Business News

Waitrose has become the UK's first major supermarket brand to operate a cashless store after opening in Sky's new flagship head office building at its campus in Osterley. It is the first Waitrose to open on a workplace campus in almost 20 years and at 1,400 sq ft becomes the second smallest store in the retailer's estate. The little Waitrose branded shop is located inside Sky's new office building - Sky Central - which will be home to more than 3,500 staff.

A Bellway Site Manager has won one of the house-building industry’s most prestigious awards for the fourth consecutive year, for his work at a development of new homes in Solihull. Steve Brown received a Quality Award in the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) annual Pride in the Job awards for his work at Dickens Manor, a development of 125 new homes being built on land off Dickens Heath Road.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) West Midlands has launched a new, free service for businesses that are planning to export their goods and services for the first time. The Export Essentials masterclasses have been designed to help companies develop their export strategy and to understand the fundamental principles of international trade.

City of Wolverhampton Council has joined forces with city partners to provide support to the BHS workers set to lose their jobs at the Dudley Street store. The famous British retailer is currently in consultation with its staff after announcing it will be closing its outlets across the country. The Wolverhampton store will cease trading on Wednesday, August 3. It employs 100 staff, all from the city, many of whom have vast years of experience in the retail industry.

Brits struggle to concentrate on their job for longer than 40 minutes, but the answer could be in their diet, new research reveals. The study of 2,012 workers conducted by crop association British Sumer Fruits found that, on average, people can only concentrate for 48 minutes before they become distracted. But those who considered themselves to be very healthy eaters can concentrate for nearly a full hour (56 minutes), 17 per cent higher than the average.

A Birmingham company that makes colour-coded musical instruments for young learners has secured two major new export contracts to the USA and Australia and looks set to achieve £1 million worth of overseas orders. Shades CP Ltd, which developed a colour-coding method that enables children to learn a range of instruments such as guitar, ukulele, harmonica, and violin, has seen a significant boost in overseas business after it secured new orders at the globally renowned Nuremburg Toy Fair in Germany in January.

The changing future energy demands of eleven major British cities, including Birmingham, are revealed in a new report published today by Smart Energy GB, the voice of the smart meter rollout. This is the first time that predictions about future increases in energy demand in the UK have been analysed and published on a city level.

Severn Trent has warned its customers to be vigilant after receiving reports that callers from ‘The Water Board’ have been trying to gain entry to people’s homes. Recent reports in both the East and West Midlands have followed similar patterns of individuals trying to con their way into people’s homes by claiming to work in the water sector.

Rising costs and gentrification have put Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter at risk of losing the trade which made the area famous around the world, businesses and academics have warned. The area’s jewellery makers and experts from Birmingham City University have said that spiralling rental costs and ‘inappropriate developments’ are making it difficult for the district’s traditional industry to continue trading.

Cleaner, greener buses will be coming to Birmingham after £3milllion was awarded to a city council-led partnership project by the Department for Transport and the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles. Commenting on the support shown for the scheme, Anne Shaw, Assistant Director for Transportation and Connectivity at Birmingham City Council said: “It is great that our efforts to work in partnership with transport operators to make Birmingham’s air cleaner are being backed by government.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson is committed to recruiting more BME officers so the force looks more like the region it serves. Mr Jamieson made a pledge at a BAPA (Black & Asian Police Association) student officer development event at Tally Ho! in Birmingham, also attended by Assistant PCC Ashley Bertie who echoed the commitment. The West Midlands is made up of nearly three million people, around a third of whom are from BME backgrounds.

Future Faces - the young professionals’ arm of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce – has announced the shortlist for its second annual awards. The winners will be revealed at Future Faces’ annual dinner at Edgbaston Stadium on Friday 16 September. As well as the five main categories, the Future Faces Ambassador and Venue of the Year awards will also be announced on the night.

McDonald’s have signed a voluntary agreement with Birmingham City Council, promising to pick up litter in the streets immediately around its 18 restaurants in the city. The fast food firm is the latest business to sign up to this pledge, and as part of this McDonald’s restaurants across Birmingham carry out regular litter picks in their local area to help keep it free from related rubbish.

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) has defended local employers over claims they are encouraging obesity among their workforce. According to a report by Willis PMI Group, almost a third (30 per cent) of Midlands workers claim their employers have directly contributed to higher levels of obesity.

Wolverhampton's Archives and Local Studies service has received a prestigious award from the National Archives. It has been awarded Archive Service Accreditation status, meaning it provides an excellent standard of customer service, preserves collections in line with national standards and is a robust, sustainable service which plans and delivers ongoing improvement.

Black Country Chamber of Commerce are delighted to announce that FSC Investment Services Ltd have become the latest member to join The Chamber Patron Group, the highest level of Chamber membership. FSC Investment Services Limited was established in 1997 and specialise in independent financial planning offering a nationwide coverage to their clients. They provide advice in all areas of financial services, including investments, inheritance tax planning, life assurance, wills, trusts & retirement planning to both the corporate and private sectors.