One in three retail sales: Shoppers to spend record £120bn online this year July 28, 2021 Following a surge in online sales in 2020 thanks to Covid-19 and three strict lockdowns, UK shoppers are expected to further increase their spending as new data forecasts £120.5bn in online purchases this year alone. Online sales in the UK saw an increase of 46.5 per cent in 2020, with British consumers spending £110.6bn online [...]
Music Magpie posts rise in profit after London IPO July 28, 2021 Tech resale site Music Magpie has posted a rise in revenue and profit in its first interim results since floating on the London Stock Exchange earlier this year. The online retailer, which allows consumers to exchange old devices such as phones and game consoles for cash, reported adjusted pre-tax profit of £4m in the six [...]
Shakespeare on advertising: Asos looks set to build on success July 28, 2021 ASOS recently reported revenues of £1.3bn for the four months leading up to June 30, 2021 – a year-on-year increase on last year’s performance of £1.1bn. Beyond customer growth, however, data from YouGov BrandIndex shows that the online fashion retailer has seen real improvement in a number of key areas. ASOS’ Impression scores – which [...]
Barbie doll maker warns of higher prices as costs rise July 28, 2021 The toy giant Mattel has warned of higher prices in the lead up to Christmas as the industry looks to soften the blow of rising costs. The comments come after a rise in raw materials and shipping, owing in part to the global pandemic. However, the company still posted better than expected sales figures of [...]
Games Workshop shares slump despite sales surge over lockdown July 27, 2021 Games Workshop shares slipped today despite the gaming and miniature figures retailer recording a spike in sales as Brits got on its ware to relieve lockdown. The Nottingham-based firm’s pre-tax profits surged 69 per cent, hitting nearly £151m in the year to 30 May. Revenue rose 31 per cent to £353m due to a hike [...]
UK retail industry kicks reliance on alcohol and tobacco sales July 27, 2021 Britain’s retail industry has kicked the habit of relying on alcohol and tobacco sales to generate income, according to a new study published today. The Office for National Statistics estimates that the volume of alcohol and tobacco sales has plummeted 76 per cent over the last three decades. Read more: Euro 2020 pushes retail sales [...]
Tech stocks – slow-down or slump? July 27, 2021 With the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the shift towards a digital-first world; technology stocks rose to all-time highs in 2020, as people spent more time online.1 However, as economies have begun to reopen following the rollout of highly effective coronavirus vaccines; tech stocks sold-off as investors rotated towards sectors set to benefit from reopening. In this [...]
Moonpig more than doubles revenue as lockdown delivers trading boom July 27, 2021 Online card retailer Moonpig has more than doubled its revenue in its first annual results since a bumper London stock market float earlier this year. The greetings card specialist posted revenue of £368.2m in the year to the end of April, a huge jump from the £173.1m recorded in the previous year. Reported pre-tax profit [...]
Supermarket sales improve tentatively after restaurant reopening hit July 27, 2021 UK supermarket sales improved slightly in the last four weeks as Brits stocked up on beers for the Euros and picnic items to enjoy in the sun, according to new data released today. Total till sales over the four weeks ending 17th July were down 1.3 per cent on the same period last year, new [...]
China crackdown weighs heavily on global markets July 27, 2021 Global stock markets notched losses on Tuesday as investor sentiment soured on concerns that Chinese authorities may over-extend their regulatory crackdown. The US’ main benchmarks dropped during the opening session, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq registering the worst performance, down 1.76 per cent. The blue-chip S&P 500 fell 0.78 per cent, while the Dow Jones lost [...]