Chancellor to discuss food prices with CMA May 23, 2023 Today the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will meet with food manufacturers to discuss the cost of food and explore ways to ease pressure on households. The government says Hunt will raise concerns about high prices of food in the UK and discuss measures the government and industry could put in place to help households. Hunt said: [...]
Sainsbury’s bets on style with plans for a new online fashion marketplace May 21, 2023 Sainsbury’s is reportedly planning to launch a new online marketplace for high street fashion brands in a move which will pile pressure on department stores like John Lewis. Looking to diversify its product range whilst capitalising on a strong web traffic presence – and vast distribution networks – Sainsbury’s is looking to stock a range [...]
UK retail giant set to ditch central London office space amid job losses May 1, 2023 John Lewis is looking to cut its office space by over 50 per cent after the company seeks to drastically cut costs benefiting from a loose hybrid working approach. The John Lewis Partnership, which also owns Waitrose, first announced its plans to move offices last year, waiting until the lease of its current Victoria HQ [...]
WPP chief says use of AI in advertising is an ‘opportunity’ not a threat April 27, 2023 Contrary to some commentators’ fears, chief of WPP Mark Read has called artificial intelligence a “massive opportunity to optimise creative” work rather than representing a threat. Speaking to the Financial Times, Read revealed the advertising giant has already been using artificial intelligence and automation to “amplify” its creative work for some years. He added that [...]
CBI to be renamed in bid to rebuild after sexual misconduct scandal, new boss says April 27, 2023 The new boss of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that the scandal-hit business lobby group would likely be renamed as the organisation looks to rebuild after a sexual misconduct scandal. In the last week, there has been a mass exodus of businesses from the CBI, including prominent groups such as John Lewis, [...]
Mulberry lifted by strong China sales as luxury handbag maker shrugs off cost of living crisis April 20, 2023 Despite a challenging macro-economic background, luxury fashion brand Mulberry has announced an “improvement” in retail revenue over the second half of the year in its trading update for the year ending 1 April 2023. The British heritage brand – known for its iconic handbags – reported that revenue was slightly ahead of last year, with [...]
‘Genie won’t go back in the bottle’ on artificial intelligence, says security minister April 20, 2023 Security minister Tom Tugendhat has said while he understands fears about artificial intelligence (AI), it would be misguided to pause further developments on the new technology. He also suggested that suspending the field could squander UK cybersecurity efforts. “Given the stakes, we can all understand the calls to stop AI development altogether,” he said, speaking [...]
Zara chief bags former BBC base in West End April 19, 2023 Spanish billionaire and founder of popular fashion chain Zara Armancio Ortega has closed a deal purchasing luxury residential offices – and former BBC base – in the West End. Ortega’s firm Pontegadea shelled out £82m for the 1920s building, the private firm announced today. Last month Ortega purchased a luxury residential property with 120 apartments [...]
Childcare: Two in five mothers say high costs are still keeping them out of the workplace April 14, 2023 Two in five mothers feel prohibited from returning to work due to the high cost of childcare, even with Jeremy Hunt’s expanded childcare offering, a new survey of 2,000 mothers has revealed. “Nursery and childminder costs can swallow a huge chunk of new parents’ earnings, and with the current cost of living crisis squeezing every [...]
