Bottom Line: Internet of things has no room for tradition May 15, 2014 LAST month, my aunt and uncle upgraded their Aga. The new model fits perfectly into their country kitchen – a tasteful pastel exterior and exposed, rustic hob – but there’s one big difference: this is an iAga, which can be controlled remotely by text or from a laptop (it even replies to tell you it’s [...]
London Report: Fed’s hint on rates steadies FTSE but Marks loses Spark April 10, 2014 BRITAIN’S top share index traded just above flat yesterday, buoyed by the banking sector after the Federal Reserve indicated it would keep interest rates lower for longer than previously anticipated. The FTSE 100 was up just 6.36 points or 0.1 per cent at 6,641.97 at the close, with financial firms contributing about half the gains. [...]
Clothing sales at M&S set to come up short April 7, 2014 MARKS & SPENCER chief executive Marc Bolland is expected to come under renewed pressure this week when the retailer posts yet another fall in underlying sales for its key clothing arm. The high street retailer is expected to report a decline of around one per cent in like-for-like general merchandise sales – which included clothing [...]
London Report: Royal Mail set to deliver first annual results May 18, 2014 YEARLY results for Royal Mail this week are likely to inflame anger over the company’s issue price, as analysts expect a significant profit leap. JP Morgan said recently it “remains bullish” and set a target price of 756p a share – a huge jump from the 330p offer price. In economic news, the Bank of [...]
After share price crash Asos warns on profits and investors slam Morrisons June 5, 2014 SOME of Britain’s biggest retailers were left reeling yesterday after a profits warning from Asos spooked investors and supermarket bosses came under a fierce verbal attack from angry shareholders. Asos shares crashed 31 per cent, wiping £1.2bn off its market value, after the online fashion retailer warned that a strong pound and a rise in [...]
Discounts weigh on M&S despite rise in clothing April 10, 2014 MARKS & Spencer’s revamped womenswear collection, which has been fronted by stars including Dame Helen Mirren, showed signs of recovery in the fourth quarter despite overall general merchandise sales falling for an 11th consecutive quarter. The high street giant yesterday split clothing sales from other non-food sales for the first time, revealing a 0.6 per [...]
Male model Oliver Cheshire has the best job in the world June 23, 2014 For Oliver Cheshire, London Collections: Men means the chance to brush shoulders with his heroes. “It was my first ever Hackett show. I was really excited because I love Hackett, but when I got there someone was in my seat. The person turned around and it was Samuel L Jackson. The girls with the clipboards [...]
M&S is having an identity crisis: Only radical action can save it now July 8, 2014 Thousands of articles have been written about, and just as many reasons given for, the ongoing struggles of Marks & Spencer (M&S). The latest one, given only yesterday by none other than the chief executive himself, Marc Bolland, was the “settling-in” period of the new website. This, of course, is balderdash, or at least peripheral [...]
Analyst Views: Do Next’s results bode well for another strong performance this year? March 20, 2014 JOHN STEVENSON | PEEL HUNT While maintaining a cautious tone regarding economic recovery, the forward guidance from Next is significantly stronger than in recent years and leaves market expectations at the bottom end of Next’s own range. Such confidence in outlook will raise pressure on competitors Marks & Spencer and Debenhams. KATE CALVERT | INVESTEC [...]
Strong results for meat supplier Cranswick as pig rearing grows April 7, 2014 SAUSAGE maker Cranswick has bucked tough conditions in the grocery market and record pig prices to post strong fourth quarter results yesterday. The FTSE 250 firm, which supplies supermarkets including Sainsbury’s with upmarket sausages and cooked meats, said underlying sales excluding acquisitions were up 12 per cent in the year to 31 March. Analysts forecast [...]