Laura Ashley chief executive steps down after eight years January 31, 2020 Retailer Laura Ashley said today its chief executive Kwan Cheong Ng is stepping down after eight years in the role. Chief operating officer Katharine Poulter will take the helm at the company from 1 May. Poulter joined Laura Ashley this month as chief operating officer. She was previously managing director at budget household chain Wilko [...]
Founder of fashion delivery firm Clipper tables £300m takeover bid November 19, 2019 The founder of Clipper Logistics, which provides delivery services for online retailers such as Asos and John Lewis, is said to be preparing a £300m bid to take the company private. Read more: Asos to boost Black Friday offers after poor trading last year Steve Parkin, who founded Clipper in 1992, has approached fellow board [...]
City Moves for 28 November – who’s switching jobs at Irwin Mitchell, Capita and Wilko? November 28, 2018 Who’s switching jobs today? Irwin Mitchell National law firm Irwin Mitchell has recruited a new senior lawyer for its national real estate department. Michelle Beaumont has joined the firm’s Leeds office as partner. She joins from the Leeds office of Pinsent Masons, having joined that firm in 2006. Michelle has experience of working on a [...]
Ranked: Sports Direct tops poll of UK’s most loathed brands October 23, 2018 House of Fraser owner Sports Direct is the UK’s most loathed brand, according to consumer finance website Money Saving Expert. However, billionaire Mike Ashley's bottom-placed retail giant may have been hurt by a social media campaign against the company, admitted the website, which asked 7,600 readers to rank 52 household name brands. Read more: Mike [...]
Amazon tops UK customer satisfaction rankings as Iceland becomes the UK’s top supermarket for the first time July 5, 2018 Amazon has been named the top company in the UK for customer satisfaction for the sixth consecutive year, while Iceland scored the number one spot in food retail for the first time. Amazon scored 86.7 out of a potential 100 points, followed closely by John Lewis which scored 86.5. Yorkshire Bank took joint third in [...]
Nest Protect review: A wantonly profligate but eminently stylish way to protect against smoke and fumes November 16, 2017 It strikes to the core of everything that’s wrong with western civilization that a smoke alarm, perhaps the most baldly practical device ever invented, something whose sole purpose is to stop you from choking to death on sooty black clouds while you lie in your bed at night, can become a coveted piece of consumer [...]
John Lewis, Pret and the 30 biggest private companies MPs want held more accountable February 12, 2017 Middle class favourite John Lewis and lunch time hotsport Pret a Manger are just two of Britain's most well-known businesses which could be subject to a stricter code of governance traditionally reserved for Britain's top public companies. Under new proposals suggested by a group of MPs, 30 of Britain's biggest privately owned companies would have to set [...]
Lower costs and Christmas cheer up Wilko as sales swell to £1.46bn June 29, 2016 Hardware and household goods retailer Wilko has reported sales through to end of January of £1.46bn, up 1.4 per cent on the previous year. The privately-owned company recorded an operating profit of £23.6m, up from £2.9m the previous year after paying an outstanding loan of £22m six years ahead of schedule. Wilko finished the year [...]
Poundland’s share price soars as discount retailer gets greenlight for 99p Stores takeover August 25, 2015 Poundland's acquisition of (more) budget rival 99p Stores has been given the provisional go-ahead by the competition watchdog, sending the listed company's share price soaring. The Competition and Markets Authority this morning said the merger “may not be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition”. It said: "Along with Poundworld, [...]
Mike Ashley adds MegaValue.com high street store to Sports Direct business June 1, 2015 Mike Ashley rarely sits still. With his ownership of the beleaguered Newcastle United dominating the headlines, the Sports Direct owner has quietly added a new high street business to his interests. Read more: Rangers and Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has too much power, says IoD The subtly-titled MegaValue.com is a new discount store that recently appeared [...]