Non-alcoholic beers protect Fuller’s from Dry January slump January 30, 2020 Pub chain Fuller, Smith and Turner said an increased range of non-alcoholic drinks protected it from the usual January slump in sales, despite an uptick in the number of people going tee-total for the month. Fuller’s today announced that like-for-like sales in managed pubs and hotels were up 4.3 per cent in the six weeks [...]
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct resolves chunk of €674m Belgian tax bill January 30, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has resolved a large chunk of a €674m (£570.2m) tax dispute with the Belgian authorities. The retailer – which recently rebranded as Frasers Group – said €491m of the disputed VAT had been accounted for and authorities in Belgium had withdrawn the claim. Ashley’s company said it would “continue to fully engage [...]
H&M appoints new CEO in boardroom reshuffle January 30, 2020 H&M has announced the appointment of a new chief executive following a boardroom reshuffle sparked by the exit of chairman Stefan Persson. Shares jumped more than nine per cent after the Swedish retailer said it has appointed Helena Helmersson as its new chief executive as the company’s current boss steps into the role of chairman. [...]
Retail property market misses out on ‘Boris bounce’ January 30, 2020 London’s retail property market has continued to struggle, despite a bounce in the wider commercial real estate sector driven by the General Election result. Occupier demand in the retail sector fell in the fourth quarter of last year, according to research published today that found 70 per cent of chartered surveyors in the capital had [...]
Fashion brand Ted Baker bolsters board after torrid year January 29, 2020 Embattled fashion brand Ted Baker has appointed a new chief customer officer as it attempts to bolster its management team following a torrid year for the retailer. Jennifer Roebuck, who was most recently chief marketing officer at online beauty platform Feel Unique, has taken on the newly created role at Ted Baker. Her brief will [...]
Coronavirus: Ikea shuts mainland China stores following outbreak January 29, 2020 Ikea is the latest company to announce it will temporarily close stores in China due to the outbreak of coronavirus. The Swedish retailer will shut around half of its 30 stores in mainland China until further notice to help halt the spread of the disease, the company’s owner Ingka Group said. Other global chains including [...]
Stubhub hit with legal threat over ‘misleading’ ticket sales January 29, 2020 Stubhub is facing legal action from the competition regulator over claims the ticket reseller misled customers. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a wider crackdown on the secondary ticket market amid concerns many websites are a hotbed for ticket touts. But the regulator said it was concerned that Stubhub was not complying with [...]
SCS boss to step down after 32 years at sofa retailer January 29, 2020 The chief executive of sofa retailer SCS Group has announced plans to step down at the end of the year, after 32 years with the business. The company will launch a search for a new boss after David Knight revealed he will retire from the role. Knight gave 12 months notice but will stay in [...]
DIY retailer Wickes builds sales ahead of Travis Perkins demerger January 29, 2020 DIY retailer Wickes announced strong sales growth in the fourth quarter of last year, ahead of its split from parent company Travis Perkins. The firm said like-for-like sales growth in the fourth quarter was 4.5 per cent, while year-to-date sales jumped 8.7 per cent. Trading in both its core division – which includes local trade [...]
Tech giants urged to pick up VAT bills in fraud crackdown January 29, 2020 Online marketplaces such as Amazon and Ebay have been urged to take responsibility for VAT collection and remittance in the UK. Trade body the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) today called on the government to make tech firms liable for the goods tax, citing concerns about growing fraud. HMRC has estimated that VAT fraud by [...]