Wednesday 27 February 2013

UK Economy Grew More Than Thought in 2012

The UK economy grew by more than previously thought in 2012, official figures have shown. The ONS revised its growth estimate for the year up from no growth to 0.2%.

Super Pram

Silver Cross, a luxury brand itself when it comes to buggies, has teamed up with James Bond's favourite car brand Aston Martin to create a £2,000 pushchair. Only 800 are being made and will be on sale in Harrods, promoted as 'the most exclusive pushchair in the world'.

Monday 25 February 2013

Dates For Your Diary

An updated selection of the summer exam dates has been placed in the key dates section of the blog. If you require any further information then feel free to ask the business department or exams office in school.

Britain Looses Triple A Status

Britain was stripped of its AAA-rated debt status for the first time ever on Friday night in a move that puts pressure on George Osborne, who had pleged to use his austerity measures to protect the rating.

Wearing My Rolex

Rolex has been named the UK's favourite superbrand beating off competition form computer giants Apple and Microsoft to pick up the title for the second year running. Check out who else made the top twenty.

Australia: Good Life Good Price

Australia has managed to come out of the global finacial crisis without a recession. But as a result of its booming economy, the cost of living is extremely high. Very intersting article about the costs of growth and cost of living. Essential reading for economists.

Saturday 16 February 2013

Local Butchers Boosted

The ongoing horsemeat scandal boosts sales for small-scale butchers by as much as 30% for those offering locally sourced, high-quality meat as shoppers shun processed food.

Recession, What Recession?

While high street retailers are going to the wall, the world's most luxurious brands are reporting booming sales of £2,270 handbags and £900 shoes. For some luxury retailers, more than half of their sales come from emerging markets such as China. The core luxury goods consumers have not been hurt by the recession it instead is the middle that gets squeezed. 

Pistorius Brand Fall Out

Nike swiftly pulled the unfortunately-worded ads, as the perils of celebrity brand endorsement were brought sharply into focus once again. Mr Pistorius, who has strongly rejected the murder charge, is thought to have earned several million pounds from sponsorships.

Thursday 14 February 2013

Future of Car Industry

Five years ago mobile phones were at the forefront of technology, by 2010 the focus was on tablet computers and now billions of yen, dollars and pounds are being invested in what is seen as the next digital playground - the car.

How Long To Be A Millionaire

How long does it take to earn $1m in different countries? Find out by following the link below.

Wednesday 13 February 2013

He's A Toffee

The soon to be chancellor of the Bank of England has revealed that he is an Everton Fan. Although he is more interested in Ice Hockey he did say Everton are 'doing OK' this season which is more than can be said about the current Bank of England's situation.

No Better Off

Workers in the UK are earning no more than they were 10 years ago, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Find out why this comes as no real surprise by following the link below.

Inflation To Stay Above Target

Sir Mervyn King now expects inflation, currently 2.7%, to rise to at least 3% by the summer and to remain above the Bank's target for two years.

Frankie's Magic Football

England and Chelsea footballer Frank Lampard is to write a series of children's books, publisher Little Brown has announced. The midfielder whose contract expires at the end of the season will pen five books, called Frankie's Magic Football, for children aged five and above.

Monday 11 February 2013

Adidas Unveils New Global Strategy

Adidas is to launch its first major product-led brand push since the London 2012 Olympics with a multi-million pound global campaign promoting a new running range as it looks to build on the positive association it enjoyed from its sponsorship of the Games.

Horsemeat Scandal Continues

The horsemeat scandal has continued to bring about more companies who have led customers astray with products containing considerable traces of horsemeat. Do suppliers really know where their meat is coming from & are they doing the necessary checks? This will not be the last we will hear of this story and the puns!

China Overtakes US in World Trade

China has become the world's biggest trading nation in goods, ending the post-war dominance of the US, according to official figures. The combined total for imports and exports in Chinese goods reached £2.4tn in 2012.

Business confidence 'hits new low'

Confidence among UK businesses hits its lowest level in at least 21 years last month, according to a survey from accountancy firm BDO. This leads to suggest that the outlook for the economy will continue to struggle to grow in the first quarter of this year. This is why it is such an influential factor of AD.

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Chocolate Not Yet China's Cup of Tea

China's increasingly wealthy shoppers have embraced global trends from coffee to Hollywood films to smartphones, and become the world's largest market for goods from beer to cars. Yet when it comes to Chocolate it doesn't seem to have taken off as the average Chinese person only consumes 100 grams a year.

Business Buzzwords

Going forward. Leverage. Level playing field. In the business of politics, politicians increasingly used corporate buzzwords. Why? Interesting article...follow the link below.

Budget 2013

The Budget is a report presented each year by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Parliament and the nation. The primary role of the Budget is to control public finances by setting out how much tax the Government will collect, how much the Government will borrow and how much the Government will spend.  Essential viewing for Economists!

Tuesday 5 February 2013

The Dyson Tap

Dyson - the British engineering group - has unveiled a device that combines a high-speed hand dryer with hot and cold water outlets. It will cost £1,000 but the device will offer long-term savings over hot-air dryers and towels.

Sunday 3 February 2013

Superbowl Adverts

Brands are paying a record $4 (£2.5m) to get their 30-second sports in front of the 111 million viewers expected to tune into the game this weekend. Marketers are leveraging social content to make their Super Bowl ads more interactive to gain online buzz before and after the game to justify the cost.

Economics of Superbowl

The U.S is set to spend $12 billion for its annual sporting event this weekend. Most of that consumer spending comes through snacks where approximately $30 million will be spent. If you want to go to the game live it will cost between $850 and $1250 plus a few hundred dollars for parking. 

Should The UK Ditch The One Penny Coin?

Canada have made the decision to withdraw their one penny or cent from circulation so could that every be a consideration for the UK? The effect of inflation means it is always losing the race maintain its value. Interesting article from the BBC.