Sofa retailer DFS warns fewer house sales will impact trading September 26, 2019 Furniture retailer DFS this morning warned that weakening consumer confidence and a slump in housing transactions has impacted sofa sales. The figures The company has changed its accounting reference date to 30 June, meaning this morning’s results cover a shortened 48 week period. Read more: DFS warns investors of volatile political threat to sales Profit [...]
JD.com revenue jumps as pandemic boosts online shopping August 23, 2021 Chinese retailer JD.com has beaten expectations for second-quarter sales as the pandemic continues to drive up demand for online shopping. The tech giant reported a 26 per cent rise in net revenue to 253.8bn yuan (£28.6bn) in the three months to the end of June, beating analyst consensus of 249.27bn yuan. Sales in its product [...]
Fashion spending to hit £112bn this year as consumers hunt for post-pandemic wardrobes September 2, 2021 Retail shoppers are set to spend an extra £4.2bn on fashion and beauty over the next 12 months, in comparison to 2019. Spending is predicted to rise 3.4 per cent, according to a report jointly commissioned by the British Fashion Council and Clearpay, in partnership with Oxford Economics. Brits shopping for a ‘bounceback wardrobe’ will [...]
Guinness owner Diageo to raise $2.5bn through bond offering April 28, 2020 Guinness owner Diageo plans to raise $2.5bn through a bond offering, weeks after it was forced to scrap its share buyback scheme due to the coronavirus pandemic. The drinks giant, which also owns Smirnoff vodka and Johnnie Walker whisky, said the bond offering consisted of $750m 1.375 per cent fixed rate notes due 2025, $1bn [...]
MADE.com confirms Nicola Thompson as permanent CEO as retailer sees results beaten by freight inflation March 8, 2022 Retail giant MADE.com has confirmed this morning that Nicola Thompson, the current interim CEO, is set to become the permanent CEO with immediate effect. It comes after former chief Philippe Chainieux left the post last month because of family reasons. Susanne Given, Chair of MADE, commented on Thompson’s appointment: “The Board is delighted to confirm [...]
FCA proposes extending coronavirus consumer credit payment holiday June 19, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed allowing consumers to extend a payment freeze on their credit cards by a further three months to support borrowers struggling financially amid the coronavirus pandemic. Under the proposals from the markets watchdog, those who have not yet asked for a payment freeze on credit cards or for an [...]
Retailers urge government to release tax rebates amid coronavirus crisis March 30, 2020 UK retailers have urged the government to approve billions of pounds worth of tax rebates to help cash flow as businesses battle to stay afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic. The British Retail Consortium and rating advisory Altus Group have called on the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to settle outstanding business rates appeals ahead of the new [...]
Halfords reports boom in cycling sales during lockdown, but faces ‘acute’ supply shortages June 17, 2021 Halfords reported a continued surge in pandemic-inspired cycling sales but warned that supply shortages were a risk to its growth projections, in its annual results this morning. The retailer, which was classed as an essential retailer and was allowed to remain open during the lockdown, reported annual profits grew by 72 per cent, rising from [...]
Shoppers set to spend £33bn across major supermarkets in festive period November 16, 2021 Trips to UK supermarkets have shot up as Brits prepare to shop both online and in-store for Christmas. In-store visits to supermarkets swelled 6.5 per cent in the last four weeks ending 6 November. This represents 28m more visits compared with the same period last year, according to data from NielsenIQ. The online share of [...]
The week ahead, 14-18 December: Shaftesbury, SSP, Petrofac, and interest rates December 13, 2020 All eyes will be fixed firmly on Brussels this week, as businesses across the country hold their breath to see if the UK can finally reach a deal with the EU. With markets on edge as they await the outcome of the talks, there’s little to distract traders, with only a handful of firms reporting [...]