FTSE weighed down by banks and UK economic data, despite energy surge September 16, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares closed lower yesterday, weighed by banks which slipped after recent strength, while retailers fell on downbeat UK economic data, countering gains in energy stocks. The FTSE 100 closed down 15.42 points or 0.3 per cent, at 5,540.14, having fallen 0.2 per cent in the previous session. That was its first daily decline [...]
Stuart Rose set to join Bridgepoint September 13, 2010 OUTGOING Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose will join private equity group Bridgepoint as an adviser, the firm will announce today. The controversial M&S chairman will take a place on the Bridgepoint advisory committee, which is chaired by former chief secretary to the treasury Alan Milburn. A Bridgepoint spokesman told City A.M. Rose is [...]
Good trading helps Punch cut net debt August 24, 2010 Punch Taverns, the country’s largest pubs group, said yesterday it expected full-year earnings to be slightly ahead of its previous expectations – reflecting a pub improvement programme, a good World Cup and sunny summer weather. The company, which runs more than 7,100 pubs, said sales at pubs it directly manages, which have been open for [...]
Swannell is the right man for M&S August 23, 2010 WHEN I had breakfast with Robert Swannell, the newly appointed chairman of Marks & Spencer recently, it was clear that the former investment banker was in anything but wind down mode. After three decades of working on mergers and acquisitions, sometimes over seven-day weeks involving late nights, Swannell could have been forgiven for putting his [...]
Swannell plans to juggle HMV and Marks & Spencer roles August 23, 2010 FORMER dealmaker Robert Swannell will remain on the board of HMV after taking the chair of Marks & Spencer in January, it is understood. Swannell, whose appointment as Sir Stuart Rose’s replacement was confirmed yesterday, will divide his time between the structurally challenged music chain and the all-purpose retailer. He will step down from the [...]
Swannell set to win M&S chairmanship August 22, 2010 ROBERT SWANNELL, the veteran investment banker and HMV boss, is expected to be confirmed as Sir Stuart Rose’s replacement at the chair of Marks & Spencer this week. Swannell spent the weekend thrashing out an agreement with M&S, friends said, and while his appointment was not sealed last night he is understood to be in [...]
M&S lines up new chairman to replace Rose August 20, 2010 Marks & Spencer is to name Robert Swannell as Sir Stuart Rose’s successor as chairman, according to Sky News. It said Swannell, currently a senior advisor of Citi Europe and chairman of HMV Group, the music and books retailer, would take up the role when Rose steps down next year. A spokeswoman for M&S declined [...]
Reflections on the Philip Green saga August 16, 2010 MY first contact with Sir Philip Green came around two decades ago when he was running a small public company called Amber Day. I had written a two paragraph story for the Independent newspaper which provoked the retailing tycoon to scream down the phone at me the following day. “I cut out your article out [...]
Boots buys up Turkish drug wholesaler July 25, 2010 ALLIANCE Boots will prepare for a major push into Africa and the Middle East with the purchase of one of Turkey’s biggest drug wholesalers. Alliance Boots will take full control of Hedef Alliance in a deal thought to value the Turkish company at more than £600m. Boots already owns a 50 per cent stake in [...]
Heard it through the grapevine: Levis popular July 20, 2010 A new YouGov SixthSense report into high street fashion reveals that Levis is still in demand despite a high ownership rate amongst UK consumers. The report, which investigates public perceptions of 35 prominent high street brands, also brings into question the consumer-appeal of high-end brands such as Vivienne Westwood. Despite the fact that one in [...]