Game Group profits to be hit by discounts December 8, 2010 Computer games retailer Game Group said profit margins would fall by more than expected this financial year as it cut prices to retain share in a market being targeted by grocers and other retailers. Game, which trades from over 1,300 outlets in nine European countries and Australia, said on sales trends had improved in recent [...]
BORIS FUND BREAKFAST CLUB MEETS AT SAVOY December 7, 2010 LONDON mayor Boris Johnson played host to a star-studded launch for the corporate sponsors of the charitable Mayor’s Fund for London yesterday morning, with grandees of the City treated to an 8am poached egg and salmon breakfast in return for their paid-up membership of the London Business Club – an organisation for fund donors. The [...]
Shop prices kept in check December 7, 2010 INTENSE competition between retailers in the run up to Christmas is driving down shop price inflation, new figures reveal today. Shop prices are rising at a much slower rate than overall inflation, the Shop Price Index (SPI) showed. For the first time in five months year on year shop price inflation actually fell, down to [...]
Tesco in Asia lift as UK also bounces back December 7, 2010 TESCO yesterday reported an 8.8 per sales cent rise in the third quarter helped by a strong performance from international stores. The supermarket chain said it was performing in line with expectations while its market share was being boosted by the opening of more store space. Total international sales jumped by 15.7 per cent while [...]
Chains boosted by festive spending on crisps and drink December 7, 2010 SALES of groceries at the major supermarket chains jumped in the final weeks of November, in a boost for the retail sector. J Sainsbury was the strongest performer with 6.8 per cent growth. There was 4.8 per cent growth on average across the board, according to the figures from retail analysts Nielsen. Chains outside the [...]
Microsoft Xbox Kinect proving Christmas hit December 7, 2010 THE Microsoft XBox Kinect is “flying off the shelves” according to Tesco. In its quarterly figures yesterday the retailer picked out the product as the one that is driving sales outside its more traditional groceries. The company said the gaming system, which responds to body movements to allow the player to play virtual games, is [...]
THE TIPSTER December 7, 2010 WITH fractures appearing in the Eurozone’s plans for a unified bond and the US making overtures for further rounds of quantitative easing, traders have been left hunting out safer plays for their money. As such, the Swiss franc is back in favour and the dollar’s drive back towards parity has been short lived. There’s no [...]
England’s bloom down to Flower December 7, 2010 WHEN England inevitably win the Ashes, the likes of Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen will take the plaudits, but the man who will really deserve huge congratulations is Andy Flower. The kind of consistent success that he has engineered does not happen by chance. The players may be executing it, and very well too, but [...]
KP tells Aussies: Adelaide show is just the start December 7, 2010 ENGLAND batsman Kevin Pietersen has warned Australia’s attack to get used to seeing him raise his bat in celebration after claiming to have rediscovered his ruthless touch in Adelaide. Pietersen ended a personal drought of 18 Tests without a century by recording his biggest international score of 227, inspiring England to an innings victory and [...]
Retailers look for Christmas sales lift December 6, 2010 CONSUMER spending showed another month of modest growth in November, according to data released today. Yet shop vacancies have risen compared with last year as the high street cuts back on costs. Prospects for Christmas sales remain “delicately poised” following the early winter freeze, said the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which conducted the survey with [...]