IS YOUR business guilty of “false delocalisation”? That’s the fancy EU jargon for the creative tax avoidance schemes engineered by multinational companies such as Google and Amazon.

THE owner of Ocean Terminal in Leith, Resolution Property, is investing £1 million to increase the space dedicated to catering outlets while retail is in the doldrums.

Britain’s resilient new car market and the early Easter break have helped fuel the first rise in European motor sales in 18 months.

Department store group John Lewis has blamed a dip in sales last week on the warm bank holiday weather, although it said there were some “encouraging signs” as temperatures cooled towards the end of the week.

JOHN Menzies group finance director Paul Dollman said “it has been a great ride” as he attended his last annual general meeting for the distribution and aviation firm after ten years leading the two divisions.

WAITROSE has demanded to see the detail of Ocado’s £200 million-plus tie-up with Morrisons which has fast-tracked its rival’s entry into the online shopping sector.

INDEPENDENT retailers across Glasgow’s city centre are being urged to join a new group to give the sector a stronger voice in economic development.

SHARES in Optos, one of Scotland’s most promising technology companies, slumped to their lowest level for more than two years yesterday after a sharp drop in profits.

ASDA has shrugged off continuing tough consumer pressures to post a 1.3 per cent rise in first-quarter like-for-like sales, powered like its main rivals by a robust online performance.

SHIELDS Automotive founder Joe O’Donnell is retiring after 27 years in the industry, having sold his Glasgow-based Land Rover franchise to Lookers in a £8.75 million cash deal.

Electrical goods retailer Dixons today said its annual profits should be at the top end of market expectations as it continues to benefit from the demise of rival Comet.

SHARES in Frankie & Benny’s-owner The Restaurant Group hit a record high yesterday after the group cheered a rise in turnover and profit margins.

Department store operator John Lewis believes that consumers are slowly becoming less fearful about their financial prospects, adding to optimism that a spate of relatively upbeat economic news can be sustained.

BRITISH Land is looking to sell its £255 million portfolio of retail properties in mainland Europe after the assets lost almost a fifth of their value on the back of the economic crisis in Spain and Portugal.

RISING utility bills are now the single biggest concern for twice as many UK consumers as they were two years ago, a report has claimed.

WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today.

UPMARKET grocer Waitrose has threatened to veto plans by online food delivery firm Ocado to team up with rival Morrisons.

MORE sales cheer is on the cards from PC World and Currys parent Dixons Retail when it updates on trading on Thursday as it continues to benefit from the demise of rival Comet and a booming tablet computer market.

Facebook was last night said to be close to a $1 billion (£650 million) deal to buy an Israeli sat-nav start-up as it seeks to compete with mapping systems from Apple and Google.

WHITBREAD boss Andy Harrison saw his total pay and bonus package more than double last year to £3.4 million.