Digital radio sales have gone through the 10 million barrier.

Booming electrical and home technology sales helped to push John Lewis into breaking records last week.

This month saw the first fall in consumer confidence since January, according to a GfK NOP monthly poll carried out for the European Commission.

Last week, department store group John Lewis saw sales soar 15 per cent above last year’s levels.

Carphone Warehouse has posted an 88 per cent rise in pre-tax profits, to £75 million, for the six months ending September 30.

Retail sales this month have grown at their fastest pace for two years, and retailers expect growth to pick up further next month.

DSG international, parent company of Currys, Currys.digital and PC World, reported that its retail profits rose above expectations in the 24 weeks to October 17.

Free-to-view satellite service Freesat today revealed that it is to launch a beta version of the BBC iPlayer on December 7.

TiVo, the US company that pioneered the digital video recorder, is returning to the UK to develop Virgin Media’s next-generation TV platform.

Grocery stores are predicted to increase their non-food sales by 40 per cent to £16.2 billion in 2014, representing 10p in every pound spent in supermarkets.

Sky has started to roll out its new electronic programme guide to all Sky+ HD customers with Amstrad set top boxes.

Business investment in the UK is 21.7 per cent lower than it was a year ago, official figures show.

The Government will do whatever it takes to make sure creditworthy businesses get the finance they need to invest, expand and grow, promised Gordon Brown yesterday.

Lending to UK businesses remained negative in September and lending to firms fell across all main sectors in the third quarter of the year, said the Bank of England.

Retail sales volumes last month were 3.4 per cent ahead of a year ago and values up three per cent to £22.4 billion, according to official figures.

Sony said it intends to make its LCD TV business profitable during the next financial year and has a longer-term aim of achieving a 20 per cent worldwide market share in the year ending March 2013.

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) faced a three-way split at its meeting earlier this month, according to minutes published today.

Former Asda chief executive Archie Norman has been appointed as chairman of ITV to replace Michael Grade.

Free-to-air digital TV service Freeview was named the TV innovation that has had the greatest impact on TV viewing habits.

Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). increased for the first time in eight months in October, figures from the Office for National Statistics show.

The BBC has confirmed an accelerated timetable to make HD services on Freeview available to half the population in time for next June’s World Cup and to 98.5 per cent by the end of digital switchover in three years’ time.

London retailers could be in for a good Christmas, according to the latest sales figures.

Half of UK employers are planning to freeze the pay of their workers and only four per cent are likely to offer inflation-busting increases.

Access to finance remains a serious problem for British firms, a leading business organisation has warned.

Best Buy International boss Bob Willett is to retire from the US electricals giant on December 31, it was announced today.

Do not let fears about inflation act as the trigger for an early withdrawal of the quantitative easing programme, warned a leading business organisation.

Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s posted a 32.6 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £342 million in the six months to October 3.

Regulator Ofcom has blocked a BBC proposal to bring anti-piracy protection to Freeview to limit the copying of high-definition programmes and requested more information.

Apple iPhone and iPod touch users will be able to watch live sporting events such as Barclays Premier League and Guinness Premiership Rugby following a deal with Sky Mobile TV.

The best October sales figures for seven years have been reported by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

THE number of people declared insolvent in England and Wales hit record levels in the third quarter, according to the Insolvency Service.

More than half (57 per cent) of viewers in the Granada TV region believed that all TVs in the UK have to be replaced for digital switchover, a new study has found.

Department store group John Lewis saw its weekly sales jump 7.8 per cent ahead of last year to give it the best month of the year so far.

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) today agreed to pour another £25 billion into its quantitative easing programme bringing the total figure to £200bn.

Digital TV switchover in the north-west has resulted in a 70 per cent rise in the number of TVs sent for disposal at recycling sites.

Leading credit insurance firm Atradius is to increase its cover to UK companies.

Panasonic is to launch its bid for Sanyo Electric tomorrow with an offer that is expected to be worth at least £2.7 billion.

Store group Marks & Spencer reported pre-tax profits of £306.7 million on sales that rose 2.8 per cent to £4.3 billion in its half-year.

Shop price inflation hit zero in October following two consecutive months of deflation.

Free-to-view satellite TV service Freesat is to launch its autumn advertising campaign on Saturday November 7.

SHAUN Barrett has taken over as president of Retra.

It could be a bad Christmas for online retail sales – or, at least, that is what online retailers fear.

Union Usdaw reports that one in 10 shopworkers has been physically assaulted at work.

The difficulties that small and medium sized business are having in obtaining finance is delaying Britain’s exit from recession and the MPC must act, warns an economist .

Consumer confidence has risen to its highest level for 18 months, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).