De La Rue shares rise after it says it will acquire DuPont Authentication to strengthen its tech-led identification business December 12, 2016 Banknote maker De La Rue's shares were up 3.45 per cent in afternoon trading following an announcement it would acquire the authentication business of DuPont Electronics and Communications for $25m (£19.7) in cash. DuPont Authentication produces secure, anti-counterfeiting technology used to authenticate a range of products from consumer electronics to secure identity documents. The authentication company has a well-established customer [...]
London Southend is flying high as business travelers push private jet usage up 25 per cent December 12, 2016 Business travel is taking off this year as London Southend Airport reported private jet usage was up 25 per cent year on year between March and August. Compared to London's other business jet airports, the Stobart-owned business has the advantages of its convenience and special offerings, said the airport's head of business aviation Hannah Lo Bao. London Southend is located 35 miles from central [...]
London Luton Airport’s passenger numbers were up 13 per cent in November December 12, 2016 London Luton Airport (LLA) had a record-breaking month with 13 per cent passenger growth in November. This month was the London airport's 32nd consecutive month of passenger growth, following its milestone in October of 14 million passengers. LLA is currently investing more than £110m to increasing the airport's capacity from 12m to 18m passengers per year by 2020. The upgrades include improvements [...]
Christmas and New Year holidays abroad will boost Gatwick’s total passenger numbers by more than 10 per cent December 12, 2016 More Britons are choosing to spend the winter holidays abroad this year than ever before, boosting passenger numbers at Gatwick Airport. With Christmas and New Year both falling on weekends, significantly more people are jetting off for extended holidays compared to the previous year. Gatwick expects more than a 10 per cent boost to its total passenger numbers as a result. [...]
Gin sales are now set to overtake Scottish whisky sales by 2020 December 12, 2016 This year, gin stole the spotlight as Britain's most popular spirit, and now its sales are set to overtake Scotch whisky within the next few years. Back in 2010, gin sales were a measly £774.9m compared to whisky's £1.29bn, according to Euromonitor data. The research firm predicted gin sales will continue to rise well into the future and will exceed [...]
London’s house prices had the UK’s lowest rate of annual growth last month December 12, 2016 Back in March, London was leading the UK's annual house price inflation, but the recent drop in prices and transactions in prime central property has led to annual change of just 0.1 per cent, meaning London's house prices had the lowest rate of annual growth in the country last month. For England and Wales as a whole, average [...]
Craft drinks have put a cork in the UK’s pub insolvency problem December 12, 2016 Investment in craft beer, high-quality food and trendy refurbishments is helping save the UK's pubs from insolvency. The number of pubs and bars unable to pay their debts has dropped seven per cent, decreasing from 521 to 480 in just one year, Ortus Secured Finance will today report. Over the last three years, the rate of pub and bar companies [...]
Specsaver founder Dame Mary Perkins and her husband have their payout cut in half December 11, 2016 Despite Specsavers’ solid earnings last year, Dame Mary Perkins and her husband had their payout cut in half. Perkins started the optical chain in 1984 and became Britain's first billionaire businesswoman. It was revealed she and her husband Doug had their dividend cut to £17.4m last year compared to £36.8m the year before in recently filed [...]
Happiest place on earth no more: Shareholders in Euro Disney battle with Walt Disney over licensing fees December 11, 2016 Walt Disney has charged Euro Disney nearly €1bn in licensing fees over the past decade, and minority shareholders have had enough, saying the American entertainment giant is preventing the owner of Disneyland Paris from making a profit. Reports show Charity Investment Asset Management (CIAM), a French hedge fund, said Walt Disney scooped €930m (£780m) in royalties allowing Euro Disney [...]
How does craft gin compete against big brands? “Create weird and wacky stuff,” says distiller December 9, 2016 Yesterday, gin stole the show as 2016's most profitable spirit as the sector passed a £1bn sales mark for the first time ever, six months ahead of schedule. Today, craft distiller Tom Warner, co-founder of Warner Edwards, gave CityAM the low-down on the artisan industry. Warner Edwards was founded just over four years ago by [...]
