Burberry, LVMH and Kering: Rebound of travel and China to boost luxury market October 22, 2024 Analysts have stressed the problems in the luxury market are cyclical, not structural, and predicted an upswing at brands like Burberry, LVMH and Kering as international travel looks set to rebound past pre-pandemic levels. The downturn in the luxury market, which has been suffering from the cost-of-living crisis in the West and a slowdown in [...]
Womenswear firm Sosandar cuts sales outlook after pivot away from discounts October 22, 2024 Sosandar, the women’s fashion retailer, has slashed its sales predictions for the year by £5m today but said a pivot away from clothing discounts would help keep its profits on track. The AIM-listed brand reported pre-tax loss of £0.6m in the six months to 30 September, up from a pre-tax loss of £1.3m in the [...]
Gear4music: Music instrument retailer returns to growth October 22, 2024 Gear4music said it returned to quarterly revenue growth as the online musical instrument retailer pursued a new strategy to improve its profitability.
Shoe Zone shares slide: Profit nearly halves as costs put the boot in October 22, 2024 Affordable footwear company Shoe Zone has reported a drop in revenue and profit as weak demand and high costs weigh on the high street retailer amid a revamp of its physical estate. Revenue fell by 2.7 per cent to reach £161.3m in the year to 28 September, down from £165.7m in 2023. Profit before tax [...]
Mulberry rejects ‘untenable’ second offer from Mike Ashley’s Frasers October 22, 2024 The board of Mulberry has unanimously rejected the second bid from retail giant Frasers as “untenable”. Frasers launched its first bid on 1 October for £83m, which was subsequently rejected as too low by Mulberry, and its second of £111m on 11 October. Mulberry reiterated its statement from the first time it rejected Frasers’ bid: [...]
Halfords: Customers more cautious on Autumn budget fears October 22, 2024 Uncertainty around the Autumn budget is holding back consumer confidence, Halfords warned today. This morning the retailer said group like-for-like sales ticked down by 0.1 per cent in the 26 weeks to 27 September, on strong prior-year comparatives of 8.3 per cent growth plus a wet spring. The company is on track to deliver £30m [...]
Brand Architekts: Sales at owner of Skinny Tan and Super Facialist slump October 21, 2024 Brand Architekts, the beauty specialist behind British brands including Skinny Tan and Super Facialist, has reported a fall in sales as it pivots to fewer, bigger brands. The company reported an underlying loss of £0.4m compared to a loss of £1.2m for 2023, while its gross profit margin increased 1.5 per cent to 41.2 per [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group backs N Brown takeover amid Mulberry pursuit October 18, 2024 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has backed the £191m proposed takeover of JD Williams-owner N Brown and announced the sale of its 20 per cent stake in the company for £38m. The retail empire, which includes Sports Direct and House of Fraser, holds nearly 95,000,000 shares in the Manchester business and will sell them for 40p [...]
Boohoo shares drop as firm mulls break up and boss heads for the exit October 18, 2024 Boohoo has revealed that its CEO is stepping down after five years, kick-starting a search for the fast fashion's next chief executive
Mothercare continues to struggle but announces fresh financing October 18, 2024 Baby products brand Mothercare has reported a drop in sales as it continues to struggle with post-pandemic demand, but has said its new deal with Indian giant reliance will help to shape a turnaround. The retailer said the decline was mainly due to “continuing challenges” in Middle East markets. It told markets this morning that [...]