‘Clerical error’ wipes out Dixons Carphone’s sales growth January 21, 2020 Dixons Carphone was left red-faced today as it admitted that its sales growth figure actually represented a decline. The retailer updated the stock market on its Christmas trading figures this morning, telling investors it had enjoyed a two per cent rise in reported sales. However, six hours on Dixons Carphone reversed the number into a [...]
Four challenges Sharon White must address at John Lewis January 9, 2020 Incoming John Lewis Partnership boss Sharon White will have a big job on her hands when she joins the retailer next month, as this morning’s trading update showed. The department store issued a profit warning today and made the surprise announcement that John Lewis managing director Paula Nickolds will leave the partnership in February. It [...]
‘Super Saturday’ fails to deliver retail footfall spike December 23, 2019 So-called Super Saturday failed to deliver for high street retailers this year after footfall dropped more than seven per cent. According to the latest figures for the week to 21 December, footfall on the last Saturday before Christmas fell 7.6 per cent year on year and rose just 2.3 per cent compared to the rest [...]
Insolvency firm Begbies Traynor’s boss says retail carnage expected to continue December 10, 2019 The executive chairman of restructuring and insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor said today that there was no sign of the carnage on the High Street ending as the growth in e-retailing and shaky consumer confidence continued to take their toll. “Headwinds in terms of consumer demand with uncertainty over what the future will hold and structural [...]
Quiz swings to £7m loss as it blames ‘very challenging’ UK high street December 4, 2019 Fast fashion brand Quiz has plunged into a loss due to expensive shop leases and a lack of footfall in the first half of its financial year, it revealed today. Shares sank 16 per cent in response to leave the embattled retailer’s stock valued at just 14.05p per share. Read more: Quiz has already issued [...]
Pets At Home profit jumps in first half as it eyes top-end full-year earnings November 26, 2019 Pets At Home’s share price surged in trading today after it posted a bumper profit increase and strong like-for-like sales growth for the first half of its financial year. Read more: Short sellers tail off at Pets At Home The figures The retailer enjoyed an 18.9 per cent year-on-year increase in underlying profit before tax [...]
Easyjet boss bullish about package holiday move, despite tumbling profit and ‘difficult’ aviation market November 19, 2019 Easyjet has unveiled a new-look package holiday business just months after the collapse of Thomas Cook, despite profit plunging more than a quarter over the last year. The budget flyer said the new business, Easyjet Holidays, will launch in the UK just in time for customers to pencil in a Christmas getaway, with bookings open [...]
Three reasons behind Mothercare’s fall into administration November 4, 2019 Mothercare’s UK retail business is set to collapse into administration, despite a rescue plan implemented last year, the retailer confirmed today. Mothercare has filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators to its 79 UK stores after determining they were “not capable of returning to a level of structural profitability”. So what exactly went wrong? [...]
Next sales beat guidance, but store performance worries investors October 30, 2019 Next sales beat guidance in the retailer’s third quarter with a two per cent rise, it revealed today. However, retail sales dropped 6.3 per cent in the three months to the end of October, saved by a 9.7 per cent increase in online revenue. Read more: Next defies retail gloom with rise in profits Warm [...]
Will the buyout of Thomas Cook’s 555 high street stores take off? October 9, 2019 At 11.53pm on Tuesday night, the directors of family-owned Sunderland-based holiday firm Hays Travel clinched what is surely the biggest coup of their careers: buying Thomas Cook’s entire collection of high street stores. They appear to have timed their move well. Although owners John and Irene Hays wouldn’t tell reporters the price yesterday, they have doubtless [...]