John Lewis sales stalled by strike and sunshine October 15, 2010 RETAILER John Lewis said sales growth slowed last week, as a strike on London Underground and a brief Indian summer meant fewer shoppers in its stores. The employee-owned company, traditionally seen as a bellwether of the UK retail sector but which has outperformed competitors for over a year, said on Friday sales at its 28 [...]
John Lewis sales stalled by strike and sunshine October 15, 2010 RETAILER John Lewis said sales growth slowed last week, as a strike on London Underground and a brief Indian summer meant fewer shoppers in its stores. The employee-owned company, traditionally seen as a bellwether of the UK retail sector but which has outperformed competitors for over a year, said on Friday sales at its 28 [...]
Sir David Michels to quit M&S May 5, 2011 Marks & Spencer is undergoing a boardroom reshuffle, with deputy chairman Sir David Michels and non-executive director Lady Patten both stepping down. Michels, who has served five years on the board, will leave after his term ends in February while Patten, who has been with M&S since 2006, will go after the firm’s annual meeting [...]
JEREMY IRONS SHORTED BY TRADER AT MARGIN CALL’S RISKY PREMIERE January 10, 2012 TO LEICESTER Square for the premiere of Margin Call, the film set in the last days of an over-leveraged investment bank that has “no relation” to any actual financial institution that went to the wall in 2008. Just as well – because Jeremy Irons, who plays the bank’s pragmatic CEO John Tuld, would have had [...]
Hats are back, and just in time for racing season May 15, 2011 Fashion lovers rejoice! You have a new accessory to explore. The statement hat – bold, feathery, and as glamorous as you like – is back! Sales of wedding hats have soared 60 per cent at John Lewis, thanks to the recent royal nuptials which saw every guest from A to Z sporting headgear of some [...]
Making your kitchen fit for a master chef June 2, 2011 THERE’S barely a TV minute, or channel flick that goes by these days without a celebrity chef whipping up an organic feast or gastronomic delight amid seductive lighting and a designer kitchen. Then there’s Masterchef, which has thrilled millions with its X Factor style drama. They’ve collectively inspired a nation of amateur culinary enthusiasts, and [...]
Mary Queen of Shops in high street review May 16, 2011 RETAIL guru Mary Portas is launching a rescue campaign to save Britain’s struggling high streets, after being called in by Prime Minister David Cameron. TV’s “Queen of Shops” wants giant supermarket chains like Tesco to hand over some of their profit to help independent shops. The management consultant has been identified as someone with the [...]
John Lewis’ sales improve September 5, 2010 RETAIL giant John Lewis is poised to post a strong set of financial results later this month as the department store chain returns to profitability. The group’s half-year results, which will be reported on 16 September, are likely to show that the company has made its way back to pre-recessionary levels after sales through out [...]
Outlook for electrical retailers is bleak May 15, 2011 AU revoir Britain, vive la France – that seems to be the prevailing view at Kesa, where management has asked bankers to put Comet, the underperforming British chain, on the block. That will allow Kesa to concentrate on the more profitable French business Darty, or so the theory goes. There is no doubt that Knight [...]
John Lewis in recovery as its profit rises September 16, 2010 JOHN Lewis warned yesterday that trading conditions were likely to get tougher as tax hikes and public spending cuts hit shoppers, even as it reported a 28 per cent rise in first-half profit. The group, owned by its 70,000 staff, said its strong first-half performance gave it confidence that both its department stores and grocery [...]