Struggling retailer Paperchase exploring sale or store closures January 24, 2019 The owner of stationery and greeting card chain Paperchase is exploring a possible sale as its feels out landlords about a potential company voluntary arrangement (CVA). According to Sky News, Paperchase’s adviser KPMG has been contacting potential buyers this week about a deal which could include a pre-pack administration. The company is also sounding out [...]
‘Exit on WTO terms is still a very real possibility’: City reacts to Theresa May’s resignation May 24, 2019 Business groups reacted today to the resignation of Theresa May as Prime Minister. The interim director of the Institute of Directors Edwin Morgan said: “To borrow a phrase, nothing has changed, or at least, very little has. A new leader will be faced with the same political challenges and the same economic realities. “No deal [...]
Tesco set to ‘axe up to 15,000 jobs’ January 27, 2019 Fears that Tesco will axe 15,000 jobs emerged over the weekend, amid reports that Britain’s largest grocer is planning to overhaul some of its store operations as part of a £1.5bn cost-cutting plan. Reports in the Mail on Sunday said today that thousands of employees in Tesco’s meat, fish and delicatessen counters face the firing [...]
70,000 retail jobs lost in 2018, says trade body BRC January 24, 2019 Panic over further troubles on the high street has been underlined this morning, with new figures showing that some 70,000 retail jobs were lost last year. A retail employment monitor out today from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has found that the total number of jobs was down 2.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of [...]
‘Everyday economy’ neglected by government’s industrial strategy, MPs warn March 19, 2019 Retail, hospitality and steel sectors are being neglected by the government’s industrial strategy, a group of MPs have warned. A report published today by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee is calling on ministers to publish an “action plan” on how they will boost productivity in the ‘everyday economy’. The MPs also demanded the [...]
House of Fraser suffers 60 per cent sales drop in run-up to Christmas January 21, 2019 House of Fraser has reportedly suffered a dive in sales over the crucial Christmas trading season, in a fresh sign of the woes facing the beleaguered department store chain. Year-on-year sales plunged 60 per cent in the 12 weeks to 18 December, according to Kantar Worldpanel figures reported in The Sunday Telegraph. It is the [...]
Footfall slides in December as discounting does little to boost retail woes January 14, 2019 The number of shoppers visiting retail parks, shopping centre and high streets continued to slide during December, as attempts to claw back revenue lost earlier in the year through festive discounting failed to lift the fortunes for many of Britain’s bricks-and-mortar brands. New figures released by Springboard this morning have found that footfall in December tumbled [...]
Consumer spending growth slows and retail sales fall on Brexit fears March 4, 2019 Consumer spending growth and retail sales fell last month as households cut back on non-essential items amid fears over Brexit and the UK’s economic prospects. Clothing, department store and hotel spending all contracted in February, according to the latest monthly spend data from Barclaycard. Read more: Retail investors are sitting tight amid Brexit uncertainty Spending [...]
Shopping centre put up for auction for £1 as retail sector looks to a challenging 2019 January 18, 2019 Worries on the high street were compounded this morning as a Scottish shopping centre was put up for sale for a solitary pound. The Postings Shopping Centre in Fife boasts a pharmacy, a bakery and a cafe over 80,618 sq ft. Read more: Retail sales fall as 'suffocating' Brexit uncertainty envelopes UK high streets However it [...]
January discounts give retailers a boost but high street caution remains February 5, 2019 Retail sales rose last month thanks to a boost from January discounting, but retailers remain cautious as uncertainty on the high street continues. Total sales were up 2.2 per cent in January compared to the month before, an improvement from the 1.4 per cent increase seen in the same period last year and the highest [...]