Kurt Geiger: Record holiday trading as US expansion pays off January 15, 2025 Growth at Kurt Geiger outpaced expectations last year driven by American demand for the luxury footwear and accessories brand. Despite general gloom in the retail sector, December 2024 was the most profitable month in the brand’s history, with its 17 per cent growth credited to a 54 per cent rise in handbag sales and its [...]
Asos to close US distribution centre with customers served from Barnsley instead January 15, 2025 Online fashion retailer Asos will close its distribution centre in Georgia, USA, in another effort to boost profitability and streamline operations. From late this year, US customers will be served from Asos’ automated UK fulfilment centre in Barnsley, and through a “smaller, more flexible local US site”, the company said. The Atlanta warehouse will be [...]
Demand for AI tech boosts Currys January 15, 2025 Electrical retailer Currys has reinstated its dividend after a jump in sales related to AI tech helped boost the firm’s top and bottom lines. In a trading update issued this morning, the FTSE 100 firm said it expected to record a profit for its 2024/25 financial year of £145m to £155m, up 23 per cent to [...]
Most retailers will hike prices in response to Reeves’ NI Budget raid January 15, 2025 Two thirds of CFOs have said their business will be forced to raise prices as a result of higher wage bills, according to a new survey. Around 70 per cent of respondents to the survey, which looked at the attitudes of CFOs at 52 retailers, were “pessimistic” or “very pessimistic” about trading conditions over the [...]
UCL expands footprint in One Canada Square January 14, 2025 UCL School of Management has announced it will expand its facilities at Canary Wharf as the financial services hub continues to diversify its offering. The UCL school at One Canada Square, which offers undergraduate, postgraduate, executive and PhD programmes, will occupy two additional floors on levels 48 and 49 for staff, teaching and learning spaces. [...]
Fortnum & Mason to ‘limit price rises’ as it battles surging costs January 14, 2025 Iconic London store Fortnum & Mason has vowed to limit increasing prices in the wake of tax rises by the Labour government. The retailer, which can trace its roots back to 1707, has said the outlook for its operating costs in 2025 “remains challenging”. The company pointed to inflation, labour costs, tax increases, raw materials, [...]
Innocent Drinks slashes loss after overcoming ‘challenging year’ January 14, 2025 Innocent Drinks has slashed its pre-tax loss after it recovered from a “challenging year”, it has been revealed. The London-based brand, which is owned by Coca-Cola, has reported an operating loss of £3.7m for 2023, according to delayed accounts filed with Companies House. The results, which were filed long after the initial deadline of 30 [...]
Naked Wines CEO: How to choose the right bottle of wine January 14, 2025 Meet the chief executive "fighting" to turn around Naked Wines, which enjoyed huge success during the pandemic but has been struggling since.
Card Factory: Shares ‘should rise rapidly’ after successful Christmas January 14, 2025 Shares in Card Factory rose more than five per cent after the retailer reported festive growth ahead of the wider market. Revenue rose 4.7 per cent in November and December, driven by a higher average spend on sweets and toys. Total sales for the 1 months ended 31 December, 2024, reached £506.6m, up 6.2 per [...]
‘We hope this is not goodbye’: Partridges to close iconic London store after 53 years January 14, 2025 Independent family-run food store Partridges is to close its iconic London location after 53 years. The company is to shutter its fine food store in Duke of York Square, Chelsea, on 2 February. Partridges confirmed that its location in Gloucester Road, Kensington, will continue to trade as usual and that a new store will open [...]