Marks & Spencer’s top 10 festive favourites: slow-cooked turkey, shortbread snow globes, light-up gin and shapewear to hold it in! January 12, 2023 Marks and Spencer saw a record Christmas trade during the latest festive period, with a record £80m sales alone on 23 December, the last Friday before Christmas. Incoming CEO Stuart Machin can also take comfort in a 7.2 per cent rise in the clothing and home category to £3.6bn. But it was the retailer’s Christmas [...]
This isn’t just a good Christmas: M&S retains ‘top turkey’ title as festive sales spike January 12, 2023 Once-troubled M&S continues to deliver positive news to investors with turkey sales helping give the firm a healthy Christmas period
Best of 2022: How Games Workshop founder Ian Livingstone created a £3bn giant December 19, 2022 In a leafy enclave of West London, Ian Livingstone is balanced precariously upon a chair in his study, grasping for a top-shelf box filled with incredibly rare figurines. The legs of the chair creak in protest, and there is a moment when I fear I may be responsible for the untimely death of the man [...]
Ed Warner: Bullingham must own England manager decision if it comes December 15, 2022 “The FA should only look at English managers if Gareth Southgate steps down.” “No, the FA should be prepared to hire a foreign coach.” Discuss ad nauseam. Now imagine you are Mark Bullingham, the Football Association’s chief executive, possibly (but not certainly) about to have to make an appointment whose success or failure would stand [...]
Tesco invests further £14m into egg industry as avian flu sparks rationing November 26, 2022 Tesco is leading the charge in supporting egg suppliers, as British supermarkets begin rationing egg sales amid an outbreak of avian flu. Egg farmers in the UK have been wrestling with an outbreak of avian flu, on top of soaring inflation which has ramped up the price of feed and energy. Tesco has set aside [...]
Retailers balance ‘sadvertising’ and festive joy in this year’s Christmas adverts November 13, 2022 Retailers have faced pressure this year to put out adverts that not only have a feel good factor, but also do good. Against the backdrop of a gloomy winter, where many families will be forced to cut back on Christmas celebrations and gifts in order to keep the fridge stocked and heating on, getting the [...]
Of dice and men: How Ian Livingstone conquered the nerd universe November 11, 2022 In a leafy enclave of West London, Ian Livingstone is balanced precariously upon a chair in his study, grasping for a top-shelf box filled with incredibly rare figurines. The legs of the chair creak in protest, and there is a moment when I fear I may be responsible for the untimely death of the man [...]
FTSE 100 plagued by string of downbeat results November 9, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 today was weighed down by investors ditching retail and leisure firms after several large players in the sector revealed they have been hit by the UK economic slowdown. The capital’s premier index edged 0.14 per cent lower to 7,296.25 points, while the domestically-focused mid-capo FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with [...]
Marks & Spencer profit dented as Ocado joint venture books £0.7m loss November 9, 2022 Marks & Spencer’s half-year profit slid on Wednesday after it said its joint venture with online grocer Ocado had suffered a £700,000 loss. In half-year results to 1 October, M&S said its group profit before tax was £205.5m, versus a £269.4m sum the previous year. Bosses pointed to a lack of business rates relief compared [...]
Homeware retailers ‘draw short straw’ in economic crunch as Made.com nears collapse October 31, 2022 Homeware retailers are facing a turbulent 2023 as mounting operational costs and hesitant consumer sentiment piles the pressure on the sector. It comes as Made.com was still teetering on the brink of collapse on Monday after customers have pulled back from spending on pricier items like furniture. Last week, the ailing sofa seller said it [...]