Discounter B&M worth more than Sainsbury’s as profits soar over Covid-19 lockdown November 12, 2020 High street discounter B&M has reported a 95% rise in first-half core earnings as its low prices and out-of-town stores chimed with consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
WH Smith scraps dividend as it crashes to £280m loss November 12, 2020 WH Smith has scrapped its dividend for the full year as the pandemic drove it to a pre-tax loss of £280m. The figures WH Smith posted revenue of £1bn in the year to the end of August, down 33 per cent on last year. The company swung to a pre-tax loss of £280m, compared to [...]
Homebase up for sale following major structural overhaul November 11, 2020 DIY chain Homebase is up for sale again following two and a half years of major structural overhaul by its most recent buyers. It is understood the sales process will start in the coming days, with initial details set to be sent to prospective buyers – including other retailers and private equity, The Telegraph reported [...]
EU accuses Amazon of ‘distorting’ competition in ecommerce market November 10, 2020 The EU has accused Amazon of distorting competition in online retail markets by misusing data from third-party sellers on its platform. In a statement today, competition tsar Margrethe Vestager said Amazon “systematically” relied on non-public business data of traders on its site. She accused the tech firm of using this data to benefit its own [...]
Crypto asset scams: Peril in the age of Covid-19 and related legal reform November 10, 2020 As central banks around the world strive to counter the effects of Covid-19 in their respective economies, prospects of rapid inflation have led investors to believe that crypto assets, could be a good hedge going forward. For example, the price of Bitcoin has surged to more than $15000, boosted by news such as PayPal’s new [...]
Christmas shoppers flock to toy shops ahead of second Covid-19 lockdown November 10, 2020 Toy and entertainment retailers reported a surge in shopper numbers in the days leading up to the coronavirus lockdown, as Brits snapped up Christmas presents ahead of the closure of non-essential stores. The latest analysis showed that toy stores more than doubled their share of pre-pandemic footfall between Monday and Wednesday last week. But one [...]
TfL launches new scheme to curb London bike theft November 10, 2020 TfL will today launch a partnership with British cycling retailer Halfords to encourage Londoners to safely and securely lock up their bikes and reduce the risk of theft.
Westfield owner rejects €3.5bn rights issue after shareholder backlash November 10, 2020 Shareholders in the owner of Westfield shopping centres have voted against a controversial €3.5bn (£3.1bn) rights issue, the company said today. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield said its proposals for a capital increase had failed to win the required two-thirds majority following a remote vote that closed yesterday. The Paris-headquartered company faced fierce opposition over the plans from a [...]
DEBATE: Will Black Friday save the retail industry? November 10, 2020 Will Black Friday save the retail industry? Kam Phullar, lead strategist at Feed Agency, says YES. Occuring during England’s second lockdown, this Black Friday will be an online-only affair. But if brands get it right, 2020 could be the biggest online Black Friday yet, and a step towards saving the retail industry in the long [...]
Superdry pins hopes on Black Friday sales during lockdown November 5, 2020 Superdry is cutting prices and targeting strong online Black Friday sales while its stores are closed during the coronavirus lockdown in England. The fashion retailer, which today reported that total revenue declined 23.3 per cent in the first half of the year, said it is focused on boosting ecommerce sales on Black Friday. It has [...]