Brexit wrecks it: Brits shun big ticket buys July 4, 2016 The future of retail was uncertain even before the country voted to leave the European Union. Now, grocers and high street department stores have more than just discounters and the internet to deal with: they have to navigate changing trade relationships, weather a possible downturn in consumer sentiment, and adapt to shifting spending patterns as well. So what’s next for UK [...]
13 events that will change the world in 2017: Article 50, Snapchat’s IPO, more Libor trials and a vote on Heathrow January 3, 2017 2017 looks like it's going to be a busy one: we're looking ahead to some of the key business and political events already pencilled in for this year's calendar. 1. Supreme court to rule on Article 50 The Supreme Court is due to deliver its ruling on Gina Miller's case this month (Source: Getty) The Supreme [...]
Beyonce and Topshop are about to launch their new sportswear brand Ivy Park March 31, 2016 Global superstar Beyonce has partnered with one of the best-known British brands to launch a new sportswear range. The pop star has teamed up with Topshop to create Ivy Park, a collection of fitness clothing, which will launch in two weeks. The products will be available in the UK at Topshop, Selfridges, JD Sports and [...]
Could a focus on customer experience have saved BHS? June 3, 2016 Retailers have learnt harsh lessons about failing to stay relevant; the collapse of BHS is just the latest casualty. Like Woolworths and GAME before it, when BHS went into administration, the most common reaction was shock. However, the downfall of BHS cannot be considered a surprise. The company failed to keep up with the internet revolution and being outmanoeuvred [...]
Over 50 business leaders have called for an “urgent” decision on airport expansion almost exactly a year after an official report lent its support to a new Heathrow runway June 27, 2016 Over 50 business leaders have called on the government to urgently make a decision on expansion of capacity at London's airports, a year after an official report backed a new runway at Heathrow. Prior to last week's Brexit vote, reports had suggested that a decision could be made as soon as 7 July. However, following [...]
Sunday Times Rich List 2016: Retail king Mike Ashley’s wealth declines by £1bn… and the fortunes of Britain’s fashion and retail billionaires April 24, 2016 Mike Ashley is the biggest loser in the retail billionaires club. The Sports Direct boss and Newcastle United owner's fortune shrank by more than one billion pounds last year to £2.43bn, according to the latest figures from the Sunday Times Rich List. Arcadia boss Sir Philip Green, owner of Tophsop among several fashion stores and the man who [...]
The Snaffling Pig co-founders talk GoPros, Dragons’ Den, jail and setting up a business with £500 August 15, 2016 This is the difference between pork scratchings and pork crackling: scratchings are cooked at one temperature, which is why they can be perilously hard. Crackling has two meanings: it’s the stuff on top of belly of pork; it’s also pieces of skin and fat cooked at a lower temperature with a short burst of more heat [...]
Visual vanguard: JCDecaux’s Spencer Berwin talks hawks, scaling and London’s digital landscape April 25, 2016 London's landscape is in flux. Almost 120 skyscrapers are in the pipeline, and the proliferation of bright digital billboards in train stations, roundabouts and bus shelters are transforming the capital’s aspect into something altogether more dynamic and enthralling. Outdoor specialist JCDecaux is behind this massive digital roll-out. After winning TfL’s £300m bus shelter contract last [...]
Shoe fits for Cinven as it takes home Kurt Geiger December 14, 2015 Kurt Geiger is changing hands for the third time in four years after being snapped up by private equity group Cinven. The group’s management and its backers Sycamore Partners have sold the 52 year-old footwear chain to Cinven in a deal thought to be worth around £250m. The sale is the latest in a string [...]
Beyonce to launch new brand Parkwood Topshop Athletic with Sir Philip Green’s retail empire as profits edge higher November 25, 2015 Sir Philip Green said profits for his retail empire that included Topshop and Dorothy Perkins edged higher last year against a background of a “fast changing” retail industry. The tycoon also revealed a new joint clothing venture with singer Beyonce to produce a new “athletic streetwear brand” called Parkwood Topshop Athletic. The global venture is [...]