Vijay Patel: How I made it as an entrepreneur – the five key attributes you need to succeed November 23, 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Week, last week, provided an opportunity to celebrate British enterprise and to assess how we can stimulate new business creation further. The more entrepreneurs we have, the stronger our economy will be. I am a British entrepreneur who has, over the last 40 years, built a global business from just one small pharmacy [...]
Retail rebounds as shops shrug off growth fears November 20, 2014 SALES on the high street saw a rebound in October after a sharp September dip. Retail sales volumes were 0.8 per cent higher in October than in September, according to figures published yesterday by the Office for National Statistics. “Given recent concerns that the UK economy has been losing momentum and the importance of consumer [...]
Baby goods retailer Mothercare sees UK turnaround plan pay off November 20, 2014 MOTHERCARE posted a small rise in first-half profit and said lower losses and improving sales in the UK provided early encouragement for its new turnaround plan. While Mothercare’s overseas business is profitable, fierce competition from supermarkets such as Tesco and internet retailers like Amazon has hit it hard at home. This has left the baby [...]
Dow and S&P keep breaking closing records – New York Report November 20, 2014 THE Dow and S&P 500 finished at record highs yesterday as data showed further strength in the US economy and Intel gave an upbeat forecast. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 33.27 points, or 0.19 per cent, to 17,719, a record close. The S&P 500 gained 4.03 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 2,052.75, its [...]
Activision share price jumps as Call of Duty revenues pass $10bn November 20, 2014 The Call of Duty franchise has generated revenues in excess of $10bn just over a decade, its creator said today. According to the game’s publisher, Activision Blizzard, sales of the new Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare have propelled the franchise's overall revenues over the $10bn mark. Clearly, investors liked what they heard: shares in [...]
When is the best time to go Christmas shopping? Here are London’s busiest days so you can avoid them November 20, 2014 Next week is expected to see the start of the Christmas rush with Black Friday on November 28 – a US import that was brought about to stimulate spend after Thanksgiving. Fast becoming a crucial part in the retail calendar, high street names such as John Lewis are predicting big things, with many [...]
Retail sales edge up – but goods are still getting cheaper November 20, 2014 Retail sales have continued their upwards trajectory for the 19th month in a row – but it appears to be largely driven by falling prices and discounting. Figures published this morning by the Office for National Statistics show that consumer spending in October increased by 2.8 per cent year-on-year, but the amount of goods [...]
Mothercare share price rises as it pacifies investors with first-half profit November 20, 2014 It has been a busy year for Mothercare. The baby clothing and equipment retailer not only launched a £100m rights issue but also rebuffed a takeover attempt, which caused shares to drop 11 per cent, plus it appointed a new chief executive. But this morning it reported international like-for-like sales up 4.9 per cent in the [...]
John Lewis crashes through £100m weekly sales barrier after 2014 Christmas advert launch November 18, 2014 Department store John Lewis yesterday said sales in the week ending 15 November rose 7.2 per cent compared to the same time last year. The retailer, which launched its closely watched Christmas advertising campaign last week, said sales surpassed the £100m barrier for the first time this year, with tills ringing up £108.8m. [...]
B&M European Value Retail in talks to buy stores from six retail chains November 18, 2014 B&M European Value Retail said yesterday it was in talks to buy stores from at least six retailers which are downsizing their portfolios as the bargain chain continues its UK expansion spree that will see it double in size over the next eight years. The retailer, which opened its 400th store last month, said it [...]