Asos slashes £500m debt pile as refinancing deals revealed September 11, 2024 Asos has announced the successful refinancing of the majority of its £500m debt due in 2026, with only just over £70m outstanding. The online fast-fashion retailer, which has struggled with post-pandemic shopping trends, had £500m in convertible bonds due 2026. The London-headquartered company has now exchanged £253m into convertible bonds due in 2028 rather than [...]
Dunelm prepares to open first London stores as sales and profit rise September 11, 2024 London-listed homeware retailer Dunelm has seen its sales tick up despite its customers facing “competing demands” for their disposable income. The Leicester-headquartered firm saw its overall revenue climb to £1.7bn in the 12 months to 29 June 2024, up from £1.64bn the previous year—growth of 4.1 per cent. This increase was largely driven by 6.2 [...]
Mike Ashley works his magic at Hornby as sales jump September 11, 2024 The impact of Mike Ashley advising Hornby, the international models and collectibles group, has been revealed. The retail tycoon. whose Frasers Group significantly upped its stake in the Kent-headquartered listed company in February, took up a consultancy role in March. Hornby, in a trading update to the London Stock Exchange, has revealed that its sales [...]
Grocery inflation stabilises, but Brits still concerned about shopping costs September 10, 2024 Grocery inflation has returned to its downward trend but nearly two thirds of Brits remain worried about the rising cost of their shopping, according to fresh data. Annual grocery price inflation in the four weeks to 1 September fell to 1.7 per cent, down from 1.8 per cent in the previous four-week period, according to [...]
Mountain Warehouse to open 50 new sites after bumper profit September 10, 2024 Mountain Warehouse is set to open another 50 stores next year as part of a rapid expansion plan after achieving a bumper profit last year. The new stores will take the outdoor leisure retailer’s total to around 370 stores across nine countries, according to the Times. It has already opened 20 new stores in the [...]
JD Sports puts almost 200 jobs at risk as it moves to close major distribution centre September 10, 2024 Almost 200 jobs have been put at risk of redundancy after JD Sports confirmed plans to close one of its major distribution centres. The Greater Manchester-headquartered group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, is to shutter its location at Derby Commercial Park. The move comes after JD Sports penned a 20-year lease on [...]
Inspecs: Eyewear maker ‘optimistic’ for the future despite revenue cut September 10, 2024 Sales at eyewear manufacturer and distributor Inspecs have been cut after being hit by inflation and competitor acquisitions. However, the company added it remains optimistic about the future. The firm’s revenue for the six months ended 30 June, 2024, was down 7.3 per cent from £111.2m to £103m, compared to the same period in 2023, [...]
Wickes profit down by almost a quarter as sector struggles September 10, 2024 Profit at British DIY and home improvement retailer Wickes fell by almost a quarter over the past six months as sales slowed across the entire home improvement market. The London-listed company, which is headquartered in Watford, reported an adjusted pre-tax profit of £23.4m during the six months ending 29 June, 2024, down just under 25 [...]
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 [...]
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.