Should you invest in crowdfunding? June 1, 2016 From craft beer to knitting and films, crowdfunding allows you to invest in the things which matter to you. It’s grown massively in the last five years and revolutionised the possibilities for start-up businesses. Rather than rely on friends for their generosity, or wait months for a bank to say no to a loan, entrepreneurs have [...]
What Next for the UK’s struggling high street? May 5, 2016 Retailers are having a tough old time of it. After last week’s casualties (BHS and Austin Reed) it seems likely that others could follow, and yesterday’s update from one of the high street’s more reliable traders underscored just how jittery the market has become. As a rule, Next tends to downplay its confidence about any [...]
Next widens and lowers full year guidance amid weaker demand for clothing and a slowdown in spending May 4, 2016 Next has widened and lowered its full year guidance on profits amid greater uncertainty in the retail sector, following its previous warning that the year ahead could be the worst since 2008. Presumably investors appreciated the heads up: Next's share price was up 2.5 per cent in early trading and as the day wore on [...]
The death of Aim: Can equity crowdfunding eclipse the LSE’s junior market? April 28, 2016 The alternative finance market enjoyed near triple-digit growth last year, with the value of its loans, investments and donations hitting £3.2bn. Within this, the main sub-sectors of peer-to-peer lending and equity crowdfunding significantly increased awareness of the concept of lending directly to individuals – excluding those entities like the banks which have for too long dominated markets [...]
Primark parent Associated British Food’s share price rises as profits climb but currency woes take their toll April 19, 2016 Profits were up across the board at Associated British Foods for the first half of the year – but currency woes have hurt top line growth. The figures Group revenue for the Weston-owned business stood at £6.12bn over the 24 weeks to 27 February, down two per cent on an actual basis or up two [...]
UK bricks and mortar retailers lack relevant e-commerce experience at board level, claims report April 12, 2016 British retailers lack relevant e-commerce experience on the boards, a new study by a leading global executive search firm has found, putting them at risk of falling further behind by their online-only rivals. According to DHR International, only five per cent of executive directors at the leading UK-listed bricks and mortar retail companies have an online background, placing the high street at a [...]
Asos’s share price surges as etailer reveals double-digit profit and sales growth as retailer consolidates return to strength April 12, 2016 Asos' share price surged more than 5.1 per cent this morning, after reporting six month double-digit sales and profit growth. The figures The etailer grew group revenue 21 per cent to £667.3m in the six months to 29 February, with UK retail sales up 25 per cent while international sales grew 18 per cent. Gross profit was up 22 per [...]
Koovs’ share prices leaps by a third after sales at Indian online retailer beat forecasts April 5, 2016 Koovs' share price leapt this morning after the Indian-focused online retailer said sales almost tripled last year to hit £10m for the first time. The company, which was founded four years ago by former Asos chairman Lord Waheed Alli, said sales jumped by 189 per cent to 981m Indian rupee (£10m) in the year to 31 March. Visitors to [...]
French Connection losses widen as Next mastermind Christos Angelides joins the board, though the share price slides March 15, 2016 High street fashion chain French Connection has reported its sales have continued to slide in the last year, down eight per cent at £164.2m. The company posted a loss of £4.7m, a substantial increase on the £0.8m loss in 2015. In an attempt to shore up its board FCUK has brought on former Next director Christos Angelides as [...]
Missguided website crash: 50pc off sales causes technical problems for online retailer and leaves customers unable to complete orders March 14, 2016 The website of online retailer Missguided has suffered technical problems after announcing a sale leaving many of its customers unable to complete orders. An offer for 50 per cent off appears to have left the retailer, which counts Asos and Boohoo.com among its rivals, struggling to cope. Shoppers turned to Twitter to express their disappointment and frustration [...]