Bonmarche blames BHS and the weather for sales hit November 21, 2016 Womenswear retailer Bonmarche has blamed the weather and BHS for its declining sales. The company said this morning that like-for-like sales were down 8.6 per cent, which could be in part attributed to the clearance of BHS' stock ahead of the store closing down. Bonmarche also said the weather "was a major variable" in its poor performance [...]
Super-premium Brockmans Gin toasts record sales for the first half of 2016 as it basks in UK gin renaissance and expands overseas November 21, 2016 Brockmans Gin has served up record sales for the first-half of 2016 as super-premium gin continues to grow in popularity both in the UK and abroad. Total revenue grew 116 per cent in the first-half of 2016 to £2.6m as the company capitalised on the growing gin renaissance in the UK where sales are expected to [...]
UK drug strategy has failed and the Treasury is missing out on as much as £1.05bn of the UK’s growing cannabis market November 21, 2016 The world is changing its mind on drug legalisation policies, and the UK will be left behind unless politicians take action. Legalisation and regulation of the UK's £6.8bn per year cannabis market could send as much as £1.05bn to the Treasury, a new report said. Ditching Britain's failed strategy and following the pragmatic approach of major western democracies like Germany, Canada and [...]
More than half of UK shoppers don’t know their consumer rights differ when returning goods bought in store versus online November 21, 2016 After you've finished your holiday shopping and the shine wears off the cheeky new outfit you bought yourself, will you be able to return it for a refund? More than half of British shoppers don't know that their consumer rights differ when returning goods bought online versus in store, a new report shows. When it comes to returning non-faulty [...]
The average British consumer will spend almost half their monthly salary on Christmas, and many won’t pay off debts until March November 21, 2016 By March, Christmas is the last thing on your mind. But one in five British consumers are still paying off Christmas gifts three months or more down the line. The average shopper is set to spend almost half their monthly pay on Christmas, and 6 per cent will spend in excess of a month's salary, a new study [...]
BHS’ bosses’ cash comes under pressure from pensions lifeboat November 20, 2016 The pensions lifeboat is pushing for legal action to claw back funds from former BHS directors. The once high street staple fell into administration back in April, and was running a deficit worth £571m for its 20,000 member-strong pension schemes at the time. The department store chain's collapse, which ultimately resulted in the closure of over [...]
Holiday shoppers are undeterred by the referendum result, but they choose deals over brand loyalty November 20, 2016 Black Friday sales are cropping up all around the UK, but while holiday shopping is set to be strong this year, the major discounting event might not be as profitable for retailers as what comes next. Nearly 40 per cent of shoppers are waiting for the best discounts to come after Christmas and New Year, [...]
Premium pub and craft beer investments are expected to translate to profit ahead of Marston’s full-year results November 20, 2016 Marston's is set to unveil an upswing in profits this week because of the company's investment into premium food and craft beers. The pub chain, which has an estate of about 1,600 pubs in the UK, including premium chains Pitcher & Piano and Revere, is expected to reveal a jump in full-year profits to £98.3m from £31.3m [...]
Mothercare’s shares are down and profits are expected to fall ahead of this week’s interim results November 20, 2016 Mothercare is expected to report a drop in pre-tax profits in its interim results this week as shares fail to recover from overseas trading fears. Mothercare's shares closed at 109.7 on Friday, halving from the beginning of the year. Read more: Mothercare takes baby steps with first profit in five years Despite a rise of 1.2 per cent [...]
Tesco to build homes on top of London superstores and carparks in bid to raise £400m from extensive property November 20, 2016 Tesco is in talks to build homes on top of its London stores and car parks in a bid to squeeze more value out of its massive land holdings. The supermarket giant hopes that the bold strategy could earn up to £400m. The homes, which could potentially number in the thousands, would take advantage of [...]