Matalan posts slow growth, facing challenges from weak pound and volatile markets October 8, 2018 Matalan grew revenues by one per cent in its second quarter, while full price sales increased 3.3 per cent as the discount retailer faced challenges from a weak pound, and a “volatile and challenging market.” Its latest results show Matalan boosted revenue to £262.4m, up £2.5m year on year. Online growth was healthier, increasing 25 [...]
H&M takes a $20m stake in fintech startup Klarna October 8, 2018 Swedish fintech startup Klarna has today announced a global partnership with fashion powerhouse H&M, which included a $20m (£15.3m) investment in the business. The deal will see Klarna integrate its digital payments technology into H&M's physical and online stores via its payment programme H&M Club1. Klarna allows shoppers to pay securely for products online with flexible payment options [...]
Tesco scraps best before dates on fruit and veg lines as supermarket aims to cut food waste October 8, 2018 Tesco will remove the best before dates on apples, oranges and dozens of other fruit and vegetables in its latest attempt to help reduce food waste, the company announced today. The store is set to scrap dates on 116 fresh produce products, a move it claimed 69 per cent of customers would support. It wants to [...]
Airbnb facing enquiry from HMRC over UK activity October 8, 2018 Online short-term rentals giant Airbnb is facing enquiries from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) about its tax situation. The company said in a note published on Companies House that it had been contacted by HMRC "regarding the application of tax laws or regulations" impacting its business. This is in addition to facing tax inquiries and proceedings about its [...]
Carrefour jumps on blockchain bandwagon in effort to track food supplies October 8, 2018 Europe’s biggest retailer is to roll out blockchain technology to trace the supply of goods such as chickens and eggs. Carrefour is planning to gradually deploy a blockchain ledger across its fresh product lines over the next several years, in a bid to bolster the security of its global supply chains. The French retailer is employing IBM, [...]
Flying high: Angling Direct hooks in revenues as physical stores prove to be a big catch October 8, 2018 Angling Direct reeled in a sharp rise in turnover over the first half of 2018, amid burgeoning sales that were bolstered by European expansion and UK store growth. The group today posted a 55 per cent rise in revenue in the first six months of the year, jumping to £21.9m, on the back of a [...]
Harrods to increase in-store investment after customers spent £2.1bn last year October 8, 2018 Harrods will increase investment in luxury boutiques at its Knightsbridge store after defying the retail environment with a 9 per cent profit rise. The luxury department store posted profits after tax of £176.7m, up nearly 9 per cent on the previous year's £162.5m. More than £2.1bn was spent at Harrods in the year ending 3 [...]
Second customer to have died after allergic reaction to Pret product named as Celia Marsh October 8, 2018 The second Pret a Manger customer believed to have died after having an allergic reaction to one of the chain's products has been named. Celia Marsh, 42, died on 27 December 2017 after eating a "super-veg rainbow flatbread" that was supposed to be dairy-free, but was later found to contain a yoghurt with traces of dairy. [...]
French Connection shares rocket as retailer looks for a buyer October 8, 2018 Shares in French Connection were up a huge 32 per cent in early morning trading on the back of news that the brand is up for sale. The clothing retailer yesterday confirmed that it is looking to sell, with founder Stephen Marks hoping to offload his 42 per cent stake. Read more: French Connection founder [...]
Easyhotel reveals portfolio growth in continued UK and European expansion October 8, 2018 Budget hotels operator Easyhotel's UK and European expansion efforts this year have resulted in a 42 per cent jump in its portfolio size, a trading update this morning revealed. The figures In the financial year ending 30 September 2018, Easyhotel opened five new hotels owned by the company, and four new franchisee hotels. Combined, this resulted in [...]