Retail Week
June 3 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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A long, hot summer lies ahead for retailers
“There’s £100 off that sir,” is a nice thing to be told when buying a TV in John Lewis. -
A question of entertainment
It seems like entertainment retailers are under siege from all directions. -
A year to forget for New Look
It’s hard to believe that little more than year ago, fashion group New Look hoped to pull off an IPO. -
Agents of change?
Agents mega-mergers are leading to a smaller pool of retail property advisers, but it’s still all about the individuals -
Amazon and eBay most visited websites in UK
Amazon and Ebay are the most visited websites by UK consumers with Tesco coming top of the bricks and mortar retailers. -
Asda mulls bid for Iceland
Asda is mulling a bid for frozen food specialist Iceland. -
Asos eyes China after profits rocket by 41%
UPDATED: Online fashion specialist Asos has posted a rise in full-year profits, boosted by its growing international business which will be expanded this year. The retailer is also assessing how to launch in China. -
Aurum gears up to select preferred bidder in its £200m sale process
Jewellery group Aurum, which owns chains including Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb, is expected to pick a preferred bidder for its 165-store business by mid-summer. -
Bad weather hits John Lewis sales
John Lewis sales were down 0.8% for the week to May 28 as the bad weather hit and the department store chain was up against tough comparisons on the previous year with World Cup sales. -
Battle for summer sales to kick off a week early
Hard-pressed retailers’ sales and margins will come under increased pressure as department store chains Debenhams and House of Fraser prepare to launch their summer Sales a week earlier than last year. -
BDO High Street Sales Tracker
BDO High Street Sales Tracker data for the week ending May 29, 2011 -
Benetton to hire new creative director
United Colors of Benetton is to hire You Nguyen as new chief merchandising officer and creative director. -
Brightening the store workforce
Brighthouse’s store manager conference both motivates and educates, Rebecca Thomson finds. -
Burberry most popular FTSE 100 company on Facebook
Luxury fashion retailer Burberry has emerged the most popular FTSE 100 company on Facebook with more than six million followers. -
Burberry plots store refits and international flagship openings
Luxury retailer and brand Burberry is to plough £80m into store refurbishments this year and focus on high-profile flagship openings after reporting a surge in profits. -
Burke to chair Eagle Eye Solutions
Simon Burke The HobbyCraft chairman has joined mobile vouchers company Eagle Eye Solutions as chairman. -
Carpetright UK MD stands down amid board reshuffle
Floorings giant Carpetright has restructured its board, appointing Andrew Corden to the board as operations director for Europe as Christian Sollesse, managing director of UK & Ireland, steps down. -
Chain Reaction Cycles mulls new investment
Bikes and accessories etailer Chain Reaction Cycles is considering seeking more investment to pedal future growth. -
Early Learning Centre launches mobile site
Early Learning Centre, owned by Mothercare, has launched a new mobile site to bridge its mobile, store and web channels, as it seeks to drive sales. -
Ecommerce chief leaves Paphitis’ Boux Avenue
The ecommerce director of Boux Avenue, the fledgling lingerie chain owned by retail entrepreneur Theo Paphitis, has left the business just two months after the website launched and the first store opened. -
Electricals market hit by World Cup comps
A year ago electricals retailers and department stores were riding the crest of the World Cup wave but now store groups that benefited then are coming up against tough comparatives. -
Experian Footfall: Week 21, 2011
Experian Footfall index data for the week ending May 29, 2011 -
Findel profits drop as its turnaround begins
Home shopping group Findel’s pre-tax profit before exceptional items dropped from £11.7m to £7m and its three year turnaround begins. -
Food for thought
Customers will respond if you have passion and creativity for product, says Mark Price. -
Halfords hit by £7.3m liability following Focus DIY collapse
Halfords has been hit by a £7.3m liability following the collapse of Focus DIY. -
HMV close to securing £210m refinancing deal
Embattled entertainment retailer HMV is thought to be close to securing a refinancing deal to ensure its future. -
HMV secures refinancing lifeline
HMV has been given a lifeline by its banks as it has secured a new two-year refinancing plan worth £220m. -
HobbyCraft ups sales with sharper pricing
HobbyCraft’s new chief executive Catriona Marshall has turned around a sales decline at the arts and crafts retailer by realigning its pricing stance. -
Home Retail chief executive Duddy's bonus halved
Terry Duddy, chief executive of Home Retail, Argos’s parent company, had his bonus slashed last year. -
Homebase owner in licensing talks with Habitat
Home Retail has held talks with Habitat owner Hilco about licensing the furniture brand within its DIY chain Homebase. -
How can retailers crack China?
China is now the second biggest economy in the world. Rebecca Thomson looks at the numbers and considers how retailers can reap rewards from this global superpower. -
In cases of employee theft of cash, what steps could we take to recover the money?
Helen Grimberg, partner in the retail team at Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP, says the employment contract could permit wage deductions, but withholding wages should only be done if employers can prove a theft - otherwise employees can successfully sue for their full wages. -
In focus: WHSmith
WHSmith remains a retailing enigma. -
India to welcome foreign supermarkets within months
India is set to open its doors to foreign supermarkets within the next four months as it looks to welcome multi-brand grocers as majority partners for the first time. -
Is cash still king?
Retailers have still to be convinced of the cost benefits and consumer demand for new types of electronic payment, reports Glynn Davis -
Is M&S uninspiring?
The CEO at M&S has been quick to pour cold water on the store design efforts of his predecessor, but is this assessment justified? -
Is near field communications’ marketing potential being overlooked?
Is near field communications’ marketing potential being overlooked by retailers and brands? -
Jane Norman up for sale
Fashion retailer Jane Norman has been put up for sale, it is understood. -
Kantar Worldpanel: Clothing, footwear and accessories
The latest Kantar Worldpanel Clothing, footwear and accessories data for the 24 weeks ending April 17, 2011 vs 2010 -
Katie Bickerstaffe
Katie Bickerstaffe, Group marketing, people and property director, Dixons Retail. -
Kurt Geiger sold to Jones Group for £215m
UPDATED: US retail giant Jones Group has confirmed it has bought premium shoe retailer Kurt Geiger for £215m. -
Las Arenas, Barcelona
Yes, you did read correctly and no, you’ve not dived into some kind of alternative Ernest Hemingway sub-culture. This is Las Arenas, the vast, former bullring in the heart of Barcelona. -
Laura Ashley like-for-likes down 1.3% as it closes unprofitable stores
Laura Ashley has reported like-for-like sales slid 1.3% in the 17 weeks to May 28, due largely to the closure of unprofitable stores. -
Losses widen at Kookaï as sales plummet
Fashion chain Kookaï has reported pre-tax losses edged up and sales fell 30% in the year to August 28. -
Marks & Spencer raids Arcadia for brand director
Marks & Spencer has raided arch-rival Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia to complete the make-up of its restructured senior marketing team. -
Morrisons saves up promotions for shoppers’ payday blowout
Morrisons has shaken up its promotional activity to tie in with the new shopper habits emerging in the tough economic climate. -
My-Wardrobe recruits tech boss as sales soar
Premium fashion site My-Wardrobe has appointed Romain Eude to the newly created role of chief technology officer as it looks to grow overseas sales. -
Nick Hollingworth
The Austin Reed boss may have sold its landmark Regent Street store to new kid on the block SuperGroup, but it marks a new chapter for the menswear specialist. By George MacDonald. -
Optimising the mobile transaction process
Customers are purchasing from retailers’ websites via their mobile phones whether retailers encourage it or not. Joanna Perry looks at how to optimise the transaction process -
Payment options for retailers on Facebook
With retailers beginning to transact by opening stores within social media platforms such as Facebook, Joanna Perry takes a look at the payment issues that arise -
Poor pricing costs
Stores, supply chains and sourcing operations have all come under scrutiny, but how many retailers have invested in optimising their merchandising decisions? -
Retail heavyweight Templeman to chair BRC
Debenhams chief executive Rob Templeman, one of retail’s most highly regarded bosses, is to become chairman of industry body the British Retail Consortium. -
Retail schemes: A zero-sum game?
The development pipeline has almost ground to a halt and, as Mark Faithfull discovers, more realism from councils and retailers will be required if schemes are to see the light of day. -
Retailers sign up to responsible retailing guide for kidswear
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has launched a good practice guide for retailers selling kidswear ahead of a government review into the commercialisation and sexualisation of children which will be published today. -
Sales fall in May
Sales fell in May according to the BRC, with like-for-likes down 2.1% and total sales down 0.3%. -
Shareholders force Tesco to alter directors’ remuneration package
Tesco has simplified its remuneration packages for its executive directors after nearly a third of shareholders voted against its remuneration policy at last year’s AGM. -
Signet insists it will keep investing in UK
Signet chief executive Mike Barnes insists the jewellery giant will continue to invest in the UK, despite reports it is mulling a sale of the UK business, which includes H Samuel and Ernest Jones. -
Sir Stuart Rose calls for review into gap between executive and staff pay
Former Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose has called for a review into the widening gap between executive pay and staff wages. -
Smaller etailers’ group raps directive proposals
Parts of the EU’s proposed Consumer Rights Directive could be “catastrophic” for retailers, according to the body that represents small and medium-sized home shopping businesses. -
Suit prices to rise by 10% as wool prices at record high
The price of a wool suit is set to rise by up to 10% as the cost of wool doubled to a record high in the past 12 months. -
SuperGroup shares fall as promotional activity unnerves investors
Shares in SuperGroup dropped after it emerged that the young fashion business, which has a strict no-discounting policy, offered some online customers 20% off in-store purchases last weekend. -
SuperGroup’s ascent 'can continue'
Fashion specialist SuperGroup’s proposed move into flagship Regent Street premises, revealed by Retail Week last week, divided opinion. -
Taking payment overseas
International customers are flocking to buy from the websites of retailers based in the UK, but they do expect to pay using their preferred local options, finds Alison Clements -
Tesco appoints digital and marketing officer
Tesco has appointed Matt Atkinson as group digital and marketing officer. -
Tesco brings Turkey COO home to lead superstores
Tesco has brought its chief operating officer in Turkey back to the UK as part of group chief executive Phil Clarke’s plans to bolster the lacklustre UK division. -
Tesco's US business faces alcohol ban
Tesco’s US business could be dealt a severe blow as a proposed ban on the sale of alcohol from self-service checkouts in California moves one step closer to becoming law. -
The catalogue retailer comes of age online
Shop Direct has evolved from a catalogue retailer to a slick online operator. As it moves towards profit, Gemma Goldfingle visits its headquarters. -
The fairytale continues
Twice as large as its previous store, Disney Store’s new branch on Oxford Street boasts a host of innovative features. John Ryan reports. -
The future is here
Retail Week’s supplement shows just how much innovation has taken place in the payment arena in the past five years. Not all has been welcomed by retailers, but they will adopt new payment options where there is customer demand. -
The future of payments
Innovation around the way your customers can pay while in stores is gathering pace, particularly for mobile payments. Rebecca Thomson finds out where transactions are heading -
The Future of Retail
With multichannel developments continuing apace, technology is a key priority for retailers this year. We look at some of the main issues retailers face in our digital technology supplement. -
The Hut acquires Myprotein.com for £58m ahead of likely IPO
Online retailer The Hut, which is considering an IPO later this year, has acquired sports nutrition etailer Myprotein.com in a deal understood to be worth about £58m. -
The payment revolution
Payments may not be top of mind for retailers. But that’s likely to change over the coming few years as we experience the biggest revolution in the way consumers shop and pay for a generation. -
The rise of online credit options
Big-ticket item purchases are increasingly completed online. So is traditional retail finance about to be transformed by the rise of online credit options? Alison Clements reports -
The West End property market
While shop vacancy rates in the UK are at an all-time high, London’s top streets are commanding higher premiums than ever, despite the economic downturn. -
Theo Fennell boss Snoad exits a second time
Theo Fennell chief executive Barbara Snoad has left the jeweller for the second time in four years. -
Three Maplin directors exit
Specialist electricals retailer Maplin has parted company with three of its directors, one of them a self-proclaimed expert in “cost management.” -
Tony Shiret made redundant by Credit Suisse
Tony Shiret, the highly regarded analyst and vocal critic of Marks & Spencer under the leadership of Sir Stuart Rose, has left Credit Suisse after 18 years with the bank. -
Topman launches personal shopping suite
Topman has launched a personal shopping suite in its flagship Oxford Street store in London. -
Topps Tiles aims to outperform with brand focus
Topps Tiles will focus on brand building through more marketing as it seeks to outperform the market in its second half. -
Walmart China takes a hit as two top executives quit
Walmart has said that two senior executives at its Chinese operation, chief financial officer Roland Lawrence and chief operating officer Rob Cissell - formerly of B&Q and Robert Dyas - have resigned. -
Weather helps Kingfisher to strong first quarter
DIY giant Kingfisher has recorded a strong first quarter, helped by good weather, the late Easter and the run of Bank Holidays in the UK. -
What it’s like to work at Gio-Goi
The inside view from finance director Alan Swain.
