Waitrose targets 1,500 new jobs as part of store expansion plans December 13, 2015 Waitrose is ramping up its expansion with plans to launch 14 stores from the spring of next year, creating 1,500 jobs. The upmarket grocer said the new openings will include five supermarkets in towns such as Truro in Cornwall and Worcester in the Midlands. They also comprise of nine new little Waitrose convenience shops, one of [...]
Debenhams’ share price leaps 15 per cent as it shrugs off winter blues to deliver solid Christmas results January 12, 2016 Debenhams' share price leapt 15 per cent this morning, as the struggling department store shrugged off the winter blues plaguing other retailers to beat expectations for the 19 weeks to 9 January. The figures The department store has grown like-for-likes 3.5 per cent on a constant currency basis, or 1.9 per cent as reported, while gross [...]
Black Friday 2015 versus 2014: One chart showing why this year’s shopping event is set to be the biggest yet November 15, 2015 Millions of shoppers made the most of Black Friday's bonanza offers last year, but some retailers were left wondering if the deal day was really all it's cracked up to be. Asda has already "called time" on a single massive sales day in favour of spreading out savings for customers, as have high street fashion chains [...]
Christmas adverts 2015: Harvey Nichols wants you to avoid “giftface” with its new festive ad November 9, 2015 High end department store Harvey Nichols has obviously been on the receiving end of a few less-than-awesome presents. The business has just released its Christmas advert for 2015, and it's all about that moment when you're confronted with a gift that is… not quite what you were hoping for. Designed by the same agency behind [...]
Can company boards be improved by worker representation? These experts think so October 6, 2015 A board, responsible and accountable for the strategy, culture and performance of a company, would be improved by more worker representation, experts on a panel at the Institute of Directors annual conference have said. There is plenty of evidence that “shows clearly when workers are represented in their boardroom you get higher investment in research [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK: Fewer fights – but also fewer deals reported by shoppers as Tesco turns away non-Black Friday bargain hunters November 27, 2015 Bargain hunters are experiencing a less stressful Black Friday so far – but they are also reporting fewer must-have deals on sale, as retailers attempt to keep better control on things than last year. Last year stores including Tesco opened their doors at midnight – this year those participating in Black Friday today opened at [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK: Police in Scotland and Manchester warn over deal scams and bargain hunter violence November 27, 2015 Police have warned bargain hunters to be vigilant on Black Friday, claiming they could become victims of online scams – or in-store violence – on what is set to be the biggest shopping day of the year. Police in Greater Manchester have told shoppers that they must check they are not being ripped off before [...]
Black Friday sales record for John Lewis December 2, 2014 JOHN Lewis has recorded its best ever week of sales in its 150-year history thanks to shoppers rushing to snap up bargains on Black Friday last week. The department store sold one tablet every second and a Samsung 40-inch Smart TV every minute.
Black Friday 2015 UK date and deals: The best offers to expect on 27 November, plus who were the winners and losers from last year October 14, 2015 Black Friday is less than seven weeks away – it falls on 27 November this year – and already consumer sites are full of predictions for which deals we'll be falling over ourselves (and other people) to pick up in 2015. We spent £810m last year, with John Lewis celebrating its biggest sales week of [...]
Beware fake hoverboards: Counterfeit goods are no longer cheap imitations confined to the black market December 16, 2015 Only a few months ago, hoverboard hysteria swept the nation. Endorsements by celebrities from Lily Allen to Usain Bolt led to a massive rush of pre-orders and John Lewis swiftly ran out of stock. However, there is also a dark side to all of this excitement: the seizure of more than 15,000 hoverboards imported into [...]