Altria gets Juul for Yule as Marlboro maker bets big on vaping December 20, 2018 The maker of Marlboro cigarettes is bringing in yuletide with a $12.8bn (£10.1bn) deal for vape startup Juul. But the early Christmas present is more than a stocking filler Altria as it tries to tap into a rapidly growing market for e-cigarettes. The company’s 35 per cent stake is a major vote of confidence in [...]
Boots blames ‘weak’ retail conditions for fall in UK sales December 20, 2018 Boots has recorded a fall in sales in the first quarter as it becomes the latest UK retailer to be hit by tough high street conditions. The pharmacy and health chain's US owner, Walgreens Boots Alliance, said comparable pharmacy and retail sales fell 3.5 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively. It said the company’s [...]
Boxing Day footfall set to tumble as Christmas spending levels off December 20, 2018 Footfall is set to plummet on Boxing Day as Christmas trading takes a hit from low consumer confidence and the rise of Black Friday sales. Boxing Day footfall will decline 5.2 per cent year, its largest drop in recent years, according to forecasts from retail data firm Springboard. Footfall on Boxing Day has declined in [...]
Black Friday promotions drive unexpected retail boost in November December 20, 2018 Retail sales enjoyed stronger-than-expected growth in November as shoppers cashed in on Black Friday promotions. Sales over the month increased by 1.4 per cent compared to the same period last year, far higher than the 0.3 per cent forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. But over the three months to November sales rose by [...]
British yachtmakers feel the wind in their sales December 19, 2018 British shipyards are catching the breeze as global yacht building returns to pre-crisis levels, and are set to build around an eighth of all luxury boats next year. Having taken on 109 new projects in 2019, up from 52 this year, UK shipbuilders leapfrogged from fifth to third place in global rankings, beaten only by their [...]
888 goes all in for strong full-year results after US expansion December 19, 2018 Online gambling firm 888 today said it remains confident its full-year earnings are on track as it looks to move into the US market. In a pre-close trading update the company said it had delivered positive trading in the second half of the year due to an ongoing focus on product enhancement. Shares in 888 were [...]
Brands must learn to use social video to reach Generation Z December 19, 2018 UK retail giant John Lewis claims that its Christmas television adverts are among “the most effective marketing campaigns in the industry”. Perhaps this was the case once, but faced with impressing video obsessed Generation Z (those born since 1995), does it still hold true now? It appears that I am not the only one with [...]
Patisserie Valerie takes trip to Starbucks to find new commercial director December 18, 2018 Under-pressure cake shop Patisserie Valerie has rebuilt its management team by snapping up a former Starbucks executive. Rhys Iley will try to reinvigorate the chain’s 200 stores as he takes up the role as commercial director. The appointment marks the end of new chief executive Steve Francis’s hiring spree after he brought in interim finance chief [...]
Asos bosses snap up cheap shares after day of horror for fashion sector December 18, 2018 Asos boss Nick Beighton and chairman Adam Crozier have snapped up thousands of shares in the company in a show of confidence following the retailer’s profit warning. The two executives each bought shares worth roughly £100,000 this morning after the company saw £1.3bn wiped off its value in a disastrous day of trading. Beighton and [...]
John Lewis defies retail troubles as it reports festive sales rebound December 18, 2018 John Lewis has bucked the downward retail trend, reporting a rebound in sales last week as it matches rival pre-Christmas promotions. The department store said total sales for the week to 15 December were up 1.8 per cent compared to the same period last year. The employee-owned company said the sales boost was due to [...]