SHARES in shopping mall marketing firm SpaceandPeople surged nearly six per cent as the firm reported a profit of more than £173,000 for the six months ended June 30.

The Glasgow-based company, which lost £174,000 at the same stage last year, said it was seeing the benefits of a restructuring it undertook at the end of a turbulent 2016.

Chief executive Matthew Bending said that the overhaul, which resulted in a headcount reduction, and sales software upgrades have allowed it to cut costs and improve productivity. The firm’s UK promotions arm made a profit of £489,000, up from £385,000, boosted by a Network Rail contract.