There is further evidence of a cutback in consumer spending today after electrical goods group Dixons Retail posted a drop in sales. The group, which is Europe’s no.2 electricals retailer, said like-for-like sales were 7% lower in the three months to 23 July compared with a year ago, which included a 10% fall in the [...]
The John Lewis Partnership, which is regarded as a barometer of British retailing, has revealed sales surged ahead of the VAT rise as shoppers rushed to buy big-ticket items. The renowned employee-owned department store said the bank holiday, on Monday 3 January, saw shoppers buy furniture and electrical goods as they looked to beat the [...]
Research by Capita Registrars Dividend Monitor has revealed how shareholders will suffer this year due to a fall in dividend payments. Dividend payouts by London-listed companies will fall 6.5% in 2010, the company said, primarily due to the suspension of oil giant BP’s dividend. The research estimated British companies would pay £54.7 billion to shareholders [...]
Research by the British Property Federation Retail Summit has revealed that the some British towns are turning into ghost towns as shoppers continue to avoid the High Street, in favour of online shopping. A recent study by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) and shopping comparison website Kelkoo, found that UK shoppers spent more online [...]
The global economic downturn has resulted in a slump in demand for big-ticket items, such as cars. This has affected carmakers worldwide with many cutting back on production, slashing jobs and seeking funding to see them through the downturn. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the Midlands carmaker, is no exception and according to The Sunday Times, [...]
According to Experian’s FootFall UK National Index, retail sales are still suffering amid the economic downturn as shoppers continue to abandon the High Street. The Index found that shopper numbers fell 1.7% across the UK in March with Wales and the South West hit the worst with numbers down 7.13%. Meanwhile, according to Experian, 15% [...]
A survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has found that financial services companies are suffering record falls in profits. The fourth quarter of 2008 saw a fall in business from 87 such companies, with the CBI citing 2008 as a year the financial services industry ‘would rather forget‘. The survey, which was co-conducted [...]
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have revealed that the number of cars built in November in the UK was down 33% compared with the same month last year. A fall in demand for new vehicles in the UK and overseas was attributed to the severe decline. Meanwhile, production of commercial [...]
According to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, the UK economy is likely to suffer more than its counterparts. Mr Darling said because of London’s position the major financial services centre of the world, the UK is likely to be more severely affected as a result of the profitability being reduced. It was revealed today [...]
A study by the Local Government Association (LGA) has found that the south of England will be the worst hit during the recession. In its report, ‘From Recession To Recovery: The Local Dimension’, the LGA said cities in the north will weather the storm better because decades of cost-cutting and redundancies have made businesses there [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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