Luxury brands sure to suffer as consumers trade down January 25, 2010 THE LUXURY brands sector finished 2009 on a high note. Luxury goods groups including Burberry, Richemont and Swiss watch-maker Swatch all reported strong sales growth in the last three months of the year and stock prices have duly headed north as consumers snapped up handbags, jewellery and watches to beat the recession blues. But there [...]
Winter warmers with a touch of luxe December 3, 2009 Mohair-blend tartan shawl, Vivienne Westwood Red Label, £330www.netaporter.com Two-tone horizontal cashmere Stole, Denis Colomb, £485 ww.netaporter.com Crochet knit lurex shawl, Missoni, £430 ww.netaporter.com Fairisle cashmere snood, Burberry, £150www.netaporter.com Faux fur Cossak hat, Marks and Spencer, £15 www.marksandspencer.com Cable knitted ear muff, Muji, £12.95www.muji.co.uk Leather ladies cashmere lined gloves, £85 eachwww.williamandson.com Leopard print gloves, Christopher Kane, [...]
THE TIPSTER January 17, 2010 Retailers have had mixed fortunes over the Christmas period. Although shoppers spent huge amounts of cash in the run-up to the festive season, not everybody has gained in the same way. Supermarkets and cheap high-street chains have out-performed – department store John Lewis recorded its best ever revenues in December. But others could not keep [...]
Character & colour November 10, 2009 CHOOSING an overcoat is a serious business. Likely to be the most substantial item in your wardrobe, your outer shell in winter needs to speak of your character and integrity as much as your fashion sense. It should be sober, ineffably elegant and well-made – a first-class overcoat should give decades of use rather than [...]
Slump harms FTSE’s women November 19, 2009 THE number of women in the UK’s top boardrooms has been hit by the recession, according to a new report released yesterday. The Female FTSE Index and Report, published by Cranfield University School of Management, said there had been a “discouraging decline” in the number of FTSE 100 companies with female executive directors over the [...]
Drugmakers give FTSE a lift as investors bet on healthcare January 19, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index ended up 0.3 per cent yesterday, led by pharmaceuticals on hopes that US President Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms could be hampered, while banks fell after results from US bank Citigroup. The FTSE 100 index rose 18.75 points to 5,513.14, extending Monday’s gains when the market rose 0.7 per cent. Pharmaceuticals echoed [...]
BRIGHT SPARK November 10, 2009 IMPERIAL Tobacco yesterday named Alison Cooper as its next chief executive, making her the youngest woman to run a FTSE 100 company. She will take over from current chief executive Gareth Davies, who is retiring after 37 years at the firm. The promotion for Cooper, 43, means that there are now five female chief executives [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS October 15, 2009 BURBERRY GROUPEvolution Securities said that Burberry’s first-half trading update beat expectations once again, supporting the broker’s view that the brand is likely to continue to outperform in the currently environment. Evo upgraded its full year earnings per share forecast by almost four per cent, and upgraded the shares to “buy”. CONNAUGHTNoble said that, behind the [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS October 12, 2009 BURBERRY GROUPDeutsche Bank raised its target price for Burberry to 620p, with a “buy” recommendation, ahead of the retailer’s second quarter sales update tomorrow. The broker said that expectations appear to be reasonably high, but that it believes that, most significantly, excess inventory will have been cleared through. DUNELM GROUPInvestec said that the recent placing [...]
LVMH sales remain slow October 19, 2009 LVMH, the French luxury goods firm, said its third-quarter sales fell by 0.6 per cent after demand remained poor. But the firm, which produces brands like Moet champagne and Louis Vuitton fashion, said destocking of its top-end labels should come to an end soon. It reported sales of €4.14bn (£3.8bn), versus €4.16bn a year earlier. [...]