Marks & Spencer is no longer special May 19, 2009 FOR a supposed retail guru, Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose is not doing well. His firm is underperforming Tesco, J Sainsbury, Morrisons and Alliance Boots, among others. Yesterday’s grim full year results show that the firm has a lot of hard thinking to do. Its product and pricing mix still isn’t quite right; [...]
KKR could yet pull off huge Boots coup May 18, 2009 TOGETHER with Guy Hands’ purchase of EMI, the creation and buy-out of Alliance Boots, the pharmacy-led health and beauty group, was one of the symbolic deals of the boom years. The firm was created when Alliance UniChem merged with Boots in 2006, before becoming the first FTSE 100 member to be taken private by a [...]
Boots slashes staff by 1,500 May 18, 2009 ALLIANCE Boots, the chemist, said yesterday it will slash 1,500 jobs at its pharmaceutical wholesale arm, in a bid to save £55m a year to brace itself for “the most difficult market conditions” ever seen at the division. The group pledged to cut the division’s staff by 10 per cent, even though its underlying profits [...]
Boots slashes staff by 1,500 May 18, 2009 ALLIANCE Boots, the chemist, said yesterday it will slash 1,500 jobs at its pharmaceutical wholesale arm, in a bid to save £55m a year to brace itself for “the most difficult market conditions” ever seen at the division. The group pledged to cut the division’s staff by 10 per cent, even though its underlying profits [...]
White bags and Burmese rubies: a practical guide to stealth wealth May 18, 2009 THERE was a time, not that long ago, that guests at Nobu would be eager to show that they were raking it in. Expensive bottles of sake would be ordered and placed on the table for all to see. But in these straitened times even the wealthy are less inclined to be seen to spend [...]
How to keep yourself young and healthy while soaking up the rays May 18, 2009 IT’S all too tempting to run joyfully to the beach or pool without a minute’s delay upon rocking up at your sun-drenched destination. But the glee of having escaped the damp squib of a British summer can distract you from the very pressing matter of your suncare. Those moments of joy at feeling warmth and [...]
Ageing team is a problem, says Hiddink May 17, 2009 GUUS HIDDINK admits the new Chelsea manager will have to freshen up an ageing squad after signing off at Stamford Bridge with a comfortable victory over Blackburn. The Dutchman was given a rousing reception by the Blues faithful in his last home match of his temporary managerial reign. Goals in either half from Florent Malouda [...]
OUT THIS WEEKEND PREVIEWS May 14, 2009 FILMFIGHTING Tough as old boots movie about bare-knuckle boxing in New York. VIVA Peculiarly kitsch drama about suburban sexual-awakening in 50s America. FRENCH FILM Incompetent Brit rom-com, with a bizarre cameo from Eric Cantona. DVDFROST/NIXON Michael Sheen and Frank Langella star in the adaptation of Peter Morgan’s play. DEFIANCE World War II drama with Daniel Craig [...]
King Fernando 9/2 to reign August 15, 2008 Fernando Torres to be top Premier League goalscorer – 9/2 Fernando Torres is ready to be crowned king of the Premier League goal scoring charts this season, with the Spaniard a stand-out 9/2 punt to take over the mantle held last season by Cristiano Ronaldo. With the Manchester United ace currently sidelined with an ankle [...]
…and Terry puts the boot in August 6, 2008 Chelsea captain John Terry has turned the tables on Manchester United by saying they, and not the Blues, are the ones who are past their best. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson sparked a row last month by suggesting Chelsea’s squad was too old to improve on last season, when they finished second to his side [...]