Sainsbury’s sees “strong” Christmas sales January 8, 2014 Sainsbury's has proved expectations that it'd break its lengthy sales increase record wrong – just. The supermarket has announced like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, rose by 0.2 per cent in the third quarter, and said it saw "strong" sales in the run-up to Christmas. This marks Sainsbury's 36th quarter in a row of like-for-like growth. Chief [...]
UK retail sales index drops to five month low November 27, 2013 One survey has just shown retail trends at their lowest level in five months. The Confderation for British Industry's (CBI) indicator dropped from two to one in November, despite analysts expecting a monthly rise to eight. The CBI said that high-street sales were flat in the year to November, disappointing retailers' expectations for the second [...]
Mourinho eyes decisive spell December 3, 2013 CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho says the hectic Christmas period will sort the Premier League title contenders from the pretenders. Arsenal sit four points clear but Mourinho, whose side visit Sunderland tonight, will only consider them favourites if they remain atop the table at New Year. “There is a lot to play for in December and [...]
China, Japan, and the row that shook Davos January 22, 2014 JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raised the terrifying prospect of conflict in east Asia yesterday, comparing Japan and China’s cold relationship to relations between the UK and Germany in the years before World War One. At the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos yesterday, Abe told journalists that while China and Japan had a [...]
AG Barr’s sales fizz thanks to summer heat December 5, 2013 THE SUMMER heatwave increased Britons’ thirst for AG Barr’s fizzy drinks, the company said yesterday, as it posted another quarter of strong sales growth. The Irn-Bru maker said revenues surged eight per cent in the 18 weeks to 1 December compared with the same time last year, while volume sales also increased by 6.4 per [...]
Thai visitors among the UK’s big shopper league this Christmas November 18, 2013 WEALTHY foreign visitors are expected to keep Britain’s tills ringing over the crucial Christmas period, with spend from Thai tourists outpacing all other nationalities so far this year. Thai visitors are the fastest growing consumers of luxury goods in the UK this year so far, with spending up 53 per cent compared to the 37 [...]
Mothercare’s American bidder Destination Maternity rattled by profit warning July 10, 2014 Destination Maternity saw its share price tumble more than eight per cent yesterday, weakening its proposal to take over Mothercare, after it issued a profit warning following weak third quarter sales. The US-based baby retailer, which made two attempts to take over British business Mothercare last week, warned that quarterly takings were “considerably weaker than [...]
Bargain Booze owner reports better trading since flotation November 4, 2013 BARGAIN Booze owner Conviviality Retail, which raised £64m in an Aim listing earlier this year, said yesterday its first half like-for-likes sales had crept up by 0.6 per cent. The firm said the increase was mainly due to reducing the number of underperforming stores in its portfolio, and that it expected to continue to perform [...]
Royal Mail share price falls on parcel revenue warning July 22, 2014 Freshly privatised Royal Mail has been suffering from more parcel delivery induced headaches, today warning that parcel revenues are likely to be below expectations. Chief executive Moya Greene says that the company has seen a "weaker than expected performance in UK parcels" in the first three months of the delivery firm's financial year. Parcels revenue [...]
Mourinho bids to ease packed winter period November 25, 2013 CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho admits he has missed English football’s traditionally packed winter schedule, but hopes to reduce the strain on his team with victory against FC Basel tonight to seal qualification to the Champions League knockout stages and top spot in Group E. A draw at St Jakob-Park would be enough for Mourinho’s side [...]