Seven in 10 say they will visit nearby butchers, greengrocers, hairdressers, florists and cafes, with an average spend of £169, according to research from American Express, principal supporter of Small Business Saturday UK that kicks off on December 5. It found nearly half of those shopping with small businesses will do so because they want...
Britain’s manufacturers have enjoyed their best month in almost three years as firms cranked up production in case knife-edge Brexit trade talks with the EU ended in failure. The latest survey from IHS Markit/Cips found the industry was unaffected by November’s four-week lockdown in England, with output at its highest since December 2017. While large chunks of consumer-facing sectors...
When Andy Street wants to show off the best of Birmingham to visitors up from London, the Conservative mayor of the West Midlands starts his tour in Centenary Square, a public space the length of two football pitches. To the west stands the International Convention Centre (ICC) and the Symphony Hall; to the north, the...
Unilever is setting a target of €1bn (£900m) in annual sales of its plant-based foods through some of its best-known brands, as it seeks to cash in on the growing number of consumers reducing their meat and dairy intake. The estimated five-fold sales growth over the next five to seven years will be driven by new products from The...
RSA, the 300-year old insurer that owns the More Than brand, has agreed a £7.2bn takeover from two overseas insurers that will result in the breakup of one of the FTSE 100’s oldest companies. The board of the London-headquartered company has accepted an all-cash offer from the Canadian insurer Intact Financial Corporation and the Nordic insurer Tryg. Under...
Boris Johnson is understood to be planning to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars within a decade, with reports that the ban will be brought forward by five years. It follows the prime minister moving the cut-off date from 2040 to 2035 in February. Johnson is expected to announce the measure amid...
The boss of JD Wetherspoon has attacked “baffling and confusing” coronavirus restrictions on pubs as his company revealed it expects England’s second lockdown to cost it about £14m. Tim Martin questioned when the 10pm curfew introduced before the lockdown would end, citing the example of closing time rules introduced during the First World War which...
“They have absolutely crucified us,” says Steve Holden, when asked what the month-long high street lockdown in England means for his family’s three Essex gift shops. “We have spent thousands of pounds on Christmas stock and it is crucial we sell it in November and December, which is our busiest time of year,” he said. “Without that...
More manufacturers can get help in their efforts to transform themselves to adopt Industry 4.0 solut..
Staff used to spend time collecting data manually from machines that were at risk of unplanned stopp..