H&M sees sales trend on the up February 15, 2010 FASHION chain Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) yesterday posted a second consecutive rise in monthly like-for-like sales – sparking hopes of a turnaround. The figures came after seven months of falling figures last year as the downturn hit the group. The global retailer of mid-range fashions said sales rose one per cent year-on-year in January. In [...]
Yara in £2.6bn US deal February 15, 2010 Norway’s Yara has agreed to buy Terra Industries for $4.1bn (£2.6bn) to create a world leading fertiliser producer and boost its US presence, as rivals look to join forces to gain size and reach. Last month US-based CF Industries withdrew its year-long hostile bid to buy Terra. That battle, along with other acquisitions and merger [...]
Diversity is a great asset if managed properly February 15, 2010 Love means never having to say you’re sorry. Or so the 1970s film Love Story, starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neil, famously claimed. I never agreed with that sentiment then – and I still do not today. Valentine’s Day on Sunday got me thinking about how important what you actually say is. For us Yanks [...]
Ikea sacks two Russian executives for failing to stamp out corruption February 15, 2010 Swedish furniture retailer Ikea sacked two executives for turning a blind eye to bribery by a subcontractor in Russia, just months after it halted expansion in the country because of bureaucratic hurdles. Ikea’s Russia spokeswoman said the group had dismissed its general director for Russia and Eastern Europe and another senior director. Bribery is a [...]
H&M in sales boost February 15, 2010 FASHION chain Hennes & Mauritz posted a second consecutive rise in monthly same-store sales on – sparking hopes of a turnaround. The figures came after seven months of falling figures last year as the downturn hit the group. The global retailer of mid-range fashions said sales rose 1 percent year-on-year in January. In December, the [...]
Men’s pensions two-thirds bigger than women’s February 15, 2010 MEN’S pensions will be nearly two-thirds bigger than women’s among those planning to retire this year, research from Prudential has shown. Men who start drawing a pension during 2010 can expect an annual average income of £12,169 – while women will receive only £7,424. Pensions dropped for both men and women over the past year, [...]
Jobs market “still on the ropes” February 15, 2010 JOB losses are set to surge as the axe swings in the public sector, an employers’ survey has found. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said the jobs market was still “on the ropes” with one in six employers planning redundancies in the first three months of the year. The employers said they planned [...]
Japan still ahead of China after growth boost February 15, 2010 JAPAN has reported a fourth-quarter beating forecasts – maintaining its position as the world’s second largest economy. Real gross domestic product grew at an annual pace of 4.6 per cent from October to December, according to official government figures. The boost means that the country is still slightly ahead of China, with the US still [...]
SuperGroup in £125m flotation plan February 15, 2010 FASHION company SuperGroup is is set to launch a £125m stock market flotation. The move comes after a series of other companies, including fellow fashion retailer New Look, decided to shelve their planned initial public offerings (IPOs) last week. SuperGroup owns the Superdry brand sported by celebrities such as David Beckham and High School Musical [...]
Britain Plc: Deficit is our top priority February 15, 2010 THE NEXT government should make slashing the UK’s ballooning budget deficit its number one priority to head off a slide back into recession, according to a poll out today. Urgent action, such as freezing public sector wages and reforming public sector pensions, should be taken as soon as it enters power, according to a poll of [...]
