Lidl clothing range: Discount retailer challenges British supermarkets on fashion front August 20, 2014 Not content with challenging big British supermarkets on food prices, discount favourite Lidl is taking the stores on in the fashion stakes. The German retailer is about to launch a fashion range for women that includes jeans, shoes and even leather jackets, with a men's range to follow later this year. From August 25th shoppers [...]
Signs of life at Marks and Spencer April 10, 2014 M&S showed new signs of life yesterday after reporting sales of its womenswear clothing collection have risen over the past three months, helped by Annie Lennox as part of its star-studded Leading Ladies marketing campaign. It was the company’s best performance in three years. Homeware still remained a thorn in the group’s side, dragging overall [...]
Next share price edges higher following sales jump April 29, 2015 The figures Next's share price edged slightly higher by more than three per cent this morning, after the company reported batter-than-expected sales in the past three months thanks to temperate winter and spring weather. Full price sales rose 3.2 per cent in the period, beating the zero to three per cent rise the company itself forecast [...]
Tesco’s week from hell: £250m black hole, 16 per cent fall in share price since Friday September 26, 2014 Was this the week Tesco hit rock bottom? Having discovered a huge black hole in its finances, shares have fallen from Friday's closing price of 229.6p, to a low of 191.23p in early morning trading today. That's a fall of almost 17 per cent. Here's a handy, cut-out-and-keep guide to Tesco's week from hell Monday [...]
London Report: Mining shares lift FTSE despite doubt over ECB September 2, 2014 BRITAIN’S top share index steadied near a two-month high yesterday, with some caution before the European Central Bank’s policy meeting tomorrow offsetting a rally in miners prompted by stronger metals prices. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended 0.06 per cent higher at 6,829.17 points after rising up to 6,849.28 points, the highest level since early [...]
Tesco chairman Sir Richard Broadbent flies to Burma to broker F&F clothing deal July 2, 2014 Tesco chairman Sir Richard Broadbent flew to Burma this week to broker a deal that would see it source clothing from the country for its fast-growing clothing brand F&F. Broadbent, who travelled with group commercial director Kevin Grace, is understood to be meeting suppliers and government officials as well opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. [...]
Britain’s biggest companies call on Westminster for fundamental business rates reform September 16, 2014 Some of Britain's biggest businesses including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Tesco, General Motors and Tata Steel have called on the government to rip up the current business rate regime claiming the current system is “a critical problem for all of British business”. The controversial tax delivers around £25bn to the Treasury every year, but [...]
City Moves for 14 August 2014 | Who’s switching jobs August 13, 2014 Now: Pensions Jamie Warren has been appointed head of legal at the independent multi-employer trust. He joins from Capgemini, where he was senior legal counsel. He has also worked as a senior solicitor at Esure Insurance, having qualified at law firm Nabarro. Liberum The investment bank has appointed Anna Hartropp to its banking team. Hartropp [...]
Next profits to speed ahead of M&S yet again July 29, 2014 CLOTHING chain Next yesterday hiked its full-year profit forecasts for the second time in three months after another strong quarter, placing it further in the lead against rival Marks & Spencer. The retailer, which has 700 stores in the UK and overseas, raised its pre-tax profit guidance for this year by £25m to between £775m [...]
London Report: Airline decline and M&S worries keep the FTSE in the red July 8, 2014 A PROFIT warning from Air France-KLM yesterday hit airline stocks and dragged the FTSE down by more than one per cent. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index fell 1.25 per cent, or 85.06 points, to 6,738.45 points. International Consolidated Airlines Group – the owner of British Airways – slumped seven per cent to 335.90p, the worst-performing [...]