Amazon Prime Day piles pressure on retailers ahead of Christmas trading period October 13, 2020 Amazon Prime Day has launched today, kicking off the crucial Christmas trading period and piling the pressure on retailers to keep up with online discounting. The Amazon sale, which will see the e-commerce giant slash prices on 13 and 14 October, was postponed from July, bringing it closer to the Black Friday discounting bonanza and [...]
Ikea to buy back used furniture to resell as second hand October 13, 2020 Ikea has launched a scheme to buy back used flatpack furniture to be resold in stores as second hand. The Swedish firm announced this morning that the “Buy Back” initiative is part of its plan to “become a fully circular and climate positive business by 2030”. Customers will be given vouchers to spend in Ikea [...]
French Connection warns of further store closures as sales dive October 13, 2020 French Connection this morning warned of further permanent store closures in the coming months as the high street store reported that sales have plummeted due to the coronavirus pandemic. The struggling retailer, which closed nine stores in the first half, said it continued to target the closure of non-contributing sites and expects to shutter more [...]
Ocado sales surge on new M&S deal amid online shopping shift October 13, 2020 Ocado added thousands of new customers following the launch of its partnership with Marks & Spencer amid a sustained rise in the number of consumers choosing to shop online. In the 12 weeks to 4 October, Ocado increased sales by 41.9 per cent as the ecommerce retailer was buoyed by its new deal with M&S [...]
Crypto AM: Market View in association with Ziglu October 12, 2020 FCA Bans Crypto Derivatives and ETNs for Retail Investors, Square Bets $50 Million on Bitcoin This week CryptoCompare data shows the price of Bitcoin (BTC) moved steadily up from around $10,600 to an $11,400 high. The cryptocurrency has seemingly finally been able to breach the $11,000 mark as it’s now trading at $11,350. Ether (ETH), [...]
Peacocks and Jaeger owner files for administration, putting 24,000 jobs at risk October 9, 2020 Around 24,000 jobs are on the line as Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EMW) group, the owner of retailers Peacocks and Jaeger, has filed a notice to appoint administrators. Bosses wrote to employees this morning warning them that lockdowns across the country had battered sales, forcing the company to review the future of its business. Steve Simpson, [...]
Dominic Chappell evaded tax after buying BHS for £1, court told October 9, 2020 Businessman Dominic Chappell “dishonestly chose” to evade tax on the £2.2m income he received from buying failing retailer BHS for £1, a court heard yesterday. Chappell, who led BHS when it collapsed in 2016, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court on three charges of cheating public revenue relating to him and his bankrupt firm [...]
Reviews website Trustpilot mulls £800m London float October 8, 2020 Business review platform Trustpilot is muling plans involving a London flotation that could take place as early as next year. The Copenhagen-based firm is understood this week to have held talks with a number of investment banks about plans for a debut on the London Stock Exchange, Sky News first reported. A spokesperson for Trustpilot [...]
Landlord New River converts retail property into residential amid high street turmoil October 8, 2020 Landlord New River REIT is pushing ahead with its plans to convert some of its retail and pub destinations into housing, it announced today, amid a challenging period for the sector. The real estate investment trust announced today that it has progressed its residential conversion opportunities during the coronavirus pandemic. In a trading update this [...]
Ecommerce platform Clearbanc injects £500m into British startups October 8, 2020 Ecommerce investor Clearbanc has announced its plans to invest £500m into British SMEs over the next year as part of its UK launch. The alternative capital platform, founded by Canadian Dragons’ Den star Michele Romanow, will use its AI platform to invest in British online startups to help with future growth. Clearbanc has already invested [...]