Waitrose smashes Christmas sales records January 3, 2013 WAITROSE yesterday toasted record trading in the run-up to the New Year after the grocer said aggressive promotions on products such as champagne and its Brand Price Match campaign helped to lure customers from rivals. The upmarket supermarket, which is owned by John Lewis, said like-for-like sales rose 5.4 per cent between 18 December New [...]
Next shares hit fresh high over bumper Xmas January 3, 2013 SHARES in Next reached a record high yesterday after the high street clothing stalwart upped its full-year profit guidance and reported a strong rise in sales in the run-up to Christmas. The UK’s second largest clothing retailer said it expected to make profit before tax in the range of £611m to £625m in the year [...]
Foyles reports flat Christmas January 3, 2013 FOYLES yesterday posted flat sales over Christmas after a weak performance at its flagship Charing Cross Road branch was offset by strong trading at Westfield Stratford and online. The bookseller said while the sales period between Christmas and New Year proved “exceptionally strong”, its overall performance was dragged down by weaker trading between 1 December [...]
Barnes & Noble’s Nook has weaker Christmas period January 3, 2013 US book retailer Barnes & Noble saw its fledgling Nook ereader unit falter over the Christmas season, as it sold fewer devices than in the same period last year, and saw growth in sales of digital books and magazines fall. The company, which launched its range of ereaders and tablets in the UK in time [...]
FTSE spikes in afternoon trading on US December employment boost January 3, 2013 BRITAIN’S FTSE rallied in the afternoon yesterday, as encouraging economic data out of the United States provided the momentum to lift the index to fresh 17-month highs. The FTSE 100 had edged lower in morning trade, but added 0.3 per cent in 15 minutes after the release of data showing that US private-sector employers added [...]
Stick with Sona Sasta in Chepstow bog January 3, 2013 BEFORE Christmas I advised backing SONA SASTA each-way at 12/1 for the Coral Welsh National and I see absolutely no reason to jump ship now. The race on December 27 was abandoned due to monsoon-like conditions in Monmouthshire, but tomorrow’s rescheduled version at 3.20pm is looking like it will get the go ahead. It has [...]
FTSE 100 flat after landmark day yesterday January 3, 2013 Following a stellar day yesterday for the FTSE 100 in which it tipped over the 6,000 mark, the leading share index was broadly flat in early deals today, although it still clung to the 6,000 level. Financial shares were strong risers on the blue chip index, with Aberdeen Asset Management, Legal & General and Hargreaves [...]
Next lifts profit guidance on strong sales January 3, 2013 Clothing retailer Next this morning upped its profit forecast on the back of strong pre-Christmas sales. It now expects profit to come in at between £611m and £625m, up from previous guidance of between £590m and £620m. Next cited better-than-expected cost control measures, markdowns and gross margins for the hike. Strong pre-Christmas sales boosted Next, [...]
FTSE rally eludes UK grocery giants January 2, 2013 SUPERMARKET chains Morrisons and Sainsbury’s failed to make the most of UK investors’ New Year optimism yesterday after analysts raised fears that their performance had been less than stellar over the crucial Christmas trading period. Morrisons was one of just three fallers in the FTSE – closing down two per cent – after house broker [...]
The optimists come out to play for the first day of 2013 January 2, 2013 For those hardy souls returning to work yesterday after the Christmas break the financial markets provided some welcome and slightly unexpected cheer. Talks in the US aimed at averting a stalemate on the so-called fiscal cliff succeeded (just) and a bill that many Republicans dislike because it contains too few spending cuts passed through the [...]