Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Shop Aberdeen to return in bid to ‘drive sales from online into stores’
Aberdeen city centre champion Kate Timperley is offering her thoughts on the success of the popular Shop Aberdeen initiative – which is now poised to make a comeback.
Last October, retailers joined forces to put on a weekend of deals aimed at enticing visitors into bricks and mortar stores at a tough time for traders.
It came following various closures, and the still-ongoing row about bus gates deterring people from visiting the heart of Aberdeen. Now, bargain hunters are being urged to clear a spot in their calendar for the upcoming return.
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Telegraph bidder RedBird IMI makes move on ITV
The Abu Dhabi fund that was blocked from taking control of The Telegraph is pursuing a potentially less controversial tie-up with ITV’s production arm as it attempts to build a global media empire.
RedBird IMI has stepped up discussions to merge All3Media, the independent production house behind The Traitors, which it acquired for £1.2bn last year, with ITV Studios to create a film and TV powerhouse worth almost £3bn.
The talks are at an early stage and may not lead to any transaction, Reuters reported. It is thought a deal would not involve RedBird IMI taking any stake in ITV’s regulated broadcasting arm, which is responsible for its news output.
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American burger chain Wendy’s plans to open on Aberdeen’s Union Street
American institution Wendy’s is planning to open a new branch in Aberdeen.
The burger chain found throughout the USA is eyeing up a location on Union Street, with proposals to spend £450,000 doing up a former sports shop.
It would join other North American favourites like Popeyes and Tim Horton’s, who have both opened new north-east restaurants in the last few years.
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Daily Mail staff face job losses as online and print teams merge
Staff at the Daily Mail and MailOnline have been told to expect job cuts by the publisher as it unveiled plans to combine its digital and print editorial and commercial teams into one seven-day operation.
In a letter to colleagues on Thursday, the Daily Mail’s editor-in-chief, Ted Verity, and the publisher and chief executive of parent group DMG media, Danny Groom, announced a shake-up that would “result in a number of job losses”.
They said its print and digital news operations would “fully come together with reporters and editors producing stories for online and the papers” while the Mail on Sunday would “become even more integrated” with the Monday to Saturday title.
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Barclays tells staff to come into the office more
Barclays has tightened its work-from-home policy with staff now required to come into the office for an extra day a week.
The bank is the latest company to make changes to its flexible working policy that has been largely in place since the Covid pandemic, saying it recognised the importance of staff collaborating in the same place.
Barclays sent a memo to many of its 85,000 employees stating that they would now need to come into the office three days a week instead of two.
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OpenAI is in talks to raise nearly $40bn
OpenAI is in talks for an investment round to raise nearly $40 billion that would value the ChatGPT maker at up to $340 billion.
The Microsoft-backed company was last valued at $157 billion in October when it raised $6.6 billion.
However, under discussions reported by the Wall Street Journal, the AI company’s valuation has almost doubled. OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment.
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