Opcapita exec made chairman at Dairy Crest September 17, 2014 DAIRY Crest, the owner of Cathedral City cheese, yesterday named non-executive director and Opcapita partner Stephen Alexander as its new chairman. Alexander has worked in the consumer industry for over 30 years and joined Dairy Crest as a non-executive director in 2011. He replaces Anthony Fry, who is stepping down due to ill health, with [...]
Cath Kidston’s Paul Mason to join New Look September 17, 2014 NEW LOOK has taken a leaf out of Cath Kidston’s pattern book after hiring the fashion and homeware retailer’s chairman Paul Mason for the same role. The discount fashion brand said Mason would succeed Tom Singh, currently interim non-executive chairman, with immediate effect. Mason has worked in retail for more than 30 years and started [...]
Mace wins £400m contract to develop BBC Television Centre September 17, 2014 CONSTRUCTION firm Mace has been picked as the preferred building manager for the redevelopment of the BBC Television Centre in West London, development company Stanhope said yesterday. The contract, which is understood to be worth around £400m, is a major coup for the company after losing out to Swedish rival Skanska last week on a [...]
Central London completions to hit 10,000 next year, says JLL September 17, 2014 HOUSING completions in central London could reach 10,000 in 2015 for the first time in years thanks to a surge in construction activity, even as new housing starts and prices at the centre of the capital start to slow. According to a report released today by property firm JLL, there are now 21,900 units under [...]
N Brown sales slow as catalogue group shapes up for digital age September 16, 2014 N BROWN sales slowed in the first half as the home shopping group shakes off its image as traditional mail-order business and invests in wooing more online shoppers. Sales fell 0.6 per cent in the six months to 30 August, dragged down by a 3.2 per cent decline in the second quarter. Chief executive Angela [...]
Thomas Cook’s bookings take a hit in Germany September 16, 2014 SHARES in Thomas Cook fell six per cent yesterday as the travel operator warned of a slowdown in late summer bookings by German holiday-makers. The 173-year-old group said bookings in Germany, which accounted for a third of group sales, had slowed from late July and hurt margins in the fourth quarter as consumers worried about [...]
Shares slump as Asos issues third profit warning September 16, 2014 ASOS suffered a wardrobe malfunction with investors yesterday, after the online fashion retailer issued its third profit warning in seven months. The former stock market darling warned it would need to cut prices across its international markets, including Australia, after the strength of sterling made the price of its clothing less appealing for customers. Asos [...]
Analyst Views: How has Asos’ update changed your outlook for the company? September 16, 2014 JOHN STEVENSON | PEEL HUNT Do we still see this business getting to £2bn-£3bn of turnover? Yes. Is the profit outlook at that level of turnover materially different than we thought it might be? Yes. FREDDIE GEORGE | CANTOR FITZGERALD After this update and the revision to 2015 forecasts, there will inevitably be questions over [...]
MySale founders Carl and Jamie Jackson are no flash in pan September 15, 2014 Carl and Jamie Jackson: The winning team behind the website that started with the 2001 British Lions rugby tour down under Retail has always been a family affair for Carl and Jamie Jackson, the co-founders of MySale – a “flash” website where shoppers can buy countless brands at a discount for short periods of time. [...]
MySale ramps up expansion with Danish Invitetobuy acquisition September 15, 2014 MySale, the Australian flash sales site, is pushing ahead with its European expansion, after snapping up a 60 per cent stake in a rival Scandinavian website. The online retailer, which counts Sir Philip Green and Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct among its shareholders, said yesterday it planned to use its acquisition of Denmark’s Invitetobuy to launch [...]