Sir Philip Green lets go of loss-making BHS for £1 only March 13, 2015 Struggling retail chain BHS is to be sold for £1 after almost 15 years in the possession of billionaire Arcadia chairman Sir Philip Green. The iconic chain of department stores was founded in 1928 by American entrepreneurs seeking emulate the success of Woolworths. But the company has declined in recent years as it lost market [...]
New Look adds to regeneration of east end of Oxford Street March 4, 2015 FASHION retailer New Look is to open a flagship store at the east end of Oxford Street, helping to drive further change at the notoriously dowdy end of London’s largest shopping street. Property firm Great Portland Estates said yesterday that it has pre-let a third of its huge 90,500 square feet development at 73-89 Oxford [...]
Associated British Foods feasts on Primark but diets on sugar February 23, 2015 SHOPPERS snapping up more bargains at Primark over the last eight weeks helped to offset a weak performance at Associated British Foods’ (ABF) sugar business, the consumer giant said yesterday. Sales at clothing retailer Primark in the half-year to 28 February are expected to rise by 16 per cent on a constant currency basis, due [...]
New Look hires JPMorgan as it eyes £2bn float February 23, 2015 Fast fashion chain New Look has taken a step closer to an initial public listing (IPO), having hired JP Morgan to work on options for a flotation. Reports suggest the retailer, which is currently owned by private equity firms Apax and Permira as well as founder Tom Singh, could be valued at as much [...]
Primark sales climb – but sugar division remains bitter for Associated British Foods February 23, 2015 Associated British Foods is expecting good things from Primark when it reports its full year figures in April – but its sugar division continues to dampen the group's overall performance. The fast fashion chain is ABF's jewel in the crown. Sales are expected to be up 16 per cent on last year, with “very [...]
Primark sales up but Associated British Foods warns strong pound will weigh on earnings February 23, 2015 Associated British Foods (ABF), the owner of the Primark clothing chain, warned investors today that a strong pound would likely lead to a “marginal decline” in adjusted earnings per share for the full year. Sales at its Primark division are expected to grow thanks to strong Christmas sales and expansion into Europe – [...]
Fortnum & Mason’s Canadian owner makes £105m windfall February 22, 2015 THE CANADIAN owners of Fortnum & Mason and Associated British Foods have made £105m in dividends – most of which will go to charitable causes – after another buoyant year. Accounts filed recently on Companies House reveal that Wittington Investments, one of the main investment vehicles of the Weston Family, paid out £63m in the [...]
Sales down but market share up as New Look turnaround continues February 10, 2015 New Look has suffered declines in the “unseasonably warm” three months to December 27- but the fast fashion chain is still buoyant after growing market share. The figures New Look's revenues dropped 1.6 per cent in the third quarter, from £406.6m to £399.9m. Adjusted EBITDA was £76.8m, down 2.7 per cent from £78.9m last [...]
Developers confirm a start date for £440m Westgate Oxford shopping area February 9, 2015 Developers have confirmed that construction on a £440m Westgate Oxford retail and leisure scheme will start in spring, after four years of planning. The Westgate Oxford Alliance, a joint venture between Land Securities and The Crown Estate, said the new 800,000 square foot development will expand the existing Westgate in Oxford city centre by adding [...]
BHS sale spells break-up of Philip Green’s empire January 26, 2015 SIR PHILIP Green is looking to sell a chunk of the vast retail empire he has built up over the last 15 years after receiving several takeover approaches for the struggling department store group BHS. Green bought the chain – then known as British Home Stores – for £200m in 2000 from retail conglomerate Storehouse, [...]