Primark buoys AB Foods as sugar continues to sour performance April 23, 2014 Shares in Primark owner Associated British Foods are up over six per cent this morning, after the group announced a six per cent rise in pre-tax profit to £434m in the first half of the financial year, and a 26 per cent jump in Primark's profit. The group called the results “resilient”, despite facing ongoing challenges [...]
Sports Direct sales jump as board squares up to shareholders April 23, 2014 Sports Direct has reported a jump in sales of 10.3 per cent to £360m for the nine weeks ended 30 March. The sports retailer saw gross profit rise 11.5 per cent £147m. The company enjoyed strong increases from the brands division and sports retail sales. Premium Lifestyle sales also rose by 0.7 per cent to [...]
Tesco steps up assault with more price cuts April 22, 2014 TESCO yesterday launched a fresh round of price cuts and slashed its online shopping charges as it steps up its efforts to stop customers defecting to its discount rivals. The retailer dropped prices on over 30 products yesterday including bacon, sugar, broccoli and some of its bread ranges. The price of six Tesco free-range medium [...]
Why the British love of greeting cards could help this company float on the stock market April 22, 2014 What employs 100,000 people around the country, has sales of £1.6bn and is stocked by one in six retailers around the country? No, not booze, it’s greeting cards. One of the biggest players in the sector, The Card Factory, this morning unveiled plans to float on the stock market. The company has used the British [...]
Sofa.com sales surge as it steps up its search for new investors April 21, 2014 ONLINE furniture retailer Sofa.com sales surged 20 per cent to £20.2m last year, ahead of a potential sale. In December City A.M. revealed that the eight year-old group had hired financial advisers Altium to explore options, including a sale or partial sale to help fund its expansion. It is understood to have already attracted interest [...]
London Report: Osborne likely to have missed financial target April 21, 2014 UK PUBLIC borrowing figures this week are expected to show that the chancellor George Osborne narrowly missed his target for this year. And while future revisions may bring the figures back within Osborne’s target, the figures are likely to bring further scepticism about whether the UK can continue to meets its fiscal targets. “We expect [...]
City & Gild: How Tesco can make us fall back in love with its brand April 17, 2014 Tesco’s current strategy worries me enormously, especially off the back of a six per cent fall in profits. Chief executive Philip Clarke has confidently explained, “Tesco will be firmly established as a middle-market retailer, which offers low prices and good quality – all under one roof”. My translation of this is essentially, “we’re going to [...]
It’s about time for a spring clean April 16, 2014 Your watch is probably long overdue a service – and what better time of the year to do so? Allow the watchmakers at Wempe to explain VENTURE down the stairs at Breitling or Vacheron Constantin’s shiny new boutiques on Bond Street, or simply browse the windows of David M Robinson in Canary Wharf’s subterranean Jubilee [...]
Burberry defies fears over Asia with sales jump April 16, 2014 BURBERRY once again defied fears yesterday of a slowdown in demand for luxury goods in China after shoppers in the country helped drive a 19 per cent rise in group half-year sales. The handbag and trenchcoat-maker reported total revenues of £1.2bn and retail sales up 13 per cent to £928m, thanks to double-digit growth in [...]
City Moves for 17 April 2014 | Who’s switching jobs April 16, 2014 KPMG David Brown has been appointed a non-life actuarial partner in KPMG’s insurance practice. With almost 20 years’ actuarial experience, he joins from Direct Line Group, and will advise clients in the retail general insurance sector. Brown is also a fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. BNP Paribas Investment Partners Cynthia Sweeney Barnes [...]