John Lewis sales jump 20pc July 1, 2011 John Lewis posted a 20 per cent jump in sales bucking the retail gloom on the high street. The retailer said that in the week to 25 June every one of its stores took more cash in its tills than a year before. Although analysts warned part of the impact was because of the success [...]
Company car rate hiked to raise £1.6bn March 21, 2012 CHANCELLOR George Osborne unveiled a hike in company car tax rates yesterday in a move he claimed will raise an extra £1.6bn in revenues over the next five years. The plan to clobber companies with fleet cars for more tax came just minutes after Prime Minister David Cameron had identified a booming car industry as [...]
Bunzl shares at record high as profits rise February 27, 2012 BUSINESS supplies distributor Bunzl showed its recession-proof qualities with a greater-than-expected 11 per cent rise in yearly pre-tax profit yesterday, boosting its already outperforming shares to a record high. FTSE 100-listed Bunzl, which supplies supermarkets, hospitals and hotels with products ranging from carrier bags to toilet rolls, reported a 2011 pre-tax profit of £306.1m on [...]
John Lewis gets Obama boost June 2, 2011 JOHN Lewis yesterday reported sales increases of 30 per cent on tennis tables following last week’s photographs of US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron playing a friendly match. The pair rolled their sleeves up to play against students, competing on a visit to the Globe Academy school in South London. John Lewis’ [...]
The Deputy Prime Minister thinks we are irresponsible – the feeling is mutual, Nick January 16, 2012 NICK Clegg wants to give tax breaks to John Lewis style, employee-owned companies. This is just the latest salvo in the “responsible capitalism” debate. But when a government dictates which forms of capitalism are responsible, and which ones aren’t, it overrides the individual morality of its citizens – and not for the better. After all, [...]
Heston helps to boost Waitrose January 5, 2012 SUPERMARKET Waitrose said yesterday it had seen Christmas sales jump this year. The shops, part of the John Lewis Partnership, saw a 3.5 per cent jump in like-for-like grocery sales in December. In the week leading up to New Year, total sales rose by 9.7 per cent on last year. Among the big sellers were [...]
Laura Ashley and John Lewis see sales slide June 3, 2011 Major high street retailers Laura Ashley and John Lewis have both reported falls in sales over the past four months. Home and womenswear retailer Laura Ashley said total sales fell 4.5 per cent in the four months to the end of May as it closed loss-making stores and refurbished others. Like-for-like sales were down 1.3 [...]
Webster to step down as IHG chairman February 5, 2012 DAVID Webster, the long-standing chairman of Intercontinental Hotels Group, is to stand down after eight years at the helm of the world’s largest hotel group. A source close to Webster said that no date had been set yet for his departure, but that he is likely to leave later this year. The owner of Holiday [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS January 4, 2012 National Savings & Investments The commercial secretary to the Treasury, Lord Sassoon, has appointed James Furse (pictured) as non-executive director on the board of National Savings & Investments. Furse joined the NS&I board on 1 January and replaces Sir John de Trafford MBE, who became NS&I’s chairman on the same date. Furse joins NS&I after [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS February 20, 2012 Royal Bank of Scotland RBS has appointed Stuart Dean as head of healthcare in the corporate and institutional banking (CIB) team. Dean has worked at RBS for more than 11 years in the bank’s structured finance division in the south of England and London. Before joining RBS, he spent two years at the John Lewis [...]