New leader set for ‘competitive six-figure base salary’

The North West Business Leadership Team has started its search for a new CEO after Emma Degg announced she will stand down in December.

Emma has led the NWBLT, which brings together leaders from businesses across the region, for a decade and received an MBE in 2024 for services to the North West business community.

Now the team has begun its work to find a successor to “act as both custodian and catalyst, protecting the integrity and culture of NWBLT whilst strengthening its role as a unifying voice across business and public sector leadership in the North West.”

The job description says the new CEO will receive a “competitive six-figure base salary” plus a potential performance-related bonus up to 10% of base salary.

Chris Woodroofe, chair of NWBLT and CEO of Manchester Airports Group, said: “Since 2016, Emma has been the energetic and respected leader of the NWBLT. I do hope that she looks back on the last 10 years with immense pride in all that she has helped to achieve.

“Under her leadership, we have strengthened our membership and influence, deepened relationships across the public and private sectors, and expanded our reach at both regional and national level. On behalf of our members, and indeed the region, I extend my enormous thanks and gratitude to her for a job very well done.

“The work we do has never felt more important, so we are also grateful that Emma has ensured we have the time to recruit a leader who has the vision and energy to take us forward into our next chapter.”

Emma Degg said: “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together over the last few years, incubating projects that have made a difference to businesses and communities across our Region. Most importantly for me, our Diversity Drivers and Rising Star programmes have supported future female and ethnic minority leaders, whose achievements continue to inspire us all.

“Although I have incredibly mixed feelings about leaving, I believe this is the right time to hand over the reins to a new leader. In turn I intend to focus on the organisations I support as a Board Member and Trustee, and explore how I can continue to contribute to our great region.”

California officials allege Amazon may have quietly driven up prices across the internet by pressuring retailers and brands not to undercut its listings, according to newly unsealed court evidence.

The allegations, revealed Monday as part of the state’s antitrust lawsuit, claim Amazon worked behind the scenes with companies like Levi Strauss and others to influence pricing at competitors including Walmart, Home Depot and Chewy.

In one example cited by the state, Levi’s allegedly pushed Walmart to raise the price of khaki pants after Amazon raised concerns about a lower listing. In another, Amazon encouraged suppliers to coordinate price increases on products like pet treats – moves California says helped Amazon avoid having to match lower prices.

“As we are not a party to this litigation, we have no comment on the subject allegations,” a Levi Strauss spokesperson said.

FOX Business reached out to Walmart, Home Depot and Chewy.

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State officials argue the conduct was not isolated, but part of a broader strategy used across product categories over several years. The filing outlines three alleged tactics: encouraging competitors to raise prices, temporarily breaking price matches, so higher prices stick, and in some cases removing lower-priced products from rival sites altogether.

In certain instances, vendors allegedly pulled products from competing retailers entirely – eliminating cheaper options before prices rose on Amazon and elsewhere.

The filing also claims Amazon enforced compliance by leveraging its market power, including threatening to suppress product listings, limit promotions or impose financial penalties on vendors that allowed lower prices on other platforms.

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Officials say vendors often had little choice but to comply, given Amazon’s scale and importance to their business.

“Amazon is illegally working to rake in profits by making sure consumers have nowhere else to turn to for lower prices,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.

Amazon denied the claims, saying its agreements with sellers are legal and help ensure competitive pricing and product availability. The company said it is “consistently identified as America’s lowest-priced online retailer” and called the lawsuit an attempt to distract from a weak case.

The filing also alleges Amazon discouraged employees from documenting sensitive pricing discussions in writing, instead encouraging the use of phone calls.

The case comes as Amazon’s scale continues to grow – the company recently surpassed Walmart in annual revenue – intensifying scrutiny over its influence on online pricing.

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California is seeking to block the alleged practices and recover profits, with a hearing scheduled for July and trial set for January 2027.

Reuters contributed to this report. 

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Primrose Holidays hopes to tap into a projected increase in holiday spending by older travellers over the next decade

A new coach tour operator has launched in the North East hoping to tap into demand for UK-based getaways for the over-55s market.

Primrose Holidays is being launched by “wholesale” coach holiday provider, Ashley & Newey, which normally offices coach services to other operators in the sector. The Darlington-based firm will used Ashley & Newey’s resources but expects to create new jobs next year if its model – catering for “silver tourists” – proves successful.

Bosses point to projections from the European Parliament that tourism spending by those aged 55 and over will nearly double by 2040. They say active, health-conscious lifestyles and higher disposable incomes are coupled with a desire to travel closer to home.

Primrose’s target market is also more likely to travel outside of peak season more often, with a preference for less crowded destinations and “off the beaten track” tours. It will cover a range of locations across Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, promising “slower tourism” where holidaymakers will get chance to spend more time in fewer places.

So far the firm is marketing themed trips including the ‘Golden Age of Railways, Canals and Rivers’, and ‘Great Houses and Gardens of Cheshire’, ‘Romantic Journeys of Scotland’ and ‘Sailing and Steaming in Delightful Devon’. It is even offering an ABBA Voyager Weekend in London.

Shaun Read, owner of Primrose Holidays and board member of the Coach Tourism Association, said: “Today’s older travellers are increasingly discerning. They’ve holidayed more than previous generations, they’re comfortable travelling and they want to continue exploring – but without the hassle of planning and booking every trip from scratch.

“At Primrose Holidays, we remove the pain points. We’ve chosen each destination for its rich mix of things to see and do, hand-picked every hotel for its high standard of rooms, meals and facilities, and selected the most interesting attractions based on visitor feedback.”

Primrose Holidays offers a door-to-door transfer service within the advertised package price for many postcodes, or for a small surcharge for those living further away.

Mr Read added: “From south Northumberland and along the east coast, to Sunderland and Durham, Primrose Holidays will collect customers from their homes and transfer them directly to and from the comfort of our executive coaches. It’s all part and parcel of our more personalised offer for older travellers, prioritising quality over quantity to deliver a more relaxed holiday.”

Ashley & Newey was set up in the late 1980s, starting with Emmerdale and Heartbeat themed coach tours to Yorkshire, before expanding to offer holidays across the UK and Ireland as demand grew. The business now provides hotel-only bookings, “mystery tours” and coach touring holidays ranging from one to 10 nights, to coach tour operators across the country.

Mr Read added: “Coach holidays can be a really social way to holiday, whether for solo travellers, couples or groups, providing shared experiences in a safe, friendly and supportive setting.”

Davos Property Developments to push ahead at schemes on stalled Liverpool sites

The development arm of the company behind Home Bargains has secured approval for more than 250 new homes across Liverpool city centre. Davos Property Developments is to move forward on the development of two stalled sites after winning over the local authority’s planning committee.

The company, which handles the property arm of TJ Morris, has been granted permission for a 13 storey tower near the proposed £100m Baltic Triangle Merseyrail station. Almost 200 one and two-bed homes will be built on land bounded by St James Street, Greenland Street, New Bird Street and the former LeeFloorstok warehouse.

Davos, which has already secured significant approvals within the Kings development, will also deliver plans for an additional 59 units at Blundell Street, Kitchen Street and Simpson Street. Matthew Sobic, on behalf of the applicant, addressed councillors at Liverpool Town Hall.

Regarding the Baltic Triangle application, Mr Sobic said it was one of several high profile stalled sites in the city. He added: “Today the site is derelict, enclosed by hoardings, affected by flyposting and graffiti and unmanaged vegetation.

“It makes no positive contribution to the area.” Alongside 199 homes, the proposal will provide co-working space, ground floor commercial units and residents’ amenities, such as a gym and rooftop terraces.

The designs draw on the Victorian industrial heritage of the area, with its vertical proportions, deep window reveals and iron detailing. Mr Sobic added how the proposal will “meet increasing demand for inner city living in one of Liverpool’s most sustainable neighbourhoods” and it would “create a genuine neighbourhood rather than simply a building”.

It was cleared in 2018, and has since been used as a surface car park. A total of 89 one-bed apartments will be delivered alongside a further 110 two-bed homes and townhouses.

Mr Sobic said the development was the “best possible future for this site” and there was a “strong ambition and will to invest and regenerate in the city centre” by Davos. The company also secured permission for work to begin on almost 60 further properties at Blundell Street, Kitchen Street and Simpson Street.

The scheme will include the construction of a part eight/part six storey building with a two storey bridge link at first and second floor levels between the new block and a retained three storey warehouse. It would provide three commercial units on the ground floor.

Mr Sobic said the existing warehouse would be retained in a creative way and revitalise “another stalled site where planning permission had been approved”.

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.

Tata Investment Corporation reported a sharp jump in its March quarter earnings, with net profit rising 69% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 63.83 crore, compared with Rs 37.72 crore in the same period last year. Revenue from operations saw an even stronger expansion, climbing 143% YoY to Rs 39.98 crore from Rs 16.43 crore, driven by higher dividend income and gains from investments.

Dividend income stood at Rs 25.54 crore during the quarter, while interest income came in at Rs 9.88 crore. The company also reported a turnaround in fair value changes, posting a gain of Rs 1.01 crore versus a loss in the year-ago period.

Total income rose to Rs 42.16 crore from Rs 16.61 crore a year earlier, reflecting strong portfolio performance amid market volatility. Tax expenses declined significantly during the quarter, further aiding net profit growth.

Total expenses increased modestly to Rs 11.69 crore from Rs 10.02 crore in the year-ago quarter. Employee benefit costs and other expenses saw a slight uptick, but remained broadly stable relative to income growth.

The board has recommended a dividend of Rs 3.4 per share (340%) on a face value of Rs 1 per share. The dividend will be paid after shareholder approval at the upcoming annual general meeting.

For the full year ended March 2026, profit after tax rose to Rs 433.68 crore from Rs 312.09 crore in the previous year, while total income increased to Rs 403.47 crore from Rs 306.22 crore.