Mixed mining shares weigh on FTSE February 15, 2013 The blue chip index edged down in early deals after a mixed performance from headline mining shares. Anglo American was the biggest riser, adding more than three per cent in early deals, despite it posting a sharp drop in 2012 earnings as it was hit by last month’s $4bn write-down on Brazilian project Minas Rio. [...]
Fashion chain Republic enters administration February 13, 2013 BRITAIN’S already fragile high street was dealt a fresh blow yesterday after fashion chain Republic collapsed into administration. Ernst & Young, the business advisory firm, has been appointed as administrator and 150 staff at its Leeds headquarters were immediately made redundant. The retailer, which sells youth fashion brands including Jack Jones and SoulCal, runs 121 [...]
Retailer Republic poised to fall into administration February 12, 2013 REPUBLIC, the youth fashion retailer, is poised to become the latest high street name to collapse into administration, putting 1,000 jobs and 121 stores at risk. Ernst & Young has been lined up as administrators and the appointment is expected to be confirmed this morning. The group’s demise marks the latest in a string of [...]
The trusted brand with personality at its core February 3, 2013 YOU may have seen Clippy McKenna’s eponymous preserves on your supermarket shelves. Her two-man show (it is just Clippy and fiancé Paul Gorman working at the business; everything else, including the actual jam-making, is contracted out) now stocks its products in some of the biggests stores – including Tesco and Harvey Nichols. After graduating as [...]
Angela Spindler named as the new chief executive at N Brown January 31, 2013 CATALOGUE and online fashion retailer N Brown has hired Original Factory Shop chief executive Angela Spindler to succeed its outgoing boss Alan White. The company, which targets older and larger shoppers with brands such as Simply Be and Jacamo, said Spindler will join the firm before July to ensure a smooth succession. White will retire [...]
Cranswick signs £30m Asda deal January 31, 2013 Sausage-maker Cranswick said yesterday it has signed a deal to become Asda’s main fresh pork supplier thought to be worth around £30m. The news came as it posted a seven per cent rise in underlying third quarter revenue despite record pig prices in the UK. It said input costs rose during the quarter to 31 [...]
Mothercare UK boss to exit in team reshuffle January 30, 2013 MOTHERCARE’S UK boss is to leave the baby products retailer as part of a management shake-up to stem falling sales at its troubled UK arm. The retailer said yesterday that Mike Logue, who moved to Mothercare from Asda in late 2011, is to step down next month after the role was made redundant. The restructure [...]
Greencore warns UK market showing little or no growth January 29, 2013 FOOD group Greencore yesterday said a “challenging UK food market” has resulted in flat like-for-like sales in the first quarter of the year. The company, which makes prepared meals and sandwiches for retailers such as Tesco and Asda, said sales at its convenience food division rose 2.5 per cent to £285.8m in the 13 weeks [...]
Online shopping spurs PayPoint January 24, 2013 Credit card processing company PayPoint yesterday said increasing internet transactions led it to a four per cent rise in revenues year-on-year for the three months to January. The firm, whose customers include Sainsburys Local, Asda and the Co-op, processed 193m transactions during the period, up five per cent on last year. The rise in internet [...]
Horse burger fears spread January 16, 2013 SAINSBURY’S, the Co-op and ASDA yesterday cleared their shelves of burgers supplied by companies at the centre of a horse meat scandal. There is no evidence the three supermarkets sold contaminated products but they have taken the precautionary measure following Tuesday’s revelation that the meat content in a sample of Tesco’s Everyday Beef Burgers was 29 per cent [...]