'Further to the recent share price movement, the board of directors of Whittard confirms that it has received an approach, which may or may not lead to an offer being made for the company,' said the group this morning. The announcement comes just months after previous talks ended. The group first admitted in July that it was in takeover talks but announced in September that the talks had collapsed, following poor trading. London stores were badly affected by the July bombings.
Seymour Pierce analyst Rhys Williams said: 'Is it the same people as last time? How detailed have these discussions become? We just don't know, however, what is clear is that despite its weak trading and profit performance recently, as a brand it continues to attract, and its long-term overseas growth opportunities remain strong.'
Whittard said in September that potential suitors had also lost interest in the company since the terrorist attacks: 'Trading in the company's central London and tourist stores has been materially affected since the July attacks. The board now believes this situation is likely to continue for some time and may even adversely affect sales during the important Christmas period.'
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