Dominic Chappell – the man who bought BHS for £1 – arrested over unpaid tax November 13, 2016 Dominic Chappell, the former owner of BHS, has been arrested as part of the investigation into unpaid taxes on the profits made from the department store chain. He was allegedly arrested for failing to pay more than £500,000 tax on money from the department store, according to the Sunday Times. An HMRC spokesperson said: "We [...]
Blackstone-backed retailer faces testing negotiations with lenders after annual earnings are slashed November 13, 2016 Outdoor clothing retailer Jack Wolfskin has gone cap in hand to its lenders after revealing annual earnings have halved and forecast earnings will be less than previously expected. The German-based company was saddled with €485m (£418m) of debt facilities, when current owners Blackstone, a private equity firm, bought it in 2011. The debt in the business now totals €365m. [...]
The Waitrose Christmas advert is here: Move over Buster, there’s a plucky little Robin giving you all the feels November 13, 2016 The bouncing boxer dog of the John Lewis Christmas advert has a rival: a tiny Robin braving wild weather and perilous predators to return to a young girl's festive home. The Waitrose Christmas advert has been revealed, and while never quite matching up to the much-hyped John Lewis one before, this year that might just change with its [...]
Lego “not planning any future promotional activity” with Daily Mail amid protests at recent coverage November 12, 2016 Lego is “not planning any future promotional activity” with the Daily Mail, in an apparent protest at its editorial content. Stop Funding Hate, a group campaigning for companies like John Lewis and Waitrose to pull advertising from certain tabloid newspapers, has claimed the move by Lego as a victory. DMGT, the owner of the Daily Mail, [...]
Christmas adverts rated: Which retailer has made the best ad of 2016? November 12, 2016 Argos A gang of multicoloured yetis on ice skates stealing unattended electrical items from a pleasant-looking neighbourhood. Does anything say ‘come and visit our store’ less? ★☆☆☆☆ Aldi Good-looking food. But the poor carrot, Kevin, who we become attached to in this one-minute advert, is surely destined to meet an unfortunate ending. ★★★☆☆ Ebay Definitely [...]
Watch this year’s full M&S Christmas advert, with Mrs Claus taking the starring role November 11, 2016 Hot on the heels of John Lewis' Buster the Boxer, Marks & Spencer has let its 2016 Christmas advert free this evening. The three-minute video featured for the first time on TV during Channel 4's Gogglebox. Read more: Heartwarming and full of plot holes: Our review of John Lewis' Christmas ad It tells the story [...]
Marks & Spencer’s 2016 Christmas advert is one for the ladies as Mrs M&S becomes Mrs Claus November 11, 2016 First there was Mrs M&S, the woman few aspire to be. Now there is Mrs Claus, the woman M&S think many would like to be this Christmas. Marks & Spencer has tonight launched its Christmas advert for 2016, with Father Christmas’ wife as the star of the show. The advert was broadcast for the first time [...]
Black Friday: Rumours, deals and speculation at retailers including Amazon, Argos and Tesco November 11, 2016 Ah, Black Friday. It may have started as an American tradition – but in recent years it's become more British than watching the Queen's speech while wearing a jauntily-angled Christmas cracker hat. This year, Black Friday falls on 25 November. But sharpen those elbows, people, because the Black Friday 'period' begins NEXT WEEK. Here's what retailers [...]
Alibaba smashes record sales on Singles Day November 11, 2016 E-commerce giant Alibaba has topped its sales record for its annual Singles Day savings event in China. The biggest retail event in the world totted up $1bn worth of sales in the first five minutes, the retailer claimed, and by 20 hours in had reached $15bn (£12bn) as people snapped up bargains in its annual sale. Total [...]
Singles Day: What can British retailers learn from China’s version of Black Friday? November 11, 2016 Today marks the world’s largest e-commerce event. No, it’s not Black Friday yet – Singles Day is taking place in China, and it’s bigger than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. At midnight local time it took Alibaba just 52 seconds to take its first 1bn renminbi (£116m) and just under seven minutes to reach 10bn [...]