House of Fraser sales flat as it warns on a volatile trading environment that isn’t going away September 27, 2016 House of Fraser announced sales in the first half of the financial year were unchanged on a year ago, warning that it faces a "volatile trading environment" that is unlikely to change. Home was House of Fraser's strongest category, with sales for the 26 weeks to 30 July increasing by 4.5 per cent. But the House [...]
For the love of bags: Jardine of London founder Mary Jardine talks music cases, the Queen, Brexit, and why she’s on the hunt for a partner August 22, 2016 "It felt like I’d always been the spectator. It dawned on me that I wanted to be the one taking part; the one driving something forward.” Mary Jardine, founder of handbag startup Jardine of London, was approaching her fiftieth birthday when she decided she was going to set up her own business. Jardine of London isn’t [...]
You can now buy the world’s oldest port wine brand online from Marks and Spencer August 16, 2016 Move over, craft beer. For the first time in five centuries, the world's oldest brand of port wine is now going to be available to buy online at a major UK retailer. Top-tier port brand Kopke's 1996 vintage has launched on Marks & Spencer online for £30 for a single bottle and can also be [...]
Mulberry has sales in the bag as pre-tax profit grows to £6.2m June 16, 2016 Designer handbag firm Mulberry Group has posted a £4m jump in profits, driven by retail sales as the company carries on with its turnaround plan. The figures The firm grew pre-tax profit to £6.2m in the year to 31 March, from £1.9m the year before. Total revenue was up by five per cent to £155.9m [...]
Sunday Times Rich List 2016: Retail king Mike Ashley’s wealth declines by £1bn… and the fortunes of Britain’s fashion and retail billionaires April 24, 2016 Mike Ashley is the biggest loser in the retail billionaires club. The Sports Direct boss and Newcastle United owner's fortune shrank by more than one billion pounds last year to £2.43bn, according to the latest figures from the Sunday Times Rich List. Arcadia boss Sir Philip Green, owner of Tophsop among several fashion stores and the man who [...]
London Craft Week 2016 kicks off next month – and here’s what to book before tickets run out April 14, 2016 Craft is the new cool. How many craft beers are tickling the taste buds of trendies from New York to New Zealand right now? From craft beer to modern-rustic homes to country-casual hotels, across the globe we have fallen for all things home-made, upcycled, and – the holy grail – bespoke from the maker. And [...]
Mulberry names Dyson’s Neil Ritchie finance director suceeding Roger Mather March 7, 2016 Mulberry has named Neil Ritchie as its new finance director. Ritchie is moving from Dyson where he spent 14 years, most recently as global commercial finance chief and succeeds Roger Mather, who revealed he was leaving the fashion retailer last autumn after eight years, Mulberry chief Thierry Andretta said: "We are delighted to welcome Neil to Mulberry. His experience in developing and [...]
Korn Ferry: Retail sector shake-up drives 40 per cent rise in new chief executive appointments in 2015 March 7, 2016 Retailers made a wave of chief executive officer (CEO) appointments last year as businesses came under pressure to improve their performance and battle declining footfall. Executive search firm Korn Ferry’s latest retail CEO tracker released today shows that there were 45 hires across the sector last year, an increase of 41 per cent on the [...]
City Moves for 15 February 2016 | Who’s switching jobs February 15, 2016 RBC Martin Copeland (pictured) has joined RBC in London as head of oil and gas, reporting to Nick Taylor. Martin has 25 years of experience and joins RBC from Evercore where he co-founded the EMEA energy team and led a number of high profile oil and energy mandates. Prior to Evercore, his previous roles include [...]
LFW Autumn-Winter ’16: Who are the London Fashion Week brands to bank on? How share prices for Marks & Spencer, Burberry and Mulberry are shaping up ahead of the the shows February 14, 2016 In a little over four days time, London will be buzzing with trendsetters as Fashion Week arrives in the capital. But, apart from rerouting your commute so it doesn't head through Soho, what does this mean for the average City A.M. reader? Here's a run down of the business news you need to know for some [...]