Android maintains command of smartphone sales at Christmas January 22, 2013 SALES of phones running Google’s Android operating system continued to grow over the Christmas period, despite the release of Apple’s iPhone 5. Data from researchers Kantar Worldpanel found that Android increased its market share in key territories – the US, the UK, China and the EU – although Microsoft’s Windows Phone software is showing signs [...]
Lego outbuilds Hasbro as bricks click in Asia September 5, 2013 THE popularity of a toy tribe of animal warriors has helped make Lego the world’s second-biggest toy maker. The Danish maker of colourful mini-bricks, loved by children and hated by barefoot parents, yesterday credited its Legends of Chima range, with a 13 per cent rise in sales in the first six months of the year. [...]
Party food helps Co-op deliver a modest rise in yuletide sales January 15, 2013 BRITISH food retailer the Co-operative Group said yesterday that underlying sales grew 2.2 per cent at its food stores over the three week Christmas period, buoyed by sales of champagne, seasonal produce and desserts. The group, which is owned by over 6m consumers and says it is the fifth biggest food retailer in Britain, posted [...]
UK Mail delivers soaring sales during online shopping rush January 8, 2013 PARCEL delivery company UK Mail Group said yesterday its trading in the third quarter exceeded its expectations, boosted by higher volumes during Christmas. UK Mail, the largest independent parcels, mail and logistics services company in the UK, said underlying revenue increased about eight per cent for the three-months to 31 December, after adjusting for an [...]
Deloitte helps pants to poverty pop-up shop December 18, 2012 One of Deloitte’s self-styled Social Innovation Pioneers, the ethical retailer Pants to Poverty, has opened a pop-up shop in Sloane Square for the Christmas period. It promises organically farmed stocking fillers, all the way from “cotton to bottom” by buying directly from 12,000 farmers in Southern India, who are provided with funding and education.
Moss Bros raises profits outlook after strong Christmas trading January 14, 2013 MENSWEAR retailer Moss Bros Group said yesterday it expected full-year results to exceed market expectations, helped by sales during the Christmas period. The company said like-for-like sales during the 24 weeks to 12 January rose 2.7 per cent. The suit specialist, which sells and hires out clothing through its Moss Bros Hire, Moss Bespoke, Moss [...]
Blockbuster administrators to shut 129 stores and shed staff January 20, 2013 BLOCKBUSTER, the DVD and games rental chain, is to close 129 stores of its 528 stores over the coming weeks and make 760 staff redundant, the firm’s administrators Deloitte said this weekend. These are on top of the 31 store closures that had already been decided before the retailer fell into administration last Wednesday. Deloitte [...]
High street and high-end shops to reveal holiday performances January 7, 2013 A HOST of retailers are due to give a glimpse of how they have performed over the key Christmas period this week. Marks & Spencer is expected to reveal a bruising set of numbers in its trading statement on Thursday. Nomura expects the high street giant to post UK like-for-like sales 1.4 per cent lower [...]
CNBC Comment: Why active funds struggle to outperform September 23, 2013 IT’S ONLY 91 days until Christmas and, for the movers and shakers in the fund management industry, we’re close to “squeaky bum time”. This is when we begin to see who has delivered the goods, and who has to start lining up their excuses for another year of underperformance. Yet unlike in the Premiership title [...]
Amazon climbs to new high on record results January 29, 2013 AMAZON saw record sales over the Christmas period, propelling the online retailer to new heights as the high street suffered. The company last night posted revenues of $21.27bn (£13.5bn) for the fourth quarter of 2012, a 22 per cent increase on the same period last year. Although revenues were less than analysts had predicted, Wall [...]