John Lewis sales fall as shoppers feel pinch January 28, 2011 Department store John Lewis suffered a decline in sales last week, a sign that an increase in VAT sales tax has further weakened already fragile UK consumer spending. The retailer, which also owns supermarket chain Waitrose, said its department store sales fell 2.2 per cent to £50.1m in the week to January 22. Sales in [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING November 15, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES HGCAPITAL IN TALKS TO BUY BACK IAS HgCapital, the mid-market private equity group, is in talks to buy back the main part of Iris Software Group four years after it sold the UK’s largest private business software maker to Hellman & Friedman. The buy-out house has approached its larger US rival with a [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING November 15, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES HGCAPITAL IN TALKS TO BUY BACK IAS HgCapital, the mid-market private equity group, is in talks to buy back the main part of Iris Software Group four years after it sold the UK’s largest private business software maker to Hellman & Friedman. The buy-out house has approached its larger US rival with a [...]
THE TIPSTER September 18, 2011 DEPARTMENT store Debenhams is releasing a trading statement tomorrow. Traders are finding it tough to be optimistic after poor August UK retail sales and consumer confidence figures. Rival John Lewis released its latest figures and found the first half of the year tricky. Capital Spreads quotes 60.7p-61.1p. Alliance Trust has been in the press lately [...]
Ocado shares fall after John Lewis pension fund sells out February 11, 2011 Retailer John Lewis’s pension trust has sold its stake of about 10 per cent in online grocer Ocado – sending its shares down 17 per cent. Ocado, whose shares have climbed sharply in recent weeks, said the sale would not affect its commercial relations with upmarket grocer Waitrose, a John Lewis unit. Ocado mainly sells [...]
Debenhams profits ahead of forecasts September 20, 2011 Debenhams forecast year profit ahead of analysts’ average forecasts after it cut prices to grow market share in a tough trading environment. “Whilst the group gross margin rate for the year (to 3 September) will be flat to slightly down versus last year, headline profit before tax for the 53 week financial year is expected [...]
Sales at Walker Greenbank jump August 3, 2011 INTERIOR furnishings firm Walker Greenbank said it had performed well during the last six months and is currently trading ahead of company forecasts. The group, which makes homeware under brand names such as Morris & Co and Harlequin’s Momentum for the likes of John Lewis, said turnover increased 11 per cent in the six months ended [...]
John Lewis sales jump ahead of VAT hike January 14, 2011 Sales at department store chain John Lewis rocketed last week as shoppers rushed to buy furniture and electrical goods ahead of an increase in VAT sales tax. John Lewis, which also runs grocery chain Waitrose, said it also benefited from an extra day of holiday compared with the same week the year before, and from [...]
John Lewis sales jump ahead of VAT hike January 14, 2011 Sales at department store chain John Lewis rocketed last week as shoppers rushed to buy furniture and electrical goods ahead of an increase in VAT sales tax. John Lewis, which also runs grocery chain Waitrose, said it also benefited from an extra day of holiday compared with the same week the year before, and from [...]
John Lewis boosted by Christmas sales surge January 5, 2011 JOHN Lewis Partnership reported bumper Christmas sales, despite the snowy conditions that robbed other retailers of a seasonal boost. Sales at its John Lewis department stores in the five weeks to 1 January were £545m, up 8.9 per cent from a year before. The strong performance was driven by its electrical and home technology department, [...]