All City & finance articles – Page 491
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NewsRising cotton prices threaten Primark’s hard-won margins
Value fashion giant Primark improved operating margins from 10.9% to 12.5% last year but has warned that they may shrink again as cotton prices soar.
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NewsRose sells shares as Bolland outlines vision
Marks & Spencer chairman Sir Stuart Rose sold 100,000 of his shares in the retailer yesterday – the day his successor Marc Bolland set out his vision for the business.
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NewsAmerican Apparel reports further losses in third quarter
Struggling US fashion chain American Apparel like-for-likes dropped 16% over the third quarter to September 30.
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NewsRussian oligarch buys 3% stake in HMV
Russian tycoon Alexander Mamut has taken a stake in entertainment group HMV, it has emerged.
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NewsSupergroup Q2 sales surge 68.4%
Supergroup, the owner of trendy fashion brand Superdry, experienced a 68.4% surge in group total sales to £57.5m in the three months to October 31.
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NewsTheo Fennell losses narrow in first half
Upmarket jeweller Theo Fennell narrowed its losses from £1m to £877,330 in the six months to September 30.
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NewsBolland plans clearout of brands as M&S profits rise
Marks & Spencer is to rationalise its clothing sub-brands and reduce the number of branded foods stocked as new chief executive Marc Bolland refocuses the business around the core M&S brand.
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NewsApple director joins Kingfisher board
Kingfisher has appointed a boss of trendy technology firm Apple to its board in a non-executive capacity.
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NewsM&S on track to hit £500m online sales over Christmas
Shop Your Way initiative helps retailer to meet target three months ahead of year-end schedule
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NewsAlworths continues to grow after first year
Alworths, the variety store that sprung from the ashes of Woolworths, enjoyed a record week last week as it hits its first year anniversary today.
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NewsNew stores aid TJ Hughes’s profit rise
Discount department store chain TJ Hughes posted a pre-tax profit hike of 22% to £6.8m for the year to January 30, compared with £5.3m the previous year, driven by store openings and growth in online sales.
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NewsAnalyst warns on clothing margin pressures
Clothing margins are likely to come under pressure next year Investec fears and the broker has reappraised its stance on fashion groups as a result.
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NewsAsos launches French and German websites
Online fashion specialist Asos launched dedicated transactional websites serving France and Germany last week.
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NewsCable backs retail sector as key to economic recovery
Business secretary Vince Cable outlined the importance of the retail sector this week, stating “retail is critical to the country’s recovery and something I greatly value”.
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OpinionRetail surgery: Can I suggest a debt-for-equity swap to our bank or would that only work for larger companies?
My retail business has accumulated a fair amount of debt recently and it is becoming unmanageable. Can I suggest a debt-for-equity swap to our bank or would that only work for larger companies?
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NewsBoots banks on its gift ranges to secure Christmas market share
Alliance Boots expects its “strong fun gifts” range to lift sales this Christmas and is confident of grabbing market share in the festive period.
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NewsBlacks boss says bid interest shows turnaround has begun
Blacks chief executive Neil Gillis said the bid interest in the outdoor retailer was a sign that the turnaround plan was working.
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NewsBreak-up merchants eye struggling DIY chain Focus
DIY chain’s owner appoints adviser as it considers options for troubled retailer
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NewsBullish outlook for retail despite jitters
General retailers were down over the week while their food counterparts were up - both underperformed a flattish market.
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AnalysisChristmas shopping events
It may be too soon to put up the Christmas lights, but it’s not too soon for retailers to plan how they can capitalise on the festive events geared to get shoppers spending