Business

Image copyright Getty Images The final providers of the Help to Buy Isa – aimed at saving for a first home deposit – will close the window for new applications on Saturday. The product, which has been available since December 2015, allowed potential first-time buyers aged 16 or over to save, with the income free […]

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Activists formed a human chain, lay on hay bales and dumped old fridges and microwaves outside an Amazon depot Activists across France have staged Black Friday protests against Amazon, decrying consumerism and its impact on the environment. Dozens of protesters gathered outside the company’s French headquarters in Clichy, north

Image copyright Getty Images This year’s Black Friday sale could break buying records in the UK, early figures suggest. At 10:00 GMT, Barclaycard said transaction volumes were up 12.5% from last year, and between 13:00 and 14:00 they were 9% higher. “The fact that records are continuing to be broken suggests that appetite for Black

Image copyright Getty Images Customers of NatWest have been hit by an IT glitch at the High Street bank which is affecting online and app transactions. NatWest has apologised for the problems which began at 09:00 GMT. It is payday for some customers, while others are seeking out Black Friday offers. The issue has affected

The owner of the Daily Mail, DMGT, has bought the i newspaper and website for £49.6m from JPI Media. DMGT chairman Lord Rothermere said the paper was “a highly respected publication with a loyal and engaged readership”. “We are committed to preserving its distinctive, high-quality and politically independent editorial style.” The Competition and Markets Authority

Image copyright Reuters Daimler, the German carmaker that owns Mercedes-Benz, has said it will shed at least 10,000 jobs worldwide as it seeks to fund the switch to electric cars. Daimler personnel chief Wilfried Porth told journalists the number of jobs lost would be “in the five figures”. The move comes days after rival Audi

NEW YORK, Nov 29 (Reuters) – U.S. consumers splurged more than $2 billion online in the first hours of Thanksgiving shopping on Thursday, while crowds were largely thin at retailers on the eve of Black Friday, reflecting the broader trend away from shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. Early discounts offered this month by chains seeking to

Image copyright AFP Workers at six Amazon distribution centres in Germany have staged a Black Friday walkout in a dispute over pay and conditions. The union Verdi, which called the strike, said its members’ hard work could not be bought for “knock-down prices”. It wants Amazon staff to be part of the German retail industry’s

Image copyright WWD Japan A Japanese department store where staff could wear badges if they were on their period has said it will “rethink” that policy. The badges – which featured a cartoon character known as Miss Period – were introduced in October. The intention was that staff could get extra help, or longer breaks,

Image copyright Getty Images Energy firm Npower is expected to announce up to 4,500 job cuts in the UK as part of a restructuring plan to make it more profitable. Unions called the action a “cruel blow” for the company’s workers in the run-up to Christmas. Under the restructuring plan, Npower’s owner E.On is planning