Is Aim about to get a new Joules in its crown? Fashion retail unveils plans for £140m IPO May 3, 2016 Joules has announced plans to bring its colourful wellies and country-style clothes to London's junior market with a £140m listing. The fashion and lifestyle retailer said the initial public offering will take place in the second quarter of the year, with its founder Tom Joule expected to sell down his 80 per cent stake to less than 50 [...]
Conviviality to soak up wine wholesaler Bibendum May 3, 2016 Alcohol group Conviviality is to buy wine distributor and wholesaler Bibendum in a deal that worth £60m, which will be part-funded through a share issue. The Aim-listed business is looking to raise £32m through issuing shares at 205p each, with a further £10m being drawn from its banking facilities. Bibendum, which supplies wine, beer and spirits to around 4,000 restaurants, pubs [...]
BHS was “crashed into a cliff” says top Labour MP and BIS committee chair May 2, 2016 BHS was "crashed into a cliff" by its owners, the chairman of the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Committee, Iain Wright told the BBC this morning. Wright said the troubled retailer, which was placed into administration a week ago, was sold to "tried and untested people", referring to Retail Acquisitions, the consortium which bought BHS for £1 from [...]
Euro 2016 and Rio Olympics set to pump at least £3bn back into UK economy May 1, 2016 Britain can expect a significant financial boost from a summer of sport featuring the Olympics and Euro 2016 according to economists’ estimates. Food, drink, retail and betting businesses are all expected to benefit from a surge in consumer spending this summer as the public cheers on Team GB in Rio de Janeiro and the England, [...]
MP demands FRC investigates BHS directors April 29, 2016 An MP has written to the head of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), calling for an investigation into the directors of BHS. Richard Fuller, MP for Bedford, urged Stephen Haddrill to probe the “conduct of directors and advisers, and other relevant interested parties” relating to the sale of BHS by Sir Philip Green to Retail [...]
Amazon’s share price soars after posting better than expected results April 28, 2016 Amazon's share price has soared after it reported better than expected first quarter results. Shares in the company rose over 12 per cent in after hours trading after posting strong results, a quarter after having been pounded after profit missed the mark. The e-commerce giant reported net income was $513m in the first quarter, or $1.07 per diluted share, [...]
BHS administrators reassure staff over pay but say search for buyer still ongoing April 28, 2016 BHS administrators have sought to reassure staff that they will continued to be paid as they seek a buyer for the ailing chain. Duff & Phelps joint administrator Philip Duffy has issued a statement confirming that it has received "a number" of expressions of interest, understood to be more than 50, and that it continues to seek [...]
Profits drop six per cent at Lloyds Banking Group, beating analysts’ expectations April 28, 2016 Shares in Lloyds Banking Group plummeted by as much as four per cent this morning after the bank posted a six per cent drop in profits during the first quarter, beating analysts' expectations, but disappointing investors. Lloyds has since recovered some of the ground, with shares down two per cent by mid-morning, but the fall will still [...]
As UK growth slows to 0.4 per cent in the first quarter, is George Osborne right to blame it on the EU referendum? April 28, 2016 Scott Corfe, director at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, says Yes. Our business survey research shows that companies have reined in capital spending plans amid all the uncertainty over Brexit. This is particularly the case for large businesses, and we are likely to see some weak investment figures in the first half of this [...]
LK Bennett sales boosted by online expansion but closure of some weaker UK stores dents turnover April 28, 2016 LK Bennett, the fashion retailer that counts the Duchess of Cambridge among its fans, said like-for-like sales grew by five per cent last year after winning over new shoppers through its growing portfolio of stores overseas. However, group turnover slipped as the high street brand shut down some of its loss making UK stores, falling by 1.8 [...]