Web treats prove to be a real bargain July 10, 2012 SHOPPING is all about justification. “I need that extra jumper because…”. And when it comes to justifying our purchases, we turn to one of two options. “Because I’m worth it” or “because it’s cheap”. Buying decisions, beyond bare essentials, are about treats and bargains. That’s true even in cash-strapped times like the present. Earlier this [...]
M&S to introduce in-store banking service June 8, 2012 Retailer Marks & Spencer said it plans to launch an in-store banking service next month, backed by Europe’s biggest bank HSBC. The group said 50 M&S Bank branches will open in M&S stores across the UK over the next two years, with the first branch scheduled to open in July at its flagship Marble Arch [...]
THE TIPSTER | Female fashion fails on attractiveness July 9, 2012 HIGH street retailer Marks and Spencer’s is today expected to announce its worst performance since the first quarter of 2009. Despite attempts to revitalise its female clothing arm through celebrity advertising, this area is clearly struggling and weighs on its non-food sector. Given that women’s clothing makes up 60 per cent of M&S’s general merchandise, [...]
Stuart Rose takes the chair of discount fashion store Blue Inc June 17, 2012 SIR STUART ROSE has become chairman of the fast-growing discount fashion chain Blue Inc, taking up his first major corporate role since leaving retailer Marks & Spencer 18 months ago. Rose takes the role after investing a small amount of his own money in Blue Inc last year, following a larger investment from the billionaire [...]
RAPID RESPONSES July 10, 2012 Top level failure [Re: Osborne and Tucker have both been damaged by Libor row, yesterday] I’m staggered that both Paul Tucker and Bob Diamond didn’t take notes of their telephone conversations, or indeed have them recorded. Under Financial Services Authority regulations, many of us have to. We’d get fined or disbarred if we didn’t. Quentin [...]
M&S shakes up management as sales slump July 10, 2012 MARKS & SPENCER announced a raft of management changes yesterday and confirmed that its head of general merchandise Kate Bostock is to leave, as the retail giant revealed its worst quarterly sales figures in years. The company said Bostock will be leaving by mutual consent on 1 October and will be succeed by John Dixon, [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING July 17, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES M&S to charge for current accounts Marks and Spencer is set to become the first UK bank to shun free current accounts as it plans to charge all customers a monthly fee for banking services when it launches later this year. The retailer said it would offer two accounts, priced at £15 and [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 28, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Bostock poised to leave M&S Kate Bostock, the head of all of Marks and Spencer’s non-food business, including clothing, is poised to leave the high street retailer. Ms Bostock’s departure could be announced at M&S’s annual meeting on July 10, or possibly sooner. The expected departure of Ms Bostock, who has been with [...]
Marks & Spencer full-year profit expected to miss City forecasts May 20, 2012 MARKS AND SPENCER is expected to become the latest retailer to scale back on its growth targets when it posts preliminary full-year results tomorrow that are forecast to fall short of expectations. Two years ago, Britain’s biggest clothing retailer set itself an ambitious target to increase its sales by between £1.6bn to £2.5bn a year [...]
Marks & Spencer full-year profit expected to miss City forecasts May 20, 2012 MARKS AND SPENCER is expected to become the latest retailer to scale back on its growth targets when it posts preliminary full-year results tomorrow that are forecast to fall short of expectations. Two years ago, Britain’s biggest clothing retailer set itself an ambitious target to increase its sales by between £1.6bn to £2.5bn a year [...]