Retail Week
February 11 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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‘Morally indefensible’ Portas show slammed
One of the best-known names in the furniture industry has hit out at retailer-turned-TV personality Mary Portas, accusing her new series Secret Shopper of being “morally indefensible”. -
22 British Bookshops stores bought by WHSmith
The British Bookshops & Stationers (BBS) name is set to survive for the foreseeable future after WHSmith purchased the intellectual property rights of the business plus 22 stores for £1m. -
Albemarle & Bond retail sales plunge as gold prices soar
Albemarle & Bond retail like-for-likes fell 20% in the half year to December 31 as the high gold price hindered jewellery sales. -
All in the mix
Retailers have a lot more to worry about than just whether they’re offering the right service. -
Asda hits back in row over price guarantee
Asda marketing chief Rick Bendel is confident the advertising regulator will dismiss rivals’ complaints about its 10% cheaper guarantee. -
Asda sells e-reader for half the price of Kindle
Asda has launched an e-reader for £52 that is likely to spark a price war in the growing market. -
Avon launches social networking site
Door-to-door beauty specialist retailer Avon has launched a social networking site to connect its sales people with new and existing customers. -
Bargain Booze owner mulls sale
Discount off licence chain Bargain Booze’s private equity owner is understood to be considering a sale of the business. -
Barratts increases email conversion rates after e-commerce overhaul
Barratts has increased its email conversion rates after an overhaul of its e-commerce strategy. -
BDO High Street Sales Tracker
BDO High Street Sales Tracker data for the week ending February 6 , 2011 -
Best Buy thinks outside the box
It is less than a year since US electricals giant Best Buy planted its flag in this country in partnership with Carphone Warehouse with its first big-box store in Thurrock. -
Bestseller ups its stake in Asos to more than 20%
Danish brands house Bestseller has once again increased its stake in etailer Asos and now owns just over 20% of the company. -
Bharti Walmart to open 12 new Best Price Modern Wholesale stores by March 2012
Walmart’s Indian joint venture operation Bharti Walmart is planning to open 12 new Best Price Modern Wholesale stores by March 2012, in a move away from its cautious expansion strategy.The group expects to ramp up the rate of expansion and open “more than 12” stores in 2013.Managing director and chief executive Raj Jain said: “We are not conservative anymore. Initially we started slow so as to learn more about the market, and having done that we are looking at expansion.” It cur -
Blacks Leisure chief executive Neil Gillis resigns
Blacks Leisure chief executive Neil Gillis is to resign from the retailer. -
Blacks outgoing chief Gillis faces disqualification over Farepak collapse
Nine former board members of failed Christmas hamper business Farepak, including Blacks Leisure chief executive Neil Gillis, are facing disqualification from acting as directors. -
Blockbuster to add 3,000 Express DVD rental kiosks this year
Blockbuster is planning to add 3,000 Express DVD rental kiosks during 2011, despite closing stores and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.Blockbuster Express owner NCR estimates that it will generate about $200m (£130m) in revenue in a single year from its kiosks and says it plans to reposition kiosks that underperform. -
Borders intends to stay in business
Entertainment retailer Borders said it fully intended to stay in business, despite widespread reports that it may be preparing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.Bloomberg News had reported that the company could file for bankruptcy protection within days and would seek to close at least 150 stores. Borders said that it would not comment on rumoured outcomes and would make an appropriate announcement “once the terms of any arrangement are finalised”. -
Brian McBride joins venture capital firm
Brian McBride, former managing director of Amazon UK, is to join venture capital firm Scottish Equity Partners. -
Carpe Diem – seize the carp
Pop-up stores are for now and they’re more relevant than ever. -
Carphone Warehouse hires Sainsbury's man as retail director
Carphone Warehouse has appointed former Sainsbury’s zone managing director Anthony Hemmerdinger as its retail director. -
Chinese tourists
Chinese tourist spend has soared in the past year, but what can retailers do to capitalise on this and is the UK doing all it can to welcome them? -
Clothes prices may rise 14% this autumn
Clothing prices are forecast to climb by up to 14% in the second half of this year this year. -
Comet begins redundancy consultations as it consolidates service centres
Electricals retailer Comet is to shut 14 of its service centres and has begun consultations with 411 affected staff as it seeks to make redundancies. -
Co-op revamps stock management system
Grocer Co-operative Group is set to improve its product availability as it rolls out a central stock management system it inherited from Somerfield. -
CPI inflation rises to 4%
Consumer prices index (CPI) inflation rose to 4% in January, up from 3.7% in December. -
CVS revenues up 3.1% to £9.6bn
Pharmacy retailer CVS has reported revenues in its retail drugstore segment up by 3.1% to $14.9bn (£9.6bn) in its fourth quarter to December 31, as like-for-like sales rose 1.7%.The retailer’s pharmacy benefit management arm, however, experienced a revenue decline of 9.7% due to the termination of several large client contracts.President and chief operating officer Larry Merlo said the roll-out of about 1,100 new private-label SKUs and the expansion of the grocery offer in nearl -
Debenhams opens first pop-up shop
Debenhams has opened its first pop-up shop, timed to coincide with London Fashion Week and featuring the department store’s newest designer collaboration, Edition. -
Deichmann Group sales climb 12.5% to £3.37bn
GERMANY -
Deichmann sales climb 12.5% to £3.37bn
Shoe retail specialist Deichmann Group experienced a sales climb of 12.5% during the 2010 financial year, reaching E3.93bn (£3.37bn).The retailer said this was the biggest growth rate for 20 years. At Deichmann’s various banners in Germany sales were up 8%, or 4.8% on a like-for-like basis. -
Duplication isn't what you need
HMV’s announcement last month that it is closing 60 stores is a sensible response to the company’s problems. -
Elementary, my dear Watson
IBM Research’s self-learning system Watson is being hyped as a game-changer for the way companies do business. But do you want a computer providing customer service? -
Everything Everywhere to test stores under own name
Everything Everywhere, the business formed by the merger of T-mobile and Orange, is to pilot stores under its own name in five locations. -
Findel unveils £80.5m fundraising
Home shopping group Findel has unveiled an £80.5m fundraising as it restructures its balance sheet and bids to improve performance. -
Fonehouse hunts new stores as old ones are refitted
Mobile phone retailer Fonehouse is ramping up the roll-out of its new store format as it plans to triple its store count by early next year. -
French Connection pre-tax profits expected to soar
French Connection’s full year pre-tax profit is expected to soar as a result of a strong performance in wholesale, licensing and a good control of overheads. -
French Connection steams ahead
Fashion group French Connection expects profits for the year just ended to be at least £6.8m, compared with a restated £1m last year. -
Game strikes deal with Microsoft to sell downloads in store
Game has struck a deal with Microsoft to sell downloadable games in its stores. -
Game to invest £15m in its three year multi-channel strategy
Game is to invest £15m in its three year multi-channel strategy and has secured refinancing from its banks for the period until 2014. -
Gap names Art Peck as new president of Gap North America
Gap has named Art Peck its new president of Gap North America, effective immediately. Peck previously handled corporate strategy and oversaw the outlet division.He succeeds Marka Hansen, who has led the Gap brand in North America since 2007. Meanwhile, Pam Wallack, the current president of Gap Adult North America, will become head of Gap’s new Global Creative Center. As part of this role, Wallack will move to New York to centralise the re -
General stores boosted by January sales rise
A January sales fillip, takeover talk and musical chairs in the boardroom helped buoy up general retailers over the week and they outperformed the All-share index. -
Go Outdoors considers float as its plans for growth accelerate
Outdoor specialist Go Outdoors will decide whether to push the button on a float of the business early next year, after having ruled out a sale. -
H&M like-for-likes edge up in January
Fashion giant H&M’s group like-for-like sales crept up 1% year-on-year in January. -
Hed Kandi shuts stores less than a year after launch
Music and lifestyle retailer Hed Kandi has shut its two stores less than a year after opening. -
Hugo Boss sell-off suits new-look Moss Bros
Moss Bros boss Brian Brick has hailed the decision to sell its 15 Hugo Boss franchise stores to Hugo Boss UK for £16.5m as a “transformational” moment for the group. -
In Focus: Hamleys versus The Entertainer
Hamleys is a British retailing enigma. The best-known name in toy retailing, its iconic Regent Street store is an international tourist destination to rival Harrods. -
Jack Wills to expand further overseas
Preppy fashion retailer Jack Wills is to expand further internationally, with the US, Europe and the Far East in its sights. -
Jaeger appoints advisers ahead of potential sale
Jaeger has reportedly appointed advisers to consider options for the business, which could include a sale. -
Jaeger to expand into Russia
Premium fashion retailer Jaeger is to enter the Russian market with two Jaeger London stores. -
JC Penney to launch The Foundry Big & Tall Supply Co
JC Penney has announced plans to launch a new retail concept catering to the big and tall male customer.The chain will trade under the banner The Foundry Big & Tall Supply Co and will carry branded apparel and accessories as well as its private-label and exclusive merchandise. The stores will trade from about 6,450 sq ft with an urban, industrial design inspired by the look of a microbrewery. -
Jimmy Choo backers opt for sale
Jimmy Choo’s backers have recommended the luxury footwear and accessories business be put up for sale following the completion of a strategic review. -
JJB set for showdown with landlords over second CVA
Angry property owners threaten not to support another CVA now the market has picked up -
JJB Sports confirms plans for second CVA
Sports retailer JJB Sports has confirmed it is to attempt a second Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) within two years in order to ensure the survival of the business. -
John Lewis denies change to price matching policy
John Lewis has denied claims that it has altered the terms and conditions of its Never Knowingly Undersold price matching policy after rewording its pledge. -
John Lewis pension trust sells Ocado stake
The John Lewis Partnership Pensions Trust has sold its remaining stake in online grocer Ocado. -
John Lewis reports 'pleasing' start to new financial year
Sales at department store chain John Lewis rose last week as its new financial year kicked off. -
John Lewis to open website to Europe
John Lewis is to open up its website for international orders to 25 European countries, enabling it to gather data on which cities could support physical department stores. -
Joining forces to stop retail crime
The rise of UK loss prevention forums is giving businesses a new voice in the battle against retail crime, finds Alison Clements -
Kesko net sales rise 3.9% to £7.5bn
Retail group Kesko has reported a net sales rise of 3.9% to E8.8bn (£7.5bn) for 2010, with operating profit nearly doubling to E268m (£230m).In Finland, net sales increased by 4.3% and in other countries by 2.2%. International operations, which include Scandinavia, Baltics and Russia, accounted for 16.7% of net sales. In food retail operations sales grew 2.6%, home and speciality goods retail experienced a sales rise of 0.7%, while the building and home improvement trading had an impre -
Laura Wade-Gery
With bold ecommerce growth on the agenda it’s little wonder Marks & Spencer has poached Tesco’s online pioneer to work her magic. -
LVMH jumps 19% to reach £4.6bn
Luxury goods and specialist retailer LVMH’s retailing arm recorded revenue growth of 19% in 2010 to reach E5.4bn (£4.6bn), and posted a profit of E388m (£332m), up 38% on 2009.Travel retail operator DFS posted a strong performance attributed to the rise in international travel, notably among Asian tourists.Beauty chain Sephora recorded like-for-like store growth across all regions. The opening of flagship -
Marks & Spencer poaches Tesco's Laura Wade-Gery
Marks & Spencer has poached Laura Wade-Gery from Tesco to be its executive director multi-channel ecommerce. -
Mary Portas: Queen of shops or enemy of retailers?
Mary Portas’ new series, Secret Shopper, has incurred the wrath of retailers. But the ‘queen of shops’ remains defiant. -
Mary Portas: retailers get to answer back
Retailers have the chance to respond to criticism on Mary Portas’ website, after the television retail guru launched a “retailer response tool” on its Secret Shopper forum. -
Morrisons buys Kiddicare for £70m
Morrisons has bought online baby products retailer Kiddicare for £70m in the first step in developing the grocer’s etail operation. -
Morrisons considers kidswear range
Morrisons is understood to be weighing up offering a kidswear range as part of chief executive Dalton Philips’ development plans. -
Morrisons in talks with George Davies
Morrisons is in talks with fashion guru George Davies about designing the supermarket’s first clothing range. -
Morrisons sells Valentine Steak for romantics
Morrisons is offering the ultimate gift for romantics this year, a Valentine Steak. -
Moss Bros sells Hugo Boss franchise for £16.5m
Moss Bros, the menswear group, is to sell its 15 Hugo Boss franchised stores to Hugo Boss UK for £16.5m and said that sales were strong over Christmas. -
Mr Simms Olde Sweetie Shoppe, Fulham Broadway
Mr Simms Olde Sweetie Shoppe in the shopping mall directly above Fulham Broadway tube station is proof that small really is beautiful and that you really can use stock as an integral element of a store’s design. -
Mydeco.com
Buying furniture online is not easy. Trying to envisage the products in place, and combining and comparing products from lots of retailers is tricky. Which is where Mydeco.com comes in. -
My-Wardrobe.com to relaunch in push for £100m sales target
Fashion etailer My-Wardrobe is to relaunch its website at the end of the month in a bid to give a clearer idea of its offer. -
Net-a-Porter launches online TV station
Online fashion retailer Net-a-Porter is to launch its own digital TV station to air on its website. -
New Look's valuation halved by private equity owner
The valuation of fast fashion group New Look has been halved by private equity backers. -
Peacocks prompts IPO speculation after beginning hunt for chairman
Value fashion group Peacocks intends to appoint a chairman for the first time in five years, prompting speculation that an IPO may be on the cards. -
Pets Corner profits up as it plots expansion
Pets retailer Pets Corner has notched up pretax profits of £1.14m in the three months to the end of December – a quarterly rise of 105%. -
Retail administrations drop in final quarter of 2010
The number of retailers falling into administration in the last quarter of 2010 fell 39% year-on-year. -
Retail like-for-likes up 2.3% in January, BRC reports
Clearance Sales, a shopper rush to beat the VAT rise and weak comparatives because of snow last year all helped lift retail sales by 2.3% like-for-like in January. -
Retailers fight back against JJB's CVA plan
JJB Sports is facing a backlash from retailers over its plans to undergo a second company voluntary arrangement (CVA). -
Richard Hull
Managing director, SBH UK and Ireland (Sally Salon Services) -
Royal wedding bank holiday to hit store costs
Leading retailers face higher staff costs due to this year’s extra bank holiday for the Royal Wedding. -
Sainsbury’s improved offer impresses analysts
City analysts came away from a company visit last week impressed by the improvements Sainsbury’s is making in non-food. -
Sainsbury's chief executive King sells tranche of shares
Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King yesterday sold 50,000 of his shares in the grocer, the latest disposal by a director in the past month. -
Sainsbury's sells Valentine heart-shaped cucumbers
Sainsbury’s is offering shoppers “a whole new way to show your love this Valentine’s Day” with the launch of a heart-shaped cucumber. -
Sainsbury's suffers setback in plans to move HQ to King's Cross
Sainsbury’s has suffered a setback in its plans to move its head office to King’s Cross after a lack of buyers for its current Holborn location. -
Sainsbury's to source all Fairtrade cotton from supplier in India
Sainsbury’s is to source all of its Fairtrade cotton from a co-operative supplier in Gujarat, India. -
Security staff: The necessary force
The issue of appropriate force against violent customers is a thorny retail issue. Joanne Ellul looks at where store staff should draw the line -
Security technology: A full arsenal of deterrents
Protecting profit through improving security has never been more important. So how can retailers make the most of their security budgets. -
Shop price inflation rises to 2.5%
Shop price inflation rose sharply to 2.5% in January, up from 2.1% the month before. -
Shop vacancy rates rise in 2010
The number of empty shops in Britain has continued to rise in 2010, also highlighting a marked north-south divide. -
Shoppers gloomier in 2011 than last year, says IGD
Shoppers are feeling a lot gloomier about their financial prospects this year compared to last, according to the IGD’s latest ShopperTrack research. -
Shoppers to decide Brand Alley offer
Private sales etailer Brand Alley has introduced a section on its website that allows shoppers to decide what products will go on sale. -
Snow + Rock appoints Neil McCausland as non-exec chairman
Outdoor specialist Snow + Rock has appointed Neil McCausland as non-executive chairman. -
Stamping out online fraud
Total online fraud losses have dropped in the past two years with a raft of new security measures to prevent card-not-present fraud. Liz Morrell asks if the trend will continue -
Steven Esom appointed to BRC role
Former Waitrose and Marks & Spencer director Steven Esom is to become chairman of the BRC’s commercial arm, BRC Trading. -
SuperGroup buys European franchisee to push international growth
SuperGroup has acquired the leading global franchisee of its Superdry brand CNC Collections BVBA (CNC) to push international expansion. -
SuperGroup third quarter sales rocket
Sales at fashion retailer SuperGroup, owner of the ultra-trendy Superdry brand, continued to climb steeply in the third quarter and continued growth is expected. -
SuperGroup vows stellar performance will continue
SuperGroup chief executive Julian Dunkerton has promised continued growth after a stellar third quarter, and said the retailer’s phenomenal share price rise since last year’s IPO reflected that the company is delivering on its promises so far. -
Tesco completes sale and leaseback of 21 shops
Tesco has completed a sale and leaseback transaction as it continues with its programme to release value from its UK property portfolio. -
Tesco’s different shades of green
John Ryan meets Tesco’s new design chief and discovers why there’s nothing boring about green supermarkets -
Tesco's F&F sponsors LFW designer Mark Fast
Tesco clothing brand F&F has teamed up with London-based knitwear designer Mark Fast to sponsor his autumn 11 catwalk show at London Fashion Week. -
The Body Shop builds up top team with promotions
Ethical cosmetics retailer The Body Shop has strengthened its executive committee with a number of internal promotions. -
The Co-op launches Valentine's campaign
The Co-operative Group has launched a Valentine’s Day advert today to encourage customers to treat their partners to a romantic night in with the grocer’s Eat In range. -
The Co-op to create 1,700 store management jobs
The Co-operative Group is hiring around 1,700 extra management staff in its food stores over the next five months. -
The deals going down in retail
Looking back, 2010 turned out to be a pretty active year for retail M&A, with 14 UK deals worth more than £50m, of which seven were over £250m. -
Thorntons to reshape store portfolio after profits fall
Thorntons, the chocolates specialist, is likely to reshape its store portfolio after difficult trading and warned that profits this year will be no higher than last. -
Time for a holistic approach to payments
With retailers squeezed on all fronts to deliver better service at reduced cost, there has never been agreaterneed for flexible payments solutions and consultative partnering according to Raja Ray, Director of Software Solutions, VeriFone. -
Two more senior departures from Best Buy Europe
The management shake-up at Best Buy Europe has continued with the departures of two more directors from the electricals retailer, Retail Week has learned. -
Wade-Gery hiring ‘shows M&S is thinking ahead’
High-profile appointment being interpreted as succession planning by chief executive Marc Bolland -
Wade-Gery points the way to future of M&S
Today’s multichannel leaders are tomorrow’s retail leaders. -
Waitrose to open first Channel Islands shop this week
Waitrose will this week to open the first of five shops in the Channel Islands, its first company-owned shop outside the UK. -
What does a squeeze on household finances mean for retailers?
The Bank of England has said consumers face the biggest squeeze in their household finances since the 1920s. What does this mean? -
What impact will the Agency Worker Regulations have?
What impact will the Agency Worker Regulations have on the retail sector when they come into effect in October? -
WHSmith buys 22 shops from British Bookshops & Stationers
WHSmith has bought 22 shops and intellectual property from collapsed books chain British Bookshops & Stationers for £1.05m. -
X5 in battle for leadership with new growth strategy
Russia’s largest grocer, X5 Retail Group has revealed a change to its expansion strategy and will now be targeting small cities and towns with populations of more than 50,000 inhabitants. -
Yamada Denki sales soar 11.5% to £12.2bn
Consumer electronics retailer Yamada Denki said sales soared 11.5% to¥1.66trn (£12.2bn) in the nine months to December 31.Operating profit increased by 77.7% to ¥97.6bn (£720m), while net profit rocketed 75.6% to ¥61.9bn (£456m).
