Stagecoach on track for yearly forecast April 29, 2015 STAGEGROUP said yesterday its recent trading was in line with expectations and it is retaining its earnings guidance for the year ending today. The transport operator said like-for-like revenue grew in all its businesses, with particular strength in its London bus and UK rail operations. Stagecoach said like-for-like revenue was up 8.1 per cent in [...]
Hermes boosted by Japanese support April 29, 2015 French luxury goods maker Hermes posted an eight per cent rise in first-quarter sales yesterday, helped by strong growth in Japan. The maker of the Birkin and Kelly handbags said sales in its stores rose 10 per cent at constant currencies.
Home Retail ups Argos digital shop upgrades April 29, 2015 HOME Retail Group said yesterday that it aims to have more than 200 “digital” Argos stores by the end of the financial year after efforts to modernise its estate helped deliver a 32 per cent rise in full-year profit to £93.8m. Argos will convert between 50 to 75 of its traditional stores into the new [...]
Greggs serves up a piping hot special dividend as sales rise April 29, 2015 IN PROOF of the might of the humble sausage roll yesterday as bakery chain Greggs said like-for-like sales rose 5.9 per cent in the first 16 weeks of the year, up from 3.8 per cent on the same period in 2014. It has completed 69 shop refurbishments, and plans to refit close to 200 more stores [...]
Thorntons warns of reduced orders from supermarket buyer April 29, 2015 THORNTONS said sales were almost flat in the third quarter after a reduction in orders by one of its main supermarket buyers continued to hurt the chocolatier. The retailer, which issued a profit warning in December after unexpected cut in orders from two grocery chains and problems at its new warehouse, said sales across its [...]
Bailout secured as masked men menace Yanis April 29, 2015 GREEK finance minister Yanis Varoufakis finally managed to secure a bailout this week – courtesy of his wife, Danae. The couple were dining in the Exarchia district – a neighbourhood popular with extreme leftists and anarchists – when a masked group stormed into the restaurant. As the group approached him in a threatening manner, his [...]
O’Leary’s charm offensive fails to impress Chinese hackers April 29, 2015 RYANAIR chairman Michael O’Leary’s charm offensive designed to win over customers hasn’t seemed to reach China. The no frills airline boss, who recently spoke out about the need to improve customer service to prevent “unnecessarily pissing people off,” confirmed yesterday that hackers stole almost £3.25m from its accounts, using an electronic transfer via a Chinese [...]
Standard Life stands tall amid pension reform April 29, 2015 STANDARD Life’s assets under administration rose by five per cent to £311.9bn in the first quarter, as the savings and assets manager flexed its muscle in the face of new UK laws allowing savers to cash in their pension annuities. Third party net inflows of £3.7bn – 73 per cent of which came from outside [...]
UK house prices climb to new heights in April due to “surplus in demand which is outpacing supply” April 29, 2015 House prices climbed higher in April, new figures from a major mortgage lender reveal. Annual house price growth edged up to 5.2 per cent in April from March’s 5.1 per cent. The average UK house price is now a £193,048 – the highest on record. Housing analysts blame a lack of supply for [...]
Quintain and Keystone team up to build 362 Wembley homes April 29, 2015 QUINTAIN said yesterday that it has joined forces with Swiss private equity group Keystone to build a further 362 homes at Wembley Park, including 120 for the private rental market. The 260,000 square feet residential development in north west London is Quintain’s second joint venture with Keystone after working on a 475-home development together last [...]