All articles by George MacDonald – Page 224
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NewsSelf-help measures drive Kingfisher quarterly profits rise
Improved gross margin and cost productivity helped DIY giant Kingfisher post a rise in first quarter profits despite a like-for-like sales fall.
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NewsPeerage for Next chief executive Simon Wolfson
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson has been named a Conservative working peer in the Dissolution Honours List put forward to the Queen by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
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NewsCustomers queue all night for iPad launch
Consumers, some of whom queued through the night, have turned out in force to snap up the first iPads to go on sale in the UK.
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NewsDemand for warm weather product lifts John Lewis sales
Warm weather helped increase sales at department store chain John Lewis and grocery stablemate Waitrose last week.
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NewsConsumer confidence falls again in May
Consumer confidence has fallen to the same level as when Northern Rock was nationalised in early 2008.
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AnalysisLoyalty cards: the bedrock of future success?
Loyalty schemes have enabled some retailers to outperform, but others regard them as a gimmick. George Macdonald asks who is right
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NewsRetail prices tumble in climate of unease
General retailers took a bashing as turmoil embroiled the markets generally. Fears about the eurozone crisis and political tension in the Far East undermined the FTSE - every blue-chip stock fell on Tuesday.
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NewsMarks & Spencer ramps up its multichannel offer
Multichannel sales climb 27% to £413m, bringing £500m target in sight
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NewsMohamed Al Fayed explains Harrods sale
Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed has explained his decision to sell the legendary department store.
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NewsChief executive to leave as Thorntons warns on profits
Thorntons chief executive Mike Davies is to quit the confectioner after continued tough trading conditions prompted another profit warning.
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NewsMarks & Spencer celebrates return to like-for-like growth in food as profits rise
Marks & Spencer has reported a return to annual like-for-like growth at its food arm for the first time since 2007, an increased clothing market share and a profits rise.
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AnalysisBanking facilities
After the recession, banks are once again starting to take a more flexible approach to providing retailers with lending facilities
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NewsVolatility reigns for general retail shares
General retailers’ shares swung wildly last week and ended up underperforming the market although food stocks, helped by better than expected Sainsbury’s results, ticked up.
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OpinionA nail-biting time for Ocado
Now the election is out of the way, chiefs of private retailers with an eye on a IPO - Ocado among them - will anxiously follow the political and economic weather reports and consider whether they can get their floats away.
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NewsRetail sales up 1.1% in April, ONS says
Retail sales rose 1.1% by value and 0.3% by volume month on month in April, the ONS reported.
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NewsTesco stores escape worst of Thai unrest
Tesco’s stores in Thailand are thought to have escaped the worst of the violence that has engulfed the capital, Bangkok, over the last few days.
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NewsMothercare sales pass £1bn but City profit expectations not met
Maternity specialist Mothercare generated full-year sales of more than £1bn for the first time last year but profits narrowly missed City expectations.
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NewsIceland’s Malcolm Walker defends former Baugur boss Jóhannesson
Iceland chief executive Malcolm Walker spoken up for Baugur founder Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, who was forced to stand down as chair of the grocer yesterday.