Next defies Christmas fears with online sales boost but outlook remains cautious amid Brexit uncertainty January 3, 2019 Next has opened the crucial post-Christmas trading update season by reducing its full-year profit expectations, but defied investor worries by increasing sales. The retailer said full-price sales for the festive period were up 1.5 per cent between 28 October and 29 December, in line with its expectations. Next reported a 14.9 per cent increase in online [...]
Brits rack up £1.3bn in music sales, with UK artists making up half of the top 20 best-sellers for 2018 January 3, 2019 British artists had their most bumper year to date in 2018, as local musicians scored half of the UK’s top 20 albums last year with more than £1.3bn in music retail sales across the country. Data released today by record label association the BPI put singer/songwriter George Ezra's 'Staying At Tamara's' as the best-selling album released in 2018, [...]
Why 2019 will not mark the death of the high street January 2, 2019 When HMV went into administration in 2013, disgruntled employees used the retailer’s Twitter account to give live updates of the “mass execution” at the beleaguered music firm. However, ahead of last week’s announcement that the the 97-year-old business was collapsing for a second time, passwords for all its social media accounts were changed to avoid [...]
Sausage roll-out: Greggs launches vegan version of pastry treat January 2, 2019 Pastry-loving vegans have cause for celebration tomorrow as Greggs the bakers rolls out a plant-based version of its most iconic snack. Vegan sausage rolls will be on sale in 950 Greggs shops from tomorrow in time for the Veganuary campaign which encourages people to cut out animal products in January. The rolls have 96 layers [...]
Amazon HQ2 – “Mr. Bezos, why didn’t you call?” January 2, 2019 Amazon’s HQ2 search went live on 7th September 2017 and it selected the winning cities, New York and Washington, in November 2018. The Global Cities databases that we use to quantify our investments comprise exactly the data that Amazon needed to make its decision. It wasn’t just Mr Bezos’ time that was wasted. When Amazon [...]
John Lewis ends year on a high as sales are boosted by last-minute Christmas shopping January 2, 2019 John Lewis reported a rise in sales during the last week of the year as shoppers rushed to buy last-minute Christmas gifts and cash in on sales. Total sales for the the department store chain were up 4.5 per cent for the week ending 29 December, compared with the same period last year. The company [...]
Millennials face a long wait online as next batch of 26-30 railcards go on sale nationwide January 2, 2019 Millennials are facing long waits to get their hands on the next batch of 26-30 railcards, which were launched this afternoon. The 26-30 railcard, which costs £30 for a year, went on sale at midday. It offers one third off most rail fares for more than 4m people across the UK, meaning railcard holders will save [...]
Rail fares rise by 3.1 per cent as commuters stage protests at train stations across the UK January 2, 2019 Rail fares increased by an average of 3.1 per cent today despite commuters suffering a year of travel chaos in 2018. Passengers are set to stage a national protest at the hike today, which will see many rail season tickets increase by more than £100. Commuters, rail union leaders and politicians are expected to protest [...]
Music retailer HMV appoints KPMG as administrators after entering administration for second time since 2013 December 29, 2018 KPMG has been appointed administrator of music shop HMV after the retailer announced it would enter administration for the second time since 2013. At least 2,200 jobs are at risk if the 97-year-old entertainment store, which has 128 shops across the country, collapses. The administrators will continue to operate all stores while they explore business [...]
Music retailer HMV on the verge of second administration since 2013, reports December 28, 2018 HMV is set to go into administration for the second time in six years, putting 2,200 jobs at risk, according to reports. The company reportedly filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators last week as it held last minute talks with suppliers, Sky News reported this morning. The company was bailed out in a [...]