3+ day, 10+ hour ago (345+ words) Welcome to our gifting issue. Read on and all of your most challenging Christmas gifting dilemmas will disappear in a puff of smoke. Our editors have chosen the cleverest presents for everyone in your life " plus the chicest taste makers, from Zac Posen to Mert Alas, have picked all the gifts they'd like to receive themselves. It's quite the bonanza. In this issue we also publish the shortlist for the 2025 Standard Theatre Awards. Founded in 1955, they are the oldest drama awards in the UK and have celebrated the finest actors, directors and writers across eight decades. Turn to page 20 to see who truly lit up the London stage this year, from Tom Hiddleston in Much Ado at Drury Lane to Cate Blanchett in The Seagull at the Barbican. Elsewhere, don't miss Ed West, one of my favourite writers, on page…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (649+ words) Britain's competition regulator has opened investigations into eight companies, including leading ticket resellers StubHub and Viagogo , over hard sell online pricing practices. The companies being probed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are StubHub, Viagogo, AA Driving School, BSM Driving School, Gold's Gym, Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Marks Electrical. It is the first time the CMA has used new consumer protection powers to launch an investigation into anti-competitive behaviour. The latest crackdown comes after it was revealed reselling tickets for profit is to be outlawed under plans due to be announced by the Government tomorrow. Ministers had been originally considering allowing companies and ordinary consumers to sell on a ticket for up to 30% above the original face value but it is now thought that reselling a ticket at anything more than the original face value will be banned. It…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (606+ words) The Government "only listens to big business, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said as he set out his party's pitch to small business owners. Big businesses "virtually control and own the political arena, Mr Farage said, as he vowed to cut red tape and regulation for business owners who are "literally living in fear about the inspector walking through the door. Speaking at a press event in central London, he told the 300 small and medium-sized business owners joining him that he understood the challenges they face. "We get it. I've been in business, I've run my own businesses, as many of my colleagues have, as thousands of our members have, he said. "Some on the left will tell you "the economy is failing because capitalism is failing'. No. We're not living in capitalism, we're living in an age of global…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (621+ words) The boss of WH Smith quit today after the publication of a damning report into "extremely serious" accounting errors in the retailer's North American division. Carl Cowling resigned "with immediate effect" after an independent investigation conducted by accountants Deloitte uncovered a litany of failings compounded by "a limited level of group oversight of the finance processes in North America." He will remain employed by the company to help with the handover to his replacement until February. Andrew Harrison, CEO of the Group's UK division, will take over as interim group CEO . WH Smith warned it now expects profits in its US business to be in the range of "5 million to "15 million " down from the "55 million originally expected and the "25 million revised guidance when the accounting shortcomings were first uncovered. As a result guidance for trading profit for the year has…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (508+ words) Around "2 million in card chargebacks was claimed by Lloyds Banking Group customers between the start of January and the end of September this year, according to the bank's data. The average transaction was "35, with the bank highlighting customer problems with websites such as purchases failing to arrive, items turning out to be poor-quality imitations, or unauthorised subscriptions being set up. A chargeback is a type of card payment protection which may help shoppers get their money back when something goes wrong. Spending is expected to rise as Black Friday (November 28) approaches. Lloyds said that scammers will identify in-demand items such as Labubu dolls, Jellycat toys and high-end advent calendars " alongside "evergreen" Christmas and Black Friday products, such as jewellery, perfume and gadgets. Fraudsters' websites will purport to sell popular goods, often appearing to be heavily discounted and encouraging shoppers to…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (990+ words) The FTSE 100 ended in the green on Friday, outperforming European peers, despite downbeat economic news ahead of next week's Budget. The index closed up 12.06 points, 0.1%, at 9,539.71. The FTSE 250 ended 20.98 points lower, 0.1%, at 21,363.37, while the AIM All-Share fell 5.56 points, 0.8%, to 735.64. For the week, the FTSE 100 was down 1.6%, the FTSE 250 fell 2.1%, and the AIM All-Share declined 1.4%. Figures showed a surprise drop in retail sales, higher government borrowing than expected and a slowdown in private sector activity. The Office for National Statistics said net borrowing amounted to "17.4 billion in October, easing from "19.9 billion in September, but above an FXStreet cited forecast of "15.2 billion. The figure topped a "14.4 billion Office for Budget Responsibility forecast outlined in March. Meanwhile, the flash composite PMI fell to a two-month low of 50.5 points in November from October's final tally of 52.2. The flash manufacturing PMI rose to 50.2 points in…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (705+ words) The rate of unemployment has hit 5% for the first time since the pandemic, official figures show today. The jobless tally rose from 4.7% to 5% in the July to September quarter with almost 1.8million people classifying themselves as unemployed, according to latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) It was last at 5% in the December 2020 to February 2021 quarter when the economy was still reeling from the impact of Covid lockdowns. If the pandemic is excluded unemployment has not been at 5% for almost a decade The unemployment rate fell after Covid restrictions were lifted but has been on the rise since it reached a trough of 4.3% last summer. London had the highest unemployment rate of any region in the UK with 6.5%, up 0.5% since the previous quarter. The 341,000 out of work was the highest since early 2021. Payrolled jobs held by people living in…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (668+ words) New issues of British Savings Bonds have gone on sale on Friday with increased rates of interest, NS&I has announced, bucking trends seen elsewhere in the savings market. The Treasury-backed savings provider, which offers a range of savings and investments to more than 24 million customers, said the increased interest rates are being made available to both new and maturing customers. British Savings Bonds are fixed-term issues of NS&I's Guaranteed Growth Bonds and Guaranteed Income Bonds. Among the changes, NS&I is offering one-year Guaranteed Growth Bonds and Guaranteed Income Bonds at a new rate of 4.20% AER (annual equivalent rate), up from 4.04% AER previously. Two-year versions of the bonds are being offered at 4.10% AER, up from 3.85% AER previously. Savers can get three-year versions at 4.16% AER, increased from 3.88% AER previously. Five-year deals are available at 4.15% AER, having increased from 3.84% AER....

1+ week, 5+ day ago (578+ words) The competition watchdog has opened investigations into StubHub, Viagogo, AA Driving School, BSM Driving School, Gold's Gym, Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Marks Electrical over their online pricing practices. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the cases were the first launched using its new consumer protection powers and followed a "cross-economy" review of online pricing and sales practices. The watchdog said it was also writing to 100 businesses across 14 sectors outlining concerns about their use of additional fees and sales tactics. CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said: "At a time when household budgets are under constant pressure and we're all hunting for the best deal possible, it's crucial that people are able to shop online with confidence, knowing that the price they see is the price they'll pay, and any sales are genuine. "Whether'you're'spending your hard-earned cash on concert tickets or…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (580+ words) Online retailer The Very Group has been taken over by US private equity firm Carlyle, bringing an end to more than 20 years under the ownership of the Barclay family. The Littlewoods and Very owner confirmed that Washington-based Carlyle " a major lender to the firm " had become its controlling shareholder, with fellow lender Abu Dhabi-based investment fund, International Media Investments (IMI), continuing as a "key stakeholder. It ends a lengthy period under the ownership of the Barclay family, which has been forced to give up control of a raft of businesses in recent years, including The Daily Telegraph newspaper, The Ritz hotel in London and delivery company Yodel. Carlyle and IMI first became lenders to The Very Group in 2021. Robbie Feather, group chief executive of The Very Group, said: "This marks an important milestone for The Very Group as we move into…...