Another sector that is in serious difficulty is that of the high street estate agents. Today Countrywide announced that its profits were down 98% from last year:
Results were even worse at Countrywide, which recorded a 98 per cent collapse in pre-tax profits. The figure for the six months to June came in at £447,000 and the group also decided not to pay out an interim dividend.
Countrywide said the overall market for housing transactions in the UK was down 7 per cent in the period, partly due to a rush a year ago to transact ahead of a new stamp duty surcharge introduced in April 2016
A combination of a stagnating property market which is actually now showing clear signs that prices are beginning to decline - and online estate agents undercutting the high street chains will result in some estate agents going under.
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools - Douglas Adams.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
Shares in Provident had plunged 66% on Tuesday, wiping £1.7bn off its stock market value, after it issued a shock profit warning and longstanding chief executive, Peter Crook, resigned
WTF are "Customer Experience Managers?"
They are door step lenders a.k.a. Loan Sharks.
"How pleasant did Sir find his knee-capping experience?"
"Would you consider our latest offer - a luxurious concrete overcoat?"
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools - Douglas Adams.
I heard about this in an email from BullionBy Post! Apparently it is a good time to buy metals from them.
Capital and Conflict and, to a slightly lesser extent, MoneyWeek are trying to flog everybody bitcoin. Sounds a brilliant investment if it weren't for the fact that you can't actually put in in your pocket for when the banks break and the electricity then goes down and the internet implodes.
Everyone in the know seems to think that the banking system is about to implode and they're trying to sell you something to save yourself and make them a bit of money on the way.
I see Dixon's are moaning that their profits are being affected by people not buying their stuff. Funny how that should be, eh?
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools - Douglas Adams.
Economist at the BoE reckons 'up to 15 million jobs' are at risk from automation in the UK.
Mind you, wtf do economists know? Zilch about the economy, that's for sure - but he's in the right direction with that statement. Not that he cares.
He also predicts that inequality will increase. Tell me again how much you can get paid to make such 'predictions'? A bot is a candidate for his job, alright.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
The PR firm was expelled from the industry trade body after being accused of stirring up racial hatred in South Africa.
Good riddance to a charmless organisation
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools - Douglas Adams.
The PR firm was expelled from the industry trade body after being accused of stirring up racial hatred in South Africa.
Good riddance to a charmless organisation
I saw this and thought of this thread. Then I thought, "Good riddance, shÃte firm anyway, I wish these businesses didn't exist. Can't be bothered even mentioning them, fecking parasitic lying shysters. "
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools - Douglas Adams.
Toys"R"Us filing for bankruptcy in the States, over $5 billion in debt.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
emordnilap wrote:Toys"R"Us filing for bankruptcy in the States, over $5 billion in debt.
That's pretty impressive for a company whose business strategy involves buying bits of Chinese plastic for pennies, sticking it in a shiny box and selling it from warehouses for dollars. How do you screw that up to the tune of $5bn?
emordnilap wrote:Toys"R"Us filing for bankruptcy in the States, over $5 billion in debt.
That's pretty impressive for a company whose business strategy involves buying bits of Chinese plastic for pennies, sticking it in a shiny box and selling it from warehouses for dollars. How do you screw that up to the tune of $5bn?
It takes a particular type of managerial talent that is all too common.
Overconfidence, not just expert overconfidence but general overconfidence,
is one of the most common illusions we experience. Stan Robinson
A bot is a candidate for his job, alright.
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