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 [...]
BHS administration filing could happen as early as Monday, just weeks after the struggling retailer secured a Company Voluntary Arrangement April 24, 2016 Struggling retailer BHS could be due to file for administration as early as Monday, the BBC has reported today. Such a move could potentially lead to the closure of its 164 department stores and put 11,000 jobs at risk. BHS used to be owned by retail tycoon Sir Philip Green and formed part of his [...]
Beyonce and Topshop are about to launch their new sportswear brand Ivy Park March 31, 2016 Global superstar Beyonce has partnered with one of the best-known British brands to launch a new sportswear range. The pop star has teamed up with Topshop to create Ivy Park, a collection of fitness clothing, which will launch in two weeks. The products will be available in the UK at Topshop, Selfridges, JD Sports and [...]
“How would you get an elephant in a fridge?”: These are the 10 toughest questions asked at job interviews – including questions from Topshop, Network Rail and EY March 29, 2016 Job interviews are galling at the best of times – but imagine being asked how to squeeze an elephant into a fridge, or how many people named Gary were born in 2013. That's what candidates at, respectively, Gemalto and BT were faced with, according to jobs marketplace Glassdoor, which has put together the 10 toughest [...]
Premium high street retailer Whistles bought out by Phase Eight parent The Foschini Group for undisclosed sum March 24, 2016 Premium high street retailer Whistles has been bought out by Phase Eight parent The Foschini Group. The South African business, which owns 20 retail brands and has a footprint of more than 2,700 stores, has taken a "substantial majority" stake in the British firm, headed by Jane Shepherdson sine 2008. Foschini, which bought Phase Eight [...]
South African retailer Foschini eyes fashion chain Whistles March 6, 2016 Another South African company could soon step up its presence in the UK retail industry, this time with upmarket high street brand Whistles as the target. Foschini, a Cape Town-based retail conglomerate which bought Phase Eight last year, is said to be eyeing a bid for Whistles after its owners hired advisers at KPMG to sound out [...]
London startup Qubit lands $40m series C round from Goldman Sachs, Sapphire Ventures, Accel and Saleforce Ventures February 22, 2016 Goldman Sachs is among the investors to plough $40m (£28.4m) into London startup Qubit in the latest of several deals injecting venture capital cash into the UK. The data analytics startup founded in the capital in 2010 landed the cash from Goldman's merchant banking division along with Sapphire Ventures and previous investors Accel and Salesforce Ventures. It brings its [...]
Topshop’s Oxford Circus store evacuated after fire breaks out in central London February 6, 2016 Topshop’s flagship store at Oxford Circus in central London has been evacuated after a fire. The London Fire Brigade was called to the scene, where the fire forced throngs of Saturday shoppers to leave the busy shop. https://twitter.com/chattycoley/status/695994590323720193 The fire, which broke out around 3.30pm, is believed to have originated on the bottom floor of [...]
Steve Rowe: Everything you need to know about the man replacing Marc Bolland at Marks & Spencer January 7, 2016 Marc Bolland is out. After months (if not years) of shareholders and analysts calling for him to leave Marks & Spencer, the former Morrisons man is hanging up his hat on 2 April. Bolland is handing over to Steve Rowe, an M&S lifer. But Rowe is relatively unknown to the wider world. Here's what you [...]
Mayfair, flamingos and Berlin: London’s retailers and marketers have held the Square Mile’s (and Germany’s) best Christmas parties so far December 10, 2015 Last week, The Capitalist delivered the sad news that around a quarter of businesses weren’t even planning a Christmas party, and issued an appeal for the City’s most raucous office do. Well, boy did you guys deliver. Wednesday was a big one for London’s financial marketers and PRs. Johnny Hornby, founder of WPP-backed communications group [...]