Oasis and Warehouse buy London menswear website September 10, 2019 The Oasis and Warehouse group has moved into menswear for the first time with the acquisition of a London-based online fashion brand. The Idle Man, which is headquartered in Shoreditch, was founded in 2014 by former Asos buyer Oliver Tezcan. The e-commerce platform sells men’s brands and its own labels. Read more: Oasis and Warehouse [...]
Dividends for AIM-listed firms soar to record heights September 9, 2019 The dividends paid by companies listed on the stock exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) exchange reached record highs in the first half of the year, and are on track to beat 2018’s record full-year total of £1.1bn. First-half AIM dividends climbed 23.9 per cent year on year to £633m, according to new figures from Link [...]
Boohoo shares soar as online retailer boosts full-year guidance September 5, 2019 Shares in online retailer Boohoo soared to an all-time high this morning after the fast fashion firm increased sales growth guidance for the year. Boohoo’s share price was up 15.37 per cent to 280.7p after the company announced sales growth would be between 33 per cent and 38 per cent, against previous guidance of 25 [...]
The founder of Yulife on avoiding the grey-suit mentality of the insurance industry August 19, 2019 Dressed in a tie-dye T-shirt and jeans, Sammy Rubin looks more like a climate change activist than the chief executive of an insurance company. But then, there’s a lesson on why you shouldn’t judge people on how they look. Indeed, there are many things we can learn from Rubin – his hippyish dress-sense feeds right [...]
Klarna becomes Europe’s most valuable fintech in $460m raise August 6, 2019 Online payments giant Klarna has scooped up another $460m in an equity funding round led by Dragoneer, which values the fintech firm at $5.5bn. Other investors included Commonwealth Bank of Australia, HMI Capital, Starling Bank investor Merian Chrysalis, Forsta AP-Fonden, IPGL, Institutional Venture Partners and several funds managed by Blackrock. Swedish-born Klarna said it will [...]
Joules defies retail anguish with growth across the board July 23, 2019 Clothes store Joules this morning announced a double-figures spike in profit despite tough high street conditions. The full-year results will be the last for outgoing CEO Colin Porter, who said the firm was “well-positioned for continued success”. Read more: Joules lures in top Asda director as new chief executive The figures Pre-tax profit rose 14.9 [...]
Has ASOS just issued its third and final profits warning? July 23, 2019 By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. With ongoing operational issues aplenty, investor confidence hinges on a belief in stock market adages. Warehouse troubles drove ASOS (LSE:ASC) to a third profits warning in less than a year as the fast-fashion giant slipped even further behind the market value of upstart rival Boohoo Group (LSE:BOO). Shares dived as much as 22 per cent [...]
UK retail industry battles ‘toughest ever’ trading conditions July 22, 2019 The health of the UK retail industry is on the brink of falling to record lows as shops battle some of the “toughest trading conditions they’ve ever experienced”. The Retail Health Index, which takes into account consumer demand, gross margins and costs, fell from 77 to 76 in the second quarter, financial services firm KPMG [...]
DEBATE: Is 4G on the Tube something to get excited about? July 22, 2019 Is 4G on the Tube something to get excited about? Ben Askins, managing director at Verb Brands, says YES. “Sorry I didn’t get back to you, I was on the Tube” is an anecdote that our grandchildren will be shocked by. While it’s true that no one will be able to stop the incoming onslaught [...]
Homebase closes in on Bathstore takeover July 19, 2019 Homebase is set to buy struggling retailer Bathstore after the UK’s largest bathroom specialist fell into administration three weeks ago. Administrators BDO have since been looking for a buyer to save the flagging chain, and now Homebase are close to agreeing a deal, according to The Telegraph. Read more: Homebase named UK’s worst retail website [...]