Ted Baker shares crash as retailer swings to £23m loss October 3, 2019 Ted Baker’s share price crashed 25 per cent as markets opened today, following a disastrous set of results that saw it swing to a loss and warn on its full-year results. Investors sold out of the embattled fashion retailer to take shares down almost 28 per cent as it booked a £23m half-year loss for [...]
Naked Wines sells wine merchant Lay & Wheeler for £11.3m October 2, 2019 Naked Wines today said it has agreed to sell fine wine merchant Lay & Wheeler (L&W) in a deal worth £11.3m. Read more: City grandee Michael Spencer tables bid for Naked Wine dealer L&W The online wine retailer said it will sell the division, made up of Lay & Wheeler Limited and Vinotheque Holdings, to [...]
Tesco CEO: Analysts react to Dave Lewis’ shock departure October 2, 2019 Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis this morning made the shock announcement that he is preparing to step down, saying the supermarket giant’s turnaround is complete. Lewis cited personal reasons for his decision and declared that five to six years is an appropriate tenure for a chief executive. Read more: Tesco CEO Dave Lewis quits Boots [...]
Topps Tiles shares sink on fourth quarter sales dip October 2, 2019 Shares in Topps Tiles dipped this morning as the company revealed political uncertainty hurt fourth quarter trading. The tile retailer said like-for-like sales fell 1.9 per cent in the fourth quarter as uncertainty impacted consumer confidence. Shares fell 6.5 per cent this morning. Read more: Brokers urge investors to buy Topps Tiles shares as sales [...]
FTSE 100 sinks as Brexit ultimatum and manufacturing crisis pummel European stocks October 2, 2019 The FTSE 100 fell one per cent in early trading today as markets stumbled over Boris Johnson’s “take it or leave it” Brexit ultimatum and weak US economic data. London’s blue-chip index dropped to 7,287.8 points shortly after open today, following global stocks plunging into a sea of red overnight. Read more: Boris Johnson’s ‘clarity [...]
John Lewis to axe a third of senior managers to save £100m October 1, 2019 The John Lewis Partnership is slashing its senior management layer by one third in a shock £100m bid to cut costs at the struggling retailer. Around 75 senior managers will get the axe from the current total of 225 in head office, John Lewis said. As part of the shake-up, the embattled chain also revealed [...]
Sainsbury’s heir to the throne quits to join media powerhouse WPP October 1, 2019 Sainsbury’s has confirmed the CEO of Argos is quitting the retail space to join advertising giant WPP as its new chief financial officer, sparking speculation that boss Mike Coupe is in for the long haul. John Rogers, widely tipped as Coupe’s long-term successor, will leave the retailer on 31 October after almost 15 years at [...]
How business rates reform can thwart the retail apocalypse October 1, 2019 When businesses like Thomas Cook fail to adapt, they are smited by new technologies with leaner business models and more efficient practices. This is Joseph Schumpeter’s creative destruction in action. Yet there is something profoundly bleak about boarded-up shops or “clearance sales” posters in the windows of once thriving businesses – particularly as the demise of [...]
Watchdog calls for clearer investor warnings in wake of Woodford saga September 30, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will introduce tougher rules for funds that invest in hard-to-sell assets following the suspension of Neil Woodford’s flagship fund. In a policy statement published today, the financial regulator also said investors should be given better warnings about the risks they face if they want to be able to withdraw their [...]
Fashion giant Forever 21 files for bankruptcy September 30, 2019 Forever 21 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, becoming the latest retail chain to fall victim to challenges on the high street. The global fashion brand has requested court protection from creditors in the US, joining more than 20 other retailers which have filed for bankruptcy in the last two years. Read more: Retail sales [...]