Pensions watchdog says Dominic Chappell knew BHS was insolvent when he bought it for £1 August 22, 2018 Dominic Chappell knew that BHS was insolvent when he bought it for just £1, the pensions watchdog has claimed. It follows fresh revelations in June that the retailer may not have been solvent in 2015, despite being signed off as a going concern by accountants. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has already fined PwC a record £10m [...]
Construction industry breaks records as employment levels climb August 22, 2018 The UK’s construction industry enjoyed bumper levels of employment last year, as the value of new work hit its highest level on record. More than 1.3m construction workers were employed and new work was worth £109m in 2017, smashing pre-crisis levels as a result of private sector growth, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). [...]
Service sector profitability at lowest level in four years August 22, 2018 UK service sector profitability was at the lowest level in four years at the beginning of 2018 in a drop that was driven by the struggling high street. The area saw the sharpest decline in a year between January and March this year due to poor general retailer performance, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Profit [...]
Former Staples chain Office Outlet to close stores in new CVA filing August 19, 2018 Stationery chain Office Outlet, formerly known as Staples, is set to launch a Company Voluntary Arrangement – an insolvency procedure to reduce stores and costs – tomorrow and close a selection of its 96 UK stores. Sources today told Sky News that the retailer, which was bought by restructuring fund Hilco in 2016, will request a [...]
House of Fraser owed millions to major brands before collapse August 18, 2018 House of Fraser racked up debts of almost £500m in the run-up to its collapse, owing major designer brands such as Gucci, Armani and Mulberry. Administrators Ernst & Young (EY) have reported that the chain’s creditors are owed sums totalling hundreds of millions of pounds, with more than 1,000 suppliers set to be out of [...]
Administration filings tumble despite major retail insolvencies August 18, 2018 The number of firms falling into administration fell dramatically in the second quarter of the year, despite a series of high profile insolvencies hitting the headlines in recent months. A total 302 companies entered administration in the three months from April to June, marking a 13 per cent fall from the previous quarter. However, the figure [...]
House of Fraser could have been sold for £1, EY letter reveals August 17, 2018 Beleaguered department store House of Fraser could have been sold for just £1 ahead of its acquisition by billionaire Mike Ashley's Sports Direct brand, administrators EY revealed today. The retailer saw a £14.6m drop in profits in the 13 weeks to the end of April, four months before it entered administration. Turnover also declined 7.7 per cent [...]
Mike Ashley to turn House of Fraser into ‘Harrods of the high street’ after £90m acquisition August 10, 2018 Mike Ashley has promised to turn House of Fraser into the "Harrods of the high street" after buying the company for £90m. Sports Direct issued a statement confirming that the acquisition includes all the UK stores, the brand and all the stock. It comes after the department store chain announced this morning that it is [...]
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct confirms House of Fraser acquisition | City A.M. August 10, 2018 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has bought House of Fraser for £90m. The acquisition includes all the UK stores, the brand and all the stock. It comes after the department store chain announced this morning that it is to appoint administrators after it failed to find a solvent solution. The price represents a heavy discount for [...]
Regulation didn’t wipe out Wonga – losing its reputation did August 7, 2018 WHEN PAYDAY LENDER Wonga launched in 2007, it was tipped to become a £1bn success story. Today, the company is worth just £23m and has only managed to avoid insolvency thanks to a last-minute £10m boost from investors. So what went wrong? Ultimately, it comes down to reputation. Wonga's public image first took a [...]