There are retailers we really want to succeed. Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Boots are in this category, as legacy firms with a strong heritage which fell on hard times. Under the guidance of chairman Archie Norman and, latterly, chief executive Stuart Machin, M&S is turning itself around. Fashion …
Read More »Royal Mail announces stamp prices will rise AGAIN for sixth time in three years
Stamp prices are increasing again due to the ‘increasing cost of delivery mail’ The price hike is ‘yet another blow to consumers’(Image: PA) Stamp prices are set to go up again for the sixth time in three years. The cost of a first class stamp will now be more than …
Read More »Cost of first and second class stamps will go up AGAIN in April
The cost of a first-class stamp will rise to £1.70 from 7 April, representing an increase of 3 per cent or 5p from the current level. Today marks the sixth rise in first class stamp prices in just three years. International Distribution Services, the owner of Royal Mail, also announced …
Read More »Romanian political crisis delays Czech tycoon’s £3.6bn Royal Mail takeover
By DAILY MAIL CITY & FINANCE REPORTER Updated: 17:00 EST, 5 March 2025 Delays: Czech tycoon Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group, struck a deal to buy Royal Mail owner International Distribution Services last year The £3.6billion takeover of the owner of Royal Mail by the ‘Czech Sphinx’ is set to be …
Read More »Can you really profit by banking on the Big Four?
Britain’s Big Four banks are again at the centre of a compensation crisis. The lenders face the likelihood of being compelled to meet their share of a £44billion bill to cover consumer redress for the past selling of car finance. Lloyds alone may have to pay out £3billion, leading its …
Read More »ALEX BRUMMER: Royal Mail should learn from Dutch post where Czech Sphinx is also involved
By ALEX BRUMMER Updated: 16:54 EST, 28 February 2025 When Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has sorted out his CV and claims to being a solicitor perhaps he might find time to refocus on Royal Mail. Reynolds, the Communication Workers Union and the flaccid board of Royal Mail-owner International Distribution Services …
Read More »Kremlin-linked theme park planned for Oxfordshire
By CALUM MUIRHEAD Updated: 16:51 EST, 22 February 2025 A French theme park tycoon with ties to the Kremlin is behind plans for a £600 million attraction hoping to be set up near Oxford. Puy du Fou, which runs medieval-themed parks in France and Spain, plans to expand with a …
Read More »Reeves business rates and National Insurance rise will hit small firms in the North hardest
Small businesses in the North are set to bear the brunt of changes to business rates this spring. In her tax-raising Budget in October, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced plans to phase out rates relief introduced to help struggling companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. The move means retail, hospitality, and leisure …
Read More »Holiday Inn owner buys ‘lean luxury’ city hotel brand amid US expansion
By JANE DENTON Updated: 04:13 EST, 18 February 2025 Holiday Inn owner InterContinental Hotels Group has acquired its 20th hotel brand as it reported stronger profits and outlined plans for further expansion. The FTSE 100-listed group said it had snapped up ‘lean luxury’ specialist Ruby Hotels for an initial £87.6million. …
Read More »Cracks deepen at Topps Tiles as shareholder slams takeover deal to buy 30 stores
By DAILY MAIL CITY & FINANCE REPORTER Updated: 17:00 EST, 17 February 2025 Topps Tiles’s largest shareholder has slammed the group after regulators said its deal to buy 30 stores from a rival could lead to competition issues. The flooring company bought the stores for £9million in August last year …
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