Asos share price falls as etailer confirms Nick Robertson to leave after 15 years; Nick Beighton to take reins September 2, 2015 Asos' share price tumbled this morning as the etailer confirmed boss Nick Robertson is stepping down as chief executive of the company he founded 15 years ago. Chief operating officer Nick Beighton will take on the reins with immediate effect. Robertson will stay on as a non-executive director. Beighton has been at Asos [...]
Maturity of Aim questioned as it celebrates its 21st birthday June 20, 2016 The London Stock Exchange’s alternative investment market (Aim) has turned 21. But, in a happy birthday message, Hargreaves Lansdown has questioned its maturity. Senior analyst Laith Khalaf highlighted in a note this morning how the FTSE Aim Index has fallen by 30 per cent since its launch. Read more: Here's why you should invest on [...]
As social media platforms get better at monetising, what should marketers expect? June 6, 2016 Monetising is a top priority for the world’s leading social platforms like Twitter and Periscope, and recent figures suggest they’re getting better at it. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, the UK’s social media ad spend rose 51 per cent last year to £574m, so what developments should marketers expect from these firms over the coming [...]
What Next for the UK’s struggling high street? May 5, 2016 Retailers are having a tough old time of it. After last week’s casualties (BHS and Austin Reed) it seems likely that others could follow, and yesterday’s update from one of the high street’s more reliable traders underscored just how jittery the market has become. As a rule, Next tends to downplay its confidence about any [...]
Britain hasn’t lost Arm: Its acquisition is the start of a new Great British tech story July 19, 2016 A week ago, many were wondering whether the UK’s tech sector would become less relevant in a post-Brexit world. The news of Arm’s acquisition by SoftBank for £24bn means many things for UK tech – but irrelevance is not one of them. This acquisition is positive and timely news. Following the referendum, it’s an immediate vote [...]
Asos shrugs off last year’s woes as sales soar 20 per cent July 7, 2015 Asos is surging ahead in the UK – but international growth and currency headwinds are still dampening the etailer's earnings. The figures: Retail sales were up an impressive 20 per cent for the four months to 30 June, with the UK up 27 per cent, while international sales were up 16 per cent. International sales [...]
Could a focus on customer experience have saved BHS? June 3, 2016 Retailers have learnt harsh lessons about failing to stay relevant; the collapse of BHS is just the latest casualty. Like Woolworths and GAME before it, when BHS went into administration, the most common reaction was shock. However, the downfall of BHS cannot be considered a surprise. The company failed to keep up with the internet revolution and being outmanoeuvred [...]
Primark parent Associated British Food’s share price rises as profits climb but currency woes take their toll April 19, 2016 Profits were up across the board at Associated British Foods for the first half of the year – but currency woes have hurt top line growth. The figures Group revenue for the Weston-owned business stood at £6.12bn over the 24 weeks to 27 February, down two per cent on an actual basis or up two [...]
French Connection losses widen as Next mastermind Christos Angelides joins the board, though the share price slides March 15, 2016 High street fashion chain French Connection has reported its sales have continued to slide in the last year, down eight per cent at £164.2m. The company posted a loss of £4.7m, a substantial increase on the £0.8m loss in 2015. In an attempt to shore up its board FCUK has brought on former Next director Christos Angelides as [...]
Missguided website crash: 50pc off sales causes technical problems for online retailer and leaves customers unable to complete orders March 14, 2016 The website of online retailer Missguided has suffered technical problems after announcing a sale leaving many of its customers unable to complete orders. An offer for 50 per cent off appears to have left the retailer, which counts Asos and Boohoo.com among its rivals, struggling to cope. Shoppers turned to Twitter to express their disappointment and frustration [...]