Moonpig momentum dips following lockdown-induced spending boom December 9, 2021 Moonpig’s revenue and profits have slipped as the lockdown-induced spending momentum dials down. After shops reopened in the six months to October 31, Moonpig’s revenue has sunk 8.5 per cent to £142.6m, with it struggling to compete with the lure of brick and mortar card stores. Investors were not deterred, however, with Moonpig’s share price [...]
Brexit no obstacle for Watches of Switzerland as it eyes expansion into Europe July 8, 2021 Europe is firmly on the radar of luxury retailer Watches of Switzerland. Under a new five-year plan, the group aims to enter the European luxury watch market through acquisitions and new boutiques in a shift away from its previous focus on the UK and US. Britain’s biggest retailer of Rolex, Cartier, Omega, Tag Heuer and [...]
Corona Impact Series: A Chelsea jeweller conveys her message of bling via Zoom and Bing March 29, 2021 In this series, City A.M. looks at the financial and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic on a range of small and medium-sized businesses across London. This week: How three lockdowns forced an upmarket jewellery chain to convey a personal message of bling via Zoom and Bing. The accelerated shift to digital has been the theme of the [...]
Moonpig more than doubles revenue as lockdown delivers trading boom July 27, 2021 Online card retailer Moonpig has more than doubled its revenue in its first annual results since a bumper London stock market float earlier this year. The greetings card specialist posted revenue of £368.2m in the year to the end of April, a huge jump from the £173.1m recorded in the previous year. Reported pre-tax profit [...]
An F-Shaped recovery – How Freelancers are powering Britain’s brilliant bounce-back July 7, 2020 This wasn’t just any ordinary crisis – the financial hit the UK has taken from COVID-19 has been shorter, sharper, and deeper than any we’ve seen before. According to the Resolution Foundation, the mere seven working days of lockdown in the first three months of 2020 gave the UK it’s biggest quarterly economic contraction since [...]
Shakespeare on advertising: Deliveroo users set to fill their Boots September 1, 2021 Boots recently announced a partnership with Deliveroo that would see the health & beauty retailer’s products made available for delivery in 14 cities – including London, Birmingham, and Edinburgh. Data from YouGov BrandIndex shows that it looks like a savvy move for both brands. YouGov data reveals that if you’re someone who shops with Boots, [...]
H&M majority-owned second-hand shop Sellpy expands across 20 more EU countries May 31, 2021 Majority-H&M-owned online second-hand shop Sellpy is set to expand its stores across 20 more European countries, the company said today. The Swedish start-up, which picks up the goods from sellers’ homes, and photographs and sells them online, will now be available in a total of 24 markets after launching in 2014. The second-hand market is [...]
Poundland owner Pepco increases earnings as store openings outpace pandemic June 24, 2021 Pepco Group, owner of discount retailer Poundland, has reported a 16.8 per cent increase in core earnings in the six months to 31 March, as revenue growth from new store openings offset the impact of pandemic restrictions. The group, which is listed in Poland and also owns the PEPCO and Dealz brands in Europe, trades from more than [...]
Coronavirus: Primark owner ABF warns of long-term supply issues February 24, 2020 Primark’s owner today said it was considering ramping up production from suppliers outside of China in a bid to avoid a hit from the coronavirus outbreak. Associated British Foods (ABF) expects Primark will drive higher operating profit and sales for the six months to the end of February compared to the same period a year [...]
Bricks and mortar retailers ramp up hiring plans ahead of reopening April 8, 2021 Bricks and mortar retailers that have managed to survive, and in some cases thrive, during the pandemic have begun ramping up hiring plans ahead of the reopening date. According to the latest research, retail vacancies have climbed to within 14 per cent of their pre-Covid levels, after falling as much as 65 per cent last year. [...]