GDP figures revision is unlikely to ease pressure on George Osborne
BUSINESS leaders warned there was little evidence of a recovery ahead despite revised GDP figures showing the UK’s double-dip recession is not as deep as previously feared.The latest figures showed GDP...
View ArticleOlympic boost: John Lewis lifted by sports goods sales
John Lewis said it had enjoyed a post-Olympics boost at its stores, with sales of sports equipment up 31 per cent in the week to 18 August. Aberdeen was the second-best performing branch with sales up...
View ArticleBusiness news in brief: British Retail Consortium | P&G | Vue | YoYo Games
THE chief executive of B&Q owner Kingfisher has been named the next chairman of the British Retail Consortium (BRC).Ian Cheshire takes over from former Debenhams boss Rob Templeman on 1 October and...
View ArticleHawick-based Dawson International is centre of plenty of attention
ADMINISTRATORS of cashmere business Dawson International have sent out detailed information packs to 35 potential buyers after receiving “strong interest” in the firm’s Hawick-based mill. The deadline...
View ArticleTenants can shop around
Renters have been warned they face paying over the odds for their energy supplier due to a combination of unlawful contracts and low awareness of their rights.Just 31 per cent of private rented tenants...
View ArticleTen money saving tips: Leave full price rail fares behind
RAIL commuters in Scotland have been dealt a blow with the news that fares are to rise on 1 January 2013 by 4.2 per cent – 1 per cent above inflation – while cross-Border fares will go up by 6.2 per...
View ArticleClaire Smith: Steel lets his dog off the Leith
I ALWAYS knew writing about dog poo would get a reaction.Last week’s column about the habit of tying dog poo into shopping bags and flinging it into trees has inspired one rich friend of mine to offer...
View ArticleMouchel to be snapped up by lenders after rescue plan fails
INFRASTRUCTURE group Mouchel is expected to be acquired by its lenders – including RBS and Lloyds – in a pre-pack administration after shareholders yesterday failed to back a last-ditch...
View ArticleFinancing a student is an education in itself, as many parents will be...
While loans, and the resulting debt, are one option, Jeff Salway suggests better ways to copeThousands of young Scots will be embarking on their new lives as students over the coming weeks – and for...
View ArticlePension payments can help to cut tax on child benefits
Thousands of high earners are set to boost their pension savings in a bid to avoid being caught out by new child benefit restrictions. One in six workers in the higher rate tax bracket expects to lose...
View ArticleSimon Scott steps up to steady the ship at troubled miner Lonmin
LONMIN, the London-listed platinum mining giant mired in the fallout from a violent industrial strike in South Africa that has claimed 44 lives, yesterday named its chief financial officer as temporary...
View ArticleCash Q&A: Pension payouts fall as new legislation begins to take effect
Q. I have an income drawdown pension plan that is approaching its first review. I have been told by my pension provider that the maximum income that I can take will be virtually halved. This has...
View ArticleRBS on verge of Libor probe deal
ROYAL Bank of Scotland is poised to agree a settlement within two months with UK and US regulators probing its role in the Libor-rigging scandal, according to sources.Barclays has already been fined...
View ArticleHensol’s treasures up for sale
A ROMAN table support in the shape of a lion, a rare book of Himalayan plants and a misty Shetland landscape painted by a prominent artist are among the treasures to be auctioned from the home of a big...
View ArticleUnited Carpets floored by crisis
Shares in United Carpets were suspended from trading yesterday as the troubled retailer announced it was closing six stores following “very challenging” conditions.The Rotherham-based firm, which ran...
View ArticleJeff Salway: Banks use Funding for Lending to line their own pockets
The Funding for Lending scheme was credited with getting lenders working again when the fixed rate mortgage costs fell recently. That response now appears to have been premature – given extra incentive...
View ArticleTesco’s green light for labelling
SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has finally succumbed to pressure to introduce a traffic light system of food labelling – in a move welcomed by health campaigners and consumer groups.The retailer resisted...
View ArticleChinese cooking is the future for iconic Aga
Iconic cooker maker Aga Rangemaster will look to China’s new middle class to make up for waning markets at home that show no sign of improving.Announcing a sharp drop in half-year profits from £4.2...
View Article‘Imperfect’ fruit and veg on sale
WONKY fruit and vegetables are making a reappearance on supermarket shelves after a campaign by the farmers’ union to make supermarkets lower their standards on perfect-looking produce.The National...
View ArticleRetail woes hit Stobart profit hopes
The owner of Eddie Stobart warned on profits at its trucking division as a knock-on effect of the squeeze on its major retail customers.Stobart Group, which operates 2,250 trucks from 40 sites across...
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