All articles by George MacDonald – Page 249
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News
Rising cost of food drives shop price inflation
Shop price inflation edged up to two per cent in March from 1.9 per cent in February – the fourth consecutive month of rising inflation.The weakness of the pound was blamed for pushing up food costs but key general merchandise lines, such as clothing, were cheaper than a year ago.Food ...
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NewsSymbol store group Henderson reports profits rise
Henderson Group, which owns and runs 72 symbol stores including Spar and Eurospar in Northern Ireland and supplies 400 shops, has revealed a “strong performance” in 2008 and expansion plans for this year.The company did not disclose exact figures, but said that operating profit rose 10.7 per cent and turnover ...
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NewsProfits leap at JD Sports Fashion
JD Sports Fashion has reported a surge in full-year sales and profits and an encouraging start to the new year.The apparel group, whose chains include Bank and Scotts as well as the eponymous JD Sports, generated a 9 per cent increase in pre-tax profits to £38.2m on sales 13.3 per ...
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News
High street like-for-like sales rise in March
Retail like-for-like sales rose by 1.3 per cent in March, according to the BDO Stoy Hayward High Street Sales Tracker.It was only the third time in the past 12 months that sales entered positive territory, and the homewares category advanced for the first time since June 2008 with a 5.7 ...
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NewsJohn Lewis department stores report ‘strongest week’
John Lewis department stores delivered their strongest performance of the first half so far in the week to March 28, when sales fell 2 per cent.
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News
Marks & Spencer mid-season Sale begins tomorrow
Marks & Spencer’s mid-season Sale will begin tomorrow, when prices on selected lines will be cut by as much as 50 per cent.
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Opinion
The end justifies the means in Rose’s case
His style may be Savile Row but Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose this week once again showed himself to be a scrapper. The retailer’s fourth-quarter update confounded bearish expectations as a raft of initiatives bore fruit. Like-for-like declines won’t have them dancing in the foyer of Waterside House ...
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News
John Lewis Partnership reports sales fall
The John Lewis Partnership suffered a sales fall last week at its eponymous department stores and supermarket chain Waitrose.
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NewsM&S rounds off good week for retail stocks
Marks & Spencer spearheaded an advance by retail shares on Tuesday, when its fourth-quarter numbers defied downbeat expectations.The retail sector rose 6 per cent on the day, when there was also the successful refinancing of Clinton Cards and placings of Debenhams and Sainsbury’s shares. Improving sentiment towards retailers helped the ...
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AnalysisSir Stuart Rose
He may have led M&S to renewed success, but Rose’s role at the retailer is being challenged. George MacDonald separates man from media
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Opinion
Welcome relief on costs
Tuesday’s unexpected but very welcome deferral of the proposed 5 per cent rates rise was not the only good news in retail property this week.For several months Retail Week has been reporting on all sorts of argy-bargy between retailers and landlords.But representatives of the two groups, spearheaded by Arcadia and ...
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News
Generalists on the up but food out of favour
General retailers, but not their food counterparts, once again outperformed the market but remained well down year on year.
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News
Signet to cut costs after challenging year
Jewellery giant Signet intends to slash costs and cut debt to cope with harsh trading conditions.
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News
JJB Sports in eleventh-hour talks on clubs sale
JJB Sports remains locked in talks to sell its fitness clubs division despite the expiry yesterday of an extension to its standstill agreement with lenders.
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Opinion
Value to be had in retail
Think back about five months or so, to the aftermath of Lehman’s collapse and tsunami-style turbulence in financial markets.
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News
Marks & Spencer launches web video channel to tap rising online spend
Marks & Spencer has ramped up its multichannel offer with the launch of an online TV channel.
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News
Retail stocks pick up in line with market
Retailers were popular as the market rose generally. Value opportunities, defensive stocks and riskier turnaround situations were all in vogue – only nine main market-listed store groups lost value over the week.
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NewsSir Stuart Rose: my legacy to M&S
Marks Spencer executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose told the Retail Week Conference that he had three objectives. “I’d like to see the business have a clear passage through the slowdown, to have a coherent plan for here and overseas and a seamless and successful transition to new leadership,” ...
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NewsSara Weller: retailers will expect multichannel ventures to pay their way
Argos managing director Sara Weller has highlighted the opportunities and challenges retailers face as they attempt to strengthen multichannel operations.
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Opinion
Life tastes good at Sainsbury’s
In two weeks’ time it’s Sainsbury’s turn to update, when the grocer issues its fourth-quarter figures.