M&S to close dozens of stores November 4, 2016 Marks & Spencer will be closing dozens of UK stores and will cut its clothing offer in others, it's been claimed. Following reports from Bloomberg that M&S will be closing its Paris store and shops in China, Sky News has said that M&S boss Steve Rowe will announce UK store closures next week. It is expected that [...]
John Lewis sets the bar for Christmas trading with healthy 2.3 per cent growth in festive week December 31, 2015 The high street can breathe a sigh of relief if bellwether John Lewis is anything to go by: sales at the department store during Christmas week were up a healthy 2.3 per cent on 2014. The retailer, which last year celebrated its 150th anniversary, posted sales of £129.2m in the week to 26 December. The shopping [...]
New Ukip leader Paul Nuttall is mulling a bid to snatch Andy Burnham’s Greater Manchester constituency next year December 4, 2016 Newly-elected Ukip leader Paul Nuttall is mulling a bid for the constituency of Labour's Andy Burnham in an effort to enter the House of Commons. Burnham is due to step down as a Leigh MP next year to fight for the mayoralty of Greater Manchester, and Nuttall is considering a battle to steal the seat from [...]
Former Tesco (TSCO) executives set to appear in UK court on fraud charges September 3, 2017 Three former Tesco executives will appear in court tomorrow, charged with fraud relating to the supermarket’s 2014 accounting scandal. The three men were charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) last September, and pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing at the beginning of August. Read more: Co-op’s the latest supermarket to drop [...]
High street footfall increased as consumers looked to do more than shop on Black Friday November 27, 2016 High street footfall had a shocking Black Friday comeback as British consumers looked for an "experience" with their shopping trip, new research suggests. Online sales fell well below expectations, increasing just 6.7 per cent and failing to meet both the forecast of 25 per cent and the 31 per cent rise in 2015. At the same time, high street footfall was [...]
Is the John Lewis Christmas advert never knowingly over commercial? November 11, 2015 Christmas comes but once a year – as does John Lewis’ much-heralded festive TV ad campaign. And, regular as clockwork, its Man on the Moon ad was released on Friday as part of the retailer’s £7m campaign. As usual, it’s a heart-warming story played out over a now customary cover of a classic song, Oasis’ [...]
Britons set to spend £2bn this Black Friday November 25, 2016 Black Friday is set to be even more manic this year as Brits are set to spend £1.96bn on the country's biggest day of discounts. The figure is a 19 per cent increase on last year, and equates to a spend of £2.31m per minute, according to research from Voucher Codes and the Centre for [...]
Sky is having a Black Friday sale and it includes a free TV, laptop or Xbox One November 24, 2016 Black Friday might be a US thing, but that doesn't mean some of the biggest British brands aren't getting involved. And many of them aren't even retailers. Step forward, Sky, which has launched its own Black Friday shop, with deals on TV bundles and broadband. And you could end up with a free TV. The [...]
White Christmas, white goods: These are AO World’s best Black Friday deals November 25, 2016 Black Friday isn't just limited to bricks-and-mortar retailers – this year, the online retailers are getting in there too. White goods giant AO World has entered the fray. Whether you're a whizz in the kitchen or would rather relax in front of a giant telly, here are some of its best deals. Read more: Sky [...]
Why Biffa’s chief executive refused to scrap IPO plans despite “fairly tortuous process” November 30, 2016 The chief executive of Biffa has described taking the waste management company public this year as a “fairly tortuous process”. Biffa pushed ahead with its initial public offering (IPO) in October, but was forced to reduce its share price offer from 220p to 180p, meaning a total raise of £210m, down from £270m. Other companies, [...]