DEBATE: Could Mike Ashley be the answer to Debenhams’ woes? March 28, 2019 Could Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley be the answer to Debenhams’ woes? John Phillips, general manager (EMEA) of Zuora, says YES. Reversing the fortunes of Debenhams would provide any new boss with a challenge – it is in dire need of modernisation. But Mike Ashley could well be the right man for the job. He has [...]
Topshop owner Philip Green makes list of stores he wants to abandon March 28, 2019 Embattled retail boss Sir Philip Green is reportedly looking to sever his ties with as many as 67 Arcadia stores in a bid to save the troubled fashion firm. According to reports in today’s FT, a swathe of high street and shopping centre stores under Green’s Arcadia group – which includes Topshop and Dorothy Perkins [...]
Footwear chain Dune tables offer to save struggling retailer LK Bennett March 27, 2019 Footwear chain the Dune Group has tabled an offer for LK Bennett as the struggling fashion retailer’s administrators prepare to select a buyer. Dune, which operates 40 standalone stores and 175 concessions in the UK, was one of a handful of potential buyers to submit final bids earlier this week, Sky News reported. Read more: [...]
UK retail sales see biggest contraction in 17 months, says CBI March 27, 2019 UK retail sales volumes fell sharply in March, seeing the fastest contraction in 17 months and marking a four-month run in which sales have not grown, a leading business group said today. Of the businesses surveyed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), 46 per cent said sales volumes were lower in March than a [...]
Drawing a crowd: Tate Modern pips British Museum to the post as UK’s most popular visitor attraction March 27, 2019 Tate Modern has knocked the British Museum off the top spot of the UK’s most popular visitor attractions, which it has occupied for a decade. The British Museum welcomed 5.82m visitors through its doors last year, while Tate Modern overtook it with 5.87m people – an increase of 3.7 per cent on 2017. Read more: [...]
Opinion divided on Next shares March 27, 2019 | City Talk After a drop below £50 for the first time this month, buyers are back. Our head of markets explains why. As expected, full-year profits at Next (LSE:NXT) have dipped slightly although in line with previous guidance, whilst revenues are ahead of expectations. The difference between the fortunes of stores and online is becoming increasingly marked. [...]
London-listed Goals Soccer Centre suspends trading due to historical accounting errors March 27, 2019 London-listed football pitch operator Goals Soccer Centres has suspended trading in its shares following a “substantial misdeclaration of VAT” totalling approximately £12m. In a statement released this morning, the company – which counts Sports Direct as its biggest shareholders – said that “historical accounting errors” meant it could not be clear on its exact financial position, [...]
Debenhams shares skyrocket as Sports Direct mulls £61.4m bid March 27, 2019 The future of Debenhams is up in the air this afternoon as Mike Ashley battles with creditors to take control of the embattled department store chain. The Sports Direct boss and retail tycoon, who owns a near 30 per cent stake in Debenhams, revealed yesterday that he was mulling a £61.4m bid to take full [...]
The war of words at Superdry should focus investors’ minds March 26, 2019 All eyes are on Theresa May as she mulls the prospect of a third vote on her withdrawal deal, but for City watchers there's another ballot next week that promises fireworks of its own. Julian Dunkerton, founder and former CEO of Superdry is determined to win back a seat on the board. Despite leaving the [...]
Ex-Uber boss Travis Kalanick’s new venture snaps up UK ‘dark kitchens’ business March 26, 2019 The food delivery company run by Travis Kalanick snapped up London ‘dark kitchens’ firm Foodstars last year, as the former Uber boss looks to expand his new venture in the UK. City Storage Systems, which trades as Cloud Kitchens in the US, quietly bought the startup up last year, according to documents filed to Companies House. [...]