Sales slide at Matalan November 2, 2005 Value retailer Matalan yesterday insisted that it was holding market share despite reporting deteriorating trading conditions. Group like-for-like sales tumbled 10.6 per cent in the nine weeks to 29 October. The retailer said clothing like-for-like sales were down 7.6 per cent implying homewares sales had fallen by as much as 20 per cent. Chief executive [...]
Parkdean in talks with Grainger November 1, 2005 Camping and caravan parks operator Parkdean Holidays has confirmed it is in talks which could see it taken over by London-quoted property group Grainger Trust. Parkdean’s shares soared 20 per cent on the news while Grainger warned the discussions may or may not lead to an offer for Britain’s second-biggest operator of holiday sites. Grainger, [...]
Clinton slips into the red November 1, 2005 Clinton Cards was one of the day’s biggest fallers yesterday after the retailer revealed the integration of its new charge, Birthdays, was running five months behind schedule and announcing a slump in recent sales. The company posted a loss of £10.4m on sales of £250.5m in the six months to 31 July. Like-for-like sales were [...]
Villa’s price surges on news of takeover talks November 1, 2005 Shares in Aston Villa surged yesterday after it confirmed takeover talks that could value the Midlands club at £64m. The Aston Villa board said yesterday that it had received a preliminary approach from Birmingham businessman Michael Neville, who is thought to be the front man for brothers Luke and Brian Comer, who run Irish property [...]
JD Group snaps up Allsports November 1, 2005 Sports retailer John David Group yesterday swooped on stricken rival Allsports in an £18m store and stock deal. Private equity and trade interest in Britain’s fourth-largest sports retailer had fallen away. Retail entrepreneur Mike Ashley is thought to have walked away last week but Ashley has been building a stake in John David Group, suggesting [...]
Boots deal is ‘looking up’ October 28, 2005 Boots chief executive Richard Baker claimed yesterday that investors are warming to the idea of the proposed merger with Alliance UniChem. The proposed £7bn “merger of equals” was met with a lukewarm response by shareholders and ratings agencies when it was announced at the start of this month. However, in the intervening weeks, Baker, chairman [...]
Blacks finding the long dry spell is a dampener October 28, 2005 Outdoor gear specialist Blacks Leisure said sales of waterproof clothing and footwear had dried up as Britain enjoyed one of “longest dry spells on record”. The retailer, which also owns the Millets chain, said sales had tumbled in the past eight weeks in “abnormally dry conditions. It has been an average of three degrees warmer [...]
First Choice is buoyed by determined sunseekers October 27, 2005 Travel operator First Choice said its business had not been stymied by the high street spending slowdown as customers were scrimping to ensure they could still “get away from it all”. “Fundamentally there is a very strong demand for travel experiences,” said First Choice chief executive Peter Long. “When I feel good I trade up, [...]
Wyevale calls end to takeover talks October 26, 2005 Takeover talks at Wyevale collapsed yesterday after private equity firm Cinven said it would not bid 580p per share for the garden centre retailer. Cinven had the backing of Wyevale’s largest shareholder Laxey for a bid, provided it met a price of 580p price and tabled an offer by 2 December. An offer at the [...]
‘No talks’ at Whitbread October 26, 2005 The wind was knocked out of Whitbread’s sails yesterday after chief executive Alan Parker moved to quieten the takeover talk that has buoyed its shares. The leisure group was one of the biggest fallers of the day after Parker said there had been “no talks” with private or trade buyers about selling off any of [...]