Three things to expect from the M&S full-year results on Wednesday May 18, 2015 If City analysts are anything to go by, this Wednesday could be a good one for Marks & Spencer's chief executive Marc Bolland. The troubled high street giant is forecast to post its first full-year rise in profits for four years. M&S has invested billions of pounds trying to improve the 798-strong store portfolio, up [...]
Marks & Spencer’s share price jumps as retailer finally breaks 14-quarter decline in general merchandise April 2, 2015 The numbers Marks and Spencer has recorded its first growth in general merchandise – the division heavily focused on clothing – in 14 quarters. The like for like growth of 0.7 per cent for the three months to March 28 brings to a close a two-and-a-half-year downwards spiral that has plagued chief executive Marc Bolland's tenure. [...]
Marks & Spencer patches up sales at clothing arm March 29, 2015 Marks and Spencer is expected to report an improvement in sales at its general merchandise arm as the retailer recovers from its recent warehousing debacle and thanks to fewer clothes being left on the shelves. Citi, joint broker to M&S, expects the high street chain to report a 0.1 per cent decline in underlying sales [...]
Marks & Spencer’s chairman Robert Swannell joins remuneration committee as SABMiller chairman Jan du Plessis steps down March 4, 2015 Marks & Spencer chairman Robert Swannell is joining the high street giant's remuneration committee after a shake up of the non-executive board. The move has been prompted by the departure of SABMiller chairman Jan du Plessis, who is stepping down from the Marks & Spencer board today (March 4). Du Plessis, who has [...]
Marks & Spencer to enter Beijing as it shuts five Shanghai stores March 2, 2015 Marks & Spencer is poised to open stores in Beijing and Guangzhou – but will reduce its presence in greater Shanghai. Currently M&S has around 15 stores in China, but this will be the first time it has entered the country’s capital city. The high street giant said it had “firm intent” to enter those [...]
It’s high time supermarkets had a radical lesson in supply chain management February 10, 2015 Every year, the supermarkets hire substantial batches of high-flying graduates to work in their buying departments. The urban mythology is that these expensively-educated young people are paid to shout down the phone, browbeating suppliers to offer yet more discounts. This hectoring seems to be at the heart of the recent decision of the Groceries Code [...]
Morrisons, Tesco, Ocado and Marks & Spencer’s share prices soar after UK food sector shows signs of growth February 10, 2015 Supermarkets led the FTSE 100 higher this afternoon, after figures revealed the grocery sector was in growth once again. Morrisons' share price had recorded the biggest gains at pixel time, rising 5.5 per cent. This was on the back of Kantar figures out this morning, showing its sales had fallen 0.4 per cent, the [...]
11 of the world’s 100 most sustainable companies are in the UK: Marks & Spencer, BT, and the London Stock Exchange January 22, 2015 The UK is home to 11 of the world's 100 most sustainable companies with Marks & Spencer, BT, and the London Stock Exchange all making it into the prestigious ranking. The other UK-based companies listed were Reckitt Benckiser, Centrica, Unilever, British Land, Sky, Pearson, BG Group and Electrocomponents. Each year media company Corporate Knights produces the ranking which measures companies' sustainability in terms [...]
Marks & Spencer seeks customer loyalty with digital coffee app trial January 21, 2015 Marks & Spencer's chief executive Marc Bolland knows something about the power of loyalty. In his case it's shareholder (and staff) sticking with him despite three and a half years-worth of consecutive declines in clothing sales. But the business is also awakening to the fact it's quite helpful if your customers are loyal, [...]
Ex-M&S exec Simon Webster to lead Silvertown Quays regeneration in London’s Royal Docks January 18, 2015 Former Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer director Simon Webster has been appointed to lead the £3.5bn regeneration of Silvertown Quays in London’s Royal Docks. The Silvertown Partnership, a consortium of developers Chelsfield Properties, First Base and Macquarie Capital, said Webster has joined the team as managing director. He was previously managing director of The Goodman [...]