Sainsbury’s to slash 3,500 jobs and close Argos stores November 5, 2020 Sainsbury's will cut 3,500 jobs and close 420 Argos sites, as the firm posted a £137m loss for the first half of the year.
Car sales fall again in worst October in nine years November 5, 2020 Sales of new cars declined again last month in the weakest October in nine years for the UK car market. New figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said that sales dropped 1.6 per cent to 140,945. More than half of the decline came as a result of Wales’ two week “firebreak” [...]
Hong Kong private equity firm acquires majority stake in footwear retailer Clarks November 4, 2020 Hong Kong private equity firm Lionrock Capital has confirmed it will acquire a £100m majority stake in high street footwear retailer Clarks. The deal is dependent on Clarks securing shareholder approval for its restructuring plan, which will allow the retailer to close stores and move to a turnover-rent model. Lionrock Capital will acquire a majority [...]
Marks & Spencer posts first loss in firm’s history November 4, 2020 Marks & Spencer posted its first loss in 94 years as a publicly listed company as clothing sales collapsed due to the coronavirus crisis. The high street stalwart reported a £87m pre-tax loss for the first half of the year. In the same period last year it made a profit of £158.8m in the same [...]
Ahold Delhaize launches €1bn share buyback as Covid-19 boosts sales November 4, 2020 Supermarket giant Ahold Dehlaize today said it will launch a €1bn (£896m) share buyback as it posted a rise in revenue for the third quarter. The retailer, which operates grocery chains across the US and Europe, said the buyback will begin at the beginning of 2021 and marked the strength in its business model. It [...]
Online shopping boom could cause Christmas chaos, Post Office warns November 3, 2020 A boom in online shopping and parcel deliveries could cause Christmas chaos this festive season, the Post Office said as it warned the public to send their gifts earlier than usual to avoid a last-minute rush. More than a fifth of Brits have already decided to send presents through the post rather than give them [...]
Five trends to watch in China’s consumer sector November 3, 2020 As the world continues to try to contain the spread of Covid-19, China is among the few countries sustaining a return to normal activity. Restrictions on movement have been lifted and the government’s test and trace system has so far proven effective in containing new outbreaks. As a result, shops, restaurants and other services have [...]
Primark owner profit slumps as pandemic batters sale November 3, 2020 Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) has posted a sharp decline in profit for the full year as store closures during the coronavirus lockdown decimated sales. The figures ABF posted revenue of £13.9bn in the year to 12 September, down 12 per cent on 2019. Statutory pre-tax profit slumped 42 per cent to £686m. Basic [...]
Lockdown extension in December would be ‘disastrous’ for retail sector, experts warn November 2, 2020 An extension of lockdown restrictions into December would be “disastrous” for the struggling retail sector, which will have already missed out on sales at the beginning of the crucial Christmas trading period. In a note to clients this morning, broker Peel Hunt said listed retailers had balance sheets strong enough to handle the November lockdown, [...]
Ocado to make $300m in acquisitions as digital grocer bumps forecasts November 2, 2020 Digital grocer Ocado has announced two acquisitions worth nearly $300m (£232m) and bumped up its full year earnings forecast, it announced this morning. The retail darling said that it had continued to see strong sales growth during the third quarter as people stuck to digital shopping amid to the coronavirus pandemic. Shares in Ocado rose [...]