Check out Knightsbridge’s Mandarin Oriental’s refurbishment as it reopens after summer fire April 11, 2019 A luxury London hotel is set to open its doors next week after months of renovation following a major fire last summer. Read more: Property events moved away from Brunei-owned hotels amid boycott The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, which has been closed since June in the wake of a huge blaze that damaged the [...]
Primark unveils its largest ever store with Disney cafe, barber shop and Wizard World April 11, 2019 The world’s biggest Primark opened its doors to customers for the first time this morning. Featuring a Disney-themed cafe, Hogwarts Wizarding World and barber shop, the new outlet spans 160,000 ft across five floors. A Disney-themed cafe is part of the new Primark store It is the latest sign of the budget retailer’s expansion, which [...]
HMV Westfield reopens as new owner continues rental negotiations April 11, 2019 HMV’s Westfield store in Shepherd's Bush has reopened today, as new owner Doug Putman continues his efforts to negotiate with landlords in a bid to bring back stores that have been earmarked for closure. The Canadian entrepreneur has been striking deals with property groups to reopen closed outlets that were shut down as a result of [...]
Sports Direct takes another swipe at Debenhams in share buyback April 11, 2019 Sports Direct took a further swipe at Debenhams this morning amid growing speculation that Mike Ashley is mulling legal action to remove the retailer’s current administrators. Read more: Mike Ashley considers legal action against Debenhams In a note to the London Stock Exchange the sportswear group announced a new share buyback programme, which it said was [...]
Sir Philip Green appoints restructuring specialists to Arcadia’s board April 11, 2019 Sir Philip Green has appointed restructuring experts to the board of his retail empire as the billionaire tycoon prepares to overhaul the company. Former Deloitte partner Jamie Drummond Smith, who was the chairman of Cattles, has joined the board as interim chairman and Peter Bloxham, an independent restructuring advisor and former head of restructuring and [...]
WH Smith profits suffer after £155m purchase of US airport store In Motion April 11, 2019 WH Smith suffered a huge drop in profit in its half year as the costs of its purchase of US airport retailer In Motion grounded its bottom line. The figures Group revenue grew eight per cent year on year to £695m for the six months to the end of February as the stationery chain relied [...]
Ted Baker concludes review into former boss’ behaviour as it appoints new CEO April 11, 2019 Ted Baker has concluded its investigation into allegations against former chief executive Ray Kelvin as it appointed a new head of the company today. Read more: Ted Baker CEO resigns in the wake of misconduct allegations The UK fashion brand did not comment on the review's findings on Kelvin's behaviour, who denies accusations of misconduct stemming from [...]
Tesco turnaround marks the milestone for Drastic Dave April 10, 2019 In the never-ending debate about executive pay, examples of failure are cited more frequently than cases of good value for money. Recently the likes of WPP, Persimmon and Ted Baker have all demonstrated how the actions of the top boss can dent the fortunes of a company and frustrate shareholders. But despairing investors now have [...]
Sports Direct accuses Debenhams administrators of conflict of interest April 10, 2019 Sports Direct doubled down on its calls for the administration of Debenhams to be reversed this afternoon, as it mulls potential legal action following Mike Ashley’s failed bid to take control of the retail chain. Lawyers from the sportswear retailer said today that the appointment of administrators and the subsequent pre-pack administration only happened because Ashley’s own [...]
Permira prepares to appoint bankers to oversee sale or US IPO of British footwear brand Dr Martens April 10, 2019 Private equity firm Permira is planning a sale or US flotation of iconic British footwear brand Dr Martens. Permira, which bought Dr Martens for £300m in 2014, is preparing to hire bankers to review potential options for the company, Sky News reported. Read more: Rathbones and Tilney owner Permira sniff around Speirs & Jeffery Bankers [...]