Retail Week
Lisa Berwin

Lisa Berwin covers fashion, mail order and online retail for Retail Week and Drapers.

Figleaves trials move from pure play with concession in Allders

March 19, 2010
Lingerie etailer Figleaves is trialling its first physical retail offer with a concession in Allders in Croydon.
Inditex confident of prospects as it slows pace of store openings

March 19, 2010
Fashion group Inditex is confident of continued success and profitable expansion across all of its markets despite a slowdown in space growth.
Could Richemont net a winner?

18-Mar-2010
No wonder Richemont is targeting a larger slice of Net-a-Porter — it has been one of the best etail growth stories in a market where its founder Natalie Massenet once faced naysayers who believed luxury fashion would never work online.
Inditex full year profits grow 5%

17-Mar-2010
Inditex net profits grew 5% in its full year to January 31 with total sales across the Spanish fashion group up 7% to €11bn (£9.95bn).
Former La Senza boss to launch Hed Kandi stores

16-Mar-2010
Former La Senza chief Rose Foster is working with nightclub group the Ministry of Sound to open clothing stores under its Hed Kandi brand.
Park Group to launch pre-paid cards

16-Mar-2010
Christmas hamper company Park Group is launching a range of pre-paid cards to for its customers that will redeemable at major high street chains.
Asos launches new management incentive plan

16-Mar-2010
Fashion etailer Asos has unveiled details of its new management incentive plan.
Blacks suppliers threaten boycott if Sports Direct takes control

15-Mar-2010
Suppliers to Blacks Leisure have threatened to boycott the outdoor chain if Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct successfully bids for the business.
Richemont makes bid for Net-a-Porter

15-Mar-2010
Luxury etailer Net-a-Porter is reported to have received a bid from Swiss luxury group Richemont.
EBay to tackle fashion with fixed-price site

March 12, 2010
EBay is to launch a fashion channel for branded goods, taking on rival etailers such as M and M Direct, JD Sports and Asos.
Fat Face owner injects new capital to secure future growth

11-Mar-2010
Fat Face owner Bridgepoint has injected £8.5m into the business to help the retailer’s expansion plans, it has emerged.
Retail sales ahead 2.2% in February

9-Mar-2010
UK retail sales grew 2.2% on a like-for-like basis in February, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Need to Know: Oracle Retail Week Awards

March 5, 2010
Last night the Oracle Retail Week Awards celebrated the sector’s brightest and best in what is always a night to remember
RWC2010: Amazon rules out stores and grocery offer

4-Mar-2010
Amazon UK has ruled out opening stores and offering food “for the foreseeable future”, its managing director, Brian McBride, has told the Retail Week Conference.
Asda starts price war on IVF drugs

3-Mar-2010
Asda is starting a price war on IVF drugs in an attempt to become the UK’s most competitive pharmacy.
QVC sales up 2.3%

2-Mar-2010
Sales at QVC in the UK grew 2.3% in 2009 reaching £367.9m for the TV shopping business after a stronger second half.
Sports Direct mulls bid for Blacks

2-Mar-2010
Sports Direct is considering making a bid for Blacks Leisure after blocking its proposed fundraising plans.
WHSmith eyes Hughes & Hughes assets

1-Mar-2010
WHSmith is reported to be considering a bid for the assets of Irish book chain Hughes & Hughes which collapsed last week.
Retail round-up: What the weekend papers said February 27-28

1-Mar-2010
M&S and investors row over Sir Stuart Rose’s pay; Harvey Nichols to open in Turkey; Developers kick off West End generation; China freight rate hike could force up retail prices; fears over Blockbuster; and more…
M&S sets out plan to become world's most sustainable retailer

1-Mar-2010
M&S has launched a drive to become the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015, introducing a raft of new commitments under its ethical Plan A programme.
Selfridges tests debut transactional website

February 26, 2010
Selfridges has launched a beta version of its eagerly anticipated transactional website.
Julian Dunkerton: from market stall to stock market

February 26, 2010
On the verge of a £400m float, SuperGroup has proved a fashion triumph. That’s no surprise given co-founder Julian Dunkerton’s eye for a winning brand, says Lisa Berwin
Gap reveals online plans and plots entry into Italy

25-Feb-2010
Gap has confirmed plans to bring a direct ecommerce offer for both its eponymous fascia and Banana Republic to the UK later this year.
Adili to delist as deal is agreed with investor

25-Feb-2010
Investor Luke Heron is to buy ethical etailer Adili and the retailer will be delisted from AIM.
Hard-to-read Mike Ashley rules the roost in sports retail

25-Feb-2010
It has been months since the last scandal to hit sports retailers – perhaps Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley has been on an extended Christmas holiday?
TJX Europe full year like-for-like sales ahead 5%

24-Feb-2010
TJX Europe, the operator of off-price retailer TK Maxx, said like-for-like sales rose 5% in the full year to January 30.
Shop Direct to keep Welsh call centre open until end of December

24-Feb-2010
Home shopping group Shop Direct has delayed plans to close one of its call centres in Newtown, Wales after talks with unions.
Blacks delays fundraising meeting

24-Feb-2010
Updated: Blacks Leisure postponed its general meeting today in order to continue negotiations with Sports Direct which had planned to block proposed fundraising by the outdoor specialist.
Airport retail sales soar on weak pound

23-Feb-2010
Duty-free shopping and the weakened pound drove sales at London’s airports to their highest levels for a decade last year.
Iconic Liverpool department store Lewis’s to close

23-Feb-2010
Lewis’s, the 154-year-old department store in Liverpool, will close in June with the loss of 200 jobs.
Man found guilty of Matalan murder

22-Feb-2010
A man has been found guilty of the murder of a Matalan store manager in east London.
Sports Direct buys Blacks stake to block rescue plan

22-Feb-2010
UPDATED: Sports Direct succeeded yesterday in acquiring the rights to a disputed 29% stake in Blacks Leisure to vote against its rescue plans.
Online retail sales hits lowest-ever annual growth in January

22-Feb-2010
Online retail sales growth slowed to its lowest-ever level in January, up just 5% like-for-like to £4.3bn.
Past Times plans store and online expansion

February 19, 2010
Gifts retailer Past Times is hunting for new stores and will ramp up its online offer this year.
Books Etc gears up for online comeback

19-Feb-2010
Books Etc will be resurrected next week as an online offer, after the brand and website was bought out of administration following the collapse of parent Borders UK last year.
Perfume Shop’s new look

February 19, 2010
The Perfume Shop is to open its second new-concept store in Glasgow next month after recording a “fantastic reaction” to its first remodelled shop in Bluewater.
SuperGroup confident of IPO success as others falter

February 19, 2010
Directors of SuperGroup, which aims to raise £125m through an IPO, are confident of the retailer’s longevity despite some potential investor concerns about fashion’s volatility.
Harold Tillman brings UK names back to London Fashion Week

February 19, 2010
As London Fashion Week kicks off, the retail entrepreneur and champion of British fashion should be celebrated for his role in bringing big UK names back to the event, says Lisa Berwin
Abercrombie & Fitch begins to lose its cool

18-Feb-2010
When Abercrombie & Fitch came to the UK in 2007 it was one of the coolest and most anticipated brands of its time.
House of Fraser asks banks to relax lending terms

17-Feb-2010
House of Fraser has asked its banks to relax lending terms on its borrowings to give it headroom to buy more stock.
Growth of international discount supermarkets slows

16-Feb-2010
Discount supermarkets are facing a slowdown in growth as competition from more mainstream competitors and brands start to impact on their sales.
Newcastle’s Eldon Square opens £170m extension

16-Feb-2010
The £170m extension of Newcastle’s Eldon Square shopping centre opens today introducing new retailers to the city along with key flagship stores.
Endless considers bid for Ethel Austin

15-Feb-2010
Turnaround specialist Endless is reported to considering a bid for collapsed value retail chain Ethel Austin.
Supergroup announces intention to float

15-Feb-2010
Supergroup has announced its intention to raise £125m by floating on the London Stock Exchange.
Very launches maternity range with Denise van Outen

12-Feb-2010
Very.co.uk is launching a new maternity range with television presenter Denise van Outen.
Ebay’s designer fashion first takes on specialists

February 12, 2010
EBay’s exclusive Narciso Rodriguez collaboration mirrors tactics of H&M and Gap
John Lewis simplifies multichannel system

February 12, 2010
John Lewis is implementing an order management system to improve its ordering and returns operation in an effort to offer a seamless service across its shopping channels.
Axed Matalan sale is not the closing chapter for retail deals

11-Feb-2010
The failed sale of Matalan yesterday came as little surprise to many.
ABI may challenge Marc Bolland’s M&S pay package

10-Feb-2010
Incoming M&S chief executive Marc Bolland is facing objections from the Association of British Insurers over his £14.8m pay package.
Sales growth slows to 15-year low in January as snow hits trade

9-Feb-2010
Bad weather brought sales growth on the high street to a 15-year low in January down 0.7% on a like-for-like basis.
Nectar becomes most popular loyalty card scheme

8-Feb-2010
The Nectar Card has become the most popular loyalty card in the UK with 16.8m people now using the card.
Retail round-up: What the weekend papers said - February 6-7 2010

8-Feb-2010
Sir Stuart Rose defends Marc Bolland’s pay packet; George Davies confirms GIVe international expansion plans; Tories could support competition test; Debenhams head of marketing joins Arcadia; Homebase testing new store design in Essex.
Ocado appoints advisers ahead of float

8-Feb-2010
Online food retailer Ocado has appointed advisors for ahead of a float which could come as early as May, according to reports.
H&M moves in on homewares

February 5, 2010
Swedish fashion giant to bring its Home offer to the UK, going head to head with Zara and Next
Amazon hires new entertainment chief

February 5, 2010
Amazon has hired former head of Cdiscount.co.uk Andy Jones as had of its home entertainment arm in the UK as the etail giant’s sales and profits soar.
American Golf tees up for growth with debt swap and cash injection

February 5, 2010
American Golf owner Lloyds Development Capital has injected £5m into the business and restructured its debt as it seeks to bolster the retailer to gear up for expansion.
Like-for-like sales rise across all of Gap's brands in January

4-Feb-2010
American fashion giant Gap said sales in January began to gain momentum, up 5% to $798m (£506m) for the month.
New Look will need consistency to float above the rest

4-Feb-2010
After much speculation New Look’s intention to float has now been confirmed and after the deflation of the failed float in 2007 it looks like the fashion group will finally have its day.
Plans chalked to reduce congestion in London’s West End

4-Feb-2010
The London Assembly Transport Committee has laid out new plans to reduce traffic congestion in London’s West End.
Malcolm Walker hits out at new grocery code of conduct

4-Feb-2010
Malcolm Walker, the boss of frozen food chain Iceland, has hit out at the Grocery Supplier Code of Practice, which comes into force today, calling it a “complete waste of time”.
Adili suspends shares as future hangs in the balance

3-Feb-2010
The future of ethical etailer Adili is unclear as it announced that its shares have been suspended after failing to secure finance for the company’s future.
Tesco opens first zero carbon supermarket

3-Feb-2010
Tesco has opened what it claims is the world’s first zero carbon supermarket in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire and has pledged to spend over £100m with UK green technology companies.
Shop price inflation up 2.3% in January

3-Feb-2010
Shop price inflation was slower than expected in January, rising 2.3% as many retailers held off passing on the VAT rise that came into effect at the start of the year.
Morrisons to launch legal case against former Safeway chairman

2-Feb-2010
Morrisons has launched a legal case against former employees of Safeway including its former chairman David Webster to recoup up to £16.4m it faces for alleged dairy price fixing with other retailers.
Beaverbrooks cuts back on spending as profits fall

1-Feb-2010
Jewellery specialist Beaverbrooks has cut back on spending after pre-tax profits fell from £4.6m to £200,000 last year.
Ikea's UK profits shrink

1-Feb-2010
Ikea’s UK profits plummeted 58% in its last financial year.
Alliance Boots looks to shut final salary pension

29-Jan-2010
Alliance Boots has entered a consultation with staff in the UK about proposals to end its final salary pension scheme to existing members.
Christmas trading: Cause for celebration

January 29, 2010
To their relief, most retailers pulled off a good Christmas after a fraught year. As the festive trading season nears its end, Lisa Berwin examines the key findings from OC&C’s Christmas Trading Index
Home shopping retailer and supplier JML dodges recession

January 29, 2010
Home shopping retailer and supplier JML has said its niche products have cushioned it from the recession, with its home shopping arm driving the majority of its business.
Retailers still uncertain about what 2010 holds

28-Jan-2010
The recession has come to an end - officially - but speaking to the great and the good of fashion at this week’s Retail Trust Ball they were not celebrating just yet.
Raids made in UK and Iceland as investigations into Exista step up

27-Jan-2010
The Serious Fraud Office and Iceland’s special prosecutor’s office have taken the investigation into the dealings of Icelandic investment vehicle Exista one step further with raids on four UK locations including Exista’s Paddington offices.
Retail Trust Ball raises £1m

26-Jan-2010
The annual gathering of leading figures from retail at the Retail Trust Ball last night raised £1m for the industry charity.
New Look’s Phil Wrigley to join Majestic Wine

26-Jan-2010
Former New Look chairman Phil Wrigley is set to become chairman of Majestic Wine when its current chairman Simon Burke retires later this year.
Asos launches plus-size range

22-Jan-2010
Fashion etailer Asos has launched a new plus-size range which has gone live on its site today, Asos Curve.
Online retail sales hit £5.46bn in December

22-Jan-2010
Shoppers spent £5.46bn online in December and increase of 17% on last year, according the IMRG Capgemini’s latest e-retail sales index.
N Brown eyes Scala Collections’ home shopping womenswear brands to lift offer

January 22, 2010
Home shopping group N Brown Group is understood to be running a slide rule over Isle of Wight-based home shopping business Scala Collections as it looks to grow its offer.
Online retail sales expected to hit £57bn in 2010

January 22, 2010
Etail sales grew 17% in December to £5.46bn, showing that consumers still have a strong appetite for shopping online.
Sports Direct invests in new staffing system

January 22, 2010
Sports Direct has begun implementing a new workforce management system to better control staffing levels across its 400 stores in the UK and Belgium.
George at Asda managing director Anthony Thompson to join Fat Face

21-Jan-2010
George at Asda’s managing director Anthony Thompson is set to to join lifestyle retailer Fat Face as chief executive.
EBay sales grow 17% in the UK

21-Jan-2010
EBay sales in the UK grew 17% on last year in the three months to December 31.
Breaking into new markets with clicks not bricks

21-Jan-2010
One of the best things that the Internet has allowed retailers to do is test new markets in a relatively low-risk, inexpensive way.
Amazon opens up music downloads to Android users

21-Jan-2010
Amazon UK has launched a mobile application that allows customers with Google Android-based mobile phones to buy and download music from Amazon’s MP3 music store.
New marketing director for Asos

19-Jan-2010
Online fashion retailer Asos has appointed a new marketing director to help grow the business as an international brand.
Online grocery shopping could double in five years

19-Jan-2010
Online grocery shopping is set to double in the next five years according to estimates from the Institute of Grocery Distribution.
Sir Terry Leahy confident of recovery in 2010

19-Jan-2010
Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy said that he was confident of economic recovery this year despite doubts that increased taxes in the UK would hamper growth.
Adili sales up 20% as it moves focus to improving margins

18-Jan-2010
Ethical etailer Adili, which now trades as Ascension said revenue grew 20% in the six months to October 31 to £299,000.
HobbyCraft sales up 10.6% over Christmas

18-Jan-2010
Arts and craft retailer HobbyCraft has reported a good Christmas with like-for-like sales growth of 10.6% for the six weeks to January 3.
M and M plans more international expansion after strong Christmas

18-Jan-2010
Sales at discount fashion etailer M and M Direct grew 21% in the ten weeks to January 3.
Asos sales ahead 30% over Christmas

18-Jan-2010
Asos continued to see good growth over Christmas with sales ahead 30% year on year in the five weeks to January 3.
Blacks to make Millets more accessible with new ranges

January 15, 2010
Blacks is to invest in new ranges and its store portfolio as it claims its restructure has placed the outdoor specialist in a stronger position for growth.
Blue Inc helped to record year by young customers

January 15, 2010
Blue Inc has reported like-for-like sales up 7% in the three weeks to January 4, helping the young fashion chain to post a record year.
Alexon’s older customer still needs a modern approach

14-Jan-2010
The key to success for any retailer is to remain relevant and always keep moving; no customer is static and out of date stores and product is surely no recipe for success.
M&S faces prosecution over alleged asbestos-related breaches

14-Jan-2010
M&S is facing legal action for allegedly failing to ensure that staff and customers were not exposed to risks from asbestos-containing materials during store refurbishments.
Moss Bros finance director to step down

14-Jan-2010
Moss Bros group finance director Michael Hitchcock will step down from the formal menswear retailer, it said today.
Mothercare continues to grow after strong Christmas

14-Jan-2010
Mothercare said that UK like-for-like sales in its third quarter to January 8 grew 4.2% after a strong Christmas.
Man shot dead in Asda car park

13-Jan-2010
A man has been shot dead in the car park of Asda in Robroyston, Glasgow.
Strong sales continue at N Brown

13-Jan-2010
Home shopping group N Brown has continued to grow sales with like-for-likes ahead 3.6% in the 19 weeks to January 9.
Topps Tiles signals return of consumer confidence after strong first quarter

12-Jan-2010
Topps Tiles said that its current financial year has started well with like-for-like sales in the UK up 5.5% in the 14 weeks to January 3.
Retail sales growth in December hits a four year high

12-Jan-2010
UK retail sales growth in December grew 4.2% on a like-for-like basis, making it the best December retailers have experienced in four years.
Ideal Shopping returns to profit as sales continue to improve

12-Jan-2010
TV shopping group Ideal Shopping Direct has said it will return to profitability after a strong second half.
New funding to bolster international growth at Mamas & Papas

11-Jan-2010
Nursery retailer Mamas & Papas has agreed a new funding package from HSBC which will allow the business to grow its international business.
Retail round-up: What the weekend papers said - January 9 to January 10 2010

11-Jan-2010
Deadline set for Pets at Home buyers; Bolland to start talks with Morrisons over M&S start date; B&Q to test new small-store format.
Blacks Leisure mulls equity issue as sales start to improve

11-Jan-2010
Blacks Leisure is considering an equity fundraising of between £15m and £20m as sales in its second half began to improve on the back of its restructuring.
BrightHouse enjoys strong festive sales

11-Jan-2010
Rent-to-own electricals and furniture retailer BrightHouse has reported a strong Christmas with like-for-like sales up 9% in the 13 weeks to December 24.
D2 bought back by its management team

8-Jan-2010
D2 has been bought out of administration by its management team, saving 500 jobs.
Christos Angelides: Next’s product guru

January 8, 2010
Next’s product guru has been instrumental in breathing new life into the retail giant’s ranges and driving its second-half success.
Shop Direct celebrates festive trading success

January 8, 2010
Shop Direct Group has said electricals and partywear helped it deliver strong Christmas sales, up 6.3% in the six weeks to January 1.
Gap sales improve for Christmas

7-Jan-2010
Gap enjoyed a stronger Christmas this year with group like-for-like sales ahead 2% in the five weeks to January 2 compared to a drop of 14% for December 2008.
Spotlight to fall on retail leadership

7-Jan-2010
As the battle to lead the country hots up, leadership will also be a key theme for fashion retailers this year.
Abuse of retail staff doubles whilst theft continues to rise

7-Jan-2010
Incidents of violence and abuse against shop staff doubled last year while thefts from shops rose by a third according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
The Hut enjoys lift in Christmas orders and sales

6-Jan-2010
Etailer and online service provider The Hut said that Christmas orders soared 188% in the six weeks to December 23.
Amazon extends free post and packaging to all products

6-Jan-2010
Amazon UK has extended its offer of free delivery and packaging on all of its products following a trial over Christmas.
Next exceeds Christmas expectations

5-Jan-2010
Stronger than expected Christmas sales rounded off a strong second half for Next with like-for-like sales in the 22 weeks to Christmas Eve up 3.2%.
Retailers prepare to update on Christmas trading

4-Jan-2010
Retailers including John Lewis, M&S, Next, Sainsbury’s, JD Sports Fashion are to reveal key Christmas trading updates this week which will be seen as key indicators to how successful the festive period was for the retail sector.
Finalists revealed for the Retail Trust's Search for a Star

18-Dec-2009
The Retail Trust’s Search for a Star competition is reaching its climax with the charity revealing its four finalists.
Theo Fennell looks to raise funds to help with turnaround

18-Dec-2009
Luxury jewellery retailer Theo Fennell is exploring options to raise funds through an equity placing as turnover fell 20% on a like-for-like basis in the six months to September 30.
Esprit to buy Chinese venture partner

18-Dec-2009
Esprit is set to buy out its Chinese venture partner as it looks to ramp up its presence in that market.
Claire’s revamps its image in bid to appeal to older teenagers

December 18, 2009
Accessories specialist Claire’s is overhauling its image to appeal to older teenage customers as it plots aggressive expansion across Europe.
Keith Jones is diving in at the deep end at JJB Sports

December 18, 2009
The ex-DSGi man is diving in at the deep end at JJB Sports, arriving as chief executive after a calamitous year for the business. Lisa Berwin asks if he can get it back in shape.
Links of London on course to round off year in strong position

December 18, 2009
Jewellery retailer Links of London claims it is set to reach sales of £80m by the end of the calendar year, with year-on-year growth of over 30%.
United Carpets reports strong half

17-Dec-2009
Profits for United Carpets grew 10.2% to £702,000 in the six months to September 30.
Cheques to be phased out by 2018

16-Dec-2009
October 2018 has been set as the date to end cheque payments, but only if an adequate alternative can be found.
Mike Ashley to face further SFO investigations

16-Dec-2009
Mike Ashley is understood to be facing an investigation into possible loans secured from Icelandic bank Kaupthing.
H&M sales grow 1% in November

15-Dec-2009
Sales at Swedish fashion group H&M increased by 1% in local currencies in November compared to the same month last year.
Toys R Us website temporarily down in key Christmas trading period

11-Dec-2009
Toys R Us’ UK site was down for around an hour today after a technical issue temporarily affected the site.
Apple buys digital streaming service Lala

11-Dec-2009
Apple is set to enter the growing world of music streaming by acquiring digital streaming service Lala.
Adili sales fall below expectations

10-Dec-2009
Ethical etailer Adili said sales have been below expectations since its fundraising in August.
EBay: fashion friend or foe?

10-Dec-2009
EBay’s fixed price business has overtaken the auction part of the business on which it built its foundations. But talk to the luxury sector and eBay is still a dirty word.
Keith Jones appointed as new JJB Sports chief executive

10-Dec-2009
DSGi’s group retail director Keith Jones has been appointed as JJB’s new chief executive.
HMV considering bid for Mama Group

10-Dec-2009
HMV could make a bid for its live-music partner Mama Group, which is currently the subject of a takeover bid from its largest investor.
Inditex profits ahead of expectations

10-Dec-2009
Profits at Inditex fell 1% in the nine months to October 31 to €831m after a raft of new openings, largely beating forecasts.
Profits down at Sports Direct despite strong UK retail sales

10-Dec-2009
Pre-tax profits at Sports Direct have been hit by unfavourable exchange rates, falling 40.8% to £57.8m in the 26 weeks to October 25.
JD Sports sells stake in JJB Sports

9-Dec-2009
JD Sports Fashion has sold its shares in rival sports retailer JJB Sports.
Primark has ‘best ever’ day in London

9-Dec-2009
Primark’s flagship store on London’s Oxford Street is reported to have had its best-ever trading day on Saturday.
Flannels CVA signals continued woes for the luxury market

3-Dec-2009
The economic crisis has well and truly taken the shine off the luxury market with excessive spending off the agenda for many.
John Gildersleeve appointed as New Look chairman

3-Dec-2009
New Look has appointed John Gildersleeve as its new chairman, who will take up the role in January replacing Phil Wrigley who will stand down after nine years at the fashion retailer.
Grocery veteran John Cleland joins Esporta

3-Dec-2009
Former First Quench director John Cleland has landed a new job as chief executive of health and leisure club operator Esporta.
Management and Hilco lead race to buy Habitat

3-Dec-2009
Habitat could be sold as early as next week with its management and restructuring specialists Hilco reported to be the front runners to buy it.
H&M unveils latest designer collaboration with Sonia Rykiel

2-Dec-2009
H&M has unveiled its latest designer collaboration, a lingerie range with Sonia Rykiel.
JD sales remain positive

1-Dec-2009
JD Sports Fashion said that trading has remained positive with sales at both its fashion and sports fascias continuing to perform well.
TV sales help John Lewis reach record pre-Christmas sales

30-Nov-2009
Soaring TV sales helped John Lewis reach its record week in the run up to Christmas with sales up 22% on last year to £91.8m.
Findel appoints new chief executive

30-Nov-2009
Findel has today appointed a new chief executive, Philip Maudsley, and announced that current chief Patrick Jolly will leave the home shopping group.
Etailers preparing for Christmas sales rush

30-Nov-2009
Online retailers are hoping for one of their busiest days today with growing numbers of shoppers looking online for their Christmas presents.
HobbyCraft on course for its ‘best ever year’

November 27, 2009
Arts and crafts retailer HobbyCraft is heading for its “best ever year” as the trend for low-cost family activities continues to grow.
Need to know: Disclosure rules

November 27, 2009
Marks & Spencer was obliged to immediately issue an official announcement after Marc Bolland’s appointment was leaked. Here we explain the ins and outs of disclosure rules.
Turnaround on horizon for Blacks after successful CVA

November 27, 2009
Blacks Leisure will focus on refreshing its portfolio after its company voluntary arrangement (CVA) was passed by landlords, shoring up its future.
Can the ‘knight rider’ shine light on Sports Direct?

26-Nov-2009
After a very long hunt for a chairman Sports Direct has finally found its man. However, many in the sports and fashion world will not have come across Keith Hellawell.
HobbyCraft heading for ‘best ever’ year

26-Nov-2009
Arts and crafts retailer HobbyCraft said it was heading for its “best ever year” as the trend for low-cost family activities continues to grow.
Borders UK collapses into administration

25-Nov-2009
MCR has been appointed as administrator to Borders UK.
Up to 130 jobs under threat at Redcats

25-Nov-2009
Redcats UK, which runs La Redoute and Daxon, has begun a consultation process which could lead to the loss of 130 jobs across its operations in Bradford and Wakefield.
Cash Converters profits up after strong trading

25-Nov-2009
Australian-owned pawnbroker and financial services group Cash Converters has upgraded its profit targets after a strong start to its financial year.
Tesco and Mike Ashley’s bike shop locked in payment dispute

25-Nov-2009
Tesco has launched a legal challenge against a subsidiary of Mike Ashley’s Sport’s Direct, after the supermarket giant overpaid for some bicycles.
French Connection sales helped by currency gains

25-Nov-2009
French Connection has benefitted from more favourable exchange rates in the three months to October 30 with overall group turnover up 8%.
Sports Direct appoints chairman

24-Nov-2009
Sports Direct has appointed a non-executive chairman, Dr Keith Hellawell, to join its board.
Signet UK arm to be hit by the weakness of sterling

24-Nov-2009
Total sales for the UK arm of jewellery giant Signet fell 4.75% on a reported basis to $154.4m (£93.1m) for the 13 weeks to September 31.
Topps Tiles proposes share placing as profits fall

24-Nov-2009
Topps Tiles has announced a proposed share placing as it reported adjusted full-year pre-tax profits of £16.3m, down from £29.5m the year before.
Borders UK stops taking orders online

23-Nov-2009
Borders UK has stopped taking orders from its website as the future of the books retailer hangs in the balance.
Blacks CVA approved

23-Nov-2009
Blacks Leisure’s Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) has been approved by 98% of its landlords at a creditors meeting.
Retail round-up: What the weekend papers said November 21-22

23-Nov-2009
The weekend papers were full of discussion about Marc Bolland’s appointment as the next chief executive of Marks & Spencer. Elsewhere the number of buyers circling First Quench Retailing fall, Cath Kidston looks for investment and Sainsbury’s is accused of some fishy business.
PPR looks to sell some retail businesses

23-Nov-2009
French luxury and retail group PPR is reported to be considering the sale of part of its retail portfolio to raise cash to buy new brands.
Woolworths owner looks at return to the high street

23-Nov-2009
Woolworths could come back to the high street as a 200-store chain as part of a plan by Shop Direct Group to move it from an online-only operation.
Blacks CVA vote expected to be passed today

23-Nov-2009
Blacks Leisure is expected to have its Company Voluntary Arrangement passed by landlords today, potentially securing the future of the outdoor specialist.
Gap profits up 25%

20-Nov-2009
Gap profits grew 25% in its third quarter helped by growing sales at its Old Navy fascia.
Kookaï launches new-look store in London as it repositions brand

November 20, 2009
Kookaï is opening a new-look store as part of its repositioning to expand in the UK.
Asos confident rising sales can continue

November 20, 2009
Online fashion retailer Asos is confident that added investment in marketing and increased delivery options will help the continued growth of its UK business.
Inside Inditex

November 20, 2009
The Spanish parent company of Zara, Bershka and Massimo Dutti is notoriously secretive. Lisa Berwin takes an exclusive look behind the scenes at the Galician head office of Inditex.
John Lewis to unite online with stores

November 20, 2009
John Lewis Direct managing director Robin Terrell will leave in the new year ahead of an integration of the department store operator’s online arm into the main business.
Marc Bolland for M&S: not the fashionable choice?

19-Nov-2009
“Who?” seemed to be the reaction of many in the fashion sector when we rang them to get their reaction to the appointment of Marc Bolland as chief executive of Marks & Spencer yesterday.
Adili finance director leaves

18-Nov-2009
The finance director of ethical etailer Adili has left the business as part of a restructure.
Banking boss hits out at supermarket banks

18-Nov-2009
The new boss of global retail banking at Barclays has hit out at supermarkets and other companies setting up their own banking offers.
Casino owned CDiscount up for sale

17-Nov-2009
Casino owned discount etailer CDiscount has collapsed less than a year after it was launched in the UK.
Christmas spending expected to fall

17-Nov-2009
Spending this Christmas could fall for the first time in twenty years according to retail research house Verdict.
Sales at H&M fall as Jimmy Choo draws crowds

16-Nov-2009
H&M reported worse-than-expected sales in October, down 3% on a like-for-like basis, as it drew crowds across the country for the opening of its collaboration with designer Jimmy Choo.
Halfords to branch out into the mobility market

13-Nov-2009
Halfords is to start selling mobility scooters and wheelchairs to take advantage of the growing older population.
How US retailers can crack the UK market

November 13, 2009
As Victoria’s Secret becomes the latest US retail giant to focus on the UK, Lisa Berwin asks what the attraction is and how they can crack the market.
Stronger third quarter for Benetton

12-Nov-2009
Italian fashion group Benetton had a strong third quarter with revenues ahead 13.1%.
Marks & Spencer and Next chiefs see market stabilising

November 6, 2009
Marks & Spencer executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose intends to trade the business at full price through the Christmas period on the back of improved consumer confidence.
Moonpig: Success on the cards

November 6, 2009
It has pioneered the online greetings card market and now its competitors are playing catch-up. Lisa Berwin talks to Moonpig founder Nick Jenkins about the secret of the etailer’s rapid growth
Gap sales beat expectations

5-Nov-2009
Sales for US fashion giant Gap beat expectations in October up 5% on last year to $1.14bn (£70m).
Primark wins praise as ethics take centre stage

5-Nov-2009
They say no publicity is bad publicity, but as allegations about Primark’s sourcing came in thick and fast, questioning its ethics, the old adage started to look flawed.
Mike Ashley renames Newcastle football ground

5-Nov-2009
Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley is renaming Newcastle United’s football ground sportsdirect.com@St James’ Park.
Next sales continue to beat expectations

4-Nov-2009
Next sales have continued ahead of expectations with like-for-like sales down 1.3% for its third quarter to October 31.
Blacks looks to exit 89 stores with CVA proposal

3-Nov-2009
Blacks Leisure has unveiled details of a proposed company voluntary arrangement (CVA) as part the group’s restructuring.
Small shopkeepers urge Government action to safeguard stores

2-Nov-2009
Small shopkeepers are asking the government to take action to safeguard the future for thousands of stores.
Don’t ditch Royal Mail, urges Amazon chief Brian McBride

October 30, 2009
Amazon UK chief executive Brian McBride has urged retailers not to turn their backs on Royal Mail as strike action continues to threaten online retailers.
Ian Grabiner has been key to Arcadia's success

October 30, 2009
As the ‘engine room’ of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia empire, Grabiner has been key to its success. In the week he was promoted to chief executive, Lisa Berwin profiles him.
Postal strike likely to continue next week

23-Oct-2009
The national post strike has entered its second day with more strike action set to go ahead next week.
Kindle helps boost Amazon sales and profits

23-Oct-2009
Amazon has reported international sales, including the UK, grew 33% in the three months to September 30 reaching $2.61bn (£1.56bn).
Will Arcadia's Cinderellas come to the ball?

22-Oct-2009
In what has been an extremely turbulent year for the fashion market, the shining lights in Arcadia’s laudable 13% profit rise were once again Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge.
John Lewis opens first home store

22-Oct-2009
John Lewis has opened its first home store in Poole, Dorset.
Sports Direct trading stays in line with expectations

22-Oct-2009
Sports Direct has said that trading has remained in line with group expectations and is on track to achieve underlying EBITDA of at least £150m in its current financial year.
Sainsbury’s takeover talk gathers pace

21-Oct-2009
Renewed speculation about a possible bid by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund for Sainsbury’s gathered pace yesterday after the fund sold 396 million shares in Barclays.
Online spending growth hits record low

21-Oct-2009
Online spending growth hit a record low in September as etailers were hit by heavy discounting on the high street and postal strikes.
Retailers call for trade credit insurance top-up to be extended

20-Oct-2009
About 38% of large retailers and 28% of small and medium-sized retailers have said that the reduction or withdrawal of credit insurance has negatively impacted their businesses and want the trade top-up scheme extended beyond the end of this year.
John Lovering to step down as Debenhams chairman

19-Oct-2009
John Lovering is expected to step down as Debenhams chairman when the company releases its full year results on Thursday.
Habitat may be sold after advisors brought in

19-Oct-2009
Habitat’s Swedish owner has begun a strategic review of the furniture retailer which may lead to a sale of the business.
Flying Brands sales buoyed by gardening arm

19-Oct-2009
Flying Brands has said that sales for the three months to October 2 were in line with management expectations at £5.53m.
JJB shareholder sells 22 million shares ahead of capital raising

19-Oct-2009
One of JJB Sport’s largest shareholders, Crystal Amber Fund, has sold over half of its shares in the retailer but says it will support its proposed capital raising.
Cos to open in Selfridges

16-Oct-2009
Cos is opening its first ever concession in London’s Selfridges.
Mothercare signs new joint venture to further growth in India

16-Oct-2009
Mothercare has signed a new joint venture with DLF Brands to further its expansion plans in India.
John Lewis sales up 13%

16-Oct-2009
Total sales at John Lewis grew 13.3% on last year for the week to October 10.
Anthropologie plans local sourcing for UK

October 16, 2009
US retailer Anthropologie will source 20% of its product from the UK and collaborate with local designers for its first European store, which opens on London’s Regent Street next Friday.
Gap to open in China and bring back TV adverts

15-Oct-2009
Gap has announced plans to open its first store in China and to start advertising on TV again after a two-year break.
Postal strike to go ahead next week

15-Oct-2009
A national postal strike will go ahead next week as the Royal Mail has rejected the Communication Workers Union offer to avoid action.
Kate Bostock’s impact at Marks & Spencer should not be overlooked

15-Oct-2009
When Kate Bostock took to the stage at Marks & Spencer’s investor day cum beauty parade for a new chief executive, she seemed very nervous. However, tough challenges are nothing new to Bostock.
N Brown pre-tax profits up 13%

14-Oct-2009
Pre-tax profits at home shopping group N Brown grew 13% to £41.8m in the 26 weeks to August 29.
Postal strike could start on October 22

13-Oct-2009
A national post strike could start as early as next Thursday (October 22) if a last minute deal between the Royal Mail and the Communications Workers Union (CWU) cannot be agreed.
Amazon UK to offer free delivery on all products for Christmas

13-Oct-2009
Amazon UK will offer free delivery on all of its products in the run up to Christmas.
Postal strike could cost retailers £840 a week

13-Oct-2009
A national postal strike could cost retailers £840 a week as they are forced to seek alternative, often more expensive, delivery companies.
Retail sales grow in September

13-Oct-2009
UK retail sales grew 2.8% in September on a like-for-like basis, according to the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.
JJB proceeds with £100m fundraising

12-Oct-2009
JJB Sports has unveiled details of its £100m equity raising and new banking terms.
Retail round-up: What the weekend papers said, October 10-11 2009

12-Oct-2009
The Mail on Sunday reported that big high street names including Mothercare and WH Smith could cash in on better property deals and be millions of pounds better off when they renegotiate their leases over the next few years.
BRC outlines retail priorities to politicians

12-Oct-2009
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has issued what it sees as key priorities for the new political year, which it hopes will help retailers to emerge stronger from the recession.
Argos and eBay turn away from Royal Mail as strike looms

9-Oct-2009
Argos and eBay have joined a growing number of retailers seeking alternative courier services after Royal Mail voted in favour of strike action yesterday.
‘Family-friendly’ Ann Summers to open in key shopping centres

October 9, 2009
Ann Summers is to open in Westfield and Bluewater shopping centres as its new, more discreet store look makes the sex toys and lingerie retailer more acceptable to once-wary malls.
National postal strike threat plagues etailers

October 9, 2009
A national postal strike would be “devastating” for some home shopping firms and local strikes in progress have already caused problems, retailers warned.
Simon Bentley: Planning a comeback at Blacks?

October 9, 2009
Last week Retail Week revealed that sports retail veteran Simon Bentley is plotting a return to Blacks. Lisa Berwin finds out more about the man.
Tesco bids to step out of Asos’s online shadow

8-Oct-2009
Tesco has launched what has widely been reported as its challenge to Asos; its much anticipated online clothing offer.
Interest rates held at 0.5%

8-Oct-2009
Interest rates have been held at 0.5% for the seventh month in a row.
Amazon launches Kindle internationally

7-Oct-2009
Amazon has launched its Kindle worldwide for the first time making its popular e-reader available in over 100 countries.
Tesco hits £1.4bn profits

6-Oct-2009
Tesco has reported a 1.5% rise in group first half pre-tax profits to £1.4bn.
Next launches branded sportswear departments

5-Oct-2009
Next is introducing branded sportswear shop-in-shops into its stores.
Tesco launches online fashion shop

3-Oct-2009
Tesco has launched its standalone online fashion shop and hopes that sales will grow to account for 10% of total clothing turnover.
Simon Bentley plots return to troubled Blacks Leisure

2-Oct-2009
Former Blacks Leisure chairman and chief executive Simon Bentley is understood to be plotting a return to the outdoors specialist as it battles to secure its future.
Inditex store expansion assault pushes UK operation into loss

2-Oct-2009
The UK subsidiary of Spanish fashion giant Inditex has plunged into loss after investing heavily in developing the business.
JJB Sports first-half losses skyrocket as suppliers hold back stock

October 2, 2009
JJB Sports has continued to struggle with a poor stock position as it battles on in its survival fight.
Retail industry pays tribute to Gap co-founder Don Fisher

October 2, 2009
Retailers paid tribute this week to Gap co-founder Don Fisher who died on Sunday, aged 81.
Gap co-founder Don Fisher dies

28-Sep-2009
Don Fisher who along with his wife founded Gap in 1969, died yesterday aged 81 after a long battle with cancer.
Ann Summers eyes larger lingerie share

25-Sep-2009
Sex toys and lingerie specialist Ann Summers is developing its underwear offer as it seeks to become a destination for the “everyday lingerie customer”.
No more online excuses?

September 25, 2009
As etail continues to outpace other markets, retail giants such as Zara and Gap are finally gearing up to take the plunge online. Is there any reason for other laggards not to join them, asks Lisa Berwin
EBay introduces outlet section to its website to attract retailers

18-Sep-2009
EBay has launched an outlet section on its website, in its latest attempt to become more attractive to retailers.
N Brown eyes bricks and mortar for brands

September 18, 2009
N Brown’s acquisition of multi-channel retailer High & Mighty could lead to stores for the home shopping group’s other brands.
Need to know: Delivery charges

September 18, 2009
Asos has raised the delivery bar yet again by offering free returns, but what do online shoppers now expect and is it worth trying to keep up with the competition?
Next’s Simon Wolfson: sentiment won’t recover with economy

September 18, 2009
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson does not expect any fundamental return to improved consumer sentiment despite emerging signs of economic recovery.
EBay petitions the EU over competition laws

17-Sep-2009
EBay has taken its petition to stop brands restricting sales on its site to the European Union.
Retail legends are set to bring much needed newness to the high street

17-Sep-2009
In the next month there will be three exciting additions to the high street, and their timing couldn’t be better.
New stars poised to join Marks & Spencer Christmas campaign

15-Sep-2009
Marks & Spencer is reported to have signed television stars Joanna Lumley, John Sergeant and Stephen Fry to star in its key Christmas advertising campaign.
Shop Direct brings in chief to run financial services arm

15-Sep-2009
Home shopping group Shop Direct has brought in Neil Chandler in a newly created role of chief executive of its financial services arm.
Adili to open stores for the first time

15-Sep-2009
Adili is expanding its reach by opening its first stores under its new name Ascension.
Losses widen for Adili

14-Sep-2009
Losses for ethical etailer Adili, now trading as Ascensiononline.com, have widened to £1.9m in the year to April 30 from £1.58m the year before.
Sales growth slows in London

14-Sep-2009
Retail sales growth in London hit its lowest levels for four years with like-for-like sales in August dropping 5.9% for the month.
Figleaves broadens its offer with site revamp

11-Sep-2009
Etailer Figleaves has taken a further step towards widening its offer as it unveils its new-look website.
Jewellery chain F Hinds suffers from Christmas trading hangover

September 11, 2009
Family-run jewellery chain F Hinds reported turnover in its last financial year was down 4% to £50.8m as it suffered from poor Christmas trading.
Moonpig seeks global growth as profits soar

September 11, 2009
Online greetings card retailer Moonpig.com is confident of continued growth and is eyeing further international markets after reporting pre-tax profits more than doubled.
John Shannon sells Adams

10-Sep-2009
Adams Childrenswear and Mini Mode have been sold to investment group Habib Alvi Investments, an arm of Habib Alvi Group.
Interest rates held at 0.5%

10-Sep-2009
Interest rates have been held at 0.5% by the Bank of England for the sixth consecutive month.
Size is everything as N Brown prepares to take on High & Mighty

10-Sep-2009
They say size isn’t everything but if you are in fashion it certainly is.
N Brown emerges as front runner to buy High & Mighty

9-Sep-2009
Home shopping giant N Brown has emerged as the front runner to buy outsized fashion retailer High & Mighty.
Signet profits hit by tough trading

9-Sep-2009
Pre-tax profit at US jewellery giant Signet fell 6.1 % in its second quarter to $38.5m (£23.3m) as trading remained difficult in its UK and US markets.
Google tries to ease European anger over book digitisation

7-Sep-2009
Google is trying to tackle the growing anger over its proposals to add millions of books to its digital library.
Littlewoods launches European website to tap into expat market

September 4, 2009
Shop Direct Group is gunning to grow its overseas business to 10% of its total sales after it launched its first international Littlewoods site last week.
Mamas & Papas sales lift bucks downturn

September 4, 2009
Nursery and maternity specialist Mamas & Papas has defied the gloom to post a 28% uplift in total sales in its growing maternity range since the start of its financial year on February 1.
More retailers expected to go bust in 2010

1-Sep-2009
The number of retail businesses going bust is set to continue next year as rising unemployment is expected to continue to impact consumer spending.
Retail roundup: What the weekend papers said August 29 to 30

1-Sep-2009
New Asco supermarket challenges Tesco and Asda; M&S opens Food to Go in Hong Kong; Sir Michael Bibby’s campaign to acquire Nisa-Today’s; De Beers to renegotiate loan; Game to benefit from launch of Slim Playstation 3; School uniform sales up at Tesco.
Clarks chief executive Peter Bolliger to retire

1-Sep-2009
Clarks has announced its chief executive Peter Bolliger will retire next year.
Stores gear up for bank holiday

28-Aug-2009
Retailers have kicked off a swathe of high-profile promotions to woo shoppers over the bank holiday weekend – the last public holiday before Christmas.
H Samuel launches second-hand buying service for unwanted gold

August 28, 2009
Signet-owned jeweller giant H Samuel is trying to cash in on the thriving second-hand jewellery market by offering cash for unwanted items.
Otto spearheads the changes in home shopping

August 28, 2009
Otto may have just turned 60, but the world’s biggest home shopping group is evolving its model to stay relevant to the times. Lisa Berwin reports
Sales declines set to continue

27-Aug-2009
Sales across the high street fell for the fourth consecutive month in the year to August, according to figures from the CBI.
Does Esprit lack a clear fashion focus?

27-Aug-2009
Esprit’s biggest problem is not global economic conditions but the fact that it seems not to have a clear fashion focus.
Esprit to invest in expansion as profits take a dive

26-Aug-2009
Esprit has laid out plans to invest in is underperforming markets as the global downturn contributed to a group pre-tax profits fall of 26% to HK$5.97bn (£476m).
Marks & Spencer ditches 75p jam sandwich

26-Aug-2009
Marks & Spencer has ditched its “credit crunch” 75p jam sandwich after it failed to lure recession weary shoppers.
Sainsbury's in biggest ever Christmas recruitment drive

26-Aug-2009
Sainsbury’s has launched its biggest ever pre-Christmas recruitment drive, hiring 20,000 seasonal staff.
Lowe’s makes first international move with Woolworths Australia

25-Aug-2009
Lowe’s, America’s second biggest DIY chain, is making its first international move through a joint venture with Australia’s Woolworths.
UK families £9 a week better off than last July

25-Aug-2009
The average UK family were £9 a month better off in July than they were in the same month last year according to the monthly Asda income tracker.
Comet to sponsor Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

21-Aug-2009
Comet has signed its first big TV sponsorship deal with ITV quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
Jessops hires chief executive as restructuring nears end

21-Aug-2009
Jessops has appointed Select Property managing director Trevor Moore as chief executive while questions continue over the retailer’s future as a quoted company.
Otto seeks new HQ as it modernises UK arm

August 21, 2009
Home shopping group Freemans Grattan Holdings (FGH) is seeking a new, modern head office as part of its plan to modernise its business.
Retail sales up 3.3% in July, ONS reports

20-Aug-2009
The volume of retail sales in July was 3.3% higher than in July last year as deep discounting drove sales.
Pretty staff won’t deter shoppers, but bad service certainly will

20-Aug-2009
I have walked out of stores several times because of bad service, but I have certainly never turned on my heels when faced with an attractive shop assistant.
Weak consumer confidence continues to hit US retail sales

19-Aug-2009
There was little sign of improvement in consumer confidence in the US as many retailers reported second quarter results yesterday.
JD Sports front-runner to buy Kitbag from Findel

18-Aug-2009
JD Sports Fashion looks to be continuing its spending spree and could snap up online sports offer Kitbag from home shopping group Findel.
New boss for Nike UK and Ireland

18-Aug-2009
Marc Van Pappelendam has replaced Jim Allaker as Nike vice president and general manager of the UK and Ireland.
Retail Roundup: What the weekend papers said August 15-16

17-Aug-2009
Diageo begins copyright action against Sainsbury’s over Pimms; Kevin Stanford puts chauffeur firm into voluntary arrangement; Hilco profits up; new row could start at JJB Sports.
H&M like-for-like sales fall 3 per cent in July

17-Aug-2009
Sales at H&M fell 3 per cent on a like-for-like basis in July compared to a 3 per cent increase for the same month last year.
Former JJB Sports chief Tom Knight courted to drive turnaround of flailing retailer

14-Aug-2009
Former JJB Sports chief executive Tom Knight is being backed by the retailer’s major shareholders to return to lead the sports retailer and drive its turnaround.
Boden range to target recession-proof teens

August 14, 2009
Multichannel fashion retailer Boden is to target the recession-proof teenage sector next year with the launch of a range called Johnnie B.
Peter Davies brands ‘son of Principles’ venture Mint Velvet

August 14, 2009
Clarks chairman Peter Davies has named his new fashion venture Mint Velvet and will debut the brand online and in 13 House of Fraser concessions in mid-October.
Terry Burman welcomes tough times

August 14, 2009
A slip in sales may have taken the shine off Signet, but boss Terry Burman welcomes tough times as a chance to gain market share.
New marketing director for Ann Summers

12-Aug-2009
Ann Summers has hired a new marketing director, Fiona Davis, who will form part of its growth plans.
Chris Ronnie continues campaign against Sir David Jones

11-Aug-2009
Chris Ronnie has sustained his attack on JJB Sports chairman Sir David Jones in a bid to improve his tarnished reputation after being dismissed from the retailer.
Strong support for Findel fundraising

11-Aug-2009
Home shopping group Findel has said its £81m fundraising has received strong support from investors.
Cath Kidston sales and profits soar

10-Aug-2009
Profits at floral, homewares and fashion retailer Cath Kidston grew to £4.6m in the year to March up from £2.9m the year before.
Chris Ronnie and Sir David Jones planned to take JJB Sports private

10-Aug-2009
Sacked JJB Sports chief executive Chris Ronnie has revaled he and Sir David Jones, who fired him in March, had looked at taking the company private together.
Sales of homewares increase for the first time in a year

7-Aug-2009
Sales of homewares improved for the first time in 12 months in July while fashion suffered due to poor weather.
US sales down 4.7% in July

7-Aug-2009
US retail sales fell again in July marking the 11th consecutive month of sales declines in the country.
Gap sales down 7 % in July

6-Aug-2009
Gap sales fell 7% in July, compared to the same period last year, to £550m ($924m).
Gap quick to respond to factory allegations

6-Aug-2009
Gap should be lauded for its swift and thorough response to allegations of illegal dumping of harmful waste by a factory in Lesotho that makes jeans for the retailer.
Sports Direct stalls on corporate governance compliance

6-Aug-2009
Sports Direct has conceded that it is not in line with corporate governance best practice and said that it is not taking any immediate action to change its stance.
Whole Foods boss says he sells a 'bunch of junk'

6-Aug-2009
Whole Foods chief executive John Mackey has told shoppers he sells “a bunch of junk”.
Asos appoints Karen Jones to board

6-Aug-2009
Asos has appointed Karen Jones as a non-executive director.
Benetton sales and profits hit by delivery changes

6-Aug-2009
Benetton profits were hit by over 60 per cent after it rescheduled its autumn deliveries.
JD Sports buys rugby brand Canterbury Europe

4-Aug-2009
JD Sports Fashion has bought rugby brand Canterbury Europe from administration.
Spotify attracts high profile investors

4-Aug-2009
Spotify, the digital music download service, is close to securing new funding from investors including the charitable foundation of Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing.
Tesco accused of misleading figures on plastic bag reduction

4-Aug-2009
Tesco has been accused of publishing misleading figures claiming it had hit targets for plastic bag reduction.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said August 1 to August 2, 2009

3-Aug-2009
An African factory that manufactures jeans for Gap and Levi Strauss has been illegally dumping chemical waste into a river and unsecured tips posing a hazard to local children.
Wyevale rebrands to return to its roots

3-Aug-2009
The Wyevale Garden Centre name will almost disappear as the garden specialist ploughs ahead with a major rebranding to return it to its “horticultural roots”.
David Cameron says Government can learn from the supermarkets

3-Aug-2009
Conservative leader David Cameron has said that the Government should look to the business models of Tesco and Sainsbury’s to run things more effectively during difficult times.
Lloydspharmacy to sell Tamiflu online

31-Jul-2009
Lloydspharmacy has become the first major retailer to sell the swine flu drug Tamiflu online.
Vacancy rates almost treble

31-Jul-2009
Vacant shops on the UK high street have almost trebled in the last year from just over 4 per cent to 12 per cent at the end of June.
Amazon takeover to open Zappos up to new markets

July 31, 2009
E-tailer Zappos has been a household name in the US for some time. The shoe specialist has been on a phenomenal growth path, with sales skyrocketing from $1.6m (£969,820) in 2001 to more than $1bn (£606.1m) last year.
JJB Sports grilled over stock by Sports Direct at AGM

July 31, 2009
JJB Sports faced a dramatic showdown at its AGM in Wigan last week when representatives of Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley, who has been embroiled in a loan row with JJB chairman Sir David Jones, turned up to question the board on its stock position.
Joules eyes Dubai as it plans overseas stores

July 31, 2009
Lifestyle and fashion retailer Joules has set its sights on international expansion as its sales continue to soar.
Tesco under fire over 'misleading' adverts

29-Jul-2009
Tesco has been accused of making misleading claims in its adverts that stated 1.2m of its baskets were cheaper than at Asda.
Adams chief executive David Carter-Johnson to leave business

28-Jul-2009
Adams chief executive David Carter-Johnson is stepping down from the childrenswear specialist.
Spotify takes on iTunes with new application

28-Jul-2009
Music streaming service Spotify is taking on download giant iTunes with a new application that would allow iPhone users to listen to millions of songs on the move.
Hornsea Freeport shopping village in administration

28-Jul-2009
East Yorkshire shopping village Hornsea Freeport has fallen into administration.
Downturn and weak pound help sales at designer outlets

27-Jul-2009
Sales at designer outlets are soaring as shoppers take advantage of designer goods at discounted prices during the recession.
JJB to be Sir David Jones' last big job in retail

24-Jul-2009
Sir David Jones has said that his chairmanship of JJB will be his last big job in retail as he faced one of his toughest challenges at today’s JJB AGM in Wigan.
Live: JJB Sports AGM

24-Jul-2009
The row over the controversial £1.5m loan that Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley lent to JJB Sports chairman Sir David Jones came to a head this morning at the JJB AGM. Retail Week reported live from Wigan.
Harrods boss lambasts ‘idiocy’ of VAT rise during January Sales

24-Jul-2009
Harrods managing director Michael Ward has said only a “congenital idiot” would put up VAT on December 31 following Chancellor Alistair Darling’s refusal to back down and delay the planned increase.
Ex-Woolworths director takes charge at Crew

July 24, 2009
Crew Clothing has hired a new management team as founder Alastair Parker-Swift steps aside to focus on the brand strategy and expansion of the business.
Relief for US retailers as lender avoids collapse

July 24, 2009
Embattled US retailers faced a potentially crippling hammer blow last week as bank CIT Group teetered on the edge of bankruptcy.
Sports Direct reels as profits dive and China plans shrivel

July 24, 2009
Sports Direct has hit a major obstacle in its ambitious plans to expand in China, while, a tough year has led to a 91 per cent plunge in profits.
Next's Simon Wolfson surprises again

23-Jul-2009
Next chief Simon Wolfson has become the master of managing expectations.
Amazon snaps up shoe e-tailer Zappos

23-Jul-2009
Amazon has struck a deal to buy US shoe e-tailer Zappos for $927.9m (£561.1m)
Hunkemöller strengthens management team

22-Jul-2009
Dutch lingerie retailer Hunkemöller has strengthened its management team with two new appointments.
Sir David Jones ‘held sensitive talks with Mike Ashley after loan repayment was due’

22-Jul-2009
JJB Sports executive chairman Sir David Jones reportedly held sensitive talks about company business with rival sportswear boss Mike Ashley when his secret £1.5m personal loan from Ashley could have been called in.
BRC calls for action to save town centres

21-Jul-2009
Three times more town centre stores are now vacant compared with last autumn and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has called for action to secure the future of UK high streets.
Next raises profit forecast

21-Jul-2009
Next has raised its profit forecast by £30m after a strong start to the year.
JJB loan row intensifies

20-Jul-2009
The loan row between Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley and JJB Sports chairman Sir David Jones intensified at the weekend with the disclosure of a letter that supports Ashley’s version of events.
Recession takes toll on online sales growth

17-Jul-2009
The recession has started to hit online sales growth as the exponential increases once experienced by the e-tail market have begun to slow, according to new figures.
Speciality Retail Group boss exits after cost-cutting merger

July 17, 2009
Speciality Retail Group managing director Nick Keyte has left the business, following the completion of its merger with stablemate BMB Group.
Sir Philip Green outlines plans for Bhs merger with Arcadia

16-Jul-2009
Sir Philip Green has outlined plans for his merged Arcadia Group and Bhs business, which is almost complete.
Sports Direct profits tumble

16-Jul-2009
Sports Direct has refused to be drawn in to the controversy over the loan its founder Mike Ashley gave to JJB chairman Sir David Jones as it scrapped its final dividend following a fall in underlying profit of 20.2 per cent.
Discount chain The Big Label shuts its doors

15-Jul-2009
Northwest discount chain The Big Label has shut its doors after falling into administration.
Number of retailers facing financial difficulties soars

15-Jul-2009
The number of retailers facing “critical” financial troubles has increased 91 per cent in the second quarter of this year compared to 2008.
Burberry has a strong start to the year

15-Jul-2009
Burberry made a solid start to the year with retail revenues ahead 12 per cent in the three months to June 30.
Arthur Ryan to step down as managing director at Primark

14-Jul-2009
Primark founder Arthur Ryan is to step down as managing director of the fashion retailer in September, when chief operating officer Paul Marchant will become chief executive.
Retail sales grow 1.4 per cent in June

14-Jul-2009
Retail sales in June grew 1.4 per cent on a like-for-like basis helped by the heatwave across the country and clearance Sales.
Sir David Jones attempts to defuse loan row

13-Jul-2009
JJB Sports executive chairman Sir David Jones has repaid a £1.5m personal loan from Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley after what he has described as one of “the most stressful” weeks of his 49-year retail career.
Topman to sell music in Rough Trade deal

13-Jul-2009
Topman is to sell music at its flagship Oxford Street store in a deal with iconic London music independent Rough Trade Retail Group.
Dave Whelan hits out at Mike Ashley as Sir David Jones loan row hots up

10-Jul-2009
JJB Sports founder Dave Whelan has accused Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley of “trying to blacken” the formerly unblemished name of Sir David Jones in the latest row to rock the turbulent sportswear sector.
Young-fashion brands tap premium market

10-Jul-2009
Young-fashion retailers Dorothy Perkins and River Island have launched higher-end collections in an attempt to capture more of their customers’ spend.
Blacks trials new formats to shore up sales ahead of boardwear exit

July 10, 2009
Outdoor specialist Blacks Leisure has begun testing new store formats in an attempt to strengthen the struggling retailer.
Republic tests out-of-town model with two Scottish store openings

July 10, 2009
Young-fashion retailer Republic is trialling an out-of-town concept as it seeks to widen its appeal.
Broker challenges Sports Direct over corporate governance

9-Jul-2009
Ahead of Sports Direct’s full-year results next week broker Investec has issued a note challenging the sports retailer to answer some key corporate governance questions and fully disclose business information.
Mike Ashley claims Sir David Jones agreed loan after he joined JJB Sports

8-Jul-2009
The scandal over JJB chairman Sir David Jones’ £1.5m loan from Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley is escalating, with Ashley claiming he gave Jones the loan after he joined JJB’s board.
JJB Sports pledges support for Sir David Jones as share price plummets

7-Jul-2009
JJB Sports is trying to curb another escalating crisis following the revelations that chairman Sir David Jones took a £1.5m loan from Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley.
N Brown sales up 5.1 per cent

7-Jul-2009
N Brown has made a strong start to its financial year with continued growth across its home shopping brands and a 5.1 per cent rise in turnover in the 18 weeks to July 4.
JJB mulls rights issue as loan scandal hits Sir David Jones

6-Jul-2009
JJB Sports has confirmed that it is considering a £50m rights issue to raise capital for the sports retailer’s turnaround as its chairman Sir David Jones has become embroiled in a loan scandal.
George Davies picks sites for new fashion venture

3-Jul-2009
Fashion entrepreneur George Davies has identified the first seven sites for his new GIVe womenswear brand that is set to launch in October.
Shoppers flock to buy Michael Jackson music

3-Jul-2009
Entertainment retailers have reported a surge in sales of Michael Jackson’s albums after the sudden death of the music legend last week.
High Street Fashion Week set for Oxford Street

1-Jul-2009
London’s Oxford Street will host the first High Street Fashion Week in September with the hope of attracting more shoppers to the capital’s famous street.
Instore pins hopes on Poundstretcher as losses mount

30-Jun-2009
Instore will target the value market by converting all of its core store portfolio to its Poundstretcher fascia as it seeks to curb losses that more than doubled in the year to February 28.
Peter Davies plots ‘son of Principles’

26-Jun-2009
Clarks chairman and former Principles owner Peter Davies plans to bring a new retailer to the high street to fill the gap left by fashion chain Principles’ collapse in March.
Abercrombie & Fitch axes Ruehl as it sticks to younger market

June 26, 2009
The polished and sexy world of Abercrombie & Fitch hit a rather unsightly bump in its growth plans last week as it announced it was closing its high-end Ruehl brand.
Luxury positioning protects sales and profits at Mulberry

June 26, 2009
Mulberry’s profits beat market expectations as its luxury positioning provided some cushioning against the economic downturn.
Reborn Woolworths in line for profit within a year

26-Jun-2009
Shop Direct Group this week resurrected Woolworths as an e-tailer and vowed to make the venture profitable in its first year of trading.
Retail’s rising stars mull float potential as sentiment lifts

26-Jun-2009
Some of retail’s rising stars are weighing up options to float as early as next year as sentiment towards the sector improves.
Shop Direct Group unveils Woolworths.co.uk

25-Jun-2009
Shop Direct Group has today launched the much-anticipated Woolworths as an online retailer.
More boardroom unrest for M&S

24-Jun-2009
Further boardroom tension has surfaced at Marks & Spencer over the timing of Sir Stuart Rose’s departure.
Mr Shoes is latest footwear casualty

23-Jun-2009
Shoe chain Mr Shoes has become the latest footwear retailer to fall into administration.
35,000 shops could shut this year

23-Jun-2009
Up to 35,000 shops face closure in the UK this year as the recession continues to take its toll on the retail sector.
Ideal Shopping appoints non-exec to its board

23-Jun-2009
Ideal Shopping Direct has appointed Graham Cole as an independent non-executive on its board.
Kurt Geiger strikes deal with Nine West

22-Jun-2009
Kurt Geiger and Nine West have begun a partnership in the UK and Ireland for Kurt Geiger to license and distribute the US group’s Nine West and Easy Spirit brands.
Liberty of London to exit Sloane Street store

22-Jun-2009
Liberty of London will leave its Sloane Street store after receiving an unsolicited offer from a European fashion brand.
WHSmith and Tesco slammed over Josef Fritzl book

19-Jun-2009
WHSmith and Tesco have both come under fire after displaying a book about notorious Austrian criminal Josef Fritzl as a suggested Father’s Day gift.
Amazon UK readies footwear site

19-Jun-2009
Amazon UK is primed to go live with a standalone shoes and accessories offer this autumn.
Littlewoods Direct to undergo Very rebrand

19-Jun-2009
Shop Direct Group is to rebrand Littlewoods Direct as it seeks to develop its appeal to a younger online customer base.
Abercrombie & Fitch to close Ruehl arm

17-Jun-2009
Abercrombie & Fitch has announced it is closing its Ruehl business saying that the economic climate has hampered potential success of the upmarket brand.
Alexon like-for-like sales fall

17-Jun-2009
Alexon has seen a sharp fall in sales with like-for-like sales for the 17 weeks to June 13 down 10.5 per cent.
H&M unveils latest collaboration with Jimmy Choo

17-Jun-2009
H&M has unveiled its latest designer collaboration, this time with luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo.
Aquascutum receives approach from Crombie owner

16-Jun-2009
Aquascutum may be able to secure its future after its owners were approached by Crombie owner Alan Lewis.
Kesa to sell Swiss business

16-Jun-2009
Kesa has entered exclusive talks with Swiss electricals retailer FUST to sell its Swiss operation for CHF20m (£11.4m).
Game trading in line with expectations

16-Jun-2009
Game Group has said that trading since February has remained in line with expectations.
Scandinavia next in M and M Euro drive

June 12, 2009
Discount e-tailer M and M Direct intends to open up its new euro currency website to countries in Scandinavia as it takes advantage of the weak pound.
Supplier discounts and terms under the spotlight

June 12, 2009
Bhs is just one of the retailers changing supplier terms. Here, we ask what kinds of discounts suppliers are being asked for and how supplier terms are changing.
Marks & Spencer directors miss out on bonuses

5-Jun-2009
Marks & Spencer executive directors, including chairman and chief executive Sir Stuart Rose, all went without bonuses and pay rises last year after pre-tax profits at the retailer fell 40 per cent.
New UK managing director for Inditex as Stefano Sutter moves to Europe

5-Jun-2009
Zara owner Inditex has appointed a new UK and Ireland managing director to replace Stefano Sutter, who has been moved from his role to run other European markets for the Spanish fashion giant.
Aquascutum kicks off consulation with all staff

3-Jun-2009
Aquascutum’s entire 343-strong workforce has been put into consultation, raising questions over the future of the luxury brand.
Possible sale on cards for Borders

3-Jun-2009
New funding is being sought for Borders UK, which could result in a possible sale.
JJB Sports completes refinancing

3-Jun-2009
JJB Sports has completed its refinancing and ended its standstill agreement with its banks.
Conran charity shop design to be rolled out

3-Jun-2009
A new charity shop concept created in partnership with Mary Portas and Conran & Partners for Save the Children will be rolled out nationwide.
Online sales still defying the recession despite slowing e-tail growth

2-Jun-2009
Online shopping is continuing to prove more resilient than the high street through the recession and is expected to grow this year by 13.3 per cent to £20.9bn, despite signs the growth of the channel is slowing.
Laura Ashley enjoys sales lift

2-Jun-2009
Laura Ashley has reported a like-for-like sales uplift of 6.9 per cent in the 17 weeks to May 30.
Home Retail boss misses bonus

2-Jun-2009
Home Retail Group chief executive Terry Duddy took a hit of over £900,000 to his total pay last year after missing out on a performance-related bonus.
One in four workers in retail have taken pay cut in recession

1-Jun-2009
One in four retail and sales workers have had their pay cut since the start of the recession.
Supermarkets under fire over suppliers accused of illegal rainforest destruction

1-Jun-2009
The big four supermarkets are being accused of sourcing from Brazilian farms responsible for illegal deforestation.
David Jones says loss-making JJB Sports is his ‘biggest challenge ever’

29-May-2009
JJB Sports executive chairman David Jones has described his turnaround attempt as “the biggest challenge I have ever had”, as the retailer posted a full-year loss of £189m.
Clarks to build £20m international web arm

May 29, 2009
Footwear giant Clarks expects its online operation to become a £20m business in the next year, as it gears up to take the website international.
Mothercare: Making child’s play of growth in a recession

May 29, 2009
Ben Gordon has revitalised Mothercare with better products, a strong online presence and a focused overseas strategy. Lisa Berwin reports
Primark pays out over alleged Superdry copy

28-May-2009
Primark has settled a copyright disagreement with Superdry owner Laundry Athletics over its alleged copying of one of its leather jackets.
Sports Direct offloads JJB stake

28-May-2009
Sports Direct has sold its 5 per cent stake in rival JJB Sports.
Scarlett Johansson named as the new face of Mango

27-May-2009
Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has been named as the new face of Spanish fashion chain Mango.
Freemans Grattan in consultation with its warehouse staff

27-May-2009
Freemans Grattan Holdings has entered into a consultation period with 160 staff at its Listerhills warehouse in Bradford.
Mystery investor buys JJB stake

27-May-2009
A mystery investor has bought a stake of almost 5 per cent in JJB Sports.
Adili EBITDA to come in below expectations

27-May-2009
Ethical e-tailer Adili said EBITDA would be below expectations after gross margins were hit by discounting needed in the tougher market.
Next withdraws ‘Nazi’ pants

26-May-2009
Next is withdrawing a line of underwear after some of the featured artwork on the garment was mistaken as a “Nazi image”.
Aquascutum owner in talks with Chinese distributor

26-May-2009
Aquascutum could be sold to its Chinese distributor after the luxury brand’s Japanese owner Renown rejected a management buyout.
Anger from Bhs suppliers as Sir Philip Green tightens terms

26-May-2009
Sir Philip Green’s Bhs is tightening the screws on its suppliers by moving its discount rate into line with that of Arcadia Group into which it is merging.
£3.9bn opportunity for survivors of the downturn

26-May-2009
Retailers who survive the downturn could pick up £3.9bn of business over the next few years.
Blacks in talks to extend its banking facility

22-May-2009
Blacks Leisure has entered into talks with its bank to extend its banking facility to help its long-term financial position.
Aquascutum chief Kim Winser leaves after failed MBO

22-May-2009
Aquascutum chief executive Kim Winser will today leave the business after Japanese owner Renown rejected her bid for a management buyout.
Ex-WHSmith man to run British Bookshops & Stationers

May 22, 2009
British Bookshops & Stationers’ new owners have drafted in former WHSmith director John Simpson to return the business to profitability.
The retail life of Peter Cowgill, JD Sports Fashion

May 22, 2009
He may keep a low profile, but Peter Cowgill’s financial nous has taken JD Sports Fashion to new heights, says Lisa Berwin.
Birmingham Bullring closed after suspected chemical leak

21-May-2009
Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre was closed down for part of Thursday after several people fell ill following a suspected chemical leak.
French Connection still needs to carve a niche

21-May-2009
French Connection has successfully rebranded itself several times over the years but with competition more fierce than ever, it now needs to put its money where its mouth is and ensure its product speaks for itself.
Play.com launches credit card

20-May-2009
Play.com has launched its own credit card that will offer a points reward scheme for its customers.
Burberry profits fall after tough year for luxury market

19-May-2009
Profits at luxury group Burberry fell 12.5 per cent in its full year to March 31.
JJB Sports appoints two directors

18-May-2009
JJB Sports has announced the appointment of a new finance director and a director of retail and product to its board.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said on May 16-17, 2009

18-May-2009
JJB Sports is expected to reveal a write-down of at least £60m when it updates the City on its full-year results this week, The Mail on Sunday said. It will be the first set of results since a company voluntary arangement was agreed by its creditors last month.
London sales helped by warm weather

18-May-2009
London sales have continued to grow ahead of the rest of the country with retail sales up 5.4 per cent in April, according to the BRC-KPMG London Retail Sales monitor.
JD Sports set for European debut

15-May-2009
Speculation mounts that sports giant JD Sports will pounce on French chain as it considers overseas move
Mulberry to take full control of US business

14-May-2009
Mulberry will take full control of its US business after agreeing to end a joint venture with its US partner.
Kesa like-for-like sales fall as further restructuring announced

14-May-2009
Kesa has reported like-for-like sales across its electricals business were down 6.1 per cent in its full year to April 30, with total sales up 8.3 per cent.
Next to offer catwalk looks to customers

14-May-2009
Next is poised to launch a new catwalk-inspired range for its customers.
EBay victory over L’Oréal in French court

13-May-2009
EBay has won a Paris court case brought against it by cosmetics giant L’Oréal over counterfeit perfumes on eBay’s website.
More retail failures expected

12-May-2009
Business failures in the retail and wholesale sector are predicted to increase by 26 per cent this year compared to 2008, according to the latest figures from accountant and business advisor BDO Stoy Hayward.It predicts that 3,800 - or one in 100 - UK retailers will go out of business by the end of 2009. This precedes an even more pessimistic outlook for 2010, when the report estimates a 55 per cent rise in retail and wholesale failures to 5,800 - or 1.6 per cent of all ...
Aldi to create 650 jobs in Ireland

12-May-2009
German discount grocer Aldi will create 650 jobs in the Republic of Ireland over the next three years as it continues apace with growth plans.
Sales ahead over bank holiday weekend

8-May-2009
The bank holiday boosted sales for retailers, with total sales up 1.5 per cent on a like-for-like basis in the week to May 3.
Diversification: A lucrative sideline or fatal distraction?

May 8, 2009
Retailers eager to boost business may expand into categories beyond their comfort zone, but do they risk stretching themselves too far?
Italy’s Furla upbeat despite squeeze on luxury market

May 8, 2009
The outlook for luxury retailers remains uncertain, but some international brands are confident of continued success. Among them is Italian group Furla, which delivered a strong performance last year.
Flying Brands loses finance director

7-May-2009
Flying Brands group finance director Graham Norton has resigned from the home shopping specialist.Current group financial controller Anthony Gee will take over as finance director on May 31. Norton will leave at the end of this month to join a FTSE 250 company.Flying Brands chief executive Stephen Cook said: “We would like to thank Graham for all his efforts over the last four years and wish him all the best in his new role.”
Interest rate held at 0.5 per cent

7-May-2009
The interest rate has been held at 0.5 per cent by the Bank of England.
H&M in tie-up with celebrities to launch t-shirt range for AIDS projects

7-May-2009
H&M is teaming up with celebrities to design a special range of t-shirts to raise money and awareness of HIV and AIDS.
Next reports solid first quarter

6-May-2009
Next has benefitted from a late Easter and warm weather with a better than expected first quarter.
Food inflation slows for the first time this year

6-May-2009
Food price inflation has slowed for the first time this year leading to lower shop price inflation of 1.4 per cent in April compared to 2 per cent in March.
Asda chief marketing officer given Wal-Mart international role

5-May-2009
Asda chief marketing officer Rick Bendel has been promoted to a new role of international chief marketing officer for parent company Wal-Mart.
Sir David Michels reveals ambitions to become M&S chairman as Myleene Klass takes a pay cut

5-May-2009
Marks & Spencer deputy chairman Sir David Michels has revealed his desire to succeed Sir Stuart Rose as chairman.
Tesco lowers prices to stop Irish shoppers crossing the border

5-May-2009
Tesco is re-opening some of its stores in the border counties of the Republic of Ireland with marked-down stock reflecting sterling prices in an effort to curb customers crossing the border to buy their groceries in Northern Ireland.
JJB Sports CVA hailed as ‘sea change’ in retailer-landlord relations

1-May-2009
JJB Sports executive director Peter Williams said the approval of its company voluntary arrangement marks a “sea change” in the relationship between retailers and landlords.
Zara Kids unveils first UK store in London’s Covent Garden

1-May-2009
Spanish fashion giant Zara has opened its first standalone Zara Kids shop in the UK as it seeks to grab a larger slice of the £4bn childrenswear market.
Otto’s entry into Turkey won’t bring quick wins

May 1, 2009
At the end of this month German home shopping giant Otto Group will take its first steps into Turkey by testing newly acquired private shopping site Limango there.
Viyella to launch new menswear range

30-Apr-2009
Viyella, the classic womenswear retailer acquired out of administration by Austin Reed, is to launch a new full menswear collection.
New boss for Woolworths online shop

29-Apr-2009
Shop Direct Group has brought in a new boss for its online Woolworths store which launches this summer.
Sainsbury’s gains market share as Easter promotions pay off

28-Apr-2009
Sainsbury’s has grown market share and its growth rate has exceeded those of the other top supermarkets in the 12 weeks to April 19.
Retail sales get an unexpected lift in April

28-Apr-2009
Retail sales in April were better than expected according to the CBI, with sales volumes unexpectedly flat after more than a year of decline.
Dunelm enjoys sales lift

28-Apr-2009
Dunelm has reported an improving performance with like-for-like sales up 2.3 per cent in the 17 weeks to April 25.
N Brown defies downturn with solid year

28-Apr-2009
N Brown has continued to outperform the market with underlying pre-tax profits soaring 11.3 per cent to £82.7m in its full year to February 28.
Radley appoints Sven Gaede as chief executive

27-Apr-2009
Radley has appointed Sven Gaede as its new chief executive.
JJB Sports CVA approved

27-Apr-2009
JJB has come one step closer to securing its future as its company voluntary arrangement (CVA) was today approved by the majority of its creditors.
HMV to trial cinemas

27-Apr-2009
HMV will open its first cinema this autumn as it continues to expand its reach beyond core entertainment retailing.
Amazon sales and profits soar

24-Apr-2009
Amazon has reported a strong first quarter with profits soaring 24 per cent to $177m (£121m).
Hopes rise that JJB will win approval for CVA

April 24, 2009
JJB has received a positive response from its creditors over its proposed company voluntary arrangement (CVA), giving it fresh hope that its future can be secured.
Social Trends: How Britain behaves

April 24, 2009
Modern Britain is changing, and if retailers are to survive the downturn understanding these evolving social trends could make all the difference.
Superdry to expand as young fashion thrives

April 24, 2009
Young-fashion retailer Super-group is taking advantage of the recession-proof younger fashion market to race ahead with its expansion plans.
H&M has another hit with new Matthew Williamson range

23-Apr-2009
H&M has had another strong response to its latest designer collaboration, Matthew Williamson for H&M.
Flying Brands continues restructure with improved start to the year

22-Apr-2009
Flying Brands has had a stronger start to its new financial year with orders ahead 2.4 per cent on a like for like basis in the 13 weeks to April 3.
Alexon profits dive as Bay Trading suffers tough competition

22-Apr-2009
Fashion group Alexon has revealed that pre-tax profits before exceptionals plummeted to £3.5m in its full year to January 31, from £16.4m the year before.
Annual growth of online sales slows

22-Apr-2009
Year-on-year growth for online retailers is beginning to slow as sales for March grew just 19 per cent, lower than the year before.
Deflation for first time since 1960

21-Apr-2009
The retail price index (RPI) has fallen into negative territory for the first time since 1960 as decades of inflation come to an end.
Chancellor agrees £5bn deal with largest credit insurers

21-Apr-2009
The Chancellor is expected to deliver some much-needed good news to retailers in his Budget tomorrow revealing a temporary scheme to ensure a £5bn provision for supply chain insurance.
Burberry set to hit market expectations

21-Apr-2009
Burberry said it will hit market expectations for its full year pre-tax profits after revenue for its second half to March 31 grew 2 per cent.
Japan’s government steps in as spending plummets

April 17, 2009
Japan’s government last week laid out plans to plough an extra ¥10 trillion (£68.2bn) into attempts to stimulate its ailing economy.
JD Sports to expand fashion as full-year results impress

April 17, 2009
JD Sports Fashion chief executive Barry Bown has laid out plans to up the retailer’s fashion offer as he pleased the City with a solid set of full-year results.
Net-a-Porter launches its outlet site

16-Apr-2009
Net-a-Porter has launched its designer outlet site, Theoutnet.com.
H&M sales rise as new Matthew Williamson range readies for launch

15-Apr-2009
Sales at Swedish fashion giant H&M rose 6 per cent in March compared with last year as the retailer unveiled details of its latest designer collaboration with UK designer Matthew Williamson.
Amazon launches stationery offer

15-Apr-2009
Amazon has launched a stationery offer on its site selling thousands of office products and supplies.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said on April 11-13, 2009

14-Apr-2009
Several papers reported that the VAT cut last year has helped retail sales, which were £2.1bn higher in the three months since the cut than they would have been, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research.
M&S loses market share in clothing

14-Apr-2009
Marks & Spencer is losing market share in clothing as the battle to win customers continues to intensify, particularly in the middle market.
Gap sales continue to slide

9-Apr-2009
Gap sales have continued to fall, down 6 per cent for the five weeks to April 4 on last year with comparable sales down 8 per cent.
Man in the news: Sir Philip Green

April 9, 2009
Topshop’s star-studded New York store opening has taken the US by storm. Lisa Berwin assesses the tycoon’s first bite of the Big Apple
JJB details plans for CVA and refinancing

7-Apr-2009
JJB has outlined proposals for its company voluntary arrangement (CVA) and details of a refinancing deal with its banks.
Woolworths offers online Easter egg competition for customers

7-Apr-2009
Woolworths has launched a virtual Easter egg hunt online for its customers who are unable to buy their traditional Easter eggs from the collapsed chain.
JJB Sports details plans for CVA and refinancing

7-Apr-2009
JJB has outlined proposals for its company voluntary arrangement (CVA) and details of a refinancing deal with its banks.
Peacocks sales soar

6-Apr-2009
Peacocks reported a surge of 8.3 per cent in like-for-like sales in the 14 weeks to March 28 after benefiting from its value position.
Theo Fennell brings back old boss as chief executive exits

April 3, 2009
Theo Fennell has re-instated its old boss Barbara Snoad after parting company with chief executive Pamela Harper who joined the luxury jeweller in 2007.
Analysis: Inditex’s Euro strongholds give it the edge over H&M

April 3, 2009
Fashion giants Inditex and H&M reported solid results last week, but as the global downturn continues to deepen both retailers need to remain at the top of their game. While both are formidable players, some argue that H&M faces more challenges than its rival Inditex.
The race is on for top spots in sports retail

April 3, 2009
Dave Whelan wants to turn JJB’s health club chain into a retailer ‘serious about sport’ again, pitching him into a competitive market.
Topshop New York

April 3, 2009
The long-awaited launch of Topshop’s New York flagship took place this week when owner Sir Philip Green and supermodel Kate Moss led the opening of the store.
Westfield falls short of Next’s expectations

April 3, 2009
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson said that its Westfield London shop has so far performed below expectations and that the scheme has had less of an impact on its West End shops than it anticipated.
Tesco trials packaging scheme

2-Apr-2009
Tesco is trialling a scheme to give customers a chance to remove and leave excess packaging in store after they have purchased goods.
Mike Ashley in frame for Chris Ronnie's JJB Sports stake

1-Apr-2009
Former JJB Sports chief executive Chris Ronnie’s 23 per cent in JJB Sports is believed to have been sold to sports tycoon Mike Ashley.
M&S sales fall but outperform expectations

31-Mar-2009
Marks & Spencer has reported like-for-like sales fell 4.2 per cent in its fourth quarter, but the retailer’s performance was better than feared.
Best Buy has better than expected start to the year

27-Mar-2009
Best Buy’s like-for-like sales fell around 2.5 per cent for both January and February, up from a 6.8 per cent drop in December.
Unilever boss urges united front on costs

27-Mar-2009
Unilever UK and Ireland chairman Dave Lewis has said that suppliers are conscious of the need to help retailers keep prices down and deliver efficiencies, but reminded stores that suppliers share many similar business pressures.
JJB sets out plans to secure future after gyms disposal

26-Mar-2009
JJB Sports has today announced plans to propose a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to its creditors to help secure the financial future of its core retail business.
Dave Whelan: 'I'm absolutely delighted to be back in the game'

25-Mar-2009
Dave Whelan has bought JJB Sports' 53 fitness clubs and 51 associated stores, he has confirmed to Retail Week.
Sale talks for Blacks end

25-Mar-2009
Talks for the possible sale of Blacks Leisure have ended.
Dave Whelan confirms JJB fitness clubs deal

25-Mar-2009
Dave Whelan has confirmed his acquisition of JJB Sport's fitness clubs.
Ted Baker profits slump 11.4%

25-Mar-2009
Ted Baker’s full-year profits have been hit by difficult market conditions, down 11.4 per cent to £19.6m in the 53 weeks to January 31.
Pension funds pile pressure on M&S over Sir Stuart Rose's power

24-Mar-2009
Further pressure is being piled on M&S to reduce Sir Stuart Rose’s power as chairman and chief executive of the retailer – this time by the National Association of Pension Funds.
Laura Ashley suffers profits dive

24-Mar-2009
Pre-tax profits at Laura Ashley almost halved to £10.2m in its full year to January 31 but group sales grew 9.6 per cent to £207m.
Ideal Shopping Direct incurs £7.5m extra costs

24-Mar-2009
Ideal Shopping Direct revealed it has incurred a worse than expected hit of £9.2m to its balance sheet, £7.5m more than previously expected.
Sir David Jones: JJB's saviour?

23-Mar-2009
The man who took on out of shape JJB Sports is famously brave, but has a track record for turning around seemingly lost causes, says Lisa Berwin.
JJB close to sale of fitness arm

23-Mar-2009
A sale of JJB Sports' gyms business to the retailer's founder Dave Whelan is imminent, despite reports Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has made moves to thwart the deal.
Blue Inc embarks on Middle Eastern trail

20-Mar-2009
Young-fashion retailer Blue Inc is targeting further international opportunities as it prepares to open its first international store in Dubai this year.
Gap chief admits errors but says change is afoot

20-Mar-2009
Rather than blame all his woes on the economic downturn, Gap chairman and chief executive Glenn Murphy admitted the retailer has made business errors that contributed to a loss of market share for the past five years.
A happy customer is a spending customer

19-Mar-2009
A happy customer is a spending customerFocus your resource on pleasing your customers whilst limiting the barriers to their spending and your sales line will reap the benefits.
Recession and threat of regulation could boost responsible retail

19-Mar-2009
Co-op head of sustainable development Paul Monaghan said the recession is “heaven sent” in terms of curbing the radical economic growth that was destroying the environment.
More Original Shoe Company and Qube stores close

19-Mar-2009
More Original Shoe Company and Qube stores have been closed by their administrators with the loss of 121 jobs.
Blacks trading 'in line with expectations'

18-Mar-2009
Blacks Leisure has updated the City this morning and said that trading since the Christmas period has been in line with management expectations.
French Connection reports loss in full-year results

18-Mar-2009
French Connection has made a loss of £5.5m in the full year to January 31.
Home retailers most distressed, new data shows

17-Mar-2009
Retailers selling homewears and non-discretionary food are feeling most pressure from the economic downturn, according to new data from KPMG.
Online sales continue to defy general retail gloom

17-Mar-2009
Online sales have continued to provide retailers with growth, up 13 per cent in February compared with last year.
Sir Stuart Rose to face M&S shareholder revolt

17-Mar-2009
Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose is set for another showdown with M&S investors over his controversial chairmanship.
Debenhams buoyed by own-bought ranges

17-Mar-2009
Debenhams like-for-like sales for its first half to February 28 were 3.6 per cent lower than last year on total sales up 0.3 per cent.
JJB Sports examines restructuring options as standstill agreement extended

17-Mar-2009
JJB Sports has received a further extension on its standstill agreement with its banks as it examines restructuring options for the business.
Shopworkers seek help as redundancy fears grow

16-Mar-2009
Shopworkers are becoming increasingly depressed and turning to alcohol as the threat of redundancy rises across the retail sector, the Retail Trust has found.
Matthew Moulding: Back of the net

13-Mar-2009
Buying the Zavvi name has put e-tailer The Hut on the map. Founder and boss Matthew Moulding tells Lisa Berwin why he is focused on growth
The Hut hatches plans for unstaffed high street shops

13-Mar-2009
E-tailer The Hut is in talks with shopping centre owners as it mulls the possibility of taking its online venture into bricks and mortar.
Clarks to keep focus on global expansion

13-Mar-2009
Clarks is to continue its international growth as the global footwear giant’s sales reach £1bn for the first time.
Topman pursues euro online as spend leaps

13-Mar-2009
Menswear retailer Topman has benefited from a surge in online spend from Europe as canny shoppers take advantage of the strength of the euro against the pound.
US retailers’ sales languish as unemployment rockets

13-Mar-2009
US fashion retailers continued to feel the negative impact of weakening consumer confidence in their February sales updates as soaring unemployment plagued the country.
Smythson weighs up potential sale

10-Mar-2009
Luxury leather goods retailer Smythson has appointed Cavendish Corporate Finance to examine the possibilities for a sale of the business.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said, March 7 to 8

9-Mar-2009
The Sunday Express reported that shoe specialist Clarks has passed sales of £1bn for the first time in its 174-year history. Clarks boosted operating profit to £85.2m in 2008, with sales hitting £1.05bn, up from £972.7m in 2007.
JJB receives offers for its health clubs business

9-Mar-2009
JJB has confirmed it has received a number of offers for its health clubs business.
John Lewis staff face bonus cuts

9-Mar-2009
Staff at the John Lewis Partnership are facing severe cuts in their annual bonuses as the retailer expects to reveal reduced profits in its full-year results on Wednesday.
BRC urges the Government to delay VAT increase

9-Mar-2009
The British Retail Consortium has urged the Government to delay plans to increase VAT to 17.5 per cent on December 31.
The Hut plots route to become 'next Amazon'

6-Mar-2009
E-tailer The Hut, which this week bought the rights to the Zavvi brand and website, wants to buy more struggling brands to turn into pure-play sites as it guns to become a serious competitor to Amazon.
George Davies mulls clothing range to sell in indies

6-Mar-2009
Retail guru George Davies is considering a return to fashion with the launch of a clothing range for independent department stores.
Former Principles co-owner battles on to secure chain

6-Mar-2009
The former management of fashion group Mosaic is understood to be working to ensure that former Principles co-owner Peter Davies is successful in his bid for the fashion brand.
Freemans Grattan cuts over 1,000 jobs

5-Mar-2009
Home Shopping Group Freemans Grattan Holdings (FGH) is understood to have announced over 1,000 job losses after a business review.
90 jobs go as Shoe Studio is sold to Dune

4-Mar-2009
Shoe Studio has been bought out of administration by Dune with the loss of 90 jobs.
Dune expected to buy Shoe Studio

3-Mar-2009
Shoe Studio is expected to be sold to rival chain Dune.
Diamonds and Pearls falls into administration

3-Mar-2009
Jewellery chain Diamonds and Pearls has fallen into administration, putting up to 300 jobs at risk.
Mosaic enters pre-pack administration

2-Mar-2009
Mosaic Fashions has been put into pre-pack administration, with most of the group being sold immediately to Icelandic bank Kaupthing and Mosaic’s management.
Sir Philip Green cites speed above price as key to fashion success

2-Mar-2009
Sir Philip Green has said that speed and not price will be the key battleground when it comes to survival in the fashion market.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said from February 28 to March 1

2-Mar-2009
JJB Sports found itself at the centre of yet another controversy as The Sunday Times revealed that Sir David Jones and Peter Williams, who have been brought in to try and secure the future of the beleaguered chain, are being paid £3,000 a day.
Online sales will continue to buck economic gloom

2-Mar-2009
Online sales in the UK are expected to continue to achieve steady growth of 6 per cent a year and hit £56bn by 2014, according to research company Forrester.
EBTM suspends shares and applies to appoint administrators

2-Mar-2009
EBTM, the music inspired fashion e-tailer, has today suspended its shares and applied to appoint administrators for the business.
Elvi put into administration

27-Feb-2009
Womenswear chain Elvi has been put into administration and confirmed redundancies after the plus-size fashion specialist was hit by financial difficulties.
Body Shop cuts jobs after business review

27-Feb-2009
Ethical cosmetics retailer Body Shop will axe up to 275 staff following a review of its business.
Fears grow for future of Elvi

27-Feb-2009
Concerns are growing for the future of womenswear chain Elvi, which sources say is today on the brink of administration just a year after being rescued.
Shop Direct Group gets online surge from demise of high street rivals

27-Feb-2009
Shop Direct Group has said that rising online sales and the demise of high street rivals has boosted its e-tail business.
EBTM future uncertain as administration looms for subsidiaries

27-Feb-2009
EBTM, the e-tailer of music inspired fashion, has applied to appoint administrators to its subsidiaries after failing to raise funding for the businesses.
New Look poaches Esprit boss to head global push

27-Feb-2009
New Look has hired a leading international retailer as chief operating officer as it bids to become a global force in fashion retail.
JJB Sports rejects Chris Ronnie's resignation

26-Feb-2009
JJB Sports has rejected Chris Ronnie’s resignation, saying that the statement issued by his lawyers was done without the retailer's knowledge.
BRC blasts ombudsman proposals

26-Feb-2009
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has hit out at proposals by the Competition Commission (CC) which today released its plans for the creation of a grocery ombudsman.
Chris Ronnie leaves JJB Sports

26-Feb-2009
Chris Ronnie has left JJB Sports after reaching a “financial settlement” with the sportswear chain.
House of Fraser consults on jobs

26-Feb-2009
Department store group House of Fraser has begun consultation with some staff as part of an efficiency drive.
London Fashion Week: let's hear it for the boys

26-Feb-2009
This week London Fashion Week dedicated an entire day to menswear shows for the first time in its 25-year history.
Tesco to launch lingerie range

26-Feb-2009
Tesco has signed up Michelle Mone, founder of lingerie specialist Ultimo, to design a range for its supermarkets.
Carphone Warehouse to cut jobs

26-Feb-2009
Carphone Warehouse is expected to reveal about 400 job losses as part of a cost-cutting programme.
Ted Baker appoints former banking boss to board

26-Feb-2009
Ted Baker has appointed former banker Ron Stewart as an independent non-executive director.
Dunelm profits flat in tough homewares market

26-Feb-2009
Homewares retailer Dunelm has reported interim profits up 0.2 per cent to £27.3m.
N Brown announces board appointments

24-Feb-2009
N Brown has appointed Ivan Fallon as its deputy chairman and brought former news reader Anna Ford on to the board as a non-executive director.
Online retailers lead the way in customer service

24-Feb-2009
Play.com and Amazon have topped a customer satisfaction poll to find which retailers hit the mark when it comes to customer service.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said on February 21-22, 2009

23-Feb-2009
The Observer reported that credit insurer Euler Hermes is understood to be reviewing the creditworthiness of hundreds of retailers as it adopts an even more conservative stance on the sector.
Mosaic has three months to refinance

23-Feb-2009
Fashion group Mosaic has just three months left to refinance.
Retailers renege on VAT cuts

23-Feb-2009
Some retailers are not passing VAT cuts on to their customers, a Sunday Times investigation has found.
Adili reveals management changes

23-Feb-2009
Ethical fashion e-tailer Adili has disclosed that its creative director and finance director have stepped down from their executive roles.
Asos unveils redesigned site

20-Feb-2009
Asos has relaunched its fashion website with two brand new departments, Kids and Designer, in line with its strategy to become an online department store.
John Lewis sales continue to suffer with poor weather

20-Feb-2009
John Lewis sales fell for the fourth consecutive week, down 3.2 per cent in the week to February 14, as poor weather continued to hit trade.
New brands the way forward for Bhs, says Sir Philip Green

20-Feb-2009
Sir Philip Green has said that he believes incorporating external brands is the future direction for department stores, as he plots to up the fashion stakes at his Bhs chain.
Mamas & Papas to focus expansion on city centres

20-Feb-2009
Mamas & Papas is to focus on city centre locations for expansion following the opening of its second new-look city centre store format in Westfield London last week.
Selfridges consults with staff in drive for efficiency

20-Feb-2009
Iconic department store Selfridges has begun a consultation with almost 10 per cent of its 400-strong head office staff as it restructures to ensure continued momentum.
Shannon reveals grand plan for Adams’ revival

20-Feb-2009
Fashion entrepreneur John Shannon has outlined his plans for Adams after buying the childrenswear chain out of administration.
Richer Sounds buys Empire Direct's online business

19-Feb-2009
Electricals retailer Richer Sounds has bought the website of failed counterpart Empire Direct.
Ann Summers parties gain in popularity as women seek extra cash

19-Feb-2009
Ann Summers has had an influx of applications to host its eponymous parties as women try to find new ways to raise cash through the downturn.
JJB places Qube and OSC into administration

19-Feb-2009
JJB Sports has officially placed its Lifestyle division, comprising the Qube and Original Shoe Company chains, into administration.
Flying Brands chief executive steps down

18-Feb-2009
Flying Brands has lost its chief executive Tricia Killen, less than a year after she joined the home shopping group.
Poundland extends food offer

17-Feb-2009
Poundland has extended its food staples offer to include milk and sugar.
Sir Philip Green unveils plans to take on America

17-Feb-2009
Sir Philip Green has unveiled details of his long-awaited Topshop flagship store in New York and said he plans to open up to 15 US flagships.
Inflation slows to 3 per cent in January

17-Feb-2009
Annual Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation dropped to 3 per cent in January from 3.1 per cent in December, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Online sales soar 19 per cent in January

17-Feb-2009
Shoppers continued to shop online in January, when spending rose 19 per cent year on year.
Findel assesses future of underperforming brands

17-Feb-2009
Home shopping group Findel has reported group sales down 3 per cent for the 44 weeks to February 6 compared to the same period last year.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said on February 14-15, 2009

16-Feb-2009
The Mail on Sunday reported that Streetwise Sports, a 30-store chain sold by Sports Direct just two months ago, is set to go into administration this week. The business was acquired from Mike Ashley's Sports Direct in December by Melvyn Reiss and Stephen Mucklow.
Stylo chairman to buy 200 stores from administration

16-Feb-2009
Stylo chairman Michael Ziff is planning to buy back 200 of the group’s 380 stores from administrator Deloitte.
The Co-operative Group to close Somerfield head office next year

16-Feb-2009
The Co-operative Group plans to close Somerfield’s head office in Bristol next year, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.
H&M sales beat expectations

16-Feb-2009
Fashion group H&M has reported a stronger than expected January, when same-store sales fell 1 per cent.
London's January sales strongest in five months

16-Feb-2009
London retailers enjoyed their highest like-for-like sales in five months during January, when shoppers in the capital were attracted by deep discounts and clearance Sales.
Topshop sets opening date for New York flagship

13-Feb-2009
The opening date for Topshop’s much-anticipated New York flagship store has been revealed as April 2.
Rose Foster leaves La Senza

13-Feb-2009
La Senza chief executive Rose Foster has left the lingerie retailer after less than two years in the role.>
Asos to up interaction with web community

13-Feb-2009
Asos is planning to launch an online community channel on its website as it seeks to drive customer interaction with the fashion brand.
JJB Sports set for reprieve as bidders eye Blacks

13-Feb-2009
The embattled sportswear market is this week heading for a major shake-up as the future of JJB Sports and Blacks Leisure remains unclear.
LVMH slashes spending for the year after income falls

13-Feb-2009
French luxury retail giant LVMH has slashed its budget for new stores and cut capital expenditure by up to 15 per cent this year to help it steer through the global slowdown.
Former JLP director Cloake becomes Retail Trust chairman

12-Feb-2009
Dudley Cloake has been appointed chairman of stores sector charity Retail Trust.
Magnet owner hit by fall in demand for kitchens

11-Feb-2009
Magnet’s Swedish owner Nobia has reported a decline in sales and profits last year as demand for kitchens weakened across Europe.
H&M names Persson new chief executive

11-Feb-2009
Fashion group H&M has appointed Karl-Johan Persson as successor to chief executive Rolf Eriksen, who will retire this year.
Mike Ashley and Lion Capital court Blacks

10-Feb-2009
Controversial sports tycoon Mike Ashley and Lion Capital are amongst the interested parties for Blacks Leisure, it is understood.
Blacks reveals bid interest

10-Feb-2009
Blacks Leisure has said it has received a preliminary approach for the retail group.
Stylo administration looms as CVA hangs in balance

10-Feb-2009
Last ditch attempts are under way to secure approval of company voluntary arrangements for the Barratts and Priceless chains.
Supergroup settles copyright case with Arcadia

10-Feb-2009
Supergroup’s wholesale arm Laundry Athletics has reached a settlement with Arcadia Group over the alleged copying of one of its jackets.
Tesco Direct to introduce customer reviews

10-Feb-2009
Tesco Direct has signed a deal enabling shoppers to review its products online.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said on February 7-8, 2009

9-Feb-2009
Most of the weekend papers covered the demise of Icelandic investor Baugur in great detail, with a raft of names including Sir Philip Green, Theo Paphitis and several private equity firms named as interested parties in its UK assets.
DSGi reported to be preparing rights issue

9-Feb-2009
Electricals giant DSGi is reported to be preparing for a rights issue to raise hundreds of millions of pounds for its struggling business.
Baugur's retail stakes stir interest

9-Feb-2009
Retail investors including Sir Philip Green and Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis have been named as likely interested parties for Baugur assets, after its UK subsidiary was placed into administration at the close of last week.
Austin Reed buys Viyella out of administration

6-Feb-2009
Womenswear chain Viyellla has been bought out of administration from Austin Reed.
Baugur: Retailers' hopes high for high street future

6-Feb-2009
The retail industry has reacted with a degree of optimism that the demise of Baugur could signal the end of months of uncertainty for its brands and ring in positive changes to the high street.
Buyers eye Baugur chains as investor's fate unclear

6-Feb-2009
Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green is in a “position to buy” assets that may come into play as a result of Baugur’s likely administration.
Traditional home shopping retailers fail to engage customers

6-Feb-2009
Catalogue operators are failing to fully engage with customers, as the home shopping sector continues to change gear to an increasingly online-dominated market.
Retailers abandon expansion plans as Indian market sours

6-Feb-2009
International brands’ aggressive expansion into India has hit the wall as Indian retail companies encourage their foreign partners to put roll-out plans on hold.
Gap sales decline despite stronger international performance

5-Feb-2009
US fashion giant Gap continued to struggle to lift sales in America last month, despite an improving performance internationally.
H&M takes axe to plans for Divided store roll-out

5-Feb-2009
Swedish retailer H&M will not expand its standalone Divided fascia because of doubts over whether it works well as a separate concept.
Interest rate slashed to 1 per cent

5-Feb-2009
The Bank of England has slashed the interest rate to a record low of 1 per cent, a 0.5 percentage point drop.
Shop price inflation rises in January

4-Feb-2009
UK shop price inflation rose 1.1 per cent in January according to the BRC Nielsen Shop Price Index.
JD Sports to exceed expectations after solid January sales

4-Feb-2009
Strong sales in January at JD Sports Fashion have lifted expectations for its full-year results.
Value supermarkets continue to shrink Tesco's market share

3-Feb-2009
Tesco is still losing market share as consumers continue to favour the value and discount supermarkets to help them through the credit crunch.
John Lewis expansion hit by development delays

3-Feb-2009
John Lewis is being forced to scale back its expansion as many plans for new shopping centres are shelved by developers.
Mail order clothing sales hit £56.5m in December

2-Feb-2009
Sales of clothing through mail order hit £56.5m in December.
Woolworths bought by Shop Direct Group

2-Feb-2009
Woolworths will be relaunched as an online store after the brand was bought by Shop Direct Group owners the Barclay brothers.
Mike Ashley to bid for JJB fitness clubs

2-Feb-2009
Sport Direct owner Mike Ashley is reported to be plotting a bid for rival JJB Sports’ fitness clubs business.
JJB bank loan agreement extended

30-Jan-2009
JJB has extended its standstill agreement with its lenders.
Kingfisher agrees sale of Castorama Italy arm

30-Jan-2009
Kingfisher has completed the sale of its Italian Castorama business to Leroy Merlin Italy for €615 million.
Amazon reports strong Christmas

30-Jan-2009
US online giant Amazon continued to storm ahead of the competition, boosted by strong Christmas sales with net sales in the final quarter of 2008 up 18 per cent to US$6.7bn (£4.6bn).
Concern grows as Karstadt loses Premium Group head

30-Jan-2009
The head of Karstadt’s Premium Group, the business created by the German department store chain to help turn around its fortunes, has quit less than two years after taking up the role.
Freemans moots US fascias for UK as restructure starts

30-Jan-2009
Freemans Grattan Holdings, formerly Otto UK, is discussing bringing US fascia Crate & Barrel to the UK as it embarks on a business restructure.
Amazon poised to launch UK online grocery range

30-Jan-2009
Amazon UK is set to shake up the grocery e-tail market with the launch of an online food offer.
Falling confidence hits younger customers

30-Jan-2009
Consumer confidence dropped again this month and is also beginning to hit younger consumers.
H&M profits and sales soar

29-Jan-2009
H&M profits soared 11 per cent in the year to November 30 hitting SEK21.19bn (£1.85bn).
Anthropologie reveals location of European stores

29-Jan-2009
US fashion retailer Anthropologie has revealed the locations of its first two European stores.
Shop Direct call centre closure threatens 1,150 jobs

28-Jan-2009
Shop Direct Group could slash up to 1,150 jobs as it announced the closure of its Merseyside call centre.
Sports Direct stake in JJB cleared by the Office of Fair Trading

28-Jan-2009
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has cleared the purchase of 11.9 million JJB shares by Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley, saying it does not represent a possible merger.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said on January 24-25, 2009

26-Jan-2009
Sainsbury’s has launched a search for a new chairman and is expected to find a successor to existing chairman Sir Philip Hampton this year, said The Sunday Telegraph.
WHSmith maintains margins in challenging trading conditions

26-Jan-2009
WHSmith's like-for-like sales fell 5 per cent in the 20 weeks to January 17 but it has continued to maintain strong gross margins across the business.
Stylo's future uncertain as it suspends shares

26-Jan-2009
Shares in shoe retailer Stylo have been suspended as it explores options for the future of the business.
QVC's Steve Hofmann: With the programme

23-Jan-2009
QVC has an unusually loyal shopper base. Boss Steve Hofmann tells Lisa Berwin why that will make it a force to be reckoned with in 2009 and why home shopping is no poor relation to the high street.
Overseas growth expansion to drive N Brown growth

23-Jan-2009
Home shopping group N Brown has pushed the button on international expansion and hopes to generate 10 per cent of sales from overseas.
Greenwoods in talks with Chinese investor over rescue deal

22-Jan-2009
Menswear chain Greenwoods has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.
New chief executive for Best Buy as Brad Anderson retires

21-Jan-2009
Brian Dunn has been named chief executive of Best Buy after vice president and chief executive Brad Anderson announced his retirement from the electricals retailer.
Flying Brands issues profit warning

21-Jan-2009
Home shopping group Flying Brands has issued a profit warning as the Jersey-based retailer continues to struggle with rising costs and shrinking margins.
540 jobs under threat as Burberry cuts costs

20-Jan-2009
Burberry is to cut up to 540 jobs, the fashion retailer said as it revealed like-for-like store sales were down 3 per cent in the last three months of 2008.
JJB Sports loan deferment costs £8.3m

19-Jan-2009
Struggling sportswear chain JJB Sports has confirmed that its agreement with its banks to defer loan payments has cost £8.3m.
Worst Christmas sales growth in London since 2004

19-Jan-2009
London retailers experienced their worst like-for-like growth this Christmas since 2004. December sales in the capital were 0.7 per cent lower than a year ago on a like-for-like basis.
DSGi picks new chairman

19-Jan-2009
John Allan will take over as chairman of electricals group DSGi when incumbent Sir John Collins retires in September.
Asos sales soar

19-Jan-2009
Fashion e-tailer Asos has enjoyed another bumper Christmas with sales in the nine weeks to January 16 up 118 per cent year on year.
Robust fashion fascias propel JD Sports sales

16-Jan-2009
JD Sports Fashion has further strengthened its position in the resilient young-fashion market, generating sales across its fashion stores up 12.5 per cent for the five weeks to January 5.
Sir David Jones signals end for JJB’s faltering lifestyle division

16-Jan-2009
JJB Sports’ lifestyle division will cease to exist “within weeks” as executive chairman Sir David Jones ploughs ahead with attempts to turn around the embattled retailer’s fortunes.
Fat Face sales up on declining EBITDA

15-Jan-2009
Earnings at fashion and lifestyle retailer Fat Face fell more than 4 per cent in the 26 weeks to November 29 despite sales growth of 1.8 per cent for the period.
Online growth slows in December as sales hit £4.67bn

14-Jan-2009
Shoppers spent £4.67bn online in December, but monthly growth online slowed for the first time in six years as consumers spent 1.5 per cent less than in November.
Otto UK reviews 3,800 jobs

14-Jan-2009
The jobs of up to 3,800 staff at Otto UK are under review as the home shopping group revealed plans for a huge overhaul of the business.
JJB chief executive's future in the balance as share transfer investigated

13-Jan-2009
The future of JJB chief executive Chris Ronnie is hanging in the balance after the retailer launched an investigation into a transfer of his JJB shares.
Icelandic fund Kcaj faces administration

13-Jan-2009
Icelandic investment fund Kcaj, which owns several chains including Jones the Bootmaker, Mountain Warehouse and Blooming Marvellous, could be put into administration this week forcing the sale of its stakes in the retailers.
Ideal Shopping beats Christmas expectations

13-Jan-2009
Ideal Shopping Direct enjoyed a better than expected Christmas with like-for-like sales ahead of management expectations.
Scottish delicatessen in administration

12-Jan-2009
Scottish delicatessen chain McLeish Brothers has gone into administration.
Retail round-up: what the weekend papers said, January 10-11, 2009

12-Jan-2009
The weekend papers were dominated with forecasts for Tesco ahead of its crucial trading update tomorrow.
Office faces loss of supplier credit insurance despite strong trading

12-Jan-2009
Footwear chain Office may become the latest retailer to have supplier credit insurance pulled following the collapse of its stablemate USC.
Primark launches investigation into supplier

12-Jan-2009
Primark is conducting an investigation into one of its key suppliers after an undercover probe found illegal immigrants were being employed at just over half the minimum wage.
M and M Direct festive sales surge 31%

9-Jan-2009
M and M Direct has become the latest online retailer to report a strong Christmas, with sales up 31 per cent in the 10 weeks to January 4.
Shop Direct Group online sales soar

9-Jan-2009
Shop Direct Group sales climbed 9 per cent in the six weeks to January 2 as more shoppers took advantage of later online delivery deadlines in the run-up to Christmas.
Gap sales fall as shoppers delay Christmas purchases

9-Jan-2009
A challenging December in the US hit fashion giant Gap, with like-for-like sales falling 14 per cent over the month.
Next profit on course as Sale strategy pays

9-Jan-2009
Next has stood firm on its discounting strategy and will be clear of much of its Sale stock by the end of this week, despite lengthy and deep price cuts by its competitors.
Jones confident of JJB turnaround

9-Jan-2009
The new management team put in place at JJB has vowed that there is a future for the beleaguered sports chain.
My-wardrobe Christmas sales rocket

8-Jan-2009
E-tailer My-wardrobe.com has reported a sparkling Christmas with sales up 210 per cent like for like in December.
Interest rate cut to record low of 1.5%

8-Jan-2009
Interest rates have been slashed to a historic low of 1.5 per cent.
CD and DVD sales continue to beat downloads

7-Jan-2009
DVD and CD sales continue to outperform the growing download market, according to research released today.
Republic heads for record year after strong Christmas

6-Jan-2009
Republic has been buoyed by a more recession resistant young fashion market to report strong sales growth over Christmas as it guns for a record year.
Carpetright eyes up rivals

6-Jan-2009
Carpetright has laid out medium term growth plans which will include acquisitions in a year’s time.
Negative trading statements soar in fourth quarter

5-Jan-2009
Stores unveiled a record number of negative trading updates during the the fourth quarter of 2008 – a figure that has only ever been equalled in the first quarter of 2005.
Adams to close 111 stores

5-Jan-2009
Adams Childrenswear will close 111 stores today, creating 850 redundancies, following the collapse of the retail chain.
Passion for Perfume collapses into administration

5-Jan-2009
Update: Perfume retailer Passion for Perfume has been placed into administration.
Mosaic in talks to secure its future

5-Jan-2009
Fashion group Mosaic is to begin talks with its lenders in an attempt to secure the future of the business.
Blooming Marvellous on the brink of administration

5-Jan-2009
Maternity specialist Blooming Marvellous is the latest retailer to be teetering on the brink of administration, according to reports.
M&S expected to report worst Christmas trading in a decade

5-Jan-2009
The new year will bring little cheer for retailers with Marks & Spencer expected to report its worst Christmas trading performance in a decade.
11th hour Woolworths deal could save 125 stores

24-Dec-2008
The fate of Woolworths is now hanging on a £30 million deal that could see the failed chain stay on the UK high street in 125 stores.
Tesco to launch £100 million sale on Boxing Day

24-Dec-2008
Tesco is the latest in a long line of retailers to announce its biggest ever sale.
Allied Carpets put up for sale

24-Dec-2008
Allied Carpets has been put up for sale by its French owner, which is seeking an exit from the struggling UK high street.
The Officers Club chief executive rescues chain from administration

24-Dec-2008
Menswear chain The Officers Club has been rescued from administration by its chief executive Dave Charlton.
Whittard bought out of administration in pre-pack deal

23-Dec-2008
Whittard of Chelsea has been rescued by private equity group Epic in a pre-pack administration deal.
Debenhams post-Christmas Sale to be 'biggest ever'

23-Dec-2008
Debenhams has unveiled plans for its biggest ever Sale with thousands of products up to 70 per cent off across its stores.
Cosmetics sales rise as women turn to smaller purchases

23-Dec-2008
Cosmetics sales at companies such as L'Oréal have surged as the economic downturn drives women to forgo larger purchases and instead treat themselves to smaller items.
JJB shuts five Qube stores

22-Dec-2008
JJB Sports has closed five of its Qube stores as turmoil for the struggling chain continues to mount.
Retail round-up: what the Sunday papers said, December 21, 2008

22-Dec-2008
All the weekend papers ran stories on the huge discounting across the high street that retailer’s were hoping would bring last minute cheers at the end of a dismal year.
£100 million Christmas day spend expected online

22-Dec-2008
Shoppers are expected to spend over £100 million on Christmas day this year with 5 million people set to go online.
Farepak customers still waiting for compensation

22-Dec-2008
Customers of collapsed Christmas hamper group Farepak will have to wait till next year to receive compensation from its liquidators.
Mixed reports on crucial weekend trading

22-Dec-2008
There have been mixed reports this morning about weekend trading that retailers hoped would bring a last minute Christmas rush onto the high street.
Poundland to open more stores

18-Dec-2008
Poundland plans to open a further 35 stores in its next financial year as it continues to benefit from the consumer downturn.
Big loss for Arcandor as Karstadt costs soar

18-Dec-2008
Arcandor has revealed full-year net losses of 745.7 million (£663.7 million), as restructuring and tough trading at its department store chain Karstadt continued to pull down the German group’s earnings.
Topshop extends contract with Kate Moss

17-Dec-2008
Topshop has extended its contract with model Kate Moss for her eponymous clothing range.
Printemps evacuated after bomb threat

16-Dec-2008
Parisian department store Printemps had to be evacuated today after explosives were found in the famous shop.
Tesco launches football shirt site

16-Dec-2008
Tesco has dealt another blow to the beleaguered sports retailers JJB and Sports Direct by launching a football shirt offer online.
Debenhams to open first store in Iran

16-Dec-2008
Debenhams is to open Iran’s first ever department store in the country’s capital, Tehran.
Sunday round-up: what the Sunday papers said on December 14, 2008

15-Dec-2008
DSGi chief executive John Browett has said to staff that it will take four years for the electricals retailer to return to pre-recession levels of trading.
Strategic Retail suspends shares

15-Dec-2008
The shares for Fads owner Strategic Retail have been suspended this morning after it placed three of its subsidiaries into administration.
Discounts fail to lift sales in London in November

15-Dec-2008
Sales in London took a hit in November as discounts and promotions across retail stores failed to tempt shoppers to spend.
Tommy Hilfiger's Fred Gehring: Rock on Tommy

11-Dec-2008
Tommy Hilfiger chief Fred Gehring’s move to revive the brand’s sophistication has helped protect it against the downturn. He tells Lisa Berwin how music tie-ups have played their part.
Sales finally pick up as festive rush starts

11-Dec-2008
The high street has reported a much-needed uplift in sales since the beginning of December as Christmas shoppers finally loosen their purse strings.
Tesco launches half-price Christmas Sale

11-Dec-2008
Tesco is launching a huge half-price Sale today in an attempt to lure more shoppers in the run-up to Christmas.
Banks defer JJB Sports bridging loan repayment

10-Dec-2008
Banks have given beleaguered sports retailer JJB Sports some breathing space by deferring its repayment of a £20 million bridging loan from Kaupthing, which had been due to be repaid next week.
Blacks transfers O'Neill wholesale operation

10-Dec-2008
Blacks Leisure has transferred the operation of its O’Neill wholesale business in the UK to O’Neill Europe.
'Mega Monday' delivers biggest sales online

9-Dec-2008
“Mega Monday” delivered a strong sales lift for retailers who enjoyed their biggest day of online sales so far this year, despite traffic failing to reach an expected peak.
Waitrose growth slows as discounters gain market share

9-Dec-2008
Waitrose has suffered from negative year-on-year growth for the first time in recent years, slipping 0.7 per cent in the 12 weeks to November 30.
Oxford Street festival draws 2 million shoppers

8-Dec-2008
More than 2 million shoppers flooded London's West End this weekend taking advantage of big retail discounts and a traffic-free Regent Street and Oxford Street in the run-up to Christmas, it was claimed today.
Oxford Street festival attracts 2 million shoppers

8-Dec-2008
More than 2 million shoppers flooded London's West End this weekend taking advantage of big retail discounts and a traffic-free Regent Street and Oxford Street in the run-up to Christmas, it was claimed today.
Supermarkets pull Irish pork products from shelves

8-Dec-2008
Supermarkets have had to pull products containing Irish pork from shelves after a contamination scare.
Ex-Kroll chief David Buchler circles Woolworths

8-Dec-2008
David Buchler, former chairman of the European division of turnaround specialist Kroll, has emerged as the latest potential bidder for Woolworths.
Carphone Warehouse co-founder resigns after shares controversy

8-Dec-2008
Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross has resigned after it was found he was using his shares in the retailer as security for personal loans.
90% of Christmas shoppers to go online

5-Dec-2008
This year 90 per cent of shoppers will turn to the internet to research and buy their Christmas gifts.
Gap sales continue to fall

4-Dec-2008
Sales at US fashion giant Gap have continued to fall, with total sales in the four weeks to November 29 down 10 per cent to US$1.39 billion (£949.7 million).
Shop Direct's Mark Newton-Jones: On the double

4-Dec-2008
It’s been an exciting three years for Shop Direct Group chief Mark Newton-Jones, since Littlewoods’ merger with rival GUS. Lisa Berwin finds out how the turnaround is progressing.
Thanksgiving spend gets 7.2 per cent lift

4-Dec-2008
Deep discounting by US retailers lured shoppers into stores for the start of the country’s crucial Thanksgiving Sales last weekend.
DSGi vows to beat the crunch as it posts loss

4-Dec-2008
DSGi chief executive John Browett has been examining the impact of recessions as far back as 1929 to learn lessons about surviving the toughest of times.
Reiss to review price points as profits fall

4-Dec-2008
Reiss is considering dropping its entry price points as it seeks to attract more customers after suffering a fall in UK operating profit.
Amazon launches digital download offer

3-Dec-2008
Amazon has launched its long-awaited digital music download service, Amazon MP3.
New rates bill could increase retailers' costs further

3-Dec-2008
Retailers could be facing new tax costs from local authorities who use powers they are set to gain under the Business Rates Supplements Bill which was announced after the Queen’s Speech today.
Uniqlo mulls UK and US acquisitions

3-Dec-2008
Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo is understood to be looking for acquisitions in the UK and the US.
VAT cut fails to drive shoppers online

2-Dec-2008
VAT reductions on Monday failed to drive bigger sales or traffic for retailers online.
OFT probes Sports Direct and JJB

2-Dec-2008
The Office of Fair Trading is examining whether a merger between JJB Sports and its rival Sports Direct is on the cards and whether any such merger would need to be referred to the Competition Commission.
Republic EBITDA soars

2-Dec-2008
Fashion retailer Republic has reported a rise of over 30 per cent in EBITDA to £17.2 million for the year to January 27.
Trading below expectations at Stylo

2-Dec-2008
Shoe retailer Stylo has continued to be hit by tough conditions on the high street, announcing today that trading in the four weeks since October 31 had been below expectations.
Park Group pre-tax losses narrow

2-Dec-2008
Christmas hamper specialist Park Group has reduced its pre-tax losses by 17 per cent to £3.2 million in the six months to September 30.
JD Sports Fashion like-for-like sales slow

2-Dec-2008
Like-for-like sales at JD Sports Fashion have been hit by the difficult economic climate and strong comparatives from last year.
Barclays appoints Grant Thornton to JJB Sports

1-Dec-2008
Barclays Bank has appointed Grant Thornton to advise it on JJB Sports’ future plans as the retailer revealed this morning that it has exchanged the contracts for four of its stores to Sports Direct.
Land of Leather confirms interest in business

1-Dec-2008
Land of Leather has confirmed that it has received a number of expressions of interest to buy its furniture retail business.
Reiss sales rise as profits dip

28-Nov-2008
Fashion retailer Reiss has revealed sales growth of 18 per cent to £67 million for the year to January 31.
JD Sports mulls bid for rival JJB

28-Nov-2008
JD Sports Fashion is said to be considering a bid for rival JJB Sports.
Woolworths circled by potential buyers

28-Nov-2008
Potential buyers have come flooding in for both Woolworths’ stores and for the business as a whole.
Consumer confidence still poor in November

28-Nov-2008
Customer confidence has improved slightly but still remains low, the latest GfK NOP Christmas survey data shows.
John Lewis slashes prices to match House of Fraser Sale

27-Nov-2008
John Lewis has become the latest retailer to slash its prices, offering 25 per cent off branded goods to match prices at House of Fraser’s two-day Sale which began on Thursday.
Findel profits up

27-Nov-2008
Home shopping group Findel has reported a total pre-tax profit of £5.7 million in the six months to September 30, up from £2.5 million the year before.
Sir Tom Hunter will not bid for Flying Brands

21-Nov-2008
Retail billionaire Sir Tom Hunter has dropped his bid to buy multichannel retailer Flying Brands.
Burberry venture to tap Middle Eastern promise

20-Nov-2008
Luxury retailer Burberry is putting its faith in emerging markets as trade generally continues to be “volatile”.
Jaeger fashions line to toast 125th milestone

20-Nov-2008
Jaeger will celebrate its 125th birthday in style next year with a special heritage fas-hion collection.
MK One in administration again

20-Nov-2008
Value fashion retailer MK One has once again fallen into administration.
Puma stops supplying JJB Sports

20-Nov-2008
One of JJB Sports' biggest suppliers, Puma, is understood to stopped supplying its product to the sports retailer.
Carphone Warehouse confirms potential business split

18-Nov-2008
Carphone Warehouse chief executive Charles Dunstone has confirmed that he is looking at splitting the retail and broadband arms of the business as the company reported EBITDA growth of 51 per cent to £112 million in the 26 weeks to September 27.
Retail round-up: what the Sunday papers said, November 16, 2008

17-Nov-2008
Marks & Spencer is set to announce a reorganisation of its womenswear business. Details are expected to be revealed to staff today, said The Mail on Sunday.
Next expected to make job cuts

17-Nov-2008
Next is the latest in a long list of retailers expected to instigate job losses to cut costs.
Asos sales and profits soar

17-Nov-2008
Online fashion retailer Asos has once again defied the economic downturn, reporting a jump in pre-tax profits of 68 per cent to £4.1 million for the six months to September 30.
Arev partners leave the business

14-Nov-2008
Arev, the investment vehicle behind retail investments including Jones Bootmaker, Blooming Marvellous and Mountain Warehouse, has suffered an exodus of its partners following the failure of its Icelandic backers to provide future funding for its investments.
Long Tall Sally back in black after a decade

13-Nov-2008
Specialist fashion retailer Long Tall Sally has made an operating profit for the first time in 10 years, according to owner and retail entrepreneur Maurice Helfgott.
More Otto jobs under threat in costs review

13-Nov-2008
Otto UK has revealed its on-going review could have an impact across all departments after entering into a consultation period with its buying and creative teams.
Shoe retailer Shuropody to up footprint to 100 stores

13-Nov-2008
Shoe and footcare retailer Shuropody has laid out ambitious plans to turn over more than £50 million within five years.
Aldi set to offer cheap holidays on travel site

12-Nov-2008
Discounter Aldi is set to launch a travel website offering customers cheap holidays.
New chief executive for Instore

12-Nov-2008
Instore, which also trades as Poundstretcher, has appointed Aziz Tyub as its new chief executive.
Shop Direct earnings rocket

12-Nov-2008
EBITDA at Shop Direct Group soared 130 per cent to £60.9 million last year.
Profits soar for La Senza

11-Nov-2008
Pre-tax profits at lingerie specialist La Senza soared to £10.3 million for the year to March 29, up 71.7 per cent from £6 million the year before.
Hardy Amies UK stores to close following sale to Fung Capital

11-Nov-2008
Updated: Hardie Amies’ six UK stores are to close by the end of the month following the brand’s acquisition by a new investor.
Tesco begins fight against 'competition test'

11-Nov-2008
Tesco is starting its fight today against the Competition Commission’s recommended new planning rules.
More than 100 Otto UK jobs at risk

10-Nov-2008
Otto UK is considering moving its buying and merchandising departments to Germany, which could affect more than 100 jobs at the multichannel retailer.
Net-a-Porter chief Sven Gaede resigns

10-Nov-2008
Net-a-Porter’s chief executive Sven Gaede has resigned less than six months after joining the business.
Downturn triggers rise in retail crime

10-Nov-2008
The economic downturn is having a growing impact on shoplifting with thefts at Tesco up more than a third this year.
Christmas e-tail sales to rise 15 per cent

10-Nov-2008
Online spend will continue to grow this Christmas with year-on-year sales expected to rise 15 per cent.
Majestic Wine profits tumble

10-Nov-2008
Pre-tax profits at Majestic Wine have plummeted more than 25 per cent to £5.6 million for the 26 weeks to September 29.
EBTM sales rise

7-Nov-2008
Sales for online music and clothing retailer EBTM increased by 17 per cent in the 24 weeks to October 17.
Sales pick up at John Lewis

7-Nov-2008
Sales have begun to improve at John Lewis, down just 1.3 per cent last week, helped by the cold snap in the weather.
Sainsbury's King defends food imports

7-Nov-2008
Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King will defend the importing of food despite concerns over food miles.
Christmas sales expected to be flat

7-Nov-2008
Christmas is unlikely to bring a great deal of festive cheer to beleaguered retailers, with sales expected to be flat over the crucial period.
Blacks banking on late Christmas sales surge

6-Nov-2008
Blacks Leisure is bracing itself for a late Christmas sales rush this year.
Urban Outfitters like-for-like sales jump

6-Nov-2008
Like-for-like sales at US fashion and lifestyle retailer Urban Outfitters climbed 10 per cent across its fascias in the three months to October 31.
Profits hit at Ideal Shopping Direct

5-Nov-2008
TV shopping group Ideal Shopping Direct has issued a profit warning, blaming current market conditions which have had a negative impact on sales.
Next confident on profits despite like-for-like fall

5-Nov-2008
Next has said it still expects its full-year profits to be in line with market expectations, despite continued difficult trading.
Jaeger appoints new design director

4-Nov-2008
Jaeger has appointed Stuart Stockdale as its new design director.
Verdict: Slow Christmas growth expected

4-Nov-2008
Total retail spend over the crucial Christmas period is expected to rise just 2 per cent to £82.3 billion.
Primark profits up 17 per cent

4-Nov-2008
Adjusted operating profit at value clothing giant Primark rose 17 per cent to £233 million, with sales up 21 per cent to £1.9 billion, in the year to September 13.
H&M’s Magnus Olsson: Swede success

30-Oct-2008
H&M has transformed the UK fashion market. In a rare interview, UK boss Magnus Olsson tells Lisa Berwin the secret of its success and why the downturn could be an opportunity.
Mothercare to target US with Gurgle move

23-Oct-2008
Mothercare is testing the appetite for its products and services in the US with the launch of its networking site Gurgle.
Tillman: weather fashion’s worst enemy, not economy

23-Oct-2008
The weather is continuing to have the greatest impact on fashion sales, despite the increased pressure of the economic downturn, Jaeger chairman and head of the British Fashion Council Harold Tillman said this week.
Gap reviews ad spend and focuses on online business

23-Oct-2008
Gap has overhauled its marketing strategy and outlined plans to generate growth from its international and online businesses.
Jacques-Antoine Granjon: UK Confidential

23-Oct-2008
France’s leading private sales web site Vente-Privee may have chosen a precarious time to launch in the UK, but founder Jacques-Antoine Granjon says the potential is there. He tells Lisa Berwin why.
My-wardrobe.com hires new finance director

22-Oct-2008
Online fashion e-tailer My-wardrobe.com has appointed a new finance director.
Scotland: Worst retail sales growth since March 2006

22-Oct-2008
Retail sales growth in Scotland was at its slowest rate in two and a half years in September, as consumer confidence and rising living costs squeezed spending.
Arcadia to double size of Topshop chain

22-Oct-2008
Sir Philip Green will double the size of his Topshop and Topman chains in the next five years.
New chief financial officer for Woolworths

22-Oct-2008
Woolworths has appointed a new chief financial officer to replace Stephen East.
Flying Brands sales fall

21-Oct-2008
Sales for multi-channel retailer Flying Brands have fallen 19 per cent to £7.5 million in the three months to September 26.
Asda overtakes Primark for clothing sales

21-Oct-2008
Asda has edged ahead of Primark to become Britain’s second-largest clothing retailer by volume.
Selfridges’ Oxford Street windows closed in asbestos scare

20-Oct-2008
Selfridges has been forced to close some of its Oxford Street window displays after asbestos was found.
UK shoppers least likely to pay more for green products

20-Oct-2008
UK shoppers are the least willing to pay extra for greener products, a global study by TNS has found.
Retail crime a threat as economy slows

20-Oct-2008
Retailers face increasing crime levels as the economic slowdown threatens to wipe out efforts made to reduce retail crime in the past year.
Sports Direct acquires 5% stake in JJB

20-Oct-2008
Sports Direct has snapped up a 5 per cent stake in rival JJB to help shore up the struggling sports chain.
Redcats staff vote against strike action

16-Oct-2008
Redcats employees have voted against strike action following a dispute over pay.
Play.com launches ticket sales service

16-Oct-2008
Entertainment e-tailer Play.com has launched its own ticket-selling service.
Amazon offers free delivery on orders over £5

16-Oct-2008
Amazon UK has reduced the threshold for free delivery from £15 to £5, in an attempt to drive sales in the run-up to Christmas.
Adams eyes global growth as overseas arm flourishes

15-Oct-2008
Adams Childrenswear is embarking on a global push as it exploits opportunities for growth in Asia and the Middle East.
Asda drops petrol prices to under £1 per litre

15-Oct-2008
Asda has intensified its position in the war on petrol prices, by being the first retailer this year to drop the price of a litre to under £1.
Solid growth for Kurt Geiger

15-Oct-2008
Luxury shoe chain Kurt Geiger's EBITDA grew more than 24 per cent to £10 million in the year to February 2.
JD in talks to buy Qube and OSC from JJB

15-Oct-2008
JD Sports Fashion is thought to be in talks with JJB Sports to buy the Qube and Original Shoe Company chains from its struggling rival.
Gap expands Stephen Sunnucks' role

14-Oct-2008
Gap has expanded the role of European president Stephen Sunnucks who will now be president of Europe and international strategic alliances.
Inflation hits 5.2 per cent

14-Oct-2008
UK inflation continued to rise hitting 5.2 per cent in September, pushed up by rises in gas and electricity bills.
JJB Sports looks to sell non-core assets

14-Oct-2008
Struggling sports retailer JJB is reviewing the potential sale of its non-core assets to maximise value for its shareholders.
Retail round-up: what the Sunday papers said on October 12, 2008

13-Oct-2008
The Independent on Sunday reported that Iceland founder Malcolm Walker has ended his interest in buying Woolworths and is instead looking at buying up the chunks of his group owned by Baugur.
Boden buoyed by US growth

13-Oct-2008
Multichannel fashion retailer Boden increased pre-tax profits more than 20 per cent to £27.4 million in the year to December 31.
Sir Philip Green in talks to buy £2bn Baugur debt

13-Oct-2008
Baugur chairman Jón sgeir Jóhannesson has admitted he could lose control of his UK retail business as Sir Philip Green considers buying about £2 billion worth of debt from failed Icelandic banks.
Play.com widens digital offer

9-Oct-2008
Play.com has extended its digital download store to include tracks and albums from all four major music labels.
Why the Icelandic turmoil should spook UK retail

9-Oct-2008
The turmoil in Iceland is the biggest, if not the only, retail story to dominate the news this week, sending palpable shivers down the spine of some in the UK stores sector.
Landlords send bailiffs to JJB Sports stores

9-Oct-2008
Beleaguered sports retailer JJB Sports was dealt another blow as bailiffs were sent in to at least 12 of its stores last week.
N Brown shopper base shields it as profits rise

9-Oct-2008
Home shopping group N Brown has said that broader ranges and its core customer base of older consumers helped it sail through stormy conditions to increased profits.
Management buys Joy out of administration

8-Oct-2008
Fashion and homewares retailer Joy has been bought out of administration, saving around 150 jobs.
Thorntons sales rise

8-Oct-2008
Thorntons has reported sales growth across its business of 6.4 per cent to £45.7 million for the 14 weeks to October 4.
Animal appoints Kevin Keaney as new chief

7-Oct-2008
Surfing specialist retailer and wholesaler Animal has appointed Kevin Keaney as its new chief executive.
Winser to head Aquascutum management buy-out

7-Oct-2008
Aquascutum chief executive Kim Winser is preparing for a management buy-out as its Japanese parent seeks to sell the retail business.
N Brown continues to defy the downturn

7-Oct-2008
Home shopping group N Brown continued to defy the downturn with pre-tax profits soaring 19.6 per cent to £40.8 million in the six months to August 30.
Retail round-up: what the Sunday papers said on October 5, 2008

6-Oct-2008
Several of the Sunday papers reported that JJB Sports has had its credit insurance pulled by insurer Coface.
Retailers face insolvency in new year

6-Oct-2008
Hundreds of UK retailers face the risk of going bust in the new year.
JJB loses supplier credit insurance

6-Oct-2008
JJB Sports faces further uncertainty after the UK’s largest credit insurer Coface decided to pull the cover for its suppliers.
Kesa appoints new chief executive

6-Oct-2008
Kesa Electricals has appointed a new chief executive Thierry Falque-Pierrotin to replace Jean-Noël Labroue, who has decided to retire.
Holland & Barrett promotes Aldis to top role

3-Oct-2008
Health food retailer Holland & Barrett has appointed Peter Aldis as chief executive.
Nick Samuel joins Adili board

3-Oct-2008
Former Hobbs boss Nick Samuel has joined ethical e-tailer Adili as non-executive chairman, as it reported a loss of £1.58 million its first full-year results as a listed company.
French retail market will be ‘first to bounce back’

2-Oct-2008
The French retail market is set to prove more resilient than its European counterparts as industry observers predict the country will lead a European retail recovery next year.
Next buys fashion brand Lipsy

2-Oct-2008
Next has bought fashion brand Lipsy for £17.4 million.
Greenwoods signs with Chinese giants Bosideng for retail expansion

2-Oct-2008
Greenwoods Menswear is set to open 100 stores in the UK after investment from Chinese retailer and manufacturer Bosideng International.
Miss Sixty falls into administration

1-Oct-2008
Sixty UK, the business behind young fashion brand Miss Sixty, has gone into administration.
Asos sales continue to defy gloom

1-Oct-2008
Sales at fashion e-tailer Asos have soared 104 per cent in the last six months as online continues to defy the credit crunch.
Shop Direct Group axes jobs after restructuring

30-Sep-2008
Up to 70 people are expected to lose their jobs at Shop Direct Group after a management restructuring.
Mexx hunts new chief for turnaround

29-Sep-2008
Mexx is on the hunt for a new chief executive officer to help it accelerate the turnaround of its business.
Asos targets top e-tail fashion spot

29-Sep-2008
Asos has set its sights on toppling Next off the top spot to become the UK’s biggest fashion web site.
MFI rescued by management buy-out

29-Sep-2008
MFI has been saved from administration in an 11th-hour rescue deal that will allow the management to buy the beleaguered furniture chain.
Jessops extends its banking facilities

29-Sep-2008
Photographic retailer Jessops has agreed an extension of its banking facilities to the end of 2011.
JJB denies breaching banking covenants

26-Sep-2008
Sporting clothes and accessories retailer JJB Sports has denied claims that it has breached its banking covenants.
MFI in emergency talks with landlords

26-Sep-2008
MFI is reported to be in emergency talks with landlords over the future of its rental terms.
VentePrivee targets sales of 500m with UK web debut

25-Sep-2008
French online shopping site VentePrivee is targeting annual sales of at least 500 million (£397.3 million) in the UK.
JD Sports is a cut above

25-Sep-2008
JD Sports Fashion’s stellar results may have come as a surprise to many, especially those who have been following the fortunes of its sportswear competitors, JJB Sports and Sports Direct.
Southgate: Work resumes at Bath scheme after fire

25-Sep-2008
Work has resumed on the Multi Development Southgate scheme in Bath following a fire on the site this week.
Anthropologie appoints managing director for Europe

24-Sep-2008
US fashion retailer Anthropologie has appointed James Bidwell as managing director for Europe to advance the chain’s growth into the UK and Europe.
HMV joins British Retail Consortium

24-Sep-2008
HMV Group – including the eponymous brand and Waterstone's – has become the latest member of the British Retail Consortium.
Park Group sales rocket as customers spread cost of Christmas

23-Sep-2008
Christmas savings retailer Park Group has been buoyed by the economic downturn as cash-strapped families save further ahead for Christmas.
Park Group sales rocket as customers spread cost of Christmas

23-Sep-2008
Christmas savings retailer Park Group has been buoyed by the economic downturn as cash-strapped families save further ahead for Christmas.
What the Sunday papers said – September 21, 2008

22-Sep-2008
The Sunday Express led on its front page with an optimistic high street story claiming that consumer confidence is returning after the FTSE 100 had its biggest one-day rally on Friday.
Retail round-up: what the Sunday papers said on September 21, 2008

22-Sep-2008
OFT to investigate Tesco’s Devon planning application, more bad news for Mike Ashley and high street optimism in The Sunday Express.
Retail round-up: what the Sunday papers said on September 21, 2008

22-Sep-2008
OFT to investigate Tesco’s Devon planning application, more bad news for Mike Ashley and high street optimism in The Sunday Express.
Woolworths launches price offensive on DVDs

22-Sep-2008
Woolworths has launched a price war on DVDs this week, with what it claims is an unprecedented offer to sell all chart releases for less than £10.
Woolworths launches price offensive on DVDs

22-Sep-2008
Woolworths has launched a price war on DVDs this week, with what it claims is an unprecedented offer to sell all chart releases for less than £10.
Kingfisher to move HQ abroad

22-Sep-2008
B&Q owner Kingfisher is considering moving headquarters out of the UK in an effort to save money.
Kingfisher to move HQ abroad

22-Sep-2008
B&Q owner Kingfisher is considering moving headquarters out of the UK in an effort to save money.
Cost of living soars in August

22-Sep-2008
The cost of living in the UK rose 7.4 per cent in August, leaving the average family £11 worse off a week, according to Asda’s income tracker.
Cost of living soars in August

22-Sep-2008
The cost of living in the UK rose 7.4 per cent in August, leaving the average family £11 worse off a week, according to Asda’s income tracker.
Crunch drives sales at discount grocers

16-Sep-2008
Grocery sales rose 7.3 per cent in the 12 weeks to September 7, according to the TNS Worldpanel grocery market share figures, as inflation fuelled sales.
Mamas & Papas to enter Russia

16-Sep-2008
Maternity and nursery retailer Mamas & Papas has signed a franchise agreement to enter Russia.
Retail round-up: the Sunday papers – September 14, 2008

15-Sep-2008
The Sunday Telegraph reported that value retailer Poundland is to be put up for sale by private equity owner Advent International, which invested in the retailer in 2002.
London retail outperforms UK again

15-Sep-2008
Retail sales in London continued to outperform the rest of the UK in August, up 8.2 per cent on last year, according to the BRC-KPMG's London Retail Sales Monitor.
Ideal warns on profits

15-Sep-2008
Ideal Shopping Direct has issued a profit warning this morning, as the TV shopping group revealed its first-half results.
Next chief executive: Inflation will knock fashion next year

11-Sep-2008
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson has warned that cost-price inflation is likely to hit fashion retailers by early next year.
John Gildersleeve set to join Figleaves as chairman

11-Sep-2008
Lingerie e-tailer Figleaves has drafted in retail big-hitter John Gildersleeve as non-executive chairman.
Toogood retires from Carpetright board

11-Sep-2008
Martin Toogood has retired from his role of non-executive director at Carpetright.
Faith chiefs exit as chain nears administration

10-Sep-2008
Senior management at shoe chain Faith are set to leave the business as it is expected the chain will be put into administration this afternoon.
Next remains cautious as profits fall

10-Sep-2008
Next has posted a fall of 12.4 per cent in pre-tax profits in its first half to July, down to £173.5 million for the period.
Topshop launches US site and new Kate Moss range

9-Sep-2008
Kate Moss’s new collection launched at Topshop today along with a US web site for Topshop and Topman ahead of the fashion store’s debut in the US later this year.
Asda to scrap celebrities for new-look George ads

8-Sep-2008
Asda has ditched Coleen Rooney as the face of its clothing label George.
M&S mole speaks out

8-Sep-2008
The man at the centre of the Marks & Spencer whistleblower case has claimed that the retailer carries out intense surveillance of staff, causing a “culture of fear”.
MFI eyes merger with rival

8-Sep-2008
Beleaguered furniture retailer MFI could merge with a competitor.
M&S hits back in sacking row

5-Sep-2008
Marks & Spencer has hit back with a scathing attack on the GMB union in the row over the sacking of its “whistle-blower” employee.
Asos discount site goes live

5-Sep-2008
Fashion e-tailer Asos has today launched its discount site Asos Red, www.asos.com/Red.
Credit crunch will drive Christmas shoppers online

5-Sep-2008
Up to 68 per cent of shoppers are planning to shop online for Christmas presents this year.
Kaboodle to launch UK site in overseas expansion drive

4-Sep-2008
US social shopping web site Kaboodle is to launch in the UK next year as part of intern-ational expansion.
Ex-Unwins directors may face legal action

4-Sep-2008
The former directors of off-licence Unwins could face legal action after a two year investigation into the failed retail chain.
Fast Retailing eyes global growth

4-Sep-2008
Japanese clothing giant Fast Retailing is to take on the Russian and Indian markets where it will open Uniqlo stores.
Suits You reveals new look

3-Sep-2008
Formal menswear chain Suits You has unveiled its first new-look store at Dudley’s Merry Hill shopping centre.
Adili seeks extra funding

2-Sep-2008
Ethical fashion e-tailer Adili is seeking additional funding by issuing share capital to its largest investor Hawk Investments.
Jil Sander changes hands

1-Sep-2008
Private equity firm Change Capital Partners has sold luxury fashion retailer Jil Sander to Tokyo-listed apparel group Onward and its European subsidiary GIBO, for €167 million (£135.5 million).
What the Sunday papers said – September 1, 2008

1-Sep-2008
John Lewis’ UK expansion plans could be curtailed by the credit crunch, according to The Independent on Sunday.
BRC slams supermarket promotions report

1-Sep-2008
The British Retail Consortium has hit out at a report published today that claims supermarkets are offering more discounts on fatty and sugary foods than fruit and vegetables.
Family finances stretched in August

1-Sep-2008
A survey by German discount grocer Aldi has found that the average UK family spent an extra £500 in August, adding more pressure to already overstretched purses.
Adams stabilises as it reveals £1.3m profit

29-Aug-2008
Adams Childrenswear has announced an operating profit of £1.3 million in its first year of trading since retail entrepreneur John Shannon rescued the business from administration.
Asda leads charge against tax on empty property

28-Aug-2008
Asda has given its backing to a campaign by the British Property Federation (BPF) and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) against stealth tax on empty property.
M&S suspends employee over leaked pay story

27-Aug-2008
A Marks & Spencer head office employee who contacted the media regarding the retailer’s plans to cut redundancy pay for staff has been suspended.
Aldi becomes latest BRC member

26-Aug-2008
German discount giant Aldi is the latest retailer to become a member of the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Baugur still in frame for Saks

21-Aug-2008
Baugur has put itself firmly back in the frame to buy US department store chain Saks.
A-Wear to open first UK store

21-Aug-2008
Young Irish fashion brand A-Wear will open its first standalone store in the UK on September 4 at Leicester’s new Highcross centre.
HoF breathes new life into own-brand offer

21-Aug-2008
House of Fraser has revamped its own-brands as it unveils robust first half trading results.
EBay to woo retailers with new fee system

21-Aug-2008
EBay has outlined ambitious plans to attract more retailers to its site to sell fix-priced merchandise as it seeks to ditch its flea market image.
Findel quells City debt fears with sales climb

21-Aug-2008
Home shopping group Findel has shaken off bad debt fears and posted a rise in sales. The retailer reported 2 per cent growth in group sales for the 19 weeks to August 15.
M and M Direct relaunches site to snare value seekers

21-Aug-2008
Online discount fashion retailer M and M Direct has revamped its offer to take advantage of the surge in bargain hunters created by the credit crunch.
Spring in Debenhams’ step

21-Aug-2008
Next month, Cortefiel will finally make its much-anticipated entry into the UK market, when its eponymous fascia and young-fashion label Springfield launches in Debenhams.
Cortefiel to launch in UK with Debenhams

20-Aug-2008
Spanish fashion giant Cortefiel is to make its UK debut with an exclusive deal with Debenhams.
Online sales hit £4.8 billion in July

20-Aug-2008
Wet weather drove more shoppers online in July, when e-tail sales reached £4.8 billion for the month.
Jumper enters administration

18-Aug-2008
Lancashire-based fashion chain Jumper has fallen into administration.
Airport retail bucks economic slump

18-Aug-2008
Airport retail is beating the economic downturn and sales are expected to hit £30 billion this year.
Woolworths rejects Iceland takeover approach

18-Aug-2008
Woolworths has rebuffed a takeover approach by Iceland founder Malcolm Walker claiming that it undervalued the retail chain.
Gap to take the plunge into UK e-tail market

15-Aug-2008
Gap will launch a transactional web site in the UK as it seeks to bolster its European business despite axing its London-based European design team.
Man shot during Sainsbury’s robbery

15-Aug-2008
A man has been shot during a foiled robbery at a Sainsbury’s store in London.
Shop Direct strike looms as pay dispute escalates

15-Aug-2008
Home shopping giant Shop Direct Group faces the prospect of a crippling strike by key operational staff in a dispute over pay.
Wet weather drives sales at John Lewis

15-Aug-2008
Poor weather last week has lifted sales at John Lewis, which were up 9.3 per cent in the week to August 9.
Faith sale on cards as restructuring specialist hired

15-Aug-2008
Shoe chain Faith could be sold in a fire-sale, after lenders to its owner Bridgepoint appointed restructuring specialist FTI Consulting.
Tesco caught up in Turkish bribe scandal

15-Aug-2008
Tesco has unwittingly found itself in the centre of a political scandal in Turkey.
Autumn outlook bleak as retail sales slip again

14-Aug-2008
Heavy clearance Sales across the high street failed to lift July retail sales, which fell 0.9 per cent like-for-like.
Vodafone to ramp up retail presence

14-Aug-2008
Vodafone is eyeing another 50 retail stores in the UK and hiring 500 staff to try and improve customer service.
Olympic hopefuls

14-Aug-2008
As the London 2012 Olympics nears, British retailers need to prepare themselves for a once in a lifetime opportunity. Lisa Berwin reports.
Zara takes global fashion top spot

13-Aug-2008
Zara has overtaken Gap to become the largest fashion retailer by sales in the world.
Tiffany appeals against eBay court victory

12-Aug-2008
US jeweller Tiffany has lodged an appeal against the court ruling that found in favour of eBay following a dispute over counterfeit goods on its site.
Gap sales continue to fall

7-Aug-2008
Sales at US fashion giant Gap fell 11 per cent in July on a like-for-like basis.
OFT clears Home Retail acquisition of Focus stores

7-Aug-2008
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has approved the sale of 27 Focus stores to Home Retail Group.
Sir Tom Hunter eyes Flying Brands

7-Aug-2008
Multichannel retailer Flying Brands has confirmed an offer approach from Scottish billionaire Sir Tom Hunter’s investment vehicle West Coast Capital.
EBay switches focus away from auctions

7-Aug-2008
EBay is repositioning itself more in-line with traditional e-commerce businesses in an attempt to attract more retailers to its site.
China’s largest fashion chain plans float to fund growth

7-Aug-2008
China’s biggest fashion retailer Metersbonwe is planning an initial public offering (IPO) to raise about Yn1.8 billion (£133.8 million) to fund store expansion.
Kate to net £25m from Topshop’s China launch

7-Aug-2008
Kate Moss is set to be an integral part of Topshop’s launch into China, in a deal that could be worth up to £25 million.
Fashion addict

7-Aug-2008
A penchant for a good shirt was the start of a beautiful retail relationship for Hawes & Curtis chief Touker Suleyman. He tells Lisa Berwin what drives him.
George Davies' daughter quits Per Una

6-Aug-2008
George Davies’ daughter has left her role at Per Una.
July shop price inflation driven by food

6-Aug-2008
UK shop price inflation rose 3.2 per cent in July, according to the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index.
H&M picks finance chief

6-Aug-2008
Swedish fashion giant H&M has promoted Jyrki Tervonen to chief financing officer.
Wrapit boss proposes deal with Debenhams and Liberty

6-Aug-2008
Debenhams and Liberty have been approached to set up a voucher scheme to help couples set to lose out on their wedding gifts after the collapse of Wrapit this week.
Spending on school meals and uniforms soars

5-Aug-2008
The cost for UK families of sending a child to school soared to £1,077 for the past school year to June.
What the Sunday papers said – August 4, 2008

4-Aug-2008
The Sunday Times reported that wedding gift company Wrapit will be put into administration today, after talks to save the retailer collapsed. KPMG is expected to be appointed as administrator. The retailer has 15 showrooms nationwide and employs about 100 people.
Ikea enters mobile phone market

4-Aug-2008
Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has joined retailers such as Asda and Tesco by offering a mobile phone service.
Peacocks to refinance debt

4-Aug-2008
Value fashion chain Peacocks is reportedly in talks with banks over refinancing its debts.
Tillman shows interest in Austin Reed

4-Aug-2008
Jaeger boss Harold Tillman has been linked to a possible bid for fashion chain Austin Reed.
Thorntons retail director steps down

1-Aug-2008
Thorntons retail director Dominic Prendergast has left the business and its board after seven years with the confectionary retailer.
John Lewis sales hit by hot weather

1-Aug-2008
John Lewis department stores suffered a drop in sales after warm weather last week kept customers away from its shops.
Flying Brands profits plummet

1-Aug-2008
Pre-tax profits at multichannel retailer Flying Brands have more than halved in the 26 weeks to June 27, falling to £1.2 million.
Kingfisher agrees sale of Castorama Italy

1-Aug-2008
DIY giant Kingfisher has agreed to sell its Castorama Italy business for €560 million (£440 million) to French home improvement retailer Groupe Adeo.
Wolfson: end quarterly rents now

31-Jul-2008
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson has hit out at landlords, arguing that rental payment terms need to “come in line with the times”.
Asda slashes petrol prices again

30-Jul-2008
Asda has charged ahead in the petrol price war, slashing its prices by 2p for unleaded petrol and 4p for diesel across all of its forecourts with effect from tomorrow.
Next sales fall

30-Jul-2008
Like-for-like sales at Next fell 6 per cent in the 26 weeks to July 26, with total sales across the group down 1.8 per cent.
Dunelm buys Dorma for £5 million

29-Jul-2008
Homewares specialist Dunelm has bought bedlinen and soft furnishings brand Dorma for £5 million.
Otto picks UK chief

29-Jul-2008
Multichannel retailer Otto has appointed Koert Tulleners as chief executive to head its UK operations.
Government threatens to call time on free plastic bags

29-Jul-2008
Supermarkets have been warned that they must cut the number of plastic bags they distribute by 70 per cent by spring 2009 or be forced to start charging for them.
Rose’s dual role under fire again

25-Jul-2008
The backlash over Sir Stuart Rose’s dual role of chief executive and executive chairman at Marks & Spencer faces renewed opposition, this time from the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF).
John Lewis Sale drives trade

25-Jul-2008
Department store chain John Lewis’s sales were in positive territory for the second week running, helped by the clearance of Sale items.
All eyes are on Next as mid-market fears rise

24-Jul-2008
The City will seize upon fashion retailer Next’s second-quarter update on Wednesday for signs of how bad high street conditions are.
Landlords back BRC campaign to help struggling retailers

24-Jul-2008
Landlords have hit back at criticism from retailers by backing a campaign by the British Retail Consortium to help struggling retailers during the economic downturn.
United Carpets profits soar

23-Jul-2008
United Carpets has shrugged off difficult trading conditions, increasing pre-tax profits by 46.8 per cent to £1.51 million in the year to March 31.
Dune on a mission to up presence overseas

18-Jul-2008
Footwear chain Dune is to ramp up its overseas expansion with a target of 50 shops outside the UK within the next five years.
Ashley’s Sports Direct to go back to basics

17-Jul-2008
Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley said that the retailer would go back to basics to cope with a trading environment it described as “the hardest we have faced in our history”.
Receivers called in at Dawnay Day

16-Jul-2008
Two private shareholders of Austin Reed may be pursued for their assets as receivers were called in at Dawnay Day.
JD changes name to drive fashion

15-Jul-2008
Sports retailer John David Group has changed its name to JD Sports Fashion.
Austin Reed distances itself from Dawnay Day crisis

15-Jul-2008
Austin Reed said it should not be affected by the financial troubles at Dawnay Day, which was involved in buying the fashion retailer in January last year.
River Island profits slip

14-Jul-2008
Profits at young fashion chain River Island have been hit, but sales rose 8.5 per cent despite the challenging market.
Co-op poised to complete Somerfield takeover

14-Jul-2008
The Co-operative Group is this week expected to complete its £1.6 billion takeover of rival chain Somerfield.
It’s all in the detail

11-Jul-2008
Presentation and style have given Jeremy Hackett’s tailoring outfit an edge. He tells Lisa Berwin how he has built on its successes
Tesco takes on Argos with first catalogue shop launch

11-Jul-2008
Tesco has launched its first Argos-style shop-in-shop at its Homeplus store in Bristol, which opened this week.
Ideal to relaunch flagship channel after web revamp

11-Jul-2008
TV shopping group Ideal Shopping Direct is to revamp its main channel Ideal World in an attempt to refresh its identity and attract more customers.
Dune hires John Egan as chief exec

11-Jul-2008
Shoe chain Dune has appointed former Mosaic-owned Shoe Studio boss John Egan as chief executive.
Gap sales fall again

11-Jul-2008
US fashion retailer Gap continued to feel the pinch in June, with group like-for-like sales plummeting 7 per cent.
Walmart in line for £100m lift as it ups ante in fashion

10-Jul-2008
US retail giant Walmart is taking steps to reinvigorate its fashion offer in a move that retail watchers say could add at least £100 million to its sales.
Oxford Circus to get £4m makeover

9-Jul-2008
Oxford Circus is set to receive a £4 million makeover to help ease congestion for shoppers at the busy London intersection.
Croydon named hotspot for fashion theft

9-Jul-2008
Croydon in south London has been named the worst place for fashion fraud, suffering the highest amount of stock loss or shrinkage caused by theft.
What the Sunday papers said – July 7, 2008

7-Jul-2008
The Daily Express reported that pre-tax profits at lingerie retailer Bravissimo rose to £1.2 million in the year to August 31, 2007, compared with £850,000 the year before. Sales were also up 26 per cent to £37 million for the period.
PM calls on consumers to curb food waste

7-Jul-2008
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called on UK consumers to stop making “unnecessary” food purchases, in an effort to curb almost £1 billion of food wasted each year.
OKA enjoys first-half growth

7-Jul-2008
Furniture and interiors retailer OKA Direct has bucked the downward trend in the homewares sector to report 24 per cent year-on-year growth for its first half.
Stylo makes board appointment

7-Jul-2008
Shoe retailer Stylo has today announced the appointment of Terry Bond as a non-executive director.
Rose faces investor rebellion

7-Jul-2008
More than a quarter of Marks & Spencer investors could this week abstain or vote against Sir Stuart Rose’s elevation to executive chairman.
Esom out as M&S issues profit warning

2-Jul-2008
M&S has this morning issued a shock profit warning as it announced that its director of food Steve Esom has left the business.
EBay to pay out to LVMH

1-Jul-2008
Auction site eBay has been ordered by a French court to pay almost €40 million (£31.7 million) to luxury goods group LVMH for failing to block the sales of counterfeit goods on its site.
N Brown sales rocket

1-Jul-2008
Good weather in May helped home shopping group N Brown increase turnover 12.3 per cent for the 17 weeks to June 28.
Sourcing guidelines to be ramped up after child labour outcry

27-Jun-2008
Retail supply chain alliance the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) is to overhaul its sourcing guidelines as the need to promote ethical trade climbs up the industry agenda.
JJB shares soar on buy-out rumours

25-Jun-2008
Shares of JJB were given a boost as rumours of a management buy-out began to circle.
Zavvi poised to launch first Sale

25-Jun-2008
Zavvi will tomorrow begin its first Sale since rebranding from Virgin Megastores in September, joining a raft of high street retailers that have started deep discounting to encourage sales.
Zara forces supplier factory closure

24-Jun-2008
Fashion chain Zara has forced the closure of one of its supplier’s factories after a BBC programme found evidence that its staff were being ill-treated.
Littlewoods Direct launches ad assault

24-Jun-2008
Littlewoods Direct is launching a £4 million multichannel ad campaign to drive its online sales growth.
Hobbs chief steps down

24-Jun-2008
Hobbs chief executive Nick Samuel has stepped down from the role after seven years at the helm of the womenswear chain.
Littlewoods picks new finance chief

23-Jun-2008
Littlewoods has appointed Steve Makin as group finance officer.
Panorama Primark child labour exposé airs tonight

23-Jun-2008
A programme airing tonight on BBC’s Panorama will accuse Primark of using manufacturers employing children as young as 11 to make its clothes.
Debenhams 'extends payment terms to suppliers'

23-Jun-2008
Debenhams has extended payment terms to its suppliers as it continues to be hit by unrelenting tough trading on the high street, according to weekend reports.
ScS suspends shares

23-Jun-2008
ScS Upholstery has suspended its shares as it enters talks with an external party for a possible buy-out.
American Golf boss quits after 3 years

20-Jun-2008
American Golf chief executive Andrew McDonald has resigned from the specialist retailer for personal reasons after more than three years at the helm.
EU to tackle e-tail cross-country trading barriers

20-Jun-2008
The EU’s consumer protection commissioner will today urge for a break down in barriers for internet retailers across Europe, so that customers can take advantage of prices offered by companies in different countries.
OFT approves Best Buy and Carphone tie-up

19-Jun-2008
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has cleared the joint venture between Carphone Warehouse and US electricals giant Best Buy.
Mothercare hires non-exec director

19-Jun-2008
Baby and maternity retailer Mothercare has appointed Richard Rivers as non-executive director.
Topshop installs photographic machine in stores

18-Jun-2008
Topshop has been setting up bespoke in-store photographic studios in an exclusive collaboration with The Helmut Newton Foundation.
H&M's May sales soar

18-Jun-2008
Swedish fashion group H&M achieved 25 per cent sales growth in May, with like-for-likes up 14 per cent on last year.
Park Group shows signs of recovery

17-Jun-2008
Consumer confidence in Christmas savings schemes has begun to return slowly, as The Park Group reported orders for Christmas 2008 up 17 per cent.
Habitat UK chief steps down as it restructures

16-Jun-2008
Habitat UK country manager Ruth Dangerfield has left the business as the retailer implements a new organisational structure.
Instore mulls sale

16-Jun-2008
Variety store chain Instore has announced that it has been in preliminary discussions about a possible takeover bid.
Touch of brilliance

13-Jun-2008
Distinctive design made Sir Paul Smith a fashion icon, but he fears that grasping landlords and identikit fashion are stifling creativity. Lisa Berwin meets the legend
M&S to devote space to Per Una tailoring

13-Jun-2008
Per Una, the exclusive brand created for Marks & Spencer by fashion entrepreneur George Davies, is to open dedicated space for its tailored product for the autumn/winter season.
Sales flourish at Paul Smith as tourists cash in on strong euro

13-Jun-2008
Legendary retailer and designer Sir Paul Smith’s London stores have experienced a sales surge from European shoppers taking advantage of the strength of the euro.
Bakery chain rescued in management buy-out

9-Jun-2008
More than 1,500 jobs have been saved at bakery company Sayers, following a management buy-out led by Sayers chairman Sandy Birnie.
Focus finance director Hoskins resigns

9-Jun-2008
Focus finance director Bill Hoskins has resigned from the business less than a year after being brought in to help save the DIY chain.
JD like-for-likes soar

9-Jun-2008
Sports and fashion retailer John David Group has announced like for like sales growth of more than 4.2 per cent in the seven weeks to May 31.
Consumer confidence plummets

9-Jun-2008
Consumer confidence has dropped to its lowest level in four years, as rising costs and fears over the property market continue to take their toll.
Next to ramp up sales with customer magazine launch

6-Jun-2008
Next is to launch a customer magazine that it hopes will drive sales at its Directory business.
Jack Wills offshoot to expand shopper base

6-Jun-2008
Multichannel lifestyle retailer Jack Wills is to launch a sister fascia in the UK to tap into an older customer base.
Lord Kirkham nets £46.3m DFS dividend

6-Jun-2008
DFS founder Lord Kirkham pocketed a £46.3 million dividend last year from his furniture chain.
John Lewis sales slide

6-Jun-2008
John Lewis continues to be hit by difficult trading conditions, with sales at its department stores down 4.7 per cent in the week to May 31.
Baugur founder fails to overturn convictions

6-Jun-2008
Baugur founder and executive chairman Jón sgeir Jóhannesson failed to have a conviction of bookkeeping charges thrown out in an Icelandic Court yesterday.
M&S lowers bonus targets

6-Jun-2008
Marks & Spencer directors must increase earnings per share by 8 per cent next year if they are to receive their bonuses.
Mel B visits three Debenhams stores to promote lingerie

4-Jun-2008
Debenhams shoppers across the country are today being given the chance to meet Spice Girl Mel B.
Credit insurer warns of more retail administrations

4-Jun-2008
Credit insurer Euler Hermes has signalled more retail administrations on the horizon as trading conditions continue to worsen on the high street.
Joseph hires chief executive

30-May-2008
Womenswear chain Joseph has appointed Sara Ferrero as chief executive.
Ronnie to build JJB lifestyle arm after Qube deal

30-May-2008
JJB chief executive Chris Ronnie has outlined his vision to create a lifestyle division within the business following the acquisition of footwear chain Qube last week.
M&S shakes up stores

30-May-2008
Rose ditches traditional structure to divide food and general stores management
Mothercare reviews estate as results shine

30-May-2008
Mothercare has smashed City forecasts by revealing stellar preliminary results and plans for a property overhaul.
Knickerbox rebrands to drive sales

30-May-2008
Ann Summers is to relaunch Knickerbox in July, in an effort to double its sales in two years.
Gap profits soar while Old Navy haemorrhages sales

30-May-2008
Beleaguered US fashion group Gap has suffered a like-for-like sales dive in its first quarter, with chief executive Glenn Murphy describing the retail climate as “one of the toughest” in recent memory, despite profits soaring 40 per cent over the period.
Amazon UK chases cosmetics share

30-May-2008
Amazon UK has expanded its product categories with the launch of an online health and beauty shop in an effort to take a share of the lucrative cosmetics market.
Northern Foods staff protest at factory closure

30-May-2008
Staff from Marks & Spencer ready meal supplier Northern Foods confronted the retailer’s directors yesterday in a showdown at its Marble Arch store.
John Lewis sales fall again

30-May-2008
John Lewis Partnership has suffered another drop in sales at its department stores.
Grocery bills rise 5.8%

30-May-2008
The cost of groceries have soared 5.8 per cent since the start of the year, according to a Verdict report.
Bill Gates buys stake in Carpetright

30-May-2008
Carpetright has been given an unexpected boost after Microsoft billionnaire Bill Gates bought a 3 per cent stake in the flooring and carpet specialist.
Flying Brands to miss targets

29-May-2008
Home shopping group Flying Brands has continued to suffer from bad debts and warned that it will miss full-year profits by £1.1 million.
Burberry profits soar

28-May-2008
Burberry has reported pre-tax profits up 25 per cent to £195.7 million in the year to March 31.
Woolworths ditches CD singles

27-May-2008
Woolworths is to stop selling CD singles, as downloads continue to storm ahead as the preferred way to buy music.
Stylo losses hit £7.8m

27-May-2008
Shoe group Stylo has reported a pre-tax loss of £7.8 million for the year to February 2, excluding a £4.7 million loss resulting from a property impairment.
Claire’s picks UK and Ireland MD as it rejigs its European structure

23-May-2008
Claire’s Accessories has appointed a managing director for its UK and Ireland region as it formulates a new structure for its European division.
Deals breathe life into ailing value market

23-May-2008
The reshaping of the embattled value sector began this week with two key deals.
Jobs slashed at MK One

23-May-2008
About half of head office jobs have been slashed at fashion chain MK One after it was put into administration this week.
Credit Suisse cuts ties with Sports Direct

23-May-2008
Investment bank Credit Suisse has ended its relationship with Sports Direct as corporate broker.
Woolworths to sell stake in 2entertain

23-May-2008
Woolworths has appointed UBS to sell its stake in DVD publisher 2entertain.
JJB buys shoe chain Qube

23-May-2008
Sports retailer JJB Sports has snapped up Qube Footwear for £1 from West Coast Capital.
Avon reveals new lingerie range

22-May-2008
Avon has signed model and TV presenter Lisa Snowden as the face and body of its new lingerie range.
Gap expands into Russia

21-May-2008
Gap has signed a franchise agreement to expand into Russia with both its Gap and Banana Republic brands.
Kate Moss launches latest Topshop collection

20-May-2008
Kate Moss has launched her sixth collection for Sir Philip Green’s Topshop today.
What the Sunday papers said – May 19, 2008

19-May-2008
WHSmith chief executive Kate Swann is considering a £50 million bid for stationery chain Paperchase, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
M&S staff face bonus cuts

19-May-2008
Marks & Spencer staff will see their annual bonuses slashed despite the retailer generating profits of more than £1 billion last year.
MK One chief quits as fears of break-up grow

8-May-2008
MK One chief executive Dominic Galvin has left the fashion retailer after it was sold to retail restructuring specialist Hilco.
Fabric Warehouse enters administration

7-May-2008
Homewares retailer Fabric Warehouse has gone into administration, becoming the latest victim of the credit crunch.
Oxfam to unveil fashion boutiques

7-May-2008
Oxfam will open its first fashion boutique on Saturday, as it plans to transform the dowdy image of the charity shop.
SRG picks new MD

6-May-2008
Speciality Retail Group (SRG) has appointed Nick Keyte as managing director of the formal menswear chain, with Peter Lucas assuming the roles of chief executive and chairman.
What the weekend papers said – May 6, 2008

6-May-2008
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Wal-Mart was the whistleblower behind the Office of Fair Trading’s probe into the price fixing of food and toiletries.
N Brown’s good results put a lid on City fears

2-May-2008
Home shopping group N Brown has shaken off market fears over bad debts after reporting a stellar full-year performance.
Rose to offload stake in Lane Fox business

1-May-2008
Sir Stuart Rose will attempt to diffuse the latest Marks & Spencer boardroom fallout by selling his stake in Martha Lane Fox’s karaoke business Lucky Voice.
New Look’s overseas sales to overtake UK

1-May-2008
New Look’s Phil Wrigley has said the retailer’s international sales are likely to exceed its UK operation’s in the next five years.
Jacques Vert issues profit warning

30-Apr-2008
Jacques Vert has issued a profit warning, becoming the latest fashion retailer to be hit by increasingly tough trading conditions.
Instore reduces losses

29-Apr-2008
Variety store group Instore has made a pre-tax loss of £2.3 million in the year to March 1, from a loss of £9.1 million the previous year.
N Brown profits climb

29-Apr-2008
Home shopping specialist N Brown has posted a 19.9 per cent increase in full-year profits to £78 million. Revenues advanced 16.6 per cent to £610.9 million in the year to March 1.
McPhail named New Look chief executive

28-Apr-2008
New Look has re-shuffled its management team, promoting Phil Wrigley to executive chairman and Carl McPhail to chief executive.
Mosaic Fashions falls into the red

28-Apr-2008
Mosaic Fashions has suffered a £30.2 million pre-tax loss in the year to January 26 compared with a pre-tax profit of £17.2 million the year before.
Asos sales soar again

28-Apr-2008
Sales at fashion e-tailer Asos rocketed 90 per cent in the year to March 31, reaching about £81 million.
T-Mobile appoints new retail director to drive growth

25-Apr-2008
T-Mobile UK has appointed Andrew Coull as director of retail as it eyes further retail growth.
Retailers slam ONS figures

25-Apr-2008
Top retailers and economists have condemned puzzling data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which pointed to a 2 per cent rise in the volume of goods sold in the first quarter of the year.
Supermarkets face cigarette price-fixing inquiry

25-Apr-2008
Retailers, including the big four supermarkets, are facing allegations of price-fixing on cigarettes from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
Dunkirk spirit

24-Apr-2008
The fortitude of M and M Direct’s staff was part of the attraction for ex-Tesco man Steve Robinson. He talks Lisa Berwin through his plans to propel the multichannel retailer’s sales to £200 million
Jaeger launches loyalty scheme

23-Apr-2008
Jaeger has launched a loyalty scheme for customers as part of its continuing expansion plans.
Co-op slams Soil Association labelling system

22-Apr-2008
The Co-operative Group has clashed with the Soil Association over the importance placed on the distance food has travelled by air in a new labelling system.
French threaten LVMH boycott in China row

18-Apr-2008
LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault threw his support behind Beijing as concerns grow in France over Chinese calls for a boycott of French goods.
Breath of fresh air

18 April 2008
Fashion brand Joules has shot from a one-store minnow to a thriving multichannel business in just seven years. Tom Joule tells Lisa Berwin why the downturn isn’t denting his success
Musgrave celebrates ninth year of growth

17-Apr-2008
Londis and Budgens franchise operator Musgrave has increased pre-tax profits 16 per cent in the year to December 31, 2007, as it commits to further UK investment.
On the critical list

17-Apr-2008
Retail in the emergency room as it faces the harshest trading conditions since the 1990s, with the worst still to come
JD unveils Bank vision as group profits rocket

17-Apr-2008
Fashion group John David aims to propel its Bank fascia into a national chain and envisages potential for 250 stores.
99p Stores cashes in as credit crunch bites

17-Apr-2008
Single-price retailer 99p Stores is benefiting from higher footfall as bargain-hunting consumers tighten their purse strings.
JD Group enjoys solid year

15-Apr-2008
JD Group has posted strong full-year results, with pre-tax profits soaring 103 per cent to £35 million.
What the Sunday papers said - April 14, 2008

14-Apr-2008
Tesco is expected to use this week’s full-year results to curb fears about its US Fresh & Easy chain, according to The Sunday Times.
Pension scheme attacks Rose's promotion

14-Apr-2008
The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) has added its name to the list of critics unhappy at Sir Stuart Rose’s promotion to executive chairman.
Next plans new bonus scheme to revive share price

11-Apr-2008
The bonus scheme introduced by Next in 2004 could be re-instigated by the retailer for its directors and executives, in an effort to drive its share price up, according to the Financial Times.
Mothercare social site signs up 40,000 users

10-Apr-2008
Mothercare has notched up close to 40,000 subscribers on its social networking site, Gurgle.com.
Gap sales take a plunge

10-Apr-2008
Fashion retailer Gap's sales tumbled 12 per cent to US$1.37 billion (£691.2 million) for the five weeks to April 5.
BRC slams HSBC card plan

9-Apr-2008
HSBC’s move to transfer its Maestro customers to Visa debit cards could cost UK retailers millions, says the British Retail Consortium.
Harrods picks new chief executive

9-Apr-2008
James McArthur has been appointed as chief executive of Harrods Group.
Tesco's 2009 profit forecasts to be cut?

9-Apr-2008
Analysts are expected to downgrade Tesco’s 2009 profit forecasts when the supermarket giant announces its results next week.
What the Sunday papers said – April 7, 2008

7-Apr-2008
Marks & Spencer has begun a search for senior non-executive directors, spearheaded by headhunter Jan Hall of JCA Group, according to The Mail on Sunday.
Woolies lands Jackie Chan to front TV ads

7-Apr-2008
Woolworths has found an unlikely new star for its TV ads – film star Jackie Chan.
Private equity group buys Evans Cycles

7-Apr-2008
Private equity group Active has bought a majority stake in bike retail chain Evans Cycles.
Retailers reshuffle shares ahead of tax changes

4-Apr-2008
A raft of high-profile retailers have reshuffled their shares ahead of the changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) that come into effect this weekend.
Park Group sales rise

4-Apr-2008
The Park Group has finally shaken off the downturn that hit the home shopping group following the collapse of its rival Farepak in 2006.
Matalan signs LK Today sponsorship deal

4-Apr-2008
Value fashion retailer Matalan has signed a £1 million sponsorship deal with ITV’s morning show LK Today.
Greenwoods boss rules out Moss bid

2-Apr-2008
John Hanson, the head of menswear chain Greenwoods, has ruled himself out of the race for embattled rival chain Moss Bros.
Debenhams chiefs shift shares

1-Apr-2008
Debenhams chief executive Rob Templeman and chief operating officer Michael Sharp have transferred more than 300,000 shares to their wives.
Toyzone goes into administration

1-Apr-2008
Toy retailer Toyzone has fallen into administration after failing to recover from difficult trading over Christmas.
What the Sunday papers said – March 31, 2008

31-Mar-2008
Woolworths is expected to slash its final dividend when its full-year results are announced on Wednesday, according to The Observer.
Primark in High Court dispute over piracy claims

31-Mar-2008
Textile supplier Ashley Wilde is suing discount retailer Primark in a dispute over bed linen.
Alexon profits rise as sales fall

31-Mar-2008
Fashion group Alexon increased its operating profit before exceptionals to £10.5 million in the year to January 26, 2008, from £9.9 million the previous year.
Mystery investor buys stake in Moss Bros

28-Mar-2008
A mystery investor has bought a stake of almost 8 per cent in Moss Bros as the plot surrounding the embattled menswear chain thickens.
La Senza unveils beachwear and accessories range

27-Mar-2008
Lingerie retailer La Senza has introduced its first beachwear range.
H&M profits soar

27-Mar-2008
H&M has beaten market expectations in its first quarter, with profits after tax up 28 per cent to Skr2.94 billion (£244.8 million).
Asos to expand brand portfolio

26-Mar-2008
Online fashion e-tailer Asos will increase its brand portfolio by almost 70 per cent for autumn/winter 2008.
Sainsbury’s launches £5 feed the family Jamie Oliver ads

25-Mar-2008
Celebrity chef and serial campaigner Jamie Oliver has joined forces with Sainsbury’s for a drive to feed families of four for £5.
Sterling Jewelers accused of discriminatory employment practices

20-Mar-2008
Sterling Jewelers has had a lawsuit filed against it, alleging its employment practices are discriminatory against women.
M&S appoints Tanith Dodge to head HR

20-Mar-2008
One of the best-known names in retail human resources, Tanith Dodge, has been appointed to head HR at Marks & Spencer.
H&M to launch new-format store in Camden

19-Mar-2008
Swedish fashion giant H&M is to launch a new-format store in Camden, north London.
US sales hit rock bottom as sector faces up to recession

19-Mar-2008
A shock fall in US retail sales last month has sent the dollar plummeting to a record low in the clearest indication that America is heading into recession.
Ted Baker: the city view

19-Mar-2008
Idiosyncratic fashion retailer Ted Baker bucked the gloomy trend with a strong set of prelims, writes Lisa Berwin.
Consumer inflation reaches nine-month high

18-Mar-2008
Consumer inflation rose to 2.5 per cent in February, its highest level for nine months, as rising gas and electricity prices pushed inflation upwards.
Ted Baker profits soar

18-Mar-2008
Pre-tax profits at fashion retailer Ted Baker rose 10 per cent in the year to January 26.
Stylo sells Shellys

17-Mar-2008
Shoe specialist retailer Stylo has sold its Shellys brand to Hong Kong company Eternal Best Industries.
What the Sunday papers said – March 17, 2008

17-Mar-2008
The Sunday Express reported that Marks & Spencer has axed 30 of its senior executives as part of a radical shake up as it was revealed that Sir Stuart Rose will take on both the role of chief executive and chairman of the company.
Sainsbury’s buyer arrested in £3m bribe case

17-Mar-2008
A Sainsbury’s buyer has been arrested following claims he took up to £3 million in bribes from one of the supermarket’s suppliers.
Supermarket non-food customers soar

14-Mar-2008
The number of customers regularly buying non-food items from supermarkets has risen 40 per cent in the past five years.
Flying Brands like-for-likes slump

14-Mar-2008
Home shopping group Flying Brands reported a like-for-like sales dive of 13 per cent in the year to December 28 last year.
RWC08: DSGi to launch Tech Guys across Europe

13-Mar-2008
DSGi chairman Sir John Collins has committed to roll out the retailer’s Tech Guys service across Europe after firming plans to improve service levels across the company to retain a competitive specialist edge.
Tesco takes axe to costs as cooling climate bites

13-Mar-2008
Tesco has embarked on what is thought to be its most extensive round of cost-cutting for more than five years, as the UK retail sector faces a challenging year.
Topshop to launch its web offer in European markets

13-Mar-2008
Fashion giant Arcadia has rolled out its online Topshop and Topman offer to Europe to test the market’s appetite for its brands.
SRG sold to Egyptian investor

12-Mar-2008
Formal menswear retailer SRG has been sold by private equity group Gresham Capital to Egyptian investor Arafa Group.
Littlewoods launches ad campaign

10-Mar-2008
Littlewoods will today premiere its new television advert for Littlewoodsdirect.com, starring fashion advisers Trinny and Susannah.
What the Sunday papers said – Monday, March 10

10-Mar-2008
Grocery delivery company Ocado has incurred losses of more than £300 million since its launch eight years ago, including an estimated £30 million loss in 2007, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
Sir Ken Morrison to be honoured upon retirement

10-Mar-2008
Morrison’s board is planning to honour its chairman Sir Ken Morrison when he retires from the retailer on Thursday after 56 years.
Ocado launches price war against Tesco

10-Mar-2008
Ocado has declared a price war against supermarket giant Tesco, vowing to match the grocer’s prices on 3,500 branded products.
Waitrose to make wine in the UK

7-Mar-2008
Waitrose has unveiled plans to plant vines in England to help satisfy the growing demand for UK wine.
Joules relaunches web site

6-Mar-2008
Joules Clothing has relaunched its web site with more functions to improve its online offer.
People Tree appoints head of design

6-Mar-2008
Ethical retailer People Tree has appointed a head of design to lead its UK design team.
BMB buys raft of licences

6-Mar-2008
Menswear supplier and retailer BMB Clothing has agreed to acquire various licences and assets from John Langford.
Fair play

5-Mar-2008
With a £1 million growth fund, ethical fashion retailer People Tree is ready to make waves in the UK. But, as Lisa Berwin finds out, it’s making fair trade fairer that really interests founder Safia Minney
M and M targets £200m in sales with new warehouse

5-Mar-2008
M and M Direct has leased a new warehouse as part of plans to triple sales to £200 million.
Keep it in the family

5-Mar-2008
Baugur’s bid for Moss Bros last week has sparked a bitter war of words over the retailer’s future. As the battle hots up, Lisa Berwin looks at what lies ahead for the venerable brand
Littlewoods suffers £24m losses

5-Mar-2008
Pre-tax losses at Littlewoods Shop Direct reached £24.2 million in the year to April 30, 2007, as the group continued to feel the strain of its business restructure on its balance sheet.
Gee family strikes back at McCarthy in Moss Bros war

5-Mar-2008
Moss Bros director Rowland Gee has hit back at comments made by fellow board member Don McCarthy about family involvement in the business.
Figleaves chief slashes ranges to drive growth

5-Mar-2008
The new chief executive of lingerie e-tailer Figleaves has cut its brand portfolio by a quarter in an attempt to accelerate its sales growth.
Food prices continue to climb

5-Mar-2008
Food prices have continued to soar. Inflation in February reached its highest level since December 2006.
John Lewis staff to be offered pension scheme early

5-Mar-2008
John Lewis intends to cut the time its employees will have to wait before they can join its pension scheme from five years to three.
Game profits to beat forecasts

3-Mar-2008
Computer and video games retailer Game said it expects pre-tax profits to be £74 million for the year to January 31, 2008, beating profit expectations.
Tesco plans Argos-style zones for Homeplus stores

28-Feb-2008
Tesco is to launch a mini Argos-style service inside its non-food Homeplus stores this year, firing another warning shot across the bows of its catalogue giant rival.
McCarthy hits out as Baugur bids for Moss

28-Feb-2008
Moss Bros non-executive director and Baugur board member Don McCarthy has outlined the Icelandic investor’s plans for the retailer if its takeover succeeds.
Ann Summers co-founder steps down

28-Feb-2008
One of the co-founders of Ann Summers, Ralph Gold, has retired from the retailer's parent company Gold Group International and sold his stake to his brother David Gold.
Base Menswear rescued by founding family

27-Feb-2008
Base Menswear and Base Boys have been bought out of administration by their former owners.
Littlewoods targets online sales of £1bn

27-Feb-2008
Littlewoods Shop Direct has outlined ambitious plans to double its online sales to £1 billion by 2011.
Moss Bros shareholder to launch rival bid

27-Feb-2008
A private shareholder is poised to launch a rival takeover bid for Moss Bros in competition with Icelandic investor Baugur.
Consumer concern grows over food miles

26-Feb-2008
The number of UK consumers concerned about food miles has nearly doubled in the past five years.
Baugur makes move on Moss Bros

25-Feb-2008
Moss Bros has received a provisional take over offer from Baugur as the menswear retailer issues another profit warning.
What the Sunday papers said – February 25, 2008

25-Feb-2008
Moss Bros family shareholders continue to pressure Icelandic investor Baugur to state its intentions for the menswear chain, as rival bidders circle the embattled retailer, according to The Observer.
Primark growth underpins rising ABF sales

25-Feb-2008
Strong figures at Primark have helped bolster growth for Associated British Foods (ABF).
Kurt Geiger sold in £95 million deal

25-Feb-2008
Luxury shoe specialist Kurt Geiger has been bought by its management in a £95 million buy-out.
Europe’s Next

21-Feb-2008
Fashion powerhouse launches web offer on the continent as international gold rush accelerates
Online sales hit £4.5bn in January

20-Feb-2008
Online sales last month hit a record high of £4.5 billion.
Arnotts to axe 580 jobs

19-Feb-2008
Irish department store group Arnotts has said it will make up to 580 staff redundant.
Evans heads to US

19-Feb-2008
Plus-size fashion retailer Evans is launching in the US with a catalogue, web site and standalone stores.
Wal-Mart backs Sony in DVD battle

18-Feb-2008
Wal-Mart has said it will no longer stock Toshiba’s HD-DVD discs and players in favour of Sony-backed rival Blu-ray.
What the Sunday papers said – February 18, 2008

18-Feb-2008
TheObserver has reported that Marks & Spencer’s womenswear business has lost market share since Christmas. In the 26 weeks to the end of January, its womenswear business shrank year on year from 14 per cent to 13.6 per cent.
OFT probes Home Retail's Focus deal

18-Feb-2008
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating Home Retail Group’s £40 million acquisition of Focus DIY stores in a move that could force the retailer to dispose of some of the stores.
Macy’s to shave $100m off costs as it axes regional HQ

14-Feb-2008
Iconic department store group Macy’s has closed its Marshall Field’s regional headquarters in a restructure to cut its operating costs by US$100 million (£51.3 million) a year.
Adams eyes a profit as sale talks denied

14-Feb-2008
Adams chairman John Shannon claims to have turned the childrenswear retailer around just a year after buying it out of administration.
Homepage décor

14-Feb-2008
Lastminute.com founder Brent Hoberman tells Lisa Berwin why his new homeware site, Mydeco, is joining the Web 2.0 generation
Play.com takes on iTunes with digital offer

13-Feb-2008
Play.com has today launched PlayDigital, its challenge to iTunes.
Asda staff to share £21m bonus

13-Feb-2008
Asda has now paid £107 million in bonuses to its staff since a performance-related bonus scheme was introduced in 2000, when Asda was bought by Wal-Mart.
Sainsbury's to sell 36 Bells and Jackson's stores sites

12-Feb-2008
Sainsbury's is planning to sell 36 Bells and Jackson's stores it acquired to convert to its Sainsbury's local format.
French Connection appoints non-executive director

11-Feb-2008
Fashion group French Connection has appointed Dean Murray as a non-executive director.
What the Sunday papers said – February 11, 2008

11-Feb-2008
The Observer says that the North-South divide is being felt strongly on the UK high street, with declining consumer confidence sharpening the further North travelled.
Elvi falls into administration

11-Feb-2008
Plus-size fashion chain Elvi has fallen into administration after the retailer failed to secure new investment.
Competition Commission to clamp down on grocers

11-Feb-2008
The grocery market is holding its breath this week amid fears that the Competition Commission may recommend the creation of an independent regulator to police relationships between suppliers and supermarkets.
Amazon hires finance boss as it rethinks its offer

7-Feb-2008
Amazon UK has appointed a financial director to boost its senior team as it considers new categories for 2008 including food and digital downloads.
EBay bans negative feedback on buyers

6-Feb-2008
EBay has banned negative comments from sellers on its site.
Mothercare to launch Myleene Klass range

4-Feb-2008
Mothercare has signed an exclusive deal with celebrity mum Myleene Klass to launch a range of baby clothes and accessories.
Disposable incomes continue to fall in UK

4-Feb-2008
British families are facing increasingly smaller disposable incomes, as bills and taxes grow faster than most incomes.
DSGi kicks off strategic review

4-Feb-2008
DSGi has hired a consulting team to carry out a strategic review of its operations.
Retail job losses to hit 100,000

4-Feb-2008
Fears are growing that more than 100,000 jobs could be cut in the retail sector over the next two years.
Otto begins review that could lead to UK sell-off

31-Jan-2008
Otto UK is conducting a wide-ranging strategic review of its UK operation, which could result in its German parent selling off the UK home shopping group.
Lastminute founder’s furniture site Mydeco goes live

31-Jan-2008
Internet entrepreneur Brent Hoberman’s hotly anticipated online furniture venture Mydeco.com has launched today.
Net-a-Porter to sell Halston garments 24 hours after catwalk launch

29-Jan-2008
Fashion web site Net-a-Porter will offer pieces from American fashion brand Halston to customers only 24 hours after the collection is shown next week at New York Fashion Week.
Marks & Spencer bans cheques

29-Jan-2008
Marks & Spencer is the latest retailer to stop accepting cheques at its cash desks.
Sir Tom Hunter sells D2

28-Jan-2008
Sir Tom Hunter has sold his clothing and footwear chain D2 in a multimillion-pound management buy-out in an effort to 'declutter' West Coast Capital's retail operation.
Littlewoods moves on Empire Stores

28-Jan-2008
Littlewoods has announced that it intends to buy Empire Stores' debtor book after it was reported that its owner Redcats was closing the business.
What the Sunday Papers said – January 27, 2008

28-Jan-2008
Jane Shepherdson could be just days from taking a stake in fashion chain Whistles as chief executive, according to TheSunday Times.
Beales hit by tough trading

28-Jan-2008
Department store chain Beales has reported an operating loss of £1.1 million in the 53 weeks to November 3, 2007.
Hardy Amies revenues grow

28-Jan-2008
Luxury fashion brand Hardy Amies has reported revenues for the year to December 31, 2007 of £1.65 million.
Marks & Spencer in data breach over stolen laptop

25-Jan-2008
Marks & Spencer has been found in breach of data protection rules after a laptop containing the information of 26,000 employees was stolen from a contractor’s home.
John Lewis growth continues

25-Jan-2008
Steady growth has continued at John Lewis with sales up 8.3 per cent to £46.2 million in the week to January 19.
Tillman appointed chairman of British Fashion Council

24-Jan-2008
Jaeger chairman Harold Tillman has replaced Sir Stuart Rose as head of the British Fashion Council (BFC).
Asos Christmas sales soar

24-Jan-2008
Asos has reported one of the best Christmas trading updates this year, as its sales soared 86 per cent in the seven weeks to January 20.
Sainsbury’s retail director takes sabbatical

24-Jan-2008
Sainsbury’s retail director Ken McMeikan is taking a three-month sabbatical from the grocer.
E-tailer Chemist Direct challenges health and beauty mark-ups

24-Jan-2008
High street retailers have been criticised for “shocking” mark-ups on hundreds of health and beauty products.
Shoppers condemn service standards at JD Sports

24-Jan-2008
JD Sports has been voted the worst UK retailer for customer satisfaction.
Planet Organic to expand in London

24-Jan-2008
Organic food retailer Planet Organic has signed leases to open two stores in north London.
EBay chief executive to retire

23-Jan-2008
EBay chief executive Meg Whitman is to retire.
EBay and Amazon lead the field online

22-Jan-2008
EBay and Amazon have maintained their positions as the UK’s most popular online retailers.
Electricals retailers to stop selling analogue TVs

22-Jan-2008
Currys, Dixons and PC World will stop selling analogue televisions to focus on digital TV sets.
EBTM turns a profit

22-Jan-2008
Branded music apparel retailer Everything But The Music (EBTM) made £3.59 million in the year to October 31 last year.
Online sales soar in 2007

18-Jan-2008
UK online retail sales rocketed 54 per cent to £46.6 billion in 2007.
Flying Brands issues another profit warning

17-Jan-2008
Home shopping group Flying Brands has issued a second profit warning as it continues to reel from the effects of the postal strike.
Chester Barrie to relaunch

17-Jan-2008
Traditional formalwear retailer Chester Barrie is set to relaunch on the UK high street.
La Senza to broaden range as growth plans take shape

17-Jan-2008
Lingerie retailer La Senza is to launch a raft of ranges in its stores this spring as it steps up its UK growth plans.
Carphone Warehouse warned over breach of customer data

17-Jan-2008
Carphone Warehouse faces prosecution for the way it has been handling customer information.
Reiss to open stores in Singapore and Malaysia

17-Jan-2008
Reiss has signed a multimillion-pound franchising deal to open stores in Singapore and Malaysia.
Somerfield up for auction

17-Jan-2008
Citigroup has been appointed to sell convenience store chain Somerfield.
Reiss signs multi-million pound franchising deal

16-Jan-2008
Reiss has signed a multi-million pound franchising deal to open stores across Singapore and Malaysia.
Arev buys majority stake in Aspinal of London

16-Jan-2008
Retail investment group Arev has taken a majority stake in luxury leather goods retailer Aspinal of London.
M and M growth strong over Christmas

14-Jan-2008
Online retailer M and M Direct enjoyed strong Christmas trade, with sales growth of 29 per cent in the nine weeks to December 30.
Wal-Mart to take on Fresh & Easy with small format

14-Jan-2008
Wal-Mart is to pilot a small-format store in Arizona to challenge Tesco's Fresh & Easy chain, which is being rolled out across the US.
Ted Baker reports strong growth

14-Jan-2008
Ted Baker has delivered sales growth of 12.5 per cent for its retail division in the period from November 1 to December 24.
N Brown sales soar

14-Jan-2008
Home shopping retailer N Brown has reported an increase in total group sales and like-for-like sales of 14 per cent in the 20 weeks to January 12.
ScS warns on profits after poor Sales

14-Jan-2008
Furniture retailer ScS Upholstery has delivered another profit warning after a “disappointing” Sale period.
US downturn forces Talbots and Pacific to ditch fascias

10-Jan-2008
Fashion retailers Talbots and Pacific Sunwear will shut their non-core chains as US retailers are forced to streamline their businesses in order to survive tough trading conditions.
Made to measure

10-Jan-2008
Thomas Pink is a quintessentially British brand and who better to lead it than Jonathan Heilbron, a true Brit with a penchant for punk. Lisa Berwin reports
Next makes shock online move into fitted kitchens

10-Jan-2008
Next has launched fitted kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms online and in its catalogue, in an initiative that will send shock waves through the homewares sector.
Fat Face sales jump

9-Jan-2008
Fat Face has revealed sales soared 19 per cent to £61.7 million in the six months to December 1.
Adili's sales soar

8-Jan-2008
Sales at ethical e-tailer Adili rose 388 per cent in the four weeks to December 21, compared with the same period in 2006.
Alexon profit buoyed by post-Christmas trade

8-Jan-2008
Alexon revealed that post-Christmas trading lifted performance and that profits for the 52 weeks to January 26 are expected to be no lower than £12.5 million.
What the Sunday papers said – January 6, 2008

7-Jan-2008
City analysts have cut their forecasts for Marks & Spencer as fears that like-for-like sales for the retail giant may have fallen. According to TheSunday Telegraph, if figures are disappointing, analysts could be forced to reduce their forecasts for M&S by tens of millions of pounds.
£35m payout to Courts advisers angers former staff

7-Jan-2008
Former staff and creditors of failed furniture retailer Courts are up in arms after learning that advisors have netted £35 million in fees since the company collapsed in November 2004.
Jane Norman doubles profits

7-Jan-2008
Jane Norman has more than doubled its operating profits in the year to March 31, 2007.
PPR dodges festive gloom

4-Jan-2008
Gucci owner PPR said that Christmas sales had been good, despite festive trading fears.
Online searches for post-Christmas Sales soar

3-Jan-2008
Boxing Day was the busiest online shopping day of 2007 and the number of bargain hunters searching for post-Christmas Sales online more than trebled during the festive holiday period.
Play.com to launch music download service

3-Jan-2008
Play.com is set to launch a rival to Apple’s iTunes, called PlayDigital, which will offer up to 1 million songs for customers to download.
Otto UK mulls stores to add to core offer

21-Dec-2007
Home shopping giant Otto UK is considering acquiring a bricks-and-mortar retailer to complement its core operations.
Footfall still dropping

21-Dec-2007
Footfall continued to fall this week, down 8.7 per cent on Wednesday against last year.
Retailers’ wage rates surge past minimum

20-Dec-2007
Two thirds of retailers are setting starting salaries significantly above the National Minimum Wage (NMW).
Ponden Mill becomes first Christmas casualty

20-Dec-2007
Ponden Mill has fallen into administration just a month after it was bought for £6 million.
CBI survey reveals slow high street sales

19-Dec-2007
Sales for the first half of December were the slowest on the high street for over a year.
What the Sunday Papers said – December 17, 2007

17-Dec-2007
The Observer reported that Sir Philip Green has weighed up selling Arcadia’s £700 million pension fund to clear him of the pension liabilities of 15,000 shop workers.
Kingfisher exits Taiwan

17-Dec-2007
Kingfisher has sold its 50 per cent joint venture stake in B&Q Taiwan for US$106.5 million (£52.7 million) to its joint venture partner Test Rite International.
Mike Ashley 'to appoint himself Sports Direct chairman'

17-Dec-2007
Mike Ashley will reportedly announce himself as chairman of Sports Direct this week, doing little to ease the controversy surrounding his retail business.
Mandelson calls for fair trade with China

14-Dec-2007
EU officials and lawmakers have raised serious concerns over a possible upsurge in Chinese textile exports after the end of quotas on clothing in January.
Supermarkets increase e-tail share

13-Dec-2007
Supermarkets have increased their share of online retail by 50 per cent in the past two years.
Davies: learn lessons from hardest season in eight years

13-Dec-2007
George Davies has told retailers to learn lessons about their businesses during the current tough trading conditions.
Home shopping sector at home with consumer credit

13-Dec-2007
Credit crunch? What credit crunch? As the consumer debt squeeze takes its toll on the UK retail industry, the home shopping sector is continuing to reap the benefits of credit.
Mulberry like-for-likes soar

13-Dec-2007
Mulberry's UK retail operation achieved like-for-like sales growth of 11 per cent in the six months to September 30.
Jessops sales plummet

13-Dec-2007
Sales at Jessops plummeted 26.6 per cent year on year in the 10 weeks to December 9. Like-for-like sales also fell, by 7.3 per cent.
Inditex sales rocket

12-Dec-2007
Inditex operating income rose 27 per cent in constant currency to €1.11 billion (£801 million) in the nine months to October 31.
Top retailers join environmental initiative

12-Dec-2007
Retail giants Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Ikea are among a raft of high-profile companies to join a new environmental initiative launched by the Mayor of London.
Exponent acquires handbag brand

10-Dec-2007
Upmarket handbag brand Radley has been bought by private equity firm Exponent in a deal worth £130 million.
Today to smash online shopping record

10-Dec-2007
Today is expected to be a record shopping day online, with sales forecast to reach £370 million, treble a usual day’s rate.
Insurers association hits out at Ashley

7-Dec-2007
Mike Ashley has come up against yet more criticism from the City – this time from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), which criticised the way Sport’s Direct has been run since its float.
JJB puts Madeley on the board

6-Dec-2007
JJB Sports has appointed David Madeley to the board not long after he was made commercial director.
Mackays profits shine

6-Dec-2007
Fashion retailer Mackays made pre-tax profits of £9.2 million in the year to February 23, up from £8.9 million for the same period last year.
Government hits out at retailers over ethics

6-Dec-2007
Sir Philip Green has hit back after Minister for Trade and Development Gareth Thomas urged his Burton and Bhs chains to become part of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI).
Alexon warns on profits

6-Dec-2007
Alexon Group has become the second fashion retailer in as many days to issue a profit warning, as like-for-like sales slumped 7 per cent in the 18 weeks to December 1.
Moss Bros issues profit warning

5-Dec-2007
Moss Bros has warned on profits and said it is unlikely to reach its full-year forecast because of declining footfall and sales.
Asos eyes stores to raise brand profile

23-Nov-2007
Groundbreaking fashion e-tailer Asos may open stores to complete its multichannel offer.
John Lewis sales continue to climb

22-Nov-2007
John Lewis sales have risen 11 per cent so far this week year on year.
Topshop to enter China

22-Nov-2007
Topshop is poised to enter China with its first store opening there early next year.
Mothercare sales driven by international growth

22-Nov-2007
International growth helped Mothercare’s sales boost sales 24.3 per cent to £328.5 million for the 28 weeks to October 13.
Retailers pray for England win

21-Nov-2007
Retailers could lose millions if England fails to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals tonight.
Amazon launches digital book

20-Nov-2007
Amazon has launched an electronic device that could replace the traditional printed book.
Marchpole profits plummet

19-Nov-2007
Operating profits at luxury brand group Marchpole slid to £1.2 million in the six months to September 30, from £5 million the previous year.
The Sunday Papers: November 19, 2007

19-Nov-2007
Asda’s clothing brand George will cut the number of lines it sells and refocus to appeal to 35- to 45-year-old female shoppers, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
Farepak customers will not receive compensation in time for Christmas

19-Nov-2007
Customers who lost money following the collapse of Farepak last year will not receive any compensation before Christmas.
M&S has best reputation among consumers

19-Nov-2007
Marks & Spencer has topped a survey ranking the 10 companies with the best reputation, published by the CBI today.
Traditional retailers leapfrog pure play e-tailers online

16-Nov-2007
High street retailers attracted more visitors to their web sites than pure-play e-tailers for the first time in October.
Poor November for fashion bodes ill for festive trading

15-Nov-2007
UK fashion retailers have endured awful trading in November, putting down an ominous marker for Christmas.
French Connection hit as it warns on profits

15-Nov-2007
The City slashed forecasts for French Connection this week after the fashion retailer posted an unexpected profit warning.
Burberry profits soar

14-Nov-2007
First half operating profits at luxury group Burberry rose 30 per cent to £97.3 million in the six months to September 30.
Ponden Mill sold for £6 million

12-Nov-2007
Home furnishings chain Ponden Mill has been sold for a reported £6 million.
French Connection like-for-likes down

12-Nov-2007
Like-for-like sales at French Connection fell 3 per cent in the first 14 weeks of the second half of its financial year.
Oddbins suffers further losses

9-Nov-2007
Wine retailer Oddbins suffered a pre-tax loss of £8.6 million in the year to December 31.
Shoppers mob Hennes for Cavalli range

8-Nov-2007
A queue of about 200 formed early this morning at Hennes' Oxford Street flagship store, as Roberto Cavalli became the latest designer to launch a one-off exclusive range for the retailer.
Next delivers flat sales

7-Nov-2007
Sales at fashion group Next were level in the 14 weeks to November 3, up just 0.4 per cent against the same period last year.
Sainsbury's market value dives after bid collapse

6-Nov-2007
Sainsbury’s market value plummeted by more than £2 billion yesterday following the collapse of the Delta Two bid for the supermarket.
Adili set to float

5-Nov-2007
Ethical fashion e-tailer Adili is to float this week just a year after it started trading.
Hunter’s USC posts operating loss of £8.8 million

2-Nov-2007
USC, the fashion chain owned by Sir Tom Hunter, made an operating loss of £8.8 million last year.
Flat half-term sales at John Lewis

2-Nov-2007
Sales at John Lewis were flat in the week to November 2, rising just a fraction by 0.3 per cent to £57.7 million.
Inditex to launch accessories chain

1-Nov-2007
Inditex is preparing to unveil a standalone accessories chain.
Kookai to battle Peacocks over copycat claim

1-Nov-2007
Kookaï UK has launched a legal battle against Peacocks, claiming that the value retailer copied three of its knitwear garments.
Target on course to go nationwide in the US

1-Nov-2007
Target is to open a raft of shops that will secure its presence across all 50 US states.
Flying Brands profits hit but expansion continues

1-Nov-2007
Home shopping retailer Flying Brands is to push ahead with global expansion, despite issuing a profit warning this week.
Reiss goes global

1-Nov-2007
Fashion retailer Reiss has forged ahead with aggressive expansion plans and the man in charge has no intention of slowing down. David Reiss tells Lisa Berwin how he plans to take it to the next level
Sports Direct ups stake in Umbro

31-Oct-2007
Sports Direct has almost doubled its stake in Umbro to 29.9 per cent, raising doubt over Nike’s planned takeover of the makers of the England football team kit.
Value of stolen goods hits ten-year high as attacks on store staff soar

30-Oct-2007
The value of stolen goods from retailers has hit a ten-year high according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
What the Sunday papers said – October 29, 2007

29-Oct-2007
The Competition Commission will unveil a crackdown on “Tesco towns” this week, when it releases the provisional findings of its 18-month inquiry into the UK grocery market.
Zara launches home offering online

29-Oct-2007
Zara’s online home shopping business made its debut across 14 European countries today.
Gap pulls clothes at centre of child labour allegations

29-Oct-2007
US fashion giant Gap has withdrawn clothes from its GapKids range that were allegedly made by child labourers in India.
Wickes strikes franchise deal to enter Ireland

26-Oct-2007
Wickes has agreed a franchise agreement with Moritz Home Improvements to roll out stores acrossIreland, according to parent company Travis Perkins.
LK Bennett up for sale again

26-Oct-2007
LK Bennett has been put up for sale again by its founder Linda Bennett.
Littlewoods recalls £25 discount

25-Oct-2007
Littlewoods has taken back a £25 discount from customers it says were not eligible to use the promotion.
Reiss goes global

25-Oct-2007
Fashion retailer Reiss has forged ahead with aggressive expansion plans and the man in charge has no intention of slowing down. David Reiss tells Lisa Berwin how he plans to take it to the next level
Flying Brands profits hit but expansion continues

25-Oct-2007
Home shopping retailer Flying Brands is to push ahead with global expansion, despite issuing a profit warning this week.
Target on course to go nationwide in the US

25-Oct-2007
Target is to open a raft of shops that will secure its presence across all 50 US states.
Timberland trials new store format

25-Oct-2007
Timberland is testing a new smaller store format, called Footwear Plus, on the King’s Road in London.
Morrisons executive director to make exit

25-Oct-2007
Morrisons executive director Roger Owen will retire from the supermarket group in October next year. His retirement will coincide with his 60th birthday.
Sports Direct to bid for Umbro?

18-Oct-2007
Sports brand Umbro received a bid approach from an unnamed party, prompting speculation that Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley may be poised to pounce.
Fashion legend Davies to build Asia sports empire

18-Oct-2007
George Davies on mission to establish £100m S’porter football chain
Kitting out the nation

18-Oct-2007
Responsible for bringing fashion to the world of football and famous for spotting a gap in the market, as he did with George at Asda, George Davies proves he’s got his eye on the ball when it comes to retailing. Lisa Berwin meets him
Life's a beach

18-Oct-2007
Alastair Parker-Swift’s free-spirited attitude and outdoors lifestyle did him no harm when he set up Crew Clothing but, as the chain has grown, life has got more serious. Lisa Berwin meets him
Carrefour sales jump 5.5 per cent

17-Oct-2007
Carrefour sales have risen 5.5 per cent to e23.11 billion (£16.11 billion) in the three months to September 30.
Asos teams up with Coast and Oasis

16-Oct-2007
Mosaic stablemates Coast and Oasis have partnered with Asos to offer their collections on the e-tailer’s site.
Inflation stays steady

16-Oct-2007
Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation remained stable in September at 1.8 per cent.
Marks and Spencer hunts for 18,000 Christmas staff

16-Oct-2007
Marks and Spencer has launched a recruitment drive to bring an additional 18,000 staff on board for the busy Christmas period.
LVMH reports strong sales growth

15-Oct-2007
Luxury group Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) increased revenues by 13 per cent to €11.4 billion (£7.95 billion) in the first nine months of this year.
Profit warnings for retailers continue to rise

15-Oct-2007
Profit warnings from the retail sector have risen sharply in the last year.
M and S on hunt for 18,000 Christmas staff

15-Oct-2007
Marks & Spencer has launched a recruitment drive to bring an additional 18,000 staff on board for the busy Christmas period.
Marks and Spencer on hunt for 18,000 Christmas staff

15-Oct-2007
Marks & Spencer has launched a recruitment drive to bring an additional 18,000 staff on board for the busy Christmas period.
Rising profit warnings cause concern

15-Oct-2007
Profit warnings from the retail sector have risen sharply in the past year.
Tesco defiant over online estate agency plans

15-Oct-2007
Tesco may push ahead with plans to launch an online estate agency despite fierce opposition from other estate agents and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
H and M enjoys strong sales in September

15-Oct-2007
H&M sales rocketed 25 per cent in September.
Littlewoods to scrap 280 jobs

15-Oct-2007
Multichannel retailer Littlewoods is poised to axe 280 jobs nationwide in a bid to streamline its operations.
Profit warnings for retailers continue to grow

15-Oct-2007
Profit warnings from the retail sector have risen sharply in the last year. One third of FTSE general retailers have issued warnings in the last 12 months, compared to 24 per cent in the whole of 2006, according to a report by ...
EBTM widens losses after year of growth

15-Oct-2007
Music-inspired fashion e-tailer EBTM (Everything But The Music) has increased its turnover to £1.4 million after a year on the acquisition trail, but still made a loss overall.
Nevisport hits the buffers

15-Oct-2007
Scottish outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Nevisport has fallen into liquidation just two weeks after it was reportedly bought by Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley for £2.5 million.
Strong first half for N Brown

15-Oct-2007
Home shopping group N Brown has delivered strong first-half results, with like-for-like sales up 10.6 per cent.
H and M enjoys strong sales in September

15-Oct-2007
H&M sales rocketed 25 per cent in September.
Tesco defiant over online estate agency plans

15-Oct-2007
Tesco may push ahead with plans to launch an online estate agency despite fierce opposition from other estate agents and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
N Brown ramps up ad spend as figures excel

11-Oct-2007
N Brown will up its ad spend by between £5 million and £6 million in the second half to attract more online customers and increase awareness of its brands.
EBTM widens losses after year of growth

10-Oct-2007
Music-inspired fashion e-tailer EBTM (Everything But The Music) has increased its turnover to £1.4 million after a year on the acquisition trail, but still made a loss overall.
Littlewoods to scrap 280 jobs

9-Oct-2007
Multichannel retailer Littlewoods is poised to axe 280 jobs nationwide in a bid to streamline its operations.
Nevisport hits the buffers

9-Oct-2007
Scottish outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Nevisport has fallen into liquidation just two weeks after it was reportedly bought by Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley for £2.5 million.
Strong first half for N Brown

9-Oct-2007
Home shopping group N Brown has delivered strong first-half results, with like-for-like sales up 10.6 per cent.
Kurt Geiger set to enter Middle East

8-Oct-2007
Luxury shoe retailer Kurt Geiger is to open 30 stores across the Middle East as part of its ongoing international onslaught.
Richard Ratner dies

8-Oct-2007
Leading retail analyst Richard Ratner has died after suffering a heart attack last week.
Elvi overhauls brand to push fashion focus

4-Oct-2007
Plus-size fashion retailer Elvi has embarked on an ambitious roll-out of its new fascia to all its stores and concessions as part of its brand overhaul.
Asos sales soar again

4-Oct-2007
Fashion e-tailer Asos is likely to make profits of £8 million by March 2009 as sales rocket, Lisa Berwin writes.
New face of Topshop unveiled

3-Oct-2007
Model Chloe Hayward has been chosen as the new face of Topshop’s winter collection.
SRG completes re-financing and looks to expansion

3-Oct-2007
SRG is set to push through expansion plans for its brands after completing a re-financing deal.
Findel first-half sales rocket

2-Oct-2007
Home shopping retailer Findel reported strong first-half sales growth of 32 per cent across the business.
What the Sunday papers said October 1 2007

1-Oct-2007
Debenhamsshareholders may oust some of its management if chief executive Rob Templeman fails to reverse the department store’s bad fortunes in the run-up to Christmas according to TheMail on Sunday.
Mosaic profits rocket

1-Oct-2007
Mosaic profits soared 23 per cent to £31.5 million in the year to July 28, with total sales hitting £407 million.
Alexon voices trading fears as it delivers static half-year sales

27-Sep-2007
Fashion group Alexon has warned that current trading is still weak after it posted flat total sales for the 26 weeks to July 28.
Refurbishments boost Moss Bros half-year results

27-Sep-2007
Store refurbishments have alleviated the pressures of tough trading conditions for menswear group Moss Bros.
ScS profits hit by tough market conditions

25-Sep-2007
Furniture retailer's profit plummets 27%
What the Sunday papers said – September 24

24-Sep-2007
Blacks Leisure shareholders plan coup
Slow start to second half for Alexon

24-Sep-2007
Fashion retailer hopes Christmas wil bring cheer
Sports Direct sparks City anger again

21-Sep-2007
Retail group cancels investor day because of workload issues
Auchan invests in Portugal as rival sells hypermarkets

19-Sep-2007
Auchan is to plough €600 million (£414 million) into its Portuguese retail arm amid speculation that it could acquire hypermarkets from rival Carrefour.
Inditex sales jump 19 per cent

19-Sep-2007
New stores and a growing international presence helps push Inditex sales up to €4.12 billion
Take That to front Marks and Spencer campaign

19-Sep-2007
Pop group confirmed for autumn Autograph menswear range promo
Target launches limited collection in Selfridges today

18-Sep-2007
Target's limited collection designed by Alice Temperley launches in Selfridges today as part of London Fashion Week
What the Sunday papers said – September 17

17-Sep-2007
Tesco non-food web chief to go?
Laura Ashley profits rocket 113%

17-Sep-2007
But like-for-likes take a nosedive
Somerfield launches TV campaign

12-Sep-2007
Retailer bids to raise profile after expansion drive
French Connection curbs its losses in first half

11-Sep-2007
But menswear and Toast fail to perform
Sports Direct surprises by not issuing profit warning

10-Sep-2007
Retailer achieves limited earnings growth
Primark expects second-half like-for-like rise

10-Sep-2007
Discount giant beats off bad weather
Private equity deals fall 64%

5-Sep-2007
Investment nosedives amid credit crisis
Former Marks and Spencer retail director takes over at George

4-Sep-2007
Former Marks and Spencer retail director Anthony Thompson has been made managing director of George
Former Marks and Spencer retail director takes over at George

4-Sep-2007
Former Marks and Spencer retail director Anthony Thompson has been made managing director of George
Primark share of UK childrenswear to rise

4-Sep-2007
Primark has increased its share of the UK's £4.5 billion childrenswear market to 6.2 per cent
Adams calls time on discounting strategy

31-Aug-2007
Adams chief executive David Carter-Johnson has vowed to return the struggling childrenswear retailer to profitability by ditching its heavy discounting strategy.
August sales figures slow

31-Aug-2007
CBI reveals slow August trading on the high street
Ready meal market to hit €10bn

31-Aug-2007
UK drives massive growth as it smashes £2bn mark
Food holds back sales volumes

30-Aug-2007
Total sales volumes increased between May and June by 0.2 per cent in all retail sectors, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).In the three months to June, food sales volumes climbed just 1.3 per cent against the same period last year – the smallest increase this sector has achieved since June 1999. Between May and June, food sales slid 1.1 per cent.In contrast, May and June were strong months for non-specialist stores, where sales volumes rose 4.1 ...
EC slammed for anti-dumping tax proposal

30-Aug-2007
Trade body says duty extension on energy saving light bulbs from China would be 'against competitiveness'
Sports Direct directors face shareholder rebellion

30-Aug-2007
Shareholders urged to vote against bosses bonuses
Woolworths goes on advertising drive

30-Aug-2007
Rolf Harris and Kelly Osbourne to star in tv ad for Woolworth's Worthit! brand
Home Depot sale slashed by $2 billion

28-Aug-2007
Home Depot is forced to drop the price of its wholesale supply unit by $2 billion.
Lisa learns real fast like

24-Aug-2007
Niall is at the end of his super user tether
Marchpole deputy chair lands £850k bonus

24-Aug-2007
Morris’s earnings hit £1m
July online sales skyrocket

24-Aug-2007
Web sales pass £4 billion
O2 lands UK iPhone contract

24-Aug-2007
Exclusivity based on 10% kick-back
Tesco takes control of Dobbies

24-Aug-2007
Tesco’s £156 million offer for garden centre chain Dobbies has been accepted. However, despite having formal control, the grocer faces continued opposition from minority shareholder Sir Tom Hunter.
Dobbies warns on profits

24-Aug-2007
Warning comes days after Tesco deal
PWC appointed as ChoicesUK administrators

23-Aug-2007
Retailer to be sold as a going concern
Hutchison Whampoa sales leap 12%

23-Aug-2007
But UK chains lag behind in first half

Retail WeekLisa Berwin

Retail Week
Lisa Berwin