The Xmas endgame: Why retailers are wasting their money on Christmas TV adverts December 2, 2019 An estimated £6.8bn has been spent on creating and buying airtime for this year’s crop of Christmas commercials — up nearly five per cent on last year’s spend. Certainly, the ads boast high production values, but was this money well spent, or would these brands have been better off holding onto the cash and hoping [...]
Black Friday spending has beaten 2018’s outlay, says Barclaycard November 29, 2019 Black Friday spending has risen 12.5 per cent on 2018’s total, Barclaycard said today. Spending was higher as of 10am this morning and “sustained” that high level throughout the day. The bank said the number of transactions then reached a “new peak” between 1pm and 2pm on Black Friday. Read more: Black Friday outages: Natwest [...]
Daily Mail owner buys i newspaper for £50m November 29, 2019 The owner of the Daily Mail has snapped up the i newspaper for £49.6m, bringing to an end part of a drawn-out sales process by publishing group JPI Media. The Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), which also owns Metro, announced the acquisition in a short statement released today. Read more: Publishing group Reach pulls [...]
Ocado shares soar on Japanese robot warehouse deal with Aeon November 29, 2019 Shares in online retailer Ocado jumped more than 11 per cent today after it announced a deal to help Japanese retailer Aeon launch a new online business. Ocado uses robot technology in its customer fulfilment centres (CFCs) to automate many processes. Read more: Ocado to build sixth warehouse as online grocer accelerates growth It said [...]
Inside Amazon’s Black Friday operations hub: How the e-commerce giant prepares for its busiest day of the year November 29, 2019 Where could be a better place to witness the behind-the-scenes impact of Black Friday than at the heart of Amazon’s UK warehouse operations? Some of the credit – or perhaps, blame – for the annual shopping event’s popularity in Britain surely lies with the US e-commerce giant. The fulfilment centre – which is the size [...]
Asian expansion boosts Fortnum & Mason sales growth November 29, 2019 London luxury food retailer Fortnum & Mason has reported double-digit sales growth in its full-year results, boosted by the company’s global expansion. Sales across the business increased 12 per cent to £138m, while profits soared 26 per cent, driven by growth in Hong Kong and Japan where sales grew 16 and 28 per cent respectively. [...]
Napoleonic cellars and Peaky Blinders: How the old merchants of St James’s Street are fighting to stay relevant November 28, 2019 Reserved, polite and unashamedly old-fashioned, the shop-owners of St James’s Street do not offer many similarities with the brash retail bosses we so often see in the news. Unlike Mike Ashley or Sir Philip Green, they are not waging takeover wars or stirring up corporate controversies. They are cautious in their ambitions, and conservative in their tastes. But just [...]
Finance chief becomes latest executive to leave Deliveroo November 28, 2019 Deliveroo’s chief financial officer has become the latest executive to leave the fast-growing food delivery company. Raif Jacobs, who joined Deliveroo in 2018, left the company in early October, according to a spokesperson. Read more: Deliveroo losses deepen in expansion drive Deliveroo has been hit by a string of executive departures this year following an [...]
Motorpoint takes hefty profit hit due to low consumer confidence November 28, 2019 Profit at Motorpoint, the UK’s largest independent vehicle retailer, fell nearly 20 per cent this morning as the company struggled with lower consumer confidence. Shares in Motorpoint were up 2.3 per cent this morning. Read more: Amigo shares jump as it boosts customer numbers and loan book The figures Profit at the car seller fell [...]
Model railway brand Hornby narrows losses after putting brakes on discounting November 28, 2019 Model railway brand Hornby narrowed its losses in the first half of the year as the company ramped up full-price sales and put the brakes on discounting. The figures The company reported a loss after tax of £2.71m in the six months to 30 September, from a £3.23m loss the previous year. Read more: Hornby [...]