ON THE FRINGES of the University of East Anglia (UEA) campus in Norwich is a sprawling ultra-modern structure. This is the INTO Centre, which opened two years ago to house the growing number of international students attending pre-university programmes and English language courses that would eventually lead to a much-coveted British degree.

The much-anticipated launch of Metro Bank’s first branch (or “store”, as it prefers to call them) in Central London’s Holborn district, and its second outlet in Earl’s Court a week later, is significant not just historically. Consumers and competitors alike are intrigued by its aim to “transform the face of British banking” with its retail store model and strong focus on customer service and convenience.

OVER A WEEK ago, I met up with some friends for tea at Liberty’s in London. Given that it was a Wednesday afternoon, we expected the place to be quiet, but it was busy with shoppers attending the store’s cardholders-only sale preview.
 

As we chatted and tried to be discreet in our people-watching, what struck us was the large number of young, well-heeled Asian shoppers browsing through the designer clothing and accessories, with barely a glance at the price tags.

The collapse of Prudential’s proposed takeover bid of AIA — which could have seen the UK insurance giant becoming the largest foreign insurance group in Asia — has been largely attributed to the strong opposition the deal faced from institutional shareholders unhappy with its hefty US$35.5 billion ($50 billion) price tag and its dilutive effects on existing shareholders. Prudential’s management eventually called the whole thing off when it failed to re-negotiate the sum with AIA parent company AIG.