What you need to know before the open March 13, 2014 Data from China will keep markets on their toes this morning, as ongoing concerns about the health of the world’s second-largest economy continue to weigh down sentiment. Despite weaker numbers, though, European bourses look set to open slightly higher, after yesterday’s strong declines. Chinese industrial production in February came in at 8.6 per cent from [...]
Bottom Line: AO could be the next online retail success February 26, 2014 WHITE goods retailer AO.com has done little to dissuade comparisons with Asos, the phenomenally successful online fashion retailer that floated 13 years ago – when it announced listing plans earlier this month it even named former Asos chairman Brian McBride (also an ex-Amazon UK managing director) to its board. Yesterday’s 32 per cent rise in shares [...]
Amazon sales growth halves February 3, 2014 AMAZON’S sales only grew by 12.6 per cent to £4.5bn in the UK last year, a slowdown from its previous growth of 21 per cent in 2011 and 2012. The online retailer’s UK sales rose by around $800m compared to sales a year earlier, but came in under 2012’s rise of $1bn and 2011’s $1.4bn. [...]
UK retail sales increase at strongest rate since February 2010 in December January 17, 2014 Christmas was a pretty mixed bag for some retailers, but figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that the squeeze on consumers is easing, and they were able to make the most of bargain and discount shopping. December retail sales jumped 5.3 per cent from a year earlier, up 2.6 per cent in the [...]
Home Retail names Argos boss Walden as next chief executive January 16, 2014 HOME RETAIL GROUP yesterday announced that it has appointed the head of its Argos business to take over from outgoing chief executive Terry Duddy. John Walden, a former Best Buy executive who joined Argos last April, was a clear favourite to take over the post from Duddy, who will step down in March. The news [...]
These festive victors have found a way of winning online and in store January 16, 2014 Argos, Primark, Halfords, Homebase, Dixons and Ocado: the raft companies who saw sales leap over the Christmas period, and present a stark contrast to the big names (M&S, Tesco and Morrisons) that reported gloomy – and sometimes grim – results last week. It's become something of a cliche to keep emphasising the need for transition [...]
Here’s how Argos made a fierce comeback at the end of last year January 16, 2014 Argos has become the latest digital winner at Christmas, as more companies label their online offering the strand that brought them festive sales success. Internet and mobile technology sales buoyed the high street shop's Christmas performance, despite a "challenging consumer environment", owner Home Retail Group said this morning. In a separate statement, the parent company confirmed [...]
Home Retail to pick Walden January 13, 2014 HOME Retail Group was last night poised to appoint Argos managing director John Walden as group chief executive. Walden, who runs the firm’s Argos business, could be announced this week as the new boss, according to Sky News. Terry Duddy said several months ago that he planned to quit. Home Retail Group declined to comment.
London Report: Retailers reveal where tills rang for Christmas January 12, 2014 RETAILERS are expected to reveal where UK shoppers showed their Christmas cheer, with a round of results in contrast to last week’s gloomy December tidings. Figures out this week from retailers such as Argos, Asos, Dixons, Ocado and Primark are expected to show increased sales. The successes are in contrast to the sales dips seen [...]
The year in preview: Our in-depth guide January 5, 2014 City A.M.’s journalists take a wide-ranging look at what 2014 has in store for the world of finance and business BANKINGRestoring faith means costly overhaulsA CAUTIOUS optimism pervades the British and European banking system at the start of 2014. The incoming economic recovery is at last improving customers’ creditworthiness, while the hard work running down [...]