Asda: Huge equal pay court case starts amid demonstrations September 9, 2024 A court case over equal pay involving more than 60,000 Asda workers has started amid demonstrations being staged in Brighton and Manchester. The GMB union, which has said the case is the biggest ever in the private sector, is arguing that the predominantly female retail workforce is paid up to £3.74 an hour less than [...]
UK’s momentum remains ‘healthy’ ahead of latest GDP figures September 9, 2024 Economists think that the latest monthly GDP figures, set to be released on Wednesday, will show that the economy grew 0.3 per cent in July.
Small business tax evasion costing HMRC billions as ‘significant gaps’ persist September 9, 2024 Small business tax evasion has caused the UK to lose billions of pounds of revenue a year as "significant gaps" in the UK's tax authority's strategies persist.
Bargain hunting shoppers hit jeans brand Levi Strauss as it targets the ‘young and cool’ September 6, 2024 Levi Strauss has said bargain hunting shoppers are impacting its UK sales as it bids to target “young and cool” consumers. The Northampton-headquartered UK arm of the jeans brand added that it is starting to expand its retail partnerships in the country as “department stores continue to struggle and lose footprint”. The division made the [...]
Profit slashed in half at Swiss watch brand Swatch September 6, 2024 Profit at Swiss watch brand Swatch was cut by more than half during its latest financial year despite its sales increasing further past the £200m mark. The London-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax profit of £11.1m for 2023, down from the £23.6m it posted for 2022. According to newly-filed accounts with Companies House, Swatch has [...]
Gear4music hits all the right notes to drive sales growth September 6, 2024 The online musical instrument retailer Gear4music, which saw its share price skyrocket last month after it swung back into profit, said it was on track to generate revenue of more than £150m in 2025. The London-listed company, which is headquartered in York, said at its annual general meeting today it would announce it was trading [...]
How Asos’ post-pandemic debt led it to sell Topshop September 5, 2024 Three years after buying the British high street brands Topshop and Topman from Phillip Green’s collapsed Arcadia empire, Asos has said it will sell 75 per cent of its stake in the brands to a joint venture with Heartland. Asos bought the brands at a buoyant time for the company when its stock was near [...]
ABF: Primark owner powers through footfall slump to deliver solid growth September 5, 2024 Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) has reported a “significant improvement in profitability” despite a rainy summer threatening to dampen sales. The London-listed firm, which also owns Twinings Tea and a raft of food businesses, said it expected to see increased sales across its retail, grocery and ingredients divisions during its second half ending September [...]
Currys: AI push drives laptop sales surge as retailer nabs nearly 50 per cent of UK market September 5, 2024 Tech retailer Currys has reported a strong start to the year, crediting its “early adoption” of AI products for taking almost half of the UK’s laptop market. The London-listed company, headquartered in Acton, saw its like for like sales in the UK and Ireland grow by five per cent in the 17 weeks ending August [...]
Asos sells Topshop and Topman into new joint venture with Heartland September 5, 2024 Online clothing retailer Asos has launched a joint venture with Heartland, whereby Heartland will buy the Topshop and Topman brands from the firm. Asos bought the two brands, along with Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT, in 2021 from Philip Green’s collapsed Arcadia group for £265m (excluding stock). The joint venture will grant Asos “certain design [...]