Hamleys pulls slime toy as kids craze gets hit by EU safety warnings December 13, 2018 Hamleys has pulled a toy slime product off its shelves, after a wider test by consumer group Which found several products had failed safety tests for containing high levels of boron. Frootiputti slime, made by Goobands and sold by Hamleys, contained more than four times the EU limit for boron levels. The group said exposure to [...]
Shareholders yearn for retail chiefs like Swann November 22, 2018 It has been an annus horribilis for the high street. Closures, job cuts and profit warnings in the last 12 months have all thrown scrutiny on the industry – and its bosses – like never before. Which is why yesterday’s announced departure of SSP chief executive Kate Swann is all the more significant. Swann is [...]
John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, or M&S? Whose Christmas ad was best this year November 20, 2018 So this is Christmas. And what have you done? Another year over, and the festive ads just begun. Yes, ’tis the season for brands to splash the cash on fancy holiday-themed adverts in hope of attracting that sweet Christmas shopping revenue. Retailer John Lewis has been the reigning champion of the season for the past [...]
Argos sales fall 3.9 pc in disappointing quarter for Home Retail Group June 11, 2015 Argos sales for the first quarter of 2015 were disappointing, with market declines leading to sales in electrical products falling. The figures Like-for-like sales at Argos declined 3.9 per cent to £846m over the 13 weeks to the end of May, with total sales falling 2.6 per cent on 2014, after "declines in key electrical and seasonal product [...]
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 [...]
Argos suffers a post-festive depression March 12, 2015 Argos had little cause for post-festive cheer after sales at the catalogue retailer slumped in the eight weeks to 28 February, it announced yesterday. The retailer experienced weak trading in consumer electronics and said its ongoing programme aimed at improving customer experiences had impacted on footfall. Argos outlined its five-year transformation plan in 2012 with [...]
Argos owner warns of Black Friday blues January 15, 2015 THE CHIEF executive of Home Retail Group warned yesterday against the risk of chasing sales over Black Friday week at the expense of profit after the Argos owner reported weaker-than-expected results for the festive period. John Walden said it had decided to take a much more cautious approach to discounting in the run-up to Christmas [...]
Tesco, Argos and Currys Black Friday deals: Retailers’ websites struggle with massive demand November 28, 2014 Retailers' websites are struggling to keep up with demand from shoppers hunting for mega-deals on Black Friday. Customers have been unable to access the deals being offered by Tesco, Argos and Currys with their websites returning error messages due to the high volume of visitors just days before "Cyber Monday" when online deals are expected [...]
Home Retail and TfL take Argos underground at Cannon Street Tube station November 25, 2014 Commuters will now be able to pick up everything from laptops and televisions to furniture as they hop on the Tube after Argos launched its first Underground store yesterday. The retailer’s parent company Home Retail Group has signed a partnership with Transport for London to open a store “the size of a large family kitchen” [...]
Argos rolls out eReceipts in bid to become a top digital retailer November 24, 2014 Argos has announced the introduction of eReceipts across its 750 UK and Ireland stores. The scheme gives Argos’ customers the option to have a receipt emailed to them to keep a record of purchases and warranties and has already been trialled this year. The technology has been developed by eReceipts, which is chaired by the [...]