Retail sales rise unexpectedly despite Budget tax fears October 18, 2024 Retail sales came in ahead of expectations.
Vertu Motors: Profit at car dealership giant falls as UK sales stall October 16, 2024 Profit at car dealership Vertu Motors reversed during the first half of its financial year as UK sales of new cars stalled. In interim results filed with the London Stock Exchange, Gateshead-headquartered Vertu Motors reported a pre-tax profit of £22m for the six months to 31 August, 2024, down from the £30.1m it achieved in the [...]
Procook: Kitchenware brand serves up ‘pleasing’ results October 16, 2024 Kitchenware brand Procook offered a “pleasing” set of quarterly results, analysts said, as the group delivered a fifth consecutive quarter of retail growth. Procook’s revenue jumped to £17m in the quarter, an 8.8 per cent increase from the previous year, thanks largely to a 12 per cent increase in Ecommerce sales. However, the larger retail [...]
I saw inside an AI-powered Amazon warehouse – here’s what I thought October 16, 2024 Last week, I got a behind-the-scenes look at one of Amazon’s new AI-powered warehouses, in what felt like a glimpse into the future. Inside the 3.5m square foot facility in Nashville, Tennessee, Amazon was finally unveiling the fruits of its AI strategy, revealing a fleet of new AI-powered robots and tools designed to increase efficiency [...]
Boots: Online and makeup sales boost earnings ahead of Christmas October 15, 2024 High street pharmacy chain Boots has said a surge in sales online and for makeup helped increase its turnover during its latest financial year. The Nottingham-headquartered company has revealed its year-on-year turnover increased by 6.9 per cent in the 12 months to 31 August, 2024. During its final quarter, its retail sales rose by 6.2 [...]
Klarna grows UK network by a third in buy-now pay-later boom October 15, 2024 Klarna said its network of UK merchants has grown by roughly a third over the last year in a sign of booming demand for buy-now pay-later services among British consumers.
Fenwick: John Lewis rival slumps into the red and cuts jobs October 15, 2024 Department store chain Fenwick slumped back into the red and cut jobs as it battled the cost-of-living crisis and a “changing retail environment”. The Newcastle-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £28.3m for the year to 26 January, 2024, having previously made a pre-tax profit of £57.1m in the prior 12 months. Newly-filed accounts [...]
Donald Trump’s golf course in Scotland makes 11th consecutive loss October 15, 2024 Donald Trump’s golf course in Aberdeenshire has maintained its positive outlook despite making a loss for an 11th consecutive year. Trump International Scotland has reported a pre-tax loss of £1.4m for 2023, having also lost £738,344 in the prior 12 months. The widening loss comes despite its turnover rising from £3.59m to £37.4m over the [...]
Mitie: Shard-based outsourcing giant toasts to double-digit growth October 15, 2024 Outsourcing giant Mitie has reported double-digit growth after a record number of contract deals and extensions in the first half of the year. The FTSE-250 firm said that revenue increased by 13 per cent, to £2.4bn, in the half-year ended 30 September, up from £2.1bn last year. This was driven by a 45 per cent [...]
Retailers pin hopes on bumper golden quarter with Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas October 14, 2024 The final three months of the year, also known as the golden quarter, are make-or-break for retailers. Retail spending has consistently languished this year, or been propped up by margin-carving discounts, but pent-up demand is expected to give the sector a much-needed boost during the holidays, according to a panel of industry experts. Despite consumer [...]