Bumi's senior non-exec can steer miner slowly back on track No regret from colleagues as Pandit leaves Citi Was he pushed or did he jump? There are several reasons behind the news that Vikram Pandit has left Citi as chief executive. It seems he was pushed but was ready to go anyway. When I interviewed him in July it was clear he felt he had plenty of road ahead of him. But one aggravation after another has added to the tension levels on the Citi board. At least by going the day after publishing reasonably well-received third-quarter results, Pandit can point to proof that his approach has been working, offering some push back to his critics within the bank who have questioned his abilities, especially when compared to rivals such as JP Morgan and Wells Fargo. There is a view, for instance, that Citi missed the boat in the recent recovery in the US mortgage market and therefore Pandit displays a lack of execution skills. That said, he wasn't dealt the easiest of hands at the beginning of 2008 and has successfully steered the banking giant through crisis, including paying the US government back at a profit for its help. Despite that, Pandit's relationship with regulators, including the Federal Reserve, has also been perceived to be less than perfect, including over issues such as the bank's return to dividend payments. Shareholders have also expressed their displeasure, rejecting his $15m (£9.3m) pay package earlier this year for instance. Pandit has chosen to resign, but he's not departing to the sound of regret from erstwhile colleagues. Returning the bank to normality was taking too long for some after its traumas of 2008. As a result, the significance of traditional commercial bankers now being in control at Citi shouldn't be overlooked. In Michael O'Neill, chairman, and Michael Corbat, the new chief executive, the bank is firmly in the hands of more vanilla financiers than the former hedge fund star Pandit - a world he may well now return to. Tablets have desired effect for N Brown N Brown's half-year results to September 1 told us two things. The pace retail is moving online is accelerating faster than many chains, and their landlords, realise or are willing to admit, and, secondly, the weather really does count when it comes to shopping. The main driver behind revenue growth of 4.3pc to £379.3m was online sales, which rose 12pc to £196m from customers with higher average order values and lower transactional costs. But perhaps the most telling trend is the explosive growth in the numbers of people accessing the internet using mobile devices, be they smartphones or tablets, such iPads. Already nearly a fifth of N Brown's online sessions originate from a mobile device. People may well be shopping while out and about, but are more likely to be using their high-speed mobile devices from their kitchens, sitting rooms or from the comfort of their beds - wherever an idea suggests itself. This trend will increase as even faster 4G services are rolled out. Innovations such as "click and collect" and mobile payment methods mean the pace of change will remain relentless. This has big implications. Maybe only the biggest superstores and the smallest shops near people's homes will remain relevant, while those with mid-sized floor space and secondary locations will see a rapid decline. Anyway, the other factor is the weather. N Brown's numbers include a current sales update for the six weeks to October 13 which leapt 9.4pc like-for-like. Falling inflation has offered some relief to squeezed households, but the biggest factor behind the jump is colder weather this year compared with last. What's true for N Brown is true for others, so however strong figures look in this second half, remember the country's weather has turned in retailers" favour, as well as its economics.