Asos doubles down on Black Friday after profit dives 68 per cent October 16, 2019 Asos has vowed to boost its Black Friday discounting this year after a “disappointing” attempt in 2018 weakened the fashion retailer’s bid to attract new customers. The online marketplace offered a 20 per cent discount to consumers on the annual shopping event last year, however today the firm admitted its offer had been “uncompetitive” compared [...]
Jobs at risk as Jessops boss mulls rescue plan October 16, 2019 The owner of struggling camera retailer Jessops, Dragons Den star Peter Jones, is preparing to appoint administrators in a bid to rescue the firm, in a move that could lead to store closures and rent cuts. JR Prop Limited, the manager of the retailer’s leasehold property estate, has filed a notice of intention to appoint [...]
Loungers revenue soars following restaurant expansion October 16, 2019 Loungers, the owner of the Lounge and Cosy Club restaurant brands, said revenue soared over the summer as the company opened 10 new venues. Revenue in the 24 weeks to 6 October was £79.8m, an increase of 22 per cent on the previous year, as the group opened eight Lounges and two new Cosy Clubs. [...]
Asos profit falls by two-thirds as expansion costs push up debt October 16, 2019 Profit at Asos fell by 68 per cent in the year to August as the UK fashion giant took a hit from a major overhaul of its business model and costly international expansion. The online retailer blamed the drop on a costly operational expansion into Europe and the US which was fraught with problems including [...]
Click and collect services could boost in-store sales October 16, 2019 Investment in click and collect services could boost bricks and mortar sales as customers make last minute purchases when they pick-up items in store. More than eight in 10 customers said they buy extra items in store when using click and collect, according to the latest research, and more than three quarters of retailers said [...]
Eco-friendly product sales surge on climate change awareness October 16, 2019 Environmentally aware consumers moved away from one-use plastics this year as climate change activism hit the headlines, sparking a surge in sales of eco-friendly items. Sales of reusable straws increased 1,573 per cent at John Lewis due to heightened awareness of the environmental impact of single-use plastics. Read more: Climate activists target bankers during second [...]
Blame game: Thomas Cook bosses point finger at government as MPs slam high pay October 15, 2019 Former Thomas Cook bosses have pointed the finger at the government for failing to stump up emergency cash to keep the firm trading last month, in a heated evidence session with MPs. Members of the collapsed holiday giant’s board, including chairman Frank Meysman and chief executive Peter Fankhauser, were today hauled in front of MPs [...]
Business committee chair Rachel Reeves attacks defiant Thomas Cook leadership October 15, 2019 Business select committee chair Rachel Reeves launched a stinging attack on Thomas Cook executives today in a heated evidence session into the firm’s collapse last month. After hearing evidence on how the company was allowed to fall into liquidation, putting 9,000 people out of a job and 150,000 more stranded abroad, she told chief executive [...]
Sainsbury’s beats rivals to report sales growth October 15, 2019 Sainsbury’s beat its rivals to become the only major UK supermarket to report sales growth in the last 12 weeks. The grocer’s sales increased 0.6 per cent, its fastest rate since October last year, while the other “Big Four” supermarkets- Tesco, Asda and Morrisons – saw sales decline 0.2 per cent, 0.9 per cent and [...]
Marston’s forecasts lower profit on food sales slump October 15, 2019 Pub operator Marston’s said it expects to post a dip in profit this year due to weakening food sales. Shares fell more than eight per cent after the Pitcher and Piano owner said it expected to report underlying profit before tax of around £101m, compared to £104m last year. Read more: Beer sales slump dampens [...]