Tesco mulls sale of Thailand and Malaysia operations December 8, 2019 Tesco is mulling the sale of its business in Thailand and Malaysia, the supermarket giant confirmed today. The grocer said it had launched a review of the strategic options for the two Asian divisions, where it operates under the Tesco Lotus brand, “including an evaluation of a possible sale”. Read more: Tesco chief resigns after [...]
German factory slump: Is the European powerhouse heading for recession? December 6, 2019 Germany has reported a “disastrous” fall in factory production, sparking fears the country could be dragged back towards recession. New figures from Germany’s work ministry revealed industrial output slumped 1.7 per cent month-on-month in October, well below analysts’ expectations and the quarterly average. On an annual basis, the figures marked the biggest drop in factory [...]
High street sales plunge week before Black Friday December 6, 2019 High street sales plunged the week before Black Friday as shoppers held out for bargains, according to the latest data. Like-for-like sales fell 17.14 per cent before Black Friday, in one of the worst weekly drops seen since the Beast from the East decimated sales in March 2018. Read more: Inside Amazon’s Black Friday operations [...]
Moncler shares jump on reports of Kering takeover bid December 5, 2019 Shares in high-end coat retailer Moncler jumped this afternoon following reports that Gucci-owner Kering is mulling a takeover bid, despite Moncler boss Remo Ruffini’s instance that there is no “concrete” deal in the works. The luxury group, which also owns Yves Saint Laurent, has reportedly held early-stage talks with Moncler about a potential deal, which [...]
Saudi Aramco IPO to be largest in history at $25.6bn December 5, 2019 Saudi Aramco is set to raise a record $25.6bn (£19.5bn) in the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history, as it was reported that the oil giant would price its shares at 32 riyals (£6.50) per share, the top end of its range. The sale price will see Aramco knock Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba off [...]
Dunelm share price surges on strong sales and new website December 5, 2019 Dunelm shares rocketed in early trading today after it predicted higher full year profits thanks in part to a good customer response to a crucial new website. The furnishings retailer said it maintained strong sales growth online and in stores during a “critical” transition to a new website platform that it hopes will improve its [...]
Boohoo co-founders sell off £143m of shares December 5, 2019 Boohoo’s Boohoo’s co-founders have sold a whopping £142.5m of shares in their company, it emerged today, sending the online retailer’s stock down in early trading. Co-founder and executive director Carol Kane sold a third of her stake in the fashion brand – 15m shares – for 285p each to slash her stake to 2.7 per [...]
Clintons secures rescue deal saving 2,500 jobs December 4, 2019 High street card retailer Clintons has secured a pre-pack administration deal to allow it to continue trading through the crucial Christmas trading period. Clintons has been bought out of administration by Esquire retail, a new vehicle that has been established by the Weiss family, which has owned the card retailer since 2012. Read more: Clintons [...]
M&G suspends trading in £2.5bn property fund over Brexit fears December 4, 2019 Trading has been suspended in M&G’s £2.5bn property fund after investors rushed to withdraw their money. Asset management giant M&G said the Property Portfolio has seen unusually high outflows, and blames continued Brexit-related political uncertainty for the fund suspension, which had made it difficult to sell commercial property. Read more: UK property investors fear Brexit [...]
DEBATE: Are there any signs that UK retailers could be in for a merry Christmas this year? December 4, 2019 Are there any signs that UK retailers could be in for a merry Christmas this year? YES, says Nicholas Mazzei, a corporate social responsibility adviser. There has been much lamentation of the declining retail sector as a mark of our age, but this Christmas is looking to be very merry for retailers. Black Friday was [...]