Private equity groups close in on Pets at Home January 25, 2010 FOUR firms were thought to have launched bids of up to £800m for Pets at Home last night. Apax Partners, Bain, KKR and TPG made it through to a second round of bidding for the company and all four were expected to table bids before the deadline last night. The company will then decide whether [...]
Weak pound fuels London sales boost January 18, 2010 SHOP sales in the capital soared over Christmas as tourists and Londoners embarked on spending sprees. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported that in London sales jumped 12 per cent in December – the best performance since it started publishing the figures in 2002. Visitors from Europe, China and the Middle East hit the shops, [...]
Conditions deemed ‘perfect’ for a memorable Festival March 14, 2010 RACING conditions at Cheltenham are said to be perfect for this week’s four-day Festival, which gets underway tomorrow. Improving weather means the going is described as good to soft, good in places on both Old and New Courses and good to soft in places on the cross-country course. Officials stopped watering both courses last Thursday [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING April 26, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES FISHMEAL PRICES SCALE ALL-TIME HIGH The price of fishmeal, the key feedstuff for salmon and shrimp aquaculture, has surged to an all-time high after an earthquake wiped out processing plants in Chile, the world’s second-biggest exporter of the commodity, this year. The blow comes as the industry is already battling a supply squeeze [...]
Tesco sales surge after Clubcard bonus January 12, 2010 TESCO has had its best Christmas in three years after slashing prices and offering double Clubcard points to get customers through the door. Britain’s biggest supermarket chain reported that like-for-like sales at its UK stores jumped by 4.9 per cent during December and early January. Tesco saw a 35 per cent surge in sales of [...]
Sales go GaGa for online fashion firm January 18, 2010 PARTY gear helped to generate 30 per cent rise in sales at internet fashion retailer Asos over Christmas. Lace and underwear as outerwear inspired by Lady GaGa has been one of the key sellers for the company. Chief executive Nick Robertson said: “I’m the happiest retailer in the UK, nobody else has produced figures of [...]
Greggs in slim sales rise after mince pie bonanza January 12, 2010 BAKERY chain Greggs sold more than a million mince pies a week over the festive period helping to give it an overall sales lift. Comparative sales during the four weeks to December 26 grew 1.1 per cent with a “very strong performance” in the Christmas week with a 4.4 per cent improvement. But the company [...]
Hornby sales back in the fast lane January 24, 2010 THE popularity of Scalextric sets helped to put toymaker Hornby’s sales into the fast lane over Christmas. Hornby said the racing game had received a boost after current Formula One grand prix teams were introduced. Toys from Disney/Pixar’s Cars has also helped to fuel the sales rise. The company said demand for its brands from [...]
Inflation hits 14-month high of 3.5pc February 16, 2010 BRITAIN’S inflation rate jumped to a 14-month high of 3.5 per cent in January. The increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) will mean Bank of England Governor Mervyn King will have to write a letter of explanation to the Chancellor detailing why inflation has risen more than one percentage point above the 2 per [...]
Inflation hits 14-month high of 3.5pc February 16, 2010 BRITAIN’S inflation rate jumped to a 14-month high of 3.5 per cent in January. The increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) will mean Bank of England Governor Mervyn King, will have to write a letter of explanation to the Chancellor detailing why inflation has risen more than one percentage point above the 2 per [...]