Billionaire Mike Ashley and The Entertainer may bid for iconic toy store Hamleys December 14, 2018 Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley and British toy retailer The Entertainer are among the bidders interested in a takeover of Hamleys, according to a report. The world's biggest toy shop has been owned by Chinese fashion conglomerate C.banner since 2015, but Sky News reported this morning that bids are now being considered for an acquisition [...]
Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell fined for breaching pensions law December 14, 2018 Dominic Chappell, the former owner of collapsed retailer British Home Stores, has been fined almost £124,000 for breaking pensions law after the troubled department store fell into administration. Judge Christine Henson QC, who presided over today's re-sentencing at Hove Crown Court, criticised Chappell for showing a "complete lack of remorse". He was ordered to pay [...]
Sports Direct takes profit hit from ‘challenging’ House of Fraser acquisition December 13, 2018 Sports Direct has posted a 27 per cent drop in half-year profits today, as costs from the acquisition of beleaguered department store chain House of Fraser weighed on the group’s balance books. Shares in Sports Direct slumped 12.7 per cent this afternoon, with the retailer rushing out an urgent clarification this afternoon after Mike Ashley said [...]
Mike Ashley’s high street gamble raises more questions than it answers December 13, 2018 Ten years ago in a Mayfair casino Mike Ashley made £1.3m on a single spin of the roulette wheel. His betting exploits, like those of fellow retail mogul Sir Philip Green, have highlighted the brash billionaire’s propensity to take risks. But over the course of 2018 Ashley has been making another type of gamble, not [...]
PZ Cussons remains cautious over full year outlook due to challenges in Nigeria December 13, 2018 Consumer goods manufacturer PZ Cussons reported good performance in Europe and Asia in its half-year results, but warned of challenging trading conditions in Africa. PZ Cussons, which owns brands such as Imperial Leather and Original Source, said new products and increased distribution had driven its strong trading in the six months to the end of [...]
Hamleys pulls slime toy as kids craze gets hit by EU safety warnings December 13, 2018 Hamleys has pulled a toy slime product off its shelves, after a wider test by consumer group Which found several products had failed safety tests for containing high levels of boron. Frootiputti slime, made by Goobands and sold by Hamleys, contained more than four times the EU limit for boron levels. The group said exposure to [...]
Mike Ashley slams Debenhams for rejecting his £40m loan December 13, 2018 Retail tycoon Mike Ashley has launched a scathing attack on Debenhams today, claiming that the beleaguered department store giant has rejected a £40m interest-free emergency loan. In a letter addressed to Debenhams boss Sergio Bucher, the billionaire Sports Direct owner suggests that without the money the company "has zero chance of survival". Ashley, who controls [...]
Carrot or stick? For Aldi and Lidl, equal pay goes hand in hand with commercial success December 13, 2018 Kevin the Carrot, who once again features in Aldi’s Christmas advert, is proving a bigger hit with shoppers than even Elton John, star of the John Lewis ad. Soft-toy versions of the animated vegetable sold out at 4am on the day of release in some areas and have reportedly provoked fights among customers desperate to [...]
Holiday experiences help travel operator Tui weather the heatwave storm December 13, 2018 Travel operator Tui has reported double-digit sales growth for the full year, as strong performance in hotels and cruises outweighed the impact of the summer heatwave and airline strikes. The figures Reported core earnings rose 10.9 per cent from €1.10bn (£990m) to €1.14bn. Revenues were up five per cent to €19.52bn. Profit before tax fell [...]
Tech supermarket Ocado reveals solid sales growth amid physical retail downturn December 13, 2018 Once dubbed the "Microsoft of retail", online supermarket Ocado has shaken off the sector's blues to post strong sales growth in its final quarter of the year. In a trading update for the three months to the start of December, Ocado said it had seen "consistent strong" growth in sales in the region of 12 [...]