US radicals have dealt a serious blow to the struggle for small government October 17, 2013 A SCENE from Steven Spielberg’s film Lincoln came to me while watching the US Republican surrender over the debt ceiling crisis. President Abraham Lincoln’s advice to Thaddeus Stevens, a leading opponent of slavery, is almost unmatchable as a universal dialogue between the world’s radicals and the men and women who hope to get things done [...]
Never knowingly in line with the rest of the pack January 2, 2013 LAST year we waved goodbye to Comet and JJB Sports as 2012 saw the shutters pulled down on the high-street stalwarts for the last time. Those two – along with Game – didn’t even make it to the crucial Christmas sales period before calling it a day, but as January rolls round again and store managers [...]
John Lewis sales rise May 11, 2012 Department store chain John Lewis posted another double-digit rise in sales last week as the nation’s wet weather proved favourable for its key household goods business. The employee-owned retailer said on Friday its sales increased 18.3 percent year-on-year to £64.3m in the week to May 5. April was Britain’s wettest since records began and the [...]
John Lewis sales rise May 11, 2012 Department store chain John Lewis posted another double-digit rise in sales last week as the nation’s wet weather proved favourable for its key household goods business. The employee-owned retailer said on Friday its sales increased 18.3 percent year-on-year to £64.3m in the week to May 5. April was Britain’s wettest since records began and the [...]
Christmas countdown for rival high street retailers December 4, 2012 AS we move into the final countdown to Christmas, our high street department stores are pulling out all the stops. Looking back over 2012, the race between Marks & Spencer and John Lewis has never been tighter. YouGov’s BrandIndex highlights how the two brands began the year with six points separating their Index scores – [...]
John Lewis ups sales outlook May 16, 2012 JOHN Lewis, the UK’s biggest department store, yesterday raised sales guidance after outperforming a flat retail market in its first quarter and said the economy is on course for a slow recovery, despite a recent dip back into recession. In the quarter to 28 April the group saw sales growth of 12.2 per cent, equal [...]
John Lewis ups sales outlook May 16, 2012 JOHN Lewis, the UK’s biggest department store, yesterday raised sales guidance after outperforming a flat retail market in its first quarter and said the economy is on course for a slow recovery, despite a recent dip back into recession. In the quarter to 28 April the group saw sales growth of 12.2 per cent, equal [...]
House of Fraser Basks in bumper Christmas January 7, 2013 HOUSE OF FRASER has become the latest retailer to boast of a bumper Christmas, with like-for-like sales up 6.3 per cent in the period. Following hot on the heels of rival John Lewis, the department store group said in a trading statement yesterday that its stores performed well while online sales rose a record 48 [...]
John Lewis raises sales forecast May 16, 2012 John Lewis, Britain’s biggest department store group, has raised its sales guidance after outperforming a flat retail market in its first quarter and believes the economy is on course for a slow recovery, despite a recent dip back into recession. “My gut feel is a long, slow, steady recovery that at certain points will look [...]
After clothing sales slumped at M&S, can the traditional high street retailer survive? January 10, 2013 YES Neil Saunders Retail can be seen as a game of two halves. Last year, spending through physical outlets grew by 0.2 per cent, whereas online retail spending grew by 13 per cent. But while the growth of online has put pressure on physical retailing, the situation is not all doom and gloom. Firstly, the [...]