|
-
|
|
Top story
|
Sales up at N Brown as rivals falter
On the day when home shopping retailer Freemans Grattan announced plans to cut more than 1,000 jobs, Manchester-based rival N Brown Group has said it remains confident that full-year performance will be in line with expectations despite the difficult trading conditions. In the 19 weeks to 10 January, the internet and catalogue home shopping retailer said like-for-like sales were up 8.8 per cent against the same period a year earlier, while sales from new customers remained level. But margins have fallen by 1.5 per cent following an increase in the charge for bad debts, largely due to the higher proportion of sales from younger customers, who produce a higher credit risk. The company is also pressing ahead with international expansion plans and will launch Simply Be, its plus-size fashion catalogue range, in Germany next month. Other websites will also be made available for European shoppers, bringing the total web investment to £1m.
|
|
|
Deals
|
Weak pound attracts Europeans
European companies are taking advantage of the weak pound to snap up UK businesses, according to Clearwater Corporate Finance. The firm says that the high number of overseas buyers was one of the most notable trends of 2008. No fewer than 64 per cent of trade sales on which Clearwater advised went to overseas – mainly European – buyers. Mike Reeves, partner at Clearwater’s Manchester office, said: “Europeans in particular are making the most of the strong euro to acquire UK businesses at prices significantly lower than they would normally have to pay.”
|
|
Business
|
Invest in your people, says Fairhurst
Complex times require complex business leaders. That was the message from one of the UK’s leading voices on human resources speaking in Manchester last night. David Fairhurst, senior vice-president and chief people officer at McDonald’s Northern Europe, was addressing Manchester Metropolitan University, where he is a visiting professor. Fairhurst said business leaders needed to offer “complete leadership”, striking the right balance between showing intellectual ability, compassion with staff, and having the guts to “do the right thing”. “Many leaders may have two of these qualities, but very few have all three,” he said and added that the greatest tragedy of the modern workplace was that the power of people was largely untapped. “Surveys show time and time again that less than one in five of the UK workforce is actively engaged with their business,” he said. “Organisations are failing to tap into their most powerful force.”
Manchester lays green foundations
Manchester City Council has promised to reduce its carbon emissions by a third. The Manchester Climate Change Call To Action is the latest step in its goal of reducing the city’s annual CO2 output by more than one million tonnes by 2020. The council will work with partners to draw up a detailed action plan, setting out exactly how cuts can be made over the next 12 years. A fund of £1m has been set aside and the council will encourage other public and private organisations to add their own funding to the pot. Early plans set out in the Call To Action include attracting green businesses to the city and creating sustainable regeneration areas. This follows the publication of last year’s Mini-Stern report, which warned that ignoring the threat of climate change could cost Greater Manchester up to £21bn over the next 12 years.
Lakes attract Brit tourists
Accommodation listings website iknow-uk says booking enquiries for the Lake District have doubled in the past few months, despite the economic climate. Visitor numbers to iknow-lakedistrict.co.uk were up from 40,000 in October 2007 to 49,000 in October 2008. In November it saw an increase of almost 10,000 booking enquiries and December was double that of 2007 after just two weeks. The site has received 15,000 visitors in the first week of January.
In for a Penny
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has appointed the managing director of its regional airports to the main board. Penny Coates, a former director of ASDA WalMart, will join the board with immediate effect and becomes the first regional airports executive to join the group board since MAG was formed in 2001. In addition to her responsibilities for East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside Airports, MAG said she will also bring an additional focus to the group’s customer experience and sustainability agenda.
Fairpoint to meet expectations
Debt advice firm Fairpoint Group has revealed that trading in the second half of 2008 was in line with expectations and said the company is cash generative and will remain so during 2009. The business, which is based in Adlington near Chorley, said good progress has been made on improving operating cash flow and the group has seen a reduction in borrowings from £10.9m to £8.7m in the six months to 31 December. Weakness from mortgage volumes has also been offset by improvement in its IVA business through a combination of falling acquisition costs and rising IVA conversion rates.
McCann returns to Manchester
Advertising agency McCann Erickson is set to return to Manchester city centre after a 30 year absence with plans in place to open a new office in the Northern Quarter. The company, which is based at Bonis Hall in Prestbury, near Macclesfield, will open its new digital operation called McCann Metro on 1 March.
Forshaw opens in Manchester
Property restoration and claims management company Forshaw is to open a Greater Manchester office in Horwich, Bolton. Forshaw, headquartered at Liverpool's Brunswick Business Park, specialises in repairing properties damaged by fire or flood and has increased turnover from £1.5m in 2005 to £5m in 2007. It also has offices in Crewe and North Wales.
Skills funding available
Unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation is offering trade unions and employers the opportunity to bid for money from a regional fund for workplace learning and skills projects. The North West’s Learning and Skills for All Fund 2009 is being launched this month at a series of roadshows, starting in Liverpool on Monday. The fund provides grants of up to £22,000 to help employees access skills training at all levels in all sectors.
|
|
Property
|
Walsh joins MEPC board
Jonathan Walsh, the managing director of Birchwood Park in Warrington, has been appointed to the board of directors at MEPC, the owner of Birchwood and other key UK business parks, including Milton Park in Oxford and Granta Park in Cambridge. Chief executive Rick de Blaby said: “We are delighted to welcome such an exceptional talent to the board.”
Can the council make Great Northern work?
Manchester City Council has confirmed that it is in discussions with Capital & Regional, owner of the city’s Great Northern Warehouse, about buying the site for a reported £75m. Originally developed in the late 1990s by Morrison Merlin, the scheme has struggled to compete with the footfall generated in other key leisure areas, such as its rival The Printworks. But the site’s position next to the Manchester Central conference facilities could allow the city to expand its conferencing offer. Council chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein said: “This building is strategically important. It could play a crucial part in our city centre plans.”
After Adoption relocates
Manchester agent Edwards & Co has sold an office suite at Blantyre Developments’ mixed-use scheme City Gate, in Manchester’s Castlefield. After Adoption, the national charity that provides support for those affected by adoption, has purchased 5,700 sq ft on the ground floor commercial part pf the mostly residential building, close to the junction of the Mancunian Way and the A56 Chester Road. After Adoption has relocated from Salford.
Eight on board for St Modwen in Blackburn
Developer St Modwen has secured eight businesses at its Innovation Centre at Evolution Park, Blackburn, a scheme designed for start-up businesses. The 44,000 sq ft centre is situated next to Royal Blackburn Hospital and forms part of the first phase of development at St Modwen’s £25m, 223,000 sq ft Evolution Park. Management consultancy Alchemy Business Acceleration is among five business to have already moved in.
|
|
|
Contact Us
Insider
8th Floor, Boulton House
17-21 Chorlton Street
Manchester
M1 3HY
Telephone: +44 (0)161 907 9711
Email: nw@insiderdaily.co.uk |
 |
Subscribe
To subscribe to the eBulletin,
click here.
|
|
- |
