Asda, which is the UK’s second largest supermarket, has today announced it will create 7,500 new jobs in the UK next year through expansion and new store openings. The supermarket giant said it will recruit 3,500 staff at new stores, 2,400 for its home shopping service and a further 100 in new pharmacies. In addition, [...]
Supermarket giant Asda has today announced like-for-like sales (excluding fuel) declined by 0.4% in the second quarter. The fall was attributed to the tough austerity measures introduced by the Government, which has hit consumers, according to Asda. “Asda’s customers are facing recently announced tax increases and cuts in Government spending,” it said in a statement. [...]
Fears over US consumer spending were raised today after retailing giant Wal-Mart reported weaker than expected sales. The company, which is the world’s largest retailer, reported a 22% rise in its fiscal fourth-quarter profit, but sales at stores open at least 12 months disappointed the market. Quarterly sales fell to $113.65 billion – slightly below [...]
The world’s biggest supermarket, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, has described the current sales environment as “difficult”. The retailing giant said sales were down 0.4% in the three months to 31 October at stores open for more than 12 months. US consumers continue to rein in their spending as the economy continues to see a rise in [...]
The US economy has surprised analysts again, this time by announcing a dip in retail sales for the month of July. The fall of 0.1% for July follows two months of gains, according to the Commerce Department. Analysts described the figures as disappointing as they had been expecting a rise of 0.7% in overall sales [...]
Supermarket giant Morrisons, which is the UK’s fourth largest, has announced better-than-expected sales figures. The group, which continues to gain market share from other supermarket giants such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s, said the first quarter of the year saw like-for-like sales grow 7.3%, as a result of heavy discounting. The group said it is attracting [...]
The US Commerce Department has revealed that retail sales in the world’s largest economy have fallen for the sixth consecutive month. Fears of a more prolonged recession are rife after figures show that US shoppers visited the stores less over the festive period. In December, sales plummeted by 2.7% – more than double analysts predictions [...]
As consumers in the US are faced with higher food and fuel prices, figures show that retail sales in the US rose at the slowest pace in four months. Consumer spending is closely monitored in the US as it makes up for over 60% of total economic activity. The world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, posted disappointing [...]
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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