Increasing prices will hurt the retail sector in 2018, according to this think tank December 28, 2017 The retail sector will “flatline at best” next year, according to predictions issued by the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank (RTT). The group made its lacklustre forecast based on a combination of “continued headwinds in the form of geopolitical and macroeconomic obstacles; an increased number of regulatory compliance issues and ongoing structural change within the industry”. [...]
The unprofitable reality of tobacco stocks December 28, 2017 Chestnuts may be roasting on an open fire – at least on the speakers of every shop we have visited since October – but here our focus is smoke. More precisely we will be considering its continuing disappearance as more and more people quit cigarettes – and what this could mean for tobacco companies and [...]
The FTSE in 2017: Five charts that tell the story December 27, 2017 The FTSE 100, 250 and All-Share indices made strong gains in 2017. A record year for dividend payments and ongoing loose monetary policy from the Bank of England helped each index hit a record high in 2017. By the close on 13 December 2017 the FTSE 100 was up 5%. But it was outperformed by [...]
Primark hires former Zara Basic head Paula Dumont Lopez in bid to move up the clothing retailer ranks December 23, 2017 Primark has pulled in Paula Dumont Lopez, a former head of product at Zara Basic, as its new womenswear chief. The budget high street chain, which currently lags Marks and Spencer (M&S) and Next as the UK’s third largest clothing retailer, is to begin in January next year. Read more: Next’s sales return to growth [...]
London consumers are set to splash out on Boxing Day sales, according to Barclaycard December 23, 2017 Consumers across the UK are set to top last year’s Boxing Day spending totals, with Londoners splashing out the most, according to Barclaycard. Boxing Day is predicted to be the most popular shopping day of the Christmas period, with a third of shoppers planning to buy discounted goods up from a quarter last year. In [...]
So much for the Santa rally: FTSE 100 falls off record high December 22, 2017 The FTSE 100 has finished the day lower, having nudged a record high this morning. The bluechip index closed 0.15 per cent lower, at 7,592.66 points. Earlier in the day, it had risen to a record 7,611.75 points, up from yesterday’s closing high of 7,609.69. Before that, the last time it set a record was [...]
Gocompare share price rises after splashing £36.5m of its spondoolicks on voucher code website MyVoucherCodes December 19, 2017 Price comparison website Gocompare today snapped up online voucher code website MyVoucherCodes for £36.5m. Gocompare is hoping the acquisition will be transformational by attracting customers on a daily rather than annual basis. Boss Matthew Crummack said MyVoucherCodes would play a “valuable role [in the firm’s] ambition to become the ‘go-to’ place for savvy savers to [...]
IG Group, CMC, Plus500 share prices plummet on “disproportionate” European sector clampdown | City A.M. December 18, 2017 Investors in Britain’s biggest spreadbetting firms scurried for cover today after European regulators revealed tighter than expected clampdown on the sector. Almost £400m was wiped off the combined valuations of the three largest listed spreadbetters. Shares in IG Group and Plus500 fell 10 per cent, while CMC Markets fell by over 11 per cent. On [...]
Black Friday, inflation, and leisure spending threaten retailers in make or break week before Christmas December 18, 2017 Retailers are facing a make or break week in the run-up to Christmas, as City analysts warn that a last-minute dash may not be enough to rescue a disappointing December. Dismal footfall figures seen by City A.M. reveal that visits to high streets fell year-on-year by almost 11 per cent between Sunday and Friday last [...]
UK mattress startup Simba Sleep raises £40m and is heading for profit in some markets December 17, 2017 Simba Sleep, one of several startups hoping to disrupt the world of sleep, has bedded fresh cash to fuel global expansion as it nears profitability in some markets. The £40m series B round of investment comes from previous backers Nigel Wray, a City heavywight and chairman of Saracens rugby club, Wharton Asset Management and Swiss [...]