Made.com considers public listing amid pandemic boom February 12, 2021 Online retailer Made.com is said to be mulling an IPO after a bumper year of sales amid the pandemic. The furniture specialist is in talks with banks about its options, which could include a public listing valuing the company at more than £500m, according to Sky News. City A.M. understands Made.com has not yet appointed [...]
End of lockdown: Most UK shoppers feel safe about returning to the high street on 12 April April 8, 2021 Most consumers feel safe returning to the high street, the latest research has shown ahead of non-essential retailers reopening on 12 April. According to a survey by Deloitte, 56 per cent of shoppers will feel safe about coronavirus risks when heading out to the high street next week, a 16 percentage point increase compared to [...]
Louis Vuitton to make jewellery from the world’s second biggest diamond January 16, 2020 Louis Vuitton has entered into a partnership with Canadian corporation Lucara to make jewellery from the second largest rough diamond ever mined, in a sign of its growing ambitions in the high-end jewellery market. The Sewelô diamond, which was found in Botswana in April 2019, clocks in at 1,758 carats, second only to the legendary [...]
E-cigarette maker Juul to pay $40m over teen targeting claims June 28, 2021 E-cigarette maker Juul has agreed to pay $40m to North Carolina to settle a lawsuit by the state accusing it of marketing its products to young people. The settlement, announced on Monday by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, is the first reached by the company with a state government. The deal also includes restrictions on sales [...]
Hammerson makes £423m sale but retail troubles take a chunk out of income July 29, 2019 Hammerson this morning announced it has sold a 75 per cent stake in Parisian shopping centre Italie Deux for £423m. The retail property giant said the deal with Axa Investment Managers brought it to more than 90 per cent of its annual £500m disposal target. Hammerson also released its half-year results this morning. It reported [...]
Worst September in eight years for high street sales October 4, 2019 Last month was the worst September on the high street in eight years as sales in bricks and mortar stores plummeted. Total like-for-like in-store sales fell by 3.1 per cent last month from a base of minus 2.7 per cent last year, making it the worst September on the high street since 2011, according to [...]
B&M ups earning expectations after strong lockdown trading March 4, 2021 Discount retailer B&M this morning upped its earnings expectations following a strong performance during the latest coronavirus lockdown. The chain said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for this financial year will be between £590m to £620m. The latest forecast accounts for the voluntary payment of business rates, amounting to around £80m. It [...]
Jaguar Land Rover sales fall despite hopes for Chinese recovery December 9, 2019 Jaguar Land Rover sales fell last month, despite the car maker seeing “green shoots” of a recovery in the all-important struggling Chinese market. The manufacturer, which is owned by Indian conglomerate Tata, saw retail sales drop 3.4 per cent year-on-year in November. Read more: British car industry troubles run far deeper than Brexit But in [...]
Food prices drop for first time in four years due to anti-stockpiling measures in 2020 lockdown April 28, 2021 Food prices fell this month for the first time in four years in comparison to last year, when retailers paused discounting to reduce stockpiling at the beginning of the pandemic. Prices fell 0.6 per cent in April, down from a rise of 0.3 per cent in March, marking the first time food prices have been [...]
Primark lifts profit forecast after store reopenings boost sales July 1, 2021 Primark has hiked its profit forecast for the full year after the easing of lockdown restrictions drove a sharp rise in sales for the third quarter. Parent company Associated British Foods (ABF) said profit at the budget fashion chain would be roughly in line with last year — up from previous guidance of “somewhat lower”. [...]