CBI’s monthly distributive trades survey: Retail sales growth slows after a strong September October 29, 2015 Shoppers stayed away from the high street this month in what could be a "little bit of a breather" before the festive period gets into full swing. The CBI’s monthly distributive trades survey showed 38 per cent reported sales volumes rose on a year ago, while 20 per cent said they were down. The gap of [...]
Is the John Lewis Christmas advert never knowingly over commercial? November 11, 2015 Christmas comes but once a year – as does John Lewis’ much-heralded festive TV ad campaign. And, regular as clockwork, its Man on the Moon ad was released on Friday as part of the retailer’s £7m campaign. As usual, it’s a heart-warming story played out over a now customary cover of a classic song, Oasis’ [...]
New Axa Insurance boss Amanda Blanc on the company’s plans for growth January 11, 2016 Amanda Blanc began the new year as chief executive of a reorganised Axa Insurance. Previously the head of Axa Commercial Lines and Personal Intermediary, as of 1 January Blanc has taken on responsibility for the French group’s insurance business in the UK and Ireland, a change that doesn’t seem to have phased her. “I feel like [...]
Game Digital share price lifts slightly despite fall in profit before tax of more than 80 per cent October 13, 2016 It's not all fun and games over at retailer Game Digital today, where both profits and revenue have fallen over the past year. The figures Profit before tax at the high street game seller plummeted 81 per cent to £4.9m in the 53 weeks to 30 July, down from £25.8m in 2015 as Game struggled [...]
Make 2017 a year of celebration – not the suffocation of London’s Night Time Economy January 5, 2017 We live in interesting times. This term, actually a Chinese curse, reflects all the hope, possibility and opportunity of a period – as well as the worst that we can imagine from it. What has been “interesting” recently is the overwhelming cultural and political view that the British public is a nasty species that requires [...]
Sainsbury’s share price drops despite beating expectations as supermarket offers more detail on possible Argos deal January 13, 2016 Sainsbury's share price dropped this morning, despite beating expectations for the crucial Christmas period – and lifting the lid on its reasons for making a bid for Argos parent Home Retail Group. The figures Total retail sales for the supermarket were up 0.8 per cent in the 15 weeks to 9 January. Including fuel, sales were down [...]
Jose Mourinho is not the only one to blame for Chelsea’s crisis but looks to be on borrowed time December 15, 2015 It's surreal – possibly the most surreal fall from grace I can remember witnessing in football – but the aim for Chelsea and their under-fire manager Jose Mourinho now has to be survival. They have gone from champions to relegation candidates in a matter of months and their performance level is unrecognisable from last season’s [...]
Abercrombie & Fitch hurt by fierce competition in 14th straight quarterly sales drop August 30, 2016 Fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is the latest US chain to post disappointing results. Shares ditched almost 14 per cent in the pre-market in New York as the company revealed its 14th consecutive quarterly sales decline. It blamed the slump on lower traffic at its out-of-town stores and a drop off in tourist spending. Same-store sales fell by [...]
High street retailer confidence rises ahead of Christmas November 5, 2015 High street retailers are feeling more confident about Christmas this year, with the majority predicting a rise in revenues according to research from Barclays, despite warnings from retailers including SuperGroup and Marks & Spencer of challenges ahead. Barclays said 79 per cent of retailers surveyed expect revenues to increase over the Christmas period compared to [...]
Cyber Monday 2015 UK: Currys PC World follows Black Friday discount deals with online sale offers on, Samsung TVs, Asus ZenPad, Lenovo Yoga, GoPro Hero, Jawbone Up and Pebble watch November 29, 2015 Just as everyone was breathing a sight of relief as Black Friday drew to a close, along comes Cyber Monday. But for shoppers, that just means more bargains and discount deals, and the UK's retailers are more than willing to indulge them, and Currys PC World is the latest to spring some rather tasty offers on [...]