Singles Day: What can British retailers learn from China’s version of Black Friday? November 11, 2016 Today marks the world’s largest e-commerce event. No, it’s not Black Friday yet – Singles Day is taking place in China, and it’s bigger than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. At midnight local time it took Alibaba just 52 seconds to take its first 1bn renminbi (£116m) and just under seven minutes to reach 10bn [...]
Yet another super-duper six months for SuperGroup November 10, 2016 SuperGroup shares donned a red cape and flew high today after the retailer said its results had been supersized by the weakened pound. Half-year revenues at the owner of the Superdry clothing brand grew by 31 per cent to £334m, raising the FTSE 250 company's share price by nine per cent. [stockChart code="SGP" date="2016-11-10 16:33"] Because of its considerable [...]
A deflating day for Halfords shares as margins are squeezed November 10, 2016 Shares in Halfords flopped five per cent today after revealing half-year profits had fallen by 12 per cent. While the car parts and bikes retailer announced that revenues had increased by six per cent, gross margins – the amount of profit it makes from every item sold – at its retail outlets fell sharply. Read [...]
Rubik’s Cube legal puzzle leaves toy maker frustrated November 10, 2016 The makers of the world-famous Rubik's Cube have been frustrated by the top European court. Seven Towers, which manages Rubik's Cube intellectual property rights, have been told the cube's distinctive shape is not sufficient to grant it protection against copycats. German toy maker Simba Toys brought a challenge against a 1999 European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) trademark [...]
Waitrose is changing the rules on free coffee at more stores November 10, 2016 Waitrose fans, brace yourselves. Especially if you're a commuter. A rule change to the supermarket's incredibly popular free coffee offer caused outrage among middle England in October, and now it will apply to even more stores. Read more: Most people are enjoying the John Lewis Christmas advert. A few aren't Kale-lovers in more locations will soon have [...]
Most people are enjoying this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. A few aren’t November 10, 2016 The John Lewis Christmas advert has landed. And, predictably, the majority of Twitter luvvies are loving it – despite serious plot holes exposed by City PM Launching a day after Donald Trump won the race to the White House, the retailer’s customer director Craig Inglis said: “2016 has certainly been quite a year, so we [...]
Watch this year’s full John Lewis Christmas advert, featuring Vaults and Buster the Boxer November 10, 2016 Advent calendars may have been out since Easter and shops may have been putting baubles on display since September – but you know it's really Christmas when the John Lewis Christmas advert arrives. This year's offering takes a funny, rather than schmaltzy, approach (cf. last year's sugary sweet Man on the Moon ad) – featuring a [...]
Heartwarming and full of plot holes: Our review of John Lewis’ 2016 Christmas advert, Buster the Boxer November 10, 2016 This year’s John Lewis Christmas advert, Buster the Boxer, has everything we have come to expect of the now hotly-anticipated generator of the festive feeling. It’s heartwarming, it’s full of plot holes and it makes you want to visit to retailer’s flagship store on Oxford Street. On the heartwarming front, it begins with a little girl, Bridget, who [...]
Savile Row, Harley Street, Mayfair, St James’ and Portland Place safeguarded by new Westminster council policy November 10, 2016 Five renowned areas of the capital have been safeguarded by a new policy introduced by Westminster council. The policy will allow it to reject planning proposals that threaten the character of the city's well-known areas. The Special Policy Areas come into force today to protect Savile Row, Mayfair, Harley Street, St James's and Portland Place. The policy regulations won't dictate [...]
Sandwichgate: The chair of the Business Select Committee has written to Mike Ashley and he’s not happy November 9, 2016 The chair of the Business Select Committee that paid Sports Direct a memorable visit earlier in the week, has written to Mike Ashley. And boy, he's not happy. "For an organisation in the process of reviewing its corporate governance and working practices, it is difficult to understand how a representative of the company thought that [...]
