Mind the gap? Financing scale-ups takes sharper focus August 19, 2020 ‘There is a risk… of a lost generation of innovative businesses unable to access the right capital to scale and go global’: so warns an analysis published this month entitled The Future of Growth Capital. The report – co-produced by Innovate Finance, the ScaleUp Institute and Deloitte, in collaboration with industry, investors and the recently [...]
Aldi Christmas revenue tops £1bn but growth slows January 6, 2020 German discount retailer Aldi said today that its Christmas sales increased 7.9 per cent year-on-year to break £1bn for the first time. The supermarket chain said its sales in the four weeks ended Christmas eve were driven by strong growth in beers, wines and spirits, its premium Specially Selected range and fresh meat. Total beers, [...]
Share and share alike: electronically? August 28, 2020 Where – if you’re lucky enough to own shares – do you store the paperwork? A drawer? The attic? Share certificates – possessed by millions of Britons – and dividend cheques seem on a path becoming obsolete. A trend towards digital delivery of shareholder-related communications means that the era of private investors filing away their [...]
Marks and Spencer (LON:MKS) share price: Steve Rowe promises to “make M&S special again” as sales and profits slide while CFO Helen Weir steps down November 8, 2017 Marks and Spencer Group’s profits fell in the first half, as the retailer faced additional headwinds in its food business and continued the struggle to boost clothing sales. The group also confirmed reports that its chief financial officer, Helen Weir, will leave the company in due course. Shares in the company rose 3.5 per cent [...]
The Week Ahead: Look out for GDP data, Ocado, AstraZ, Twitter and Ted Baker February 8, 2021 Start your week informed: here are the announcements and results to look out for this week. UK GDP: A double dip recession is looming After a fairly decent third quarter, and an expansion of 16 per cent, the UK economy has had a much more troubled fourth quarter, with the likelihood that we may well [...]
How should Waitrose move on as Ocado deal comes to an end? February 12, 2020 Supermarket chain Waitrose has announced an overhaul of its products and a new advertising campaign to retain customers this summer when its deal with delivery provider Ocado comes to an end. Ocado’s partnership with Waitrose comes to an end in August, and a new deal with Marks & Spencer will be delivered shortly after. As [...]
Wall Street shares plummet after Apple warning over China slowdown January 3, 2019 Wall Street shares have plummeted in response to Apple’s warning over a slowdown in China. All three major US indices tumbled on opening as Apple’s nine per cent fall caused another painful day for investors. The tech giant said lower demand for its products in China and the country’s economic deceleration were to blame for [...]
High street redundancies: Which retailers have cut jobs in the pandemic so far? February 13, 2021 Thousands of high street jobs have evaporated during the coronavirus pandemic, as retail chains have fallen under the pressure of lockdown restrictions on trading. The UK high street, which was already struggling before the pandemic, is set to look very different when shoppers return after lockdown following high profile collapses that have cost many retail [...]
Google vows to curb political ad targeting November 21, 2019 Google has vowed to ban advertisements which target people based on their political leanings, as the debate over digital ads intensifies ahead of the upcoming US presidential election. The tech giant has said it will reduce audience targeting for election ads to age, gender and general location at a postal code level. Read more: Google [...]
Travis Perkins suspends dividend and delays Wickes de-merger March 20, 2020 Builders’ merchant Travis Perkins has suspended its dividend due to coronavirus uncertainty. The company also announced its intention to delay its long planned de-merger of DIY retailer Wickes. However, the group announced in its trading update a strong balance sheet with cash deposits of £185m. Boss Nick Roberts said: “Our highest priority is the health [...]