House of Fraser owed millions to major brands before collapse August 18, 2018 House of Fraser racked up debts of almost £500m in the run-up to its collapse, owing major designer brands such as Gucci, Armani and Mulberry. Administrators Ernst & Young (EY) have reported that the chain’s creditors are owed sums totalling hundreds of millions of pounds, with more than 1,000 suppliers set to be out of [...]
New Look narrows losses as turnaround plan pays off February 11, 2020 High street retailer New Look narrowed its losses in the third quarter, as a new leadership team pushed ahead with its transformation plan. New Look said it narrowed its losses from £63.2m to a statutory loss before tax of £1.2m, despite falling sales. Like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland fell 7.1 per cent over [...]
Mike Ashley hits out at landlords as three House of Fraser stores set to close September 23, 2018 House of Fraser boss Mike Ashley has hit out at "greedy" landlords as he announced the closure of three department stores. At least 15 stores that were previously earmarked for closure have been saved, House of Fraser announced, however branches in Edinburgh, Hull and Swindon face being shut down. Sports Direct owner Ashley, who [...]
Retail landlord Intu to seek £1bn of emergency cash January 19, 2020 Shopping centre landlord Intu is preparing to launch an attempt to raise £1bn in emergency funding following a torrid year for the UK retail industry. The property firm, which owns Manchester’s Trafford Centre, has been hurt by the challenges facing the retail industry, as brands such as Topshop, Debenhams and House of Fraser have closed [...]
Coronavirus: Follow government advice and pandemic will end sooner, says health secretary March 20, 2020 The health secretary has urged the public to follow government advice as it will allow life to return to normal sooner. Matt Hancock said adhering to social distancing measures would prevent “difficult situations” such as those seen in Italy, where hospitals have become overwhelmed. “The more people follow the public health advice, the quicker we [...]
DEBATE: Does the ‘royal’ brand hold any cachet anyway? February 25, 2020 Harry and Meghan have dropped the word ‘royal’, but does the brand hold any cachet anyway? Max Ottignon, co-founder of branding agency Ragged Edge, says YES. There’s a huge amount of value in the royal brand. It comes with a rich legacy, one that has been carefully curated and protected over time. And it carries [...]
Philip Day’s Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group ends business with House of Fraser September 5, 2018 The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group has ended business with House of Fraser due to lack of confidence in the business's future. The company, owned by retail tycoon Philip Day, said it had not been able to agree future trading terms with new owners Sports direct. Concessions for EWM's brands including Jaeger and Jacques Vert closed [...]
Sports Direct saves House of Fraser Oxford Street from closure August 21, 2018 House of Fraser's flagship branch on Oxford Street has been saved from closure after new owners Sports Direct pledged to keep the store open. The site was one of 31 slated for closure under a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) which was passed earlier this year. But the restructuring plans were rendered void when House of [...]
Hundreds of jobs in peril as Sirius Minerals project under review September 17, 2019 One of the UK’s biggest mining projects, expected to provide around 1,200 jobs, was thrown into turmoil today after it was forced to scrap a $500m (£400m) bond sale and pay back $400m from a separate sale to investors. Sirius Minerals said that poor market conditions had forced it to abandon the sale which would [...]
Sirius stock surges after Anglo American takeover approved March 4, 2020 Shares in embattled Sirius Minerals surged as markets opened after shareholders approved a controversial £405m takeover by mining giant Anglo American. Within minutes of the FTSE opening, Sirius’ stock had risen over 17 per cent as investors rushed to buy stock in the firm, which was rescued from potentially having to close its potash mine [...]