Shop prices report deflation for twentieth consecutive month

Overall shop prices have reported year-on-year deflation for the twentieth consecutive month, decelerating to 1.7% in December after reporting deflation of 1.9% in November.  This is according to the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index which found that non-food deflation slowed marginally in December to 2.8% from 2.9% in November. On a 12-month…

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Holts Academy appoints new MD

  Holts Academy has appointed Anne Angell as its new managing director. Angell was previously head of operations for the firm, and has a background in education and jewellery. The firm said in a statement that she “specialises in employability, training and skills provision for enhanced performance and quality. These…

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Lars Larsen watches to be stocked by Watchshop.com

Danish watch company Lars Larsen has announced a retail partnership with Watchshop.com, the online UK watch retailer.  The announcement, which was made by Ebling Feres, the official UK distributor for Lars Larsen watches, will see Watchshop offer 74 products from the brand, featuring a mix of men’s, women’s and unisex…

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New firm to challenge UKs ‘outdated’ pawnbroking industry

A new online peer-to-peer lending platform has launched in an effort to challenge what it describes as the UKs ‘outdated’ pawn and secured lending industry.  The startup, called Unbolted, lets consumers use their high value personal assets to access loans of up to £1m. Loans can be secured against anything…

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Jason Holt awarded CBE in New Year’s honours list

The chief executive of Holts Group and the government’s apprenticeship ambassador for SMEs, Jason Holt, has been awarded the honour of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year’s honours list. Holt, who founded Holts Academy, was recognised for his services to apprenticeships, his…

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£1m of items stolen from Christie’s London HQ

Antiques and jewellery believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds has been stolen from Christie’s, one of the world’s top auctions houses.  According to the Daily Mail, valuable works of art, including rare pieces by Fabergé – the court jewellers of Imperial Russia – were taken from Christie’s…

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Raiders steal £150,000 of watches from Huddersfield Beaverbrooks

Raiders have stolen almost £150,000 worth of designer watches from a Beaverbrooks in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.  The raid, which took place at 8pm on Sunday December 21, saw the burglars enter the store via the roof, before forcing their way through two locked doors and accessing a locked display cabinet…

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New retail quarter to be developed in Sheffield city centre

Plans for a new retail quarter in Sheffield city centre are well underway with the city Council announcing that it is currently seeking a strategic development partner.  Sheffield City Council has said that this brings plans ‘closer to realisation’ and on target to deliver the first phase of the scheme…

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Pre-Christmas sales see biggest growth since 1988

Retail sales in the run up to Christmas have accelerated at their fastest pace for almost 26 years, according to CBI’s latest monthly Distributive Trades Survey.  The survey of 122 firms covers the fortnight ending December 11 and includes the sales-boosting effects of Black Friday. Grocers saw the strongest year-on-year…

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Mococo becomes official stockist of Michael Kors jewellery

Jewellery retailer Mococo has officially announced that it will be stocking Michael Kors jewellery in its Liverpool store and on its website. The brand will join Mococo’s extensive collection including Thomas Sabo, ChloBo, Swarovski, Daisy London, Clogau and Shaun Leane. Maureen Hooson, managing director, said: “Michael Kors is a world…

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