Debenhams share price slips ahead of market update this week January 7, 2019 Shares in troubled department store Debenhams slipped three per cent today ahead of a trading update on Thursday when it will reveal how it fared over Christmas. The retailer, which has its annual general meeting on Thursday, has seen its share price tank this year, falling from 30p 12 months ago to just 5.5p today. There was [...]
High street faces chilly week ahead as disappointing festive trading updates expected January 6, 2019 High street retailers are expected to be further under the cosh by the end of the week, with a flurry of quarterly trading updates due in the coming days. Troubled department store Marks and Spencer is one of several set to reveal yet another fall in sales over the festive period, according to analysts at [...]
Why 2019 will not mark the death of the high street January 2, 2019 When HMV went into administration in 2013, disgruntled employees used the retailer’s Twitter account to give live updates of the “mass execution” at the beleaguered music firm. However, ahead of last week’s announcement that the the 97-year-old business was collapsing for a second time, passwords for all its social media accounts were changed to avoid [...]
Greenwoods becomes latest retailer to close amid high street gloom January 2, 2019 Northern menswear shop Greenwoods has become the latest retailer to close its doors amid tough trading conditions on the high street. The Yorkshire-based chain, which was founded in 1860, has fallen into liquidation with the loss of more than 100 jobs, just 18 months after it was bought out of administration. A notice posted on [...]
John Lewis ends year on a high as sales are boosted by last-minute Christmas shopping January 2, 2019 John Lewis reported a rise in sales during the last week of the year as shoppers rushed to buy last-minute Christmas gifts and cash in on sales. Total sales for the the department store chain were up 4.5 per cent for the week ending 29 December, compared with the same period last year. The company [...]
Debenhams share price plunges as investors fear disappointing Christmas trading January 2, 2019 Shares in Debenhams plunged almost nine per cent this morning amid fears of poor trading over the festive period. The department store chain saw its share price tumble to 4.68p on the first day of trading in 2019, ahead of an update due on 10 January. The sliding shares suggest investors have low expectations for [...]
Why voice assistants are set to make their ‘presents’ known this Christmas December 18, 2018 Christmas is now only a week away, and unsurprisingly gadgets will be taking up a lot of space under the tree, as people want to get their hands on the latest tech. Voice assistants are set to be an affordable, useful gift for many this year, and have become one of the hottest presents on [...]
Debenhams chairman tells Mike Ashley to make a bid for the chain amid loan row December 16, 2018 The chairman of Debenhams has told Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley to make a bid for the entire department store chain if he is serious about taking control of the company. Sir Ian Cheshire today issued an ultimatum to the tycoon, who holds a 30 per cent stake in the struggling department store, amid a [...]
Mike Ashley’s high street gamble raises more questions than it answers December 13, 2018 Ten years ago in a Mayfair casino Mike Ashley made £1.3m on a single spin of the roulette wheel. His betting exploits, like those of fellow retail mogul Sir Philip Green, have highlighted the brash billionaire’s propensity to take risks. But over the course of 2018 Ashley has been making another type of gamble, not [...]
Mike Ashley slams Debenhams for rejecting his £40m loan December 13, 2018 Retail tycoon Mike Ashley has launched a scathing attack on Debenhams today, claiming that the beleaguered department store giant has rejected a £40m interest-free emergency loan. In a letter addressed to Debenhams boss Sergio Bucher, the billionaire Sports Direct owner suggests that without the money the company "has zero chance of survival". Ashley, who controls [...]