HOLLYWOOD A-LISTERS HIRED BY M&S August 31, 2011 MARKS & Spencer has unveiled a new marketing campaign starring Hollywood A-listers Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Ryan Reynolds. Transformers star Huntington-Whiteley and romcom actor Reynolds will be used to plug the firm’s Autograph collection. The move by boss Marc Bolland is aimed at widening the retailer’s international appeal.
More misery August 17, 2011 STUBBORNLY high inflation and unemployment have pushed Britain’s misery index to record levels, according to official data released yesterday. The misery index – used by economists to estimate the unhappiness spread by joblessness and the rising cost of living – almost certainly jumped to a fresh high last month, as an extra 37,100 people joined [...]
FTSE takes a battering on recovery fears August 3, 2011 Energy companies took a hammering in London today as a renewed investor focus on global economic fragility saw a flight to safety across Europe. The FTSE 100 retreated more than 133 points or 2.3 per cent to close at 5,584.51, levels not seen since November 2010, after confidence in sovereign debt fell again and investors [...]
Next sales hold up with home shipping boost August 3, 2011 Retailer Next posted first-half sales towards the top end of company guidance, boosted by its online and home shopping business and showing resilience against a tough consumer backdrop. The firm maintained its full-year profit forecast on and predicted pressure from rising costs, like higher cotton prices, would ease next year. Britain’s retailers are mostly struggling [...]
Asos in sales jump July 14, 2011 Online fashion firm ASOS posted a leap in first quarter sales and said it was confident about the outlook, showing there are still winners in the retail sector, even in straitened times. ASOS, which targets internet-savvy 16 to 34-year-old women looking to emulate the designer looks of celebrities such as Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and [...]
M&S gloomy on outlook for retailers July 13, 2011 MARKS and Spencer is seeing its market share grow with sales nudging up but warned of a tough road ahead for the retail sector. Chief executive Marc Bolland said that the freshening up of product lines had fuelled sales growth, with healthy eating ranges proving particularly successful in its food halls. Like-for-like UK sales excluding [...]
Commodities boost FTSE rise as China data elevates miners July 13, 2011 BRITAIN’S FTSE 100 bounced yesterday, led by commodity stocks as economic data from China and soothing words from the US Federal Reserve raised hopes that stagnation in the global economic recovery might prove short-lived. Having fallen near five per cent over the previous three days, the mining sector rallied 1.8 per cent after China’s GDP [...]
Miners lead FTSE up as China injects confidence July 13, 2011 The FTSE 100 bounced back today despite the deepening Eurozone crisis which has seen Ireland’s credit rating downgraded to junk by ratings agency Moody’s. Miners led the fight back on the blue chip index while investors across Europe were given a boost by positive economic data from China. Its GDP rose 9.5 per cent in [...]
M&S sales rise bucks grim retail trend July 13, 2011 Retailer Marks & Spencer met forecasts with a seventh consecutive rise in underlying quarterly sales, as its older and more affluent customers cope better with a squeeze in disposable incomes. Britain’s biggest clothing retailer, which also sells homewares and upmarket foods, said Wednesday sales at UK stores open over a year, excluding VAT sales tax, [...]
Greencore to buy rival Uniq in £113m deal July 12, 2011 GREENCORE has made a £113m offer for rival food company Uniq as it paves the way for a delisting in Ireland ahead of joining the London market. The Dublin-based company, which is one of Britain’s biggest providers of ready meals, said its 96p per share offer has received the backing of Uniq’s board, which put [...]