A busy week on the high street as retailers report September 13, 2009 It’s time to hit the high street this week, with a whole host of retailers updating the market. In keeping with that theme, the Office of National Statistics will tomorrow release the Retail Prices Index data for August, which is expected to show that prices fell 1.5 per cent year-on-year, compared to a decline of [...]
Retail guru Davies to revive high street with GIVe stores September 13, 2009 RETAIL veteran George Davies is set to open the doors to his new stand alone shopping venture, GIVe, this Autumn. Davies, the founder of high street fashion store Next, Marks and Spencer’s womenswear range Per Una and Asda’s George clothing line has ploughed £20m of his own money into the chain. The much-hyped launch comes [...]
Marks & Spencer promotes Dixon to the board fuelling Rose succession talk September 9, 2009 MARKS & Spencer (M&S) has promoted its head of food, John Dixon, to its executive board, strengthening his chance of succeeding Stuart Rose as chief executive next year. M&S has always said it would prefer an internal candidate to succeed Rose, and signs of recovery at the group’s upmarket food business in recent months have [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS September 8, 2009 MARKS & SPENCERAfter reviewing the autumn merchandise and its own forecasts, Investec raised its full-year 2010 pre-tax profit estimate for Marks & Spencer to £530m, from £475m, based on stronger gross margin progress than in previous guidance. However, the broker believes that some of the margin recovery booked in 2009/10 will make 2010/11 progress harder, [...]
Primark sales boost shares in AB Foods September 7, 2009 STRONG demand for cheap clothes yesterday prompted Primark owner Associated British Foods to hike its full-year earnings forecasts. AB Foods finance director John Bason said Primark like-for-like sales rose by seven per cent in the six months to 12 September, in contrast to declining sales at high street rivals such as Marks Spencer and Next. [...]
WORKAHOLIC MYNERS IS FORCED TO CALL TIME ON HIS GREAT LOVE September 6, 2009 MIXING one’s other half with one’s work has always been a risky affair, largely because loved ones have a tendency to be prone to letting things slip – and The Capitalist imagines that City minister Lord Myners won’t be hugely enamoured to read his wife Alison’s upcoming interview with Tatler magazine, which hits newsstands on [...]
Kate’s smart move September 3, 2009 KATE Moss’s latest collection for Top Shop has hit the ground running, as usual. But among the most sought- after pieces are her jackets, ranging from a sexy striped blazer (above) to a Russian velvet jacket to a faux fur coat to – and this one has made the biggest splash – the bejewelled black [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS September 3, 2009 INMARSATGoldman Sachs said that Inmarsat’s recent underperformance has created an opportunity to invest in the shares. It believes there is 38 per cent potential upside to its 712p 12-month price target and has now added the stock as an “outperform” to its UK relative value list. DSG INTERNATIONALDSGI’s good sales figures deserved a better share [...]
M&S ups ante in search for boss September 1, 2009 Marks and Spencer is close to appointing a headhunter to find a replacement for chief executive Sir Stuart Rose. Jan Hall, who has worked for M&S in the past, is expected to be a leading candidate. The search will be tough because Rose is expected to stay on as chairman after the new chief executive [...]
Down to earth style August 20, 2009 WHAT a coincidence. Two weeks after the Trade Union Congress declared high heels a menace to health in the workplace, flat shoes have surged to the fore as the must-have fashion accessory for fall. Comfort and style in one – who knew? “Every season, brogues for women come back with more vengeance,” says a spokeswoman [...]