The latest government Office for National Statistics (ONS) retail sales bulletin shows sales volumes – the amount we all bought – rose by 1% in February over January, despite predictions from analysts and consumers themselves that sales were likely to fall. Brits pluckily carried on shopping last month in spite of a wobble in consumer confidence, […]
Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown: ‘’The name relied upon for essentials for home, work and play will disappear from Britain’s high street for good. It’s been such a struggle for sales across WH Smith’s high street estate that management were desperate to sell off the traditional stores and focus on its […]
What’s in a name? Quite a lot, it seems, especially when carving out a niche in the UK’s busy business landscape. Since 2012, Start Up Loans has seen a plethora of businesses with names that tickle the funny bone. From pun-laden monikers to clever wordplays, business owners know that before a customer steps through the door or […]
The EUF’s unique overview analysis of the legal and regulatory environments in Europe, and several important comparator countries, has been fully updated with an extensive review and revision of the EU 27 member countries’ positions. This study offers a comprehensive overview of the current legal landscape and remains the only document of its kind available […]
Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) has published new research, “How professionals are using generative AI in the workplace and the copyright implications this creates” highlighting a significant gap between copyright awareness and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in the workplace. The survey of nearly 4,000 UK professionals reveals that, of those who do use GAI tools in […]
Derren Nathan, head of equity research Hargreaves Lansdown: “FTSE futures suggest the index is set to open down, and will start Friday a touch below the level at which it entered the week. UK investors should take some comfort from this morning’s retail sales figures which unexpectedly rose for a second consecutive month in February. […]
Responding to the latest ONS Retail Sales Index figures, which showed sales up 3.0% by value, and up 2.2% by volume, Kris Hamer, director of insight at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Despite the damp, grey weather, retailers saw a solid boost to their sales in February. Computing and household electricals performed well as people continued […]
Manufacturing leaders across Southern England are being urged to sign up to Made Smarter, the UK government programme helping SMEs embrace digital technologies for growth. Registration is now open to access fully funded expert advice, leadership training, student interns and up to £20,000 technology grants to help them drive growth, productivity and sustainability. The Made […]
A Stirling tour operator using traditional Scottish folk music as a way of enticing tourists to visit Scotland is expected to reach £1.5 million turnover after the owners received specialist advice from Business Gateway. Scotland Folk Tours was founded by David Hope, Tim Grimm, Fiona Brown and Alexis Webster in 2022. It specialises in bringing […]
Aspen Bridging has signed a Heter Iska agreement, thereby allowing the business to finance Jewish property professionals for the first time. This action opens up a whole new market for the lender and marks a significant step towards achieving its £250m lending target for 2025. The Heter Iska agreement, which has been authorised with Rabbi Eli Brief of the Union of Hebrew Congregations, is a Jewish religious compliance document that restructures a loan as an […]
