Sports retailer defies odds to increase sales July 16, 2015 SPORTS Direct managed to shrug off a year of bad press surrounding its use of zero-hours contracts, as well as England’s early exit from the World Cup, to increase revenue and profit in the 12 months to April 2015. Group revenue rose by 4.7 per cent to £2.83bn, from £2.71bn in 2014, helped by its [...]
FTSE edges up but can not beat rise in Eurozone – London Report July 16, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index edged higher yesterday, though without matching the gains seen across the Eurozone after Greece’s parliament approved austerity measures, with US-exposed stocks getting a lift. The FTSE 100 index closed up 0.6 per cent, at 6,796.45 points, lagging a 1.5 per cent rise for the Euro STOXX 50, with peripheral Eurozone markets [...]
Dixons Carphone hikes dividends as it smashes forecasts July 16, 2015 It seems Dixons Carphone is reaping the benefits of being the UK's last electronics retailer standing, after full-year profits smashed expectations. The figures Formed by a merger of electronics giant Dixons and mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse last year, the company has gone from strength to strength since its creation. Results for the 13 months [...]
Competition and Markets Authority accuses supermarkets of “confusing” promotions July 16, 2015 You could say the UK's competition body has just told supermarkets to BOGOF, after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) accused supermarkets of "confusing" people about special offers The after a major three-month investigation, the CMA said with 40 per cent of spending on groceries going on items on offer, shoppers are still being misled [...]
Halfords gears up for revenue growth in 2015 July 15, 2015 THE UK’S growing passion for cycling helped to boost Halfords Group’s performance in the quarter ended 3 July. The company posted strong sales across all divisions in a trading update yesterday and said guidance for the full year remains unchanged. Premium bikes sales were up by eight per cent, while revenue in cycle repairs grew by 24 [...]
Travis Perkins builds support as FTSE levels – London Report July 15, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index ended flat yesterday, with building supplies company Travis Perkins leading gainers after a broker upgrade, while luxury goods maker Burberry was among the biggest fallers after posting slower sales growth. Investors were reluctant to place strong bets before a crucial vote in Greece on a proposed bailout package to save the [...]
Amazon Prime Day is not the new Black Friday as British retailers have little appetite for mega sales… yet July 15, 2015 Not content with helping bring the horror of shoppingeddon to the UK in the form of Black Friday, Amazon is now attempting to create its own, even bigger version, with Prime Day. Last year Black Friday went from being a US tradition us Brits mocked as the embodiment of America's tendency to take things to [...]
Amazon Prime Day is here: These are the best lightning deals – including PlayStation, Xbox, HDTVs, Kindles July 15, 2015 Amazon is attempting to recreate the shopping frenzy that was Black Friday with a bumper day of sales and promotions for Prime members. Amazon Prime Day has more deals up for grabs than the shopping day back in November which sparked fisticuffs in supermarkets and record sales. The online retailer is offering customers around the [...]
First quarter sales lift at Burberry despite drag from Asian markets as chief executive Christopher Bailey braces for more shareholder dissent July 15, 2015 Having lowered full-year guidance in May, Burberry posted underlying retail sales for eight per cent in the three months to the end of June, up eight per cent from the first quarter of last year. The figures Burberry pointed out that the first quarter is "historically the smallest for retail", so that eight per cent uplift [...]
US corporate results round up July 14, 2015 Yum Brands The owner of Pizza Hut and KFC reported its fourth straight quarter of falling sales as it struggles to recover from a food scandal in China, where the firm makes most of its profit. Shares in Yum Brands fell about one per cent to $91 in extended trading yesterday. The company’s sales in [...]