The delayed arrival of warm summer weather led to a rebound in UK retail sales in July, according to industry data, even as shoppers continued to avoid large purchases amid the ongoing cost of living crisis. Data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) indicated a 0.5% year-on-year increase in total UK retail sales for July….
Goalhanger, the UK’s largest independent podcast company, has announced record-breaking downloads and views from May to July, driven by heightened global interest in its shows “The Rest Is Politics” and “The Rest Is Football.” From May 22nd to July 5th, “The Rest Is Politics” and its companion show, “Leading”, hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory…
Evolve Business Group, a Wigan-based specialist in managed network and IT solutions, has received a multi-million-pound investment from BGF, a leading growth capital investor in the UK and Ireland. Founded in 2005, Evolve has built a solid reputation for helping businesses reduce costs and simplify service management across various sectors, including retail, hospitality, food-to-go (FTG),…
Board Intelligence, a leading AI-driven firm enhancing boardroom performance, has sold a majority stake to Californian private equity house K1, valuing the London-based business at up to $300 million (£230 million). This significant investment will see multimillion-pound payouts to founders Jennifer Sundberg, 44, and Pippa Begg, 40. The founders plan to leverage K1’s investment to…
BBC Director General Tim Davie has faced tough questions about his handling of the Huw Edwards investigation. Among the points raised by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy were why Mr Edwards was not dismissed upon the BBC learning of his arrest and why he received a pay rise during this period. A recent tribunal ruling has…
Morrisons is trialling an innovative approach to save energy and reduce costs by raising the temperature of its freezers by 3°C. This move marks the first departure by a UK supermarket from the industry standard, which has remained unchanged for nearly a century. The Bradford-based retailer will increase freezer temperatures from -18°C to -15°C in…
The UK government’s ChipStart programme has enabled semiconductor start-ups to secure over £10 million in private investment and grants, with nearly £20 million in total commitments. This initiative is fostering innovation in various fields, from AI efficiency to advanced healthcare technologies. Eleven semiconductor start-ups have joined the second cohort of ChipStart, a programme launched in…
Golf technology firm, Shot Scope, has raised $8.5m in a Series B funding round led by Guinness Ventures which invested $4m. The funding round also included investment from key participants; Scottish Enterprise, Growthdeck, The SideBySide Partnership, and Edinburgh based Equity Gap, alongside Virgin Money providing $1.9m debt finance as part of the funding round. David…
Hundreds of postmasters who were wrongfully prosecuted based on faulty information from the Horizon IT system will be entitled to unlimited compensation, as announced on Tuesday. Approximately 900 Post Office branch owners will receive financial redress of at least £600,000 under a new scheme following legislation that quashed their convictions earlier this year. The government…
British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is preparing to launch a campaign to support Britons who have been wrongfully convicted in the US, following his acquittal of multi-billion dollar fraud charges. Lynch is considering funding a British equivalent of America’s Innocence Project, an organisation dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions in a country where only 0.4% of…
For the first time, organisations have access to a workforce across five generations, with Baby Boomers working alongside Gen Z. While this may present some challenges, there is a huge opportunity to utilise intergenerational learning, and embrace different opinions, knowledge and experiences. Traditionally, mentoring and learning has been seen as a relationship between older generations,…
The Farnborough International Airshow 2024 has announced deals worth at least £13 billion to the UK, according to the ADS Group, the UK trade association for the aerospace, defence, security, and space sectors. By Thursday evening, the total value of deals, estimated by the ADS Group to be £81.5 billion, highlights the industry’s “confidence, resilience,…
UK car production has experienced a 7.6 per cent drop in the first half of 2024 as manufacturers shift their focus towards electric vehicle (EV) production. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reported that 416,074 new cars were produced, marking a decrease of 34,094 units compared to the same period in 2023. This…
Giving podcasts the edge in a saturated market In an ecosystem where over 500,000 podcasts were created just in the first half of 2021, a creator faces real challenge in finding an audience, monetising a show and handling all the distribution logistics. Auddy solves all that. It’s a one stop podcast company which hosts, publishes,…
Specialists in connecting brands to youth audiences Rocket are a marketing and content business that helps brands and organisations better understand and better engage youth, children and family audiences. As specialists in reaching this audience, they now have over 12 years of experience in the field. James takes some time out to speak to Business…
