Morrisons offers lockdown entrepreneurs chance to sell products in stores May 13, 2021 Morrisons has launched a scheme to offer UK entrepreneurs the chance to sell their products in store and online as more consumers look to support small and local businesses. A record number of new businesses were set up last year – rising 13.25 per cent to 772,002 – as budding entrepreneurs used lockdown to focus [...]
Barbie doll maker warns of higher prices as costs rise July 28, 2021 The toy giant Mattel has warned of higher prices in the lead up to Christmas as the industry looks to soften the blow of rising costs. The comments come after a rise in raw materials and shipping, owing in part to the global pandemic. However, the company still posted better than expected sales figures of [...]
GameStop shares slump as it plans $1bn post-rally stock sale April 5, 2021 GameStop shares slump as it plans $1bn post-rally stock sale
Peacocks rescued from administration, saving 2,000 high street jobs April 6, 2021 High street retail chain Peacocks has been rescued from administration after being bought by an investment consortium, saving around 2,000 jobs. Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, the retail empire owned by billionaire businessman Philip Day, has agreed to support the sale of its high street brand. EWM Group said it had backed a bid by an [...]
McColl’s suspends dividend as it swings to £100m loss February 26, 2020 Convenience store McColl’s sank to a huge £100m loss in 2019 as it warned investors it will cancel their dividend today. McColl’s swung deep into the red last year, falling to a loss of £98.6m before tax, down from a 2018 profit of £7.9m. The retailer warned in December that it would miss profit expectations [...]
Brexit-backing Next boss calls for speedy government intervention in staff crisis September 29, 2021 Next, headed by Brexit-backing boss Lord Wolfson, has called on the government to relax immigration rules to ensure its operations run smoothly this Christmas. “It’s a question of availability, we need a system that’s geared up to give more visas,” Wolfson told CityAM. Wolfson hit back at critics who said the country had got what [...]
Secondary fundraising by retailers nears £2bn as firms eye M&A opportunities May 10, 2021 Listed retail companies have raised nearly £2bn in the past year as they sought to strengthen their balance sheets amid the pandemic. Now, they are starting to eye M&A opportunities. In recent years, listed firms in the UK have relied less on the public markets with private equity firms often considered a more attractive option. [...]
London’s Storfund lands £300m mega-deal for ecommerce marketplace financing October 27, 2021 UK fintech Storfund, which optimises the cash cycle for merchants selling on ecommerce marketplaces, has struck a £300m debt funding deal with Fasanara Capital. It’s the latest in a string of investments by Fasanara into e-commerce lending platforms, and marks a significant step up from Storfund’s last £26.5m funding round in February, led by Union Bancaire [...]
Joules expects to beat profit and sales forecasts after PM confirms further lockdown lifting May 11, 2021 Fashion retailer Joules this morning said it expects to beat profit and revenue forecasts for this year following the confirmation that coronavirus restrictions will ease further next week. The brand said revenue and profit before tax before exceptional items will come in higher than the current analyst consensus of £187m and £4.1m respectively. It said [...]
Greggs bakes in recovery as chain plots high street expansion August 3, 2021 Greggs appears well set for expansion after a sustained recovery in sales as coronavirus restrictions have eased. The British bakery and fast-food chain made £55.5m in pre-tax profit in the first half of 2021, compared to a pre-tax loss of £64.5m in the same period last year. Total sales amounted to £546.2m. The increase in [...]