Marks and Spencer has shut down its Beijing branch as it heads out of China March 14, 2017 Marks and Spencer has pulled out of China, closing its prestigious Beijing branch earlier this month, the company confirmed. The retailer said it also closed two stores in February in the country and three more in January. Three remaining stores in Shanghai are scheduled to close by 1 April. Adam Colton, Marks & Spencer managing [...]
Sainsbury’s Christmas sales slip despite online boost January 8, 2020 Sainsbury’s suffered the biggest drop in Christmas sales of general merchandise since it bought Argos in 2016, as consumer demand for toys and games weakened. General merchandise sales, which includes Argos, dropped 3.9 per cent in the 15 weeks to 4 January, driving a 0.7 per cent decline in total retail sales excluding fuel. However, [...]
Appointment times and NHS discounts: How retailers plan to lure shoppers back after lockdown May 23, 2020 After more than two months of enforced closure during the UK coronavirus lockdown, retailers across England are preparing to potentially reopen to shoppers from 1 June. The high street will look different when retailers are allowed to open their doors. Social distancing signage will be in place, shop assistants will wear masks and a number [...]
Introducing the new cast and crew of Downing Street August 7, 2019 The dust is beginning to settle: Boris Johnson is Prime Minister, and the Whitehall machine has been stripped and restaffed. A new team has been installed to run his Downing Street operation – but who are they, and what does it mean? Even the Prime Minister’s most vocal advocates would not describe him as a [...]
M&S clothing boss steps down as CEO takes over role July 11, 2019 Marks & Spencer head of clothing Jill McDonald is leaving the company and is set to be replaced by chief executive Steve Rowe. McDonald, the former chief executive of cycling retailer Halfords, joined the high street giant less than two years ago. Read more: M&S seeks to persuade investors of Ocado deal benefits Sky News, [...]
M&S seeks to persuade investors of Ocado deal benefits July 9, 2019 Marks & Spencer today insisted its £750m joint venture with Ocado would boost profits as it aimed to persuade uncertain investors on the benefits of the deal. The high street giant is aiming to double the size of its food business and said the tie-up with the delivery service would set it “well on the [...]
City Moves for 11 July – Who’s switching jobs? July 11, 2019 Today’s City Moves includes Norton Rose Fulbright, BDO and Historic Royal Palaces. Norton Rose Fulbright Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright is to launch a legal operations consulting practice led by Stephanie Hamon, formerly of Barclays. The practice will launch in August and will provide management and operational advice to in-house legal teams at major [...]
Ocado delivers mixed results July 10, 2018 Ocado revealed a mixed set of first-half results. Revenue rose by 12.1 per cent to £799 million, while EBITDA slipped by 13.9 per cent to £38.9 million. When you factor in depreciation, amortisation, impairments and net finance costs the company swung to a loss of £9 million. The CFO expects the full-year pre-tax loss to [...]
Christmas adverts 2019: Watch retailers from Argos to M&S and Amazon launch their festive ad campaigns November 8, 2019 We might only be a week into November but some of UK’s biggest retailers have already launched their 2019 Christmas advert campaigns, as firms race to make the most of the crucial festive trading period after a challenging year for the high street. In what has become a festive tradition, retailers have pulled out all [...]
Horse Racing Betting Tips: Back Spencer to Jaz things up for O’Keefe in handicap May 30, 2019 EPSOM handicaps are notoriously difficult puzzles to solve and today’s Investec Wealth & Investment Handicap (3.45pm) is no different. Roger Varian has landed two of the last five renewals and his Mountain Angel is bound to be popular having won over course and distance back in April. He is respected but is now up to [...]