Hancock twins make sweet deal after selling the family business November 22, 2012 THE TWIN brothers behind the pick ‘n’ mix company Hancocks have sold the family business to a Dutch private equity firm for £50m. Andrew and Adrian Hancock have sold the Leicestershire-based cash and carry business founded by their parents 50 years ago to H2 Equity Partners, the group said yesterday. The sweets and chocolates specialist [...]
Topshop tycoon says retail must raise its game November 21, 2012 ARCADIA yesterday posted a 25 per cent surge in profits as its billionaire owner Sir Philip Green told retailers to stop moaning about the economic downturn and get on with it. “We’ve got to trade. I can’t keep listening to all these people making it up as they go along,” Green said yesterday at his [...]
Google is spared the public’s anger over UK tax spat November 20, 2012 LAST week executives from Amazon, Google and Starbucks appeared before the House of Commons public accounts committee to discuss the issue of tax avoidance, which led to some calls for consumers to boycott big brands that are accused of not paying their fair share. But how is brand perception actually impacted by these sort of [...]
British fashion reaps rewards at industry gongs November 6, 2012 The 2012 Global Fashion Awards was a very British affair this week. The annual event, which celebrates the best in fashion and retail across the world, saw many British companies walk away with several of the big awards. Victoria Beckham was one of the biggest winners of the night, beating stiff competition from the likes [...]
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, [...]
Accessorise your summer look with some choice pieces June 6, 2012 WOMEN Eeugenia Kim Abby belt-trimmed straw sunhat, £230, netaporter.com Gleaming gold, this straw hat is just the right amount distressed, making for a beach-ready but oh-so-chic summer look. Top Shop Geo Triangle Collar, £15, topshop.com Elegant and easy, this collar necklace looks too classy to be cheap and cheerful, despite the price tag. The triangles [...]
Mellow yellow: adding warmth to chilly spring May 16, 2012 Mango scarf print dress, £34.99, mango.com Ultra-chic, this belted dress manages to evoke the golden hue of summer while keeping a solid work-worthy respectability. The mosaic is very on trend. Massimo Polomba Ella Narcissus yellow tote, £350, asos.com Hand-crafted in Italy, this gorgeous tote will carry your life in it easily – without looking sloppy. [...]
HOME FROM HOME SOHO LAUNCH FOR IPAD CROWD January 3, 2012 IF THE late Lucian Freud had owned a crash-pad in Soho, what would it have looked like? Such was the starting point for Apartment 58, the first in a new breed of members’ clubs for the iPad generation. “We wanted something that works for a busy executive in a major metropolis,” said Notting Hill Arts [...]
Green to cut hundreds of shops as wary consumers stay home November 24, 2011 ARCADIA Group, the retailer owned by billionaire Sir Philip Green, yesterday said it planned to close up to 260 stores over the next three years after announcing a big fall in profits. The group, which owns fashion retail stores including Topshop, Miss Selfridge, and department store BHS, said it would not renew half of its [...]
Arcadia profits fall by 38pc November 24, 2011 Arcadia, the Topshop-to-Bhs British retail group owned by billionaire Philip Green, added to the bad news coming from the UK high street, posting a 38 per cent fall in year profit and a further deterioration in recent trading as mild weather deterred winter clothing purchases. The group, which also owns the Topman, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, [...]