Blacks replaces Bernstein with interim chair August 11, 2011 FORMER Selfridges chief executive Peter Williams (pictured) has been made interim chairman of ailing Blacks Leisure. The outdoor retailer’s leading shareholder Mike Ashley forced out chairman David Bernstein after withdrawing his support at last week’s shareholders’ meeting. Julia Reynolds, the new chief executive, only started a few days ago. Williams becomes interim chairman as the company [...]
UK still tough says Grainger August 11, 2011 GRAINGER expects the UK property market to continue being affected by the subdued economy, and says that it is making good progress integrating the first three housing portfolios under its Lloyds RAMP agreement. The housebuilder said it had made £79.5m of sales in the four months to the end of July, and had a further [...]
Heathrow passengers soar to record as US traffic rises August 11, 2011 HEATHROW was used by more air passengers in July than in any previous month, with 6.9m people passing through the airport, owner BAA said yesterday. Passenger numbers were up 2.5 per cent on the same period a year ago, as long haul flights, particularly to and from the US, fuelled the rise. BAA’s three Scottish [...]
AirAsia chooses adviser for IPO August 11, 2011 LONG-HAUL budget carrier AirAsia yesterday chose Morgan Stanley as the adviser for its proposed initial public offering (IPO). The airline, run by Tony Fernandes, said its planned listing is on track for next year, though a decision on where to list is yet to be finalised.
Thomas Cook UK chief quits August 11, 2011 THOMAS Cook announced yesterday that the head of its British retail division Ian Derbyshire is stepping down, a week after chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa departed following the group’s third profit warning in a year. The company said he was leaving to take the helm at his family’s child activity business in north west England.
Metrodome buys Psycho rights owner for £1.6m August 11, 2011 BREAKFAST at Tiffany’s rights owner Hollywood Classics has been snapped up by Metrodome in a deal worth £1.6m. Metrodome will gain access to 600 independent movies as well as 100 classic films from studios including Universal, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros and the UK Film Council. Highlights include the Godfather and Alfred Hitchcock classic [...]
Potter boosts Bloomsbury August 11, 2011 PUBLISHER Bloomsbury has once again been boosted by the magic of Harry Potter. The release of the latest movie version of JK Rowling’s boy-wizard has waved a wand over sales figures for the entire range of children’s novels. This, coupled with surging ebook sales, led to a “significant improvement” in sales during July and August. [...]
YouGov adds Rivers to board as new US arm performs well August 11, 2011 YOUGOV yesterday said it is performing in line with management expectations, buoyed by a strong performance by recently acquired businesses in the US. It said the the relative performance of units across the group was consistent with earlier in the year. The firm also announced the appointment of Doug Rivers as chief innovations officer. The [...]
BOLLYWOOD BOOM KEEPS EROS ON TRACK August 11, 2011 BOLLYWOOD film group Eros International said yesterday that it was trading in line with market expectations, and that operating cash flows remain strong ahead of several upcoming releases. Earnings before tax at the group rose 47.4 per cent to Rs369.2m (£5m), and the firm has several films in the pipeline including Rana (above).
Supply chain issues push profits lower for computer firm Psion August 11, 2011 Mobile computing services provider Psion yesterday reported a first-half loss and lower revenue, hurt by supply chain issues. The company, which provides a range of “rugged” hand-held computers, said it is well-positioned to deliver profitable growth in the second half. Psion reported a pre-tax loss of £5.3m for the six months, compared with a profit [...]
