a partner and co-owner of Miller Ryan L.L.C, and author of the report, said that the recovery is happening and... Read More
UK property services firm Jones Lang LaSalle has released a report stating that Malaysian investors are accounting for a larger share of commercial property investment in the country. Approximately 10 per cent of commercial property transactions in London in 2012 have been made by investors from Malaysia, which has resulted... Read More
For several years now, the online marketplace has been one that has proven to be increasingly profitable for both chain and independent retailers alike. As well as using social networking to promote start-up businesses, sites like eBay and Amazon have provided a platform accessible by millions of consumers the world... Read More
As arguably the most popular sport in the world, football has a huge international following, with fans willing to spend a small fortune on tickets to see their favourite team play. With stadiums around the country packed full of eager spectators and busloads of fans arriving at rival grounds each weekend for away games, the football industry... Read More
According to Reuters, Starbucks has paid a mere £8.6 million in UK taxes on a reported £3 billion in sales in the UK since 1998, when it opened its first UK coffee shop, despite having opened 735 outlets subsequently. The revelation led to calls by MPs and pressure groups for an investigation into the company's tax affairs,... Read More
The past few years have been tough for most British families. Rising inflation, mounting numbers of people unable to find work and the high cost of everyday items have left many consumers out of pocket and struggling to make ends meet. Additionally, retail businesses have found it difficult to attract customers due to a lower... Read More
According to a new study of UK customer loyalty in 2012, supermarkets could come out on top as customers’ bank of choice. The research carried out by The Logic Group and Ipos revealed, that while banks top the list for customer loyalty, supermarkets are not far behind, opening up the potential for widespread banking with... Read More
According to a new report issued by ReMax, the Canadian commercial real estate sector is booming. Major construction projects are under way and American retailers are moving into the country and vying for a piece of the consumer market. Pension plans and real estate trusts have been important players for many years, but smaller investors are... Read More
From 2000-2010, commercial insurance premiums were nearly three times higher in emerging markets compared to advanced ones. According to a new report released by Swiss Re, insurers can expect to see more opportunities for growth in these regions, and economic growth is predicted to slow down in advanced markets. The report, which is... Read More
