Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group buys stake in Hudson Malta to boost global expansion October 15, 2024 Frasers Group, the empire controlled by Mike Ashley, is to expand into Malta and Africa after acquiring a “significant non-controlling” stake in a retail and distribution business. The London-listed group has invested in Hudson Malta, which has operations across 36 African countries. The owner of Sports Direct and House of Fraser said the deal reflects [...]
Boots: Online and makeup sales boost earnings ahead of Christmas October 15, 2024 High street pharmacy chain Boots has said a surge in sales online and for makeup helped increase its turnover during its latest financial year. The Nottingham-headquartered company has revealed its year-on-year turnover increased by 6.9 per cent in the 12 months to 31 August, 2024. During its final quarter, its retail sales rose by 6.2 [...]
Applied Nutrition guns for £220m fundraise in London IPO October 15, 2024 Sports health brand Applied Nutrition is seeking to raise up to £220m in its IPO later this month in what could be one of London's biggest stock market floats this year.
Fenwick: John Lewis rival slumps into the red and cuts jobs October 15, 2024 Department store chain Fenwick slumped back into the red and cut jobs as it battled the cost-of-living crisis and a “changing retail environment”. The Newcastle-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £28.3m for the year to 26 January, 2024, having previously made a pre-tax profit of £57.1m in the prior 12 months. Newly-filed accounts [...]
Retailers pin hopes on bumper golden quarter with Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas October 14, 2024 The final three months of the year, also known as the golden quarter, are make-or-break for retailers. Retail spending has consistently languished this year, or been propped up by margin-carving discounts, but pent-up demand is expected to give the sector a much-needed boost during the holidays, according to a panel of industry experts. Despite consumer [...]
Motorway cuts its loss as sales rise at ITV’s Six Nations sponsor October 14, 2024 Online-only used car marketplace Motorway cut its pre-tax loss in 2023 as the Six Nations TV coverage sponsor handled more than £2.2bn in sales transactions in the year. The London-based business, which has a network of more than 7,000 car dealers, has reported a pre-tax loss of £31.7m for its latest financial year, down from [...]
Aga Rangemaster cuts almost 200 jobs as sales cool October 14, 2024 Aga Rangemaster has blamed “a difficult year” and “challenging market conditions” as it cut almost 200 jobs in 2023. The company, which is headquartered near Nottingham, reduced its headcount in the year to 30 December, 2023, from 836 to 660. The latest total comes after the business had employed 907 people at the end of [...]
Mulberry to ponder bid from Mike Ashley’s Frasers despite lack of interest from majority shareholder October 14, 2024 British retailer Mulberry has announced that it is evaluating Frasers’ second bid for the firm, despite a lack of interest from its majority shareholder, Challice. In light of Frasers’ £111m bid, the luxury brand is “working with advisers to consider the company’s position,” it said, despite Challice’s public snub of the deal. Challice, which is [...]
Sharkninja: UK’s love affair with air fryers helps brand serve up bumper profit October 14, 2024 The UK’s continued love affair with air fryers helped the European arm of Sharkninja surge back into the black as its sales jumped by over £300m. The Leeds-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax profit of £81.5m for 2023, having made a pre-tax loss of £19.7m in 2022. The last time Sharkninja reported a pre-tax profit [...]
Gucci: Profit halved as ‘high competition’ eats into sales October 11, 2024 Profit at the UK arm of luxury fashion brand Gucci has cut almost in half during its latest financial year after “high competition” impacted its sales. The West Sussex-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax profit of £4.8m for 2023, down from the £9m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its [...]