Where we’ve previously seen the automotive retail industry as a predominately product-driven sector, 2017 has shown a shift in the direction of customer-driven KPIs. So what does this mean for automotive retail outlets? The key focus for 2017: customer loyalty. Automotive retailers are now building customer loyalty by focusing on changing customer behaviour and expectations....Read More
New business volumes in the American leasing industry rose by 3% to reach $6.2bn (£5.9bn) in January 2017, according to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25). The list surveyed 25 companies from the equipment finance sector, and found a 49% decline in new business volumes between December 2016...Read More
Rather than exit with a bang the Spring Budget left with a bit of whimper. Usually it’s a bit of work deciding what announcements to cram into a one page summary. Not so this time. That famous Budget Red Box will have felt light in the Chancellor’s grip today. As is now customary the Budget...Read More
Figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 5% in 2016 – the sixth consecutive year of growth. New business in December 2016 fell by 13% compared with the same month in 2015. By sector Plant and machinery finance in...Read More
We’re breaking records for the number of people in work, yet more productive jobs are what we really need. Record breakers. 2016 ended with the highest share of people working for at least the last 45 years. At 74.6% the working age employment rate hit a new record, driven by employment reaching 30.6 million. That...Read More
FEBRUARY 15, 2017 BY THE ENERGYST / Energy efficiency isn’t a priority for many board directors, who would rather spend company cash on revenue generating activities. They are the smart ones, Capitas Finance energy efficiency specialist Jason Hunter tells The Energyst. Finance remains the biggest perceived barrier to energy efficiency investment amongst small and medium-sized enterprises and the...Read More
Prime Minister Theresa May was in the US for talks with President Trump last week Securing the basis of the UK-US trading relationship is one of the UK’s biggest economic priorities after Brexit. But care is clearly needed after the US’s withdrawal from the TPP, demands to renegotiate NAFTA and threats of 20% tariffs on...Read More
Theresa May’s Brexit speech reiterated the Government’s negotiating priorities and spelled out some of the likely consequences. With the triggering of Article 50 at most 10 weeks away the real negotiations will soon begin. Battle of wills. The fall in the pound since the referendum sits in stark contrast to the recent strength of UK growth....Read More
Rising inequality has been blamed for everything from slow growth to political earthquakes last year, but on at least one sensible measure income inequality in the UK is substantially lower than it was before the recession. Falling inequality. The top 0.1% might be running away with it, but things are getting more even for the...Read More
December’s data indicates a clean sweep of good growth across UK, Europe and US. 2016 went out with a bang. On a high. The UK service sector rounded the year off full of festive cheer. At 56.2 in December the services PMI recorded its highest reading since July 2015 and was above its long-run average. Survey...Read More
