Game Group issues profit warning January 12, 2010 COMPUTER games retailer Game Group yesterday cut its full-year profit forecast following poor Christmas sales, which were hit by growing supermarket competition and a slowing video games market. The results bucked the trend elsewhere for healthy festive spending. A survey showed British retailers enjoyed the biggest rise in total sales in a December since 2005. [...]
Hornby says Scalextric boosts profits January 25, 2010 THE popularity of Scalextric sets helped to put toymaker Hornby’s sales into the fast lane over Christmas. Hornby said the racing car game had received a boost after current Formula One grand prix teams were introduced. In November the firm – which also produces Airfix models – was facing a potential downturn according to retail [...]
TWO?MBA?ENTREPRENEURS March 24, 2010 OLGA NEFEDOVA Having worked as a senior drilling engineer for oilfield services giant Schlumberger for four years, and then for Mitsubishi Steel Trading, Olga Nefedova took a full-time MBA at Warwick Business School in 2008-2009. She now combines a customer services manager role at Schlumberger with running an online gallery selling Russian art, the Kohgan [...]
M&S LEADS HIGH STREET RECOVERY January 4, 2010 HIGH street bellwether Marks & Spencer is this week expected to report its first sales growth in two years, boosting hopes that British consumers have cast aside their gloom and started spending again. The retail giant will update the market on Wednesday on how it fared over Christmas, with analysts expecting M&S to post like-for-like [...]
Craig has world at his feet February 23, 2010 HE may have only been on the scene five minutes, but Craig Kieswetter is almost nailed on to retain his place in the side for the three one-day internationals with Bangladesh, starting on Sunday. True, he couldn’t have wished for a gentler introduction to international cricket than in the form of a Bangladesh Cricket Board [...]
Approvals of home loans drop sharply February 23, 2010 MORTGAGE approvals fell sharply in January in response to inflated December activity and adverse weather conditions, the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) said yesterday. Data from the BBA showed that the number of mortgage approvals for house purchase fell to 35,083 last month from an elevated 45,650 in December, which had been boosted by the end [...]
M&S reports sales boost but warns of tough 2010 January 6, 2010 MARKS & SPENCER has reported a rise in sales for the three months to Christmas but warned of a tough year ahead. The retailer saw like for like sales rise by 0.8 per cent with record takings on food on 23 December. Food sales overall were 0.4 per cent up on the previous year with [...]
Shop Direct sales surge on internet January 5, 2010 LITTLEWOODS owner Shop Direct enjoyed a 6.3 per cent sales rise in the run-up to Christmas as shoppers flocked to buy over the internet. The home shopping group, which also operates the Woolworths.co.uk, Kays and Very.co.uk brands, said online sales were up 19 per cent on the previous year in the six weeks to 1 [...]
Travis Perkins says markets still subdued February 24, 2010 builders’ and home improvements supplier Travis Perkins reckons its markets have stabilised but is not expecting them to start growing again until, at best, the end of 2010, its chief executive said. “We’re at the bottom and we’re going to burble along it and there’ll be some weeks and months when we’re up and some [...]
Debenhams sees slim sales rise January 12, 2010 DEBENHAMS has reported a marginal rise in Christmas trading figures – and vowed to step up its store refit scheme. The chain said the 0.1 per cent rise in like-for-like sales for the 18 weeks to 2 January was in line with internal forecasts. Debenhams said growth was limited by its decision to move away [...]