Prices hikes ‘inevitable’ in face of rising costs, warns Currys boss – Sky News

Customers can expect to pay more for electrical and tech goods in 2022 with price increases “inevitable”, the boss of Currys has told Sky News. Speaking to Ian King Live, group chief executive Alex Baldock pointed to rising costs ranging from components and transport through to wages. However, he said the electrical retail giant would…

Rolls-Royce car sales helped by ‘life can be short’ mentality – Financial Times

The boss of luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce said Covid-19 deaths helped the brand sell a record number of vehicles last year as wealthy motorists splashed out after realising “life can be short”. The BMW-owned company posted sales of 5,586 vehicles during the year, up 49 per cent on 2020 and the highest in its history, said…

Drivers overcharged almost £160m for petrol last month, says RAC – live updates – The Telegraph

British motorists were overcharged almost £160m in December as fuel retailers failed to pass on lower costs at the pumps, the RAC has said. Petrol and diesel prices fell back from their record highs last month, but the lobby group said retailers were still taking a cut of 16p per litre — compared to pre-pandemic…

Covid: cases in Dorset the “highest they have ever been” – Bournemouth Echo

MORE than 90 per cent of Covid cases recorded in Dorset are Omicron – with infection rates across both council areas “the highest they have ever been.” Public Health Dorset said that the number of rising cases is putting a strain on local services. A spokesperson said on Friday, December 31: “The latest data from the…

Beat the cost of living crunch: Key dates for your financial calendar – This is Money

Households are facing their biggest squeeze for a decade in 2022 as inflation soars and tax hikes bite. Late 2021 saw prices surge as the cost of energy and fuel rocketed. Inflation hit 5.1 per cent and is now predicted to reach 6 per cent in the New Year. Retired people face a difficult year…

COVID-19: Christmas Eve footfall drops over 30% in central London amid fears about Omicron spread, new data shows – Sky News

Central London saw the biggest drop in footfall of anywhere in the country as concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant kept shoppers at home. The number of shoppers in the capital was 30.3% lower on the morning of Christmas Eve than it was on the previous Friday, new data from Springboard has shown….

FTSE 100 closes lower, Wall Street drops as Omicron fears spark sell-off – Proactive Investors UK

FTSE 100 closes 71 points lower Main US indices drop by around 2% Travel, oil stocks bear brunt of selling pressure 4.50pm: No Santa rally allowed The FTSE 100 index ended sharply lower on the last Monday before Christmas as US stocks also dropped amid concerns about the impact of the Omicron coronavirus (COVID-19) variant and the…

‘Where on earth is the Chancellor?’: Infuriated business leaders urge Rishi Sunak to ‘come out of hiding’ – Telegraph.co.uk

Incredulous business leaders appealed to Rishi Sunak for help on Wednesday night after Boris Johnson and his Covid advisers urged Britons to cut back on socialising but offered no financial support for the trades affected. The Chancellor was urged to “come out of hiding” and provide urgent support after Boris Johnson warned Britons to “think…

What the collapse of LV’s sale means for savers and Britain’s mutuals – The Times

Clarissa Johnson had a surprise just before last Christmas, when a letter arrived and she discovered that LV, the 178-year-old mutual where she held some of her savings, was planning to sell itself to Bain Capital. “It was totally unexpected,” said Johnson, 74, from her home in Weymouth. “It didn’t take me long to realise…

Chinese social media giant Weibo’s shares fall in Hong Kong debut – BBC News

“It will be disastrous if all Chinese companies are forced to delist from US exchanges. Despite the intense competition between the two countries, they need, must, and have to be interdependent financially, economically, technologically, socially, and culturally,” Nina Xiang, managing director of China Money Network in Hong Kong said. Source