N Brown slams AIM as company set for takeover October 17, 2024 Retailer N Brown is set to be acquired by a company owned by its non-executive director, Joshua Alliance, as it looks to move off AIM. Its share price rose more than 40 per cent after the announcement. N Brown, which owns the brands JD Williams and Simply Be, has said the reduced appetite for UK [...]
Concern for British high street as sector set for four-fold tax rise in April October 16, 2024 The double effect of inflation-linked tax bumps, as well as the end of business rate relief for consumer-facing firms, will lead to a four-fold tax increase for high street businesses next April, industry bodies have warned. Industry leaders across the board have been increasingly vocal about the need for reform to business rate taxes, and have [...]
John Lewis partners with Zopa to boost personal loan offering October 16, 2024 John Lewis has partnered with an online back to offer personal loans of up to £35,000 to its 23m customers. The department store chain‘s financial services arm is working with Zopa Bank to provide its customers with more finance options. The bank will be embedded into the John Lewis Money website with a personalised loan [...]
Cotswold Outdoor has now lost over £100m since it last made a profit October 16, 2024 The company behind Cotswold Outdoor has now lost more than £100m since it last made a pre-tax profit almost ten years ago, it has been revealed. The Wiltshire-headquartered retailer, whose brands also include Runners Need as well as Snow and Rock, has reported a pre-tax loss of £7.3m for 2023, after also making a loss [...]
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 [...]