Royal Bank of Scotland has abandoned plans to sell off its Williams & Glyn branches.
Businesses in the north are set to benefit from a revaluation of business rates.
New figures show retail sales fell in January for the second consecutive month.
Some home sellers are waiting as long as 10 months to find a buyer as the housing market slows.
Sales, success rates and choice lots
The firm will be holding auctions at Bolton’s Macron Stadium from next month under an arrangement with Miller Metcalfe
First auction of 2017 raises £64.2m as seven lots sell for £1m-plus
A luxurious apartment in Hampstead, NW3, with a guide price of £3.5m, is a stand-out lot at Barnett Ross’s sale on 28 February.
Clintons could close around 120 shops still to be refurbished.
MPs are pressing the government to introduce the same level of scrutiny of private companies as public firms to prevent another BHS collapse happening.
Card retailer Clintons may close up to a quarter of its shops as it slows down its refurbishment programme.
Royal Bank of Scotland is expected to close more branches and cut 15,000 jobs to reduce costs.