The options facing Eddie Jones ahead of England’s Six Nations squad announcement January 15, 2020 England’s opening Six Nations match next month is a difficult trip to Paris against a French side that has undergone a complete overhaul. Their new head coach, Fabien Galthie, who was promoted from assistant following the World Cup, has left out a handful of experienced stars, including Yoann Huget, Maxime Medard and Camille Lopez, in [...]
Why John Lewis’ price promise won’t deliver profits September 14, 2018 Retail bellwether John Lewis reported a 99 per cent drop in profits yesterday in what one analyst labelled a moment as significant as the fall of the Roman empire, as far as the struggling high street is concerned. The middle-class favourite’s profit before one-off items slumped to £1.4m in the six months to 28 July [...]
Why John Lewis’ price promise won’t deliver profits September 14, 2018 Retail bellwether John Lewis reported a 99 per cent drop in profits yesterday in what one analyst labelled a moment as significant as the fall of the Roman empire, as far as the struggling high street is concerned. The middle-class favourite’s profit before one-off items slumped to £1.4m in the six months to 28 July [...]
M&S and Microsoft launch strategic partnership June 21, 2018 Marks & Spencer is teaming up with Microsoft in a bid to shake off its reputation as a digital laggard. A strategic partnership between the two companies will focus on testing the integration of Microsoft artificial intelligence (AI) tech into M&S stores and wider operations. Today’s announcement comes a day after a former M&S digital [...]
Botanical drinks startup with top City backers set for crowdfunding May 14, 2019 A botanical drinks startup which counts high-profile City veterans and celebrities among its backers is set to launch a £1m crowdfunding in its latest expansion drive. David Spencer-Percival, the serial entrepreneur who runs No.1 Rosemary Water, told City A.M. he is looking to lure in fresh capital amid a global product drive and the launch of [...]
A luddite levy on online shopping won’t help the high street October 23, 2018 Time and time again over the past few months, we’ve heard prominent figures in the retail world call for a special sales tax on online companies to help prop up their struggling sector, from the Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis, to the New West End Company that represents Selfridges and Marks & Spencer. Chancellor Philip [...]
Demand for London retail space slumps as high street woes deepen | City A.M. July 19, 2018 Demand for retail space in London has dived as woes around high street closures grow, according to a highly-regarded survey out today. Roughly 68 per cent more chartered surveyors in London’s retail sector noted a quarterly fall, rather than a rise, in demand for space in the capital, reaching levels not seen since 2008. The [...]
UK’s largest apprenticeship provider Learndirect snapped up by training firm DTS June 23, 2018 Training firm Learndirect has today been sold to education company Dimensions Training Solutions (DTS) in a deal which could save 1,000 jobs, according to reports today. It ends months of uncertainty over Learndirect's future after the company's training services were given a poor rating by Ofsted. Learndirect has also suffered from government cuts to adult [...]
M&S fashion brands are under threat as the struggling retailer looks to cut costs June 17, 2018 Marks & Spencer could abandon its once flagship womenswear brand as the retailer’s crisis deepens. Per Una, which generated roughly £750m for the floundering high street giant at its peak, is now one of several brands to be put under review by chief executive Steve Rowe as the company looks to cut costs. The fashion [...]
The Sultan of Brunei has made his first investment in a UK listed company, ploughing £20m into Graze Draper Esprit June 5, 2018 The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has made the country’s first investment in a UK listed company, writing a £20m cheque through the sovereign wealth fund Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) for venture capital firm Draper Esprit. Draper, which has backed businesses including snack box delivery firm Graze and digital bank Revolut, announced last week that [...]