Retailers hit with fresh blow as nearly 50 per cent of Brits think the high street is ‘no longer relevant’ May 29, 2023 Nearly half of Brits believe that high streets are no longer relevant, with new data showing that the public is craving a change to their local high street in order to continue visiting it. The data, published by IT company Accenture, comes as retail experts have forecasted that up to 18,000 stores could vanish off [...]
Can Dr Martens get off on the right foot with investors this week? May 29, 2023 All eyes remain on Dr Martens ahead of its full year results on Thursday as investors hope the boot maker can offer signs of a turnaround following disruptions in its US warehouse and its struggling share price. The London-based bootmaker has downgraded its profit forecast twice in three months, telling the markets in April that [...]
Boots owner to slash HQ jobs in cost-cutting push May 27, 2023 Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc WBA.O said on Friday it would slash its corporate staff by about 10%, as it streamlines operations and focuses on consumer-facing healthcare businesses. None of the 504 roles being cut are based at its stores, micro-fulfillment outlets or call centers, a company spokesperson told Reuters. Walgreens, one of the largest U.S. pharmacies, has [...]
Cazoo debtholders bring in bankers to advise on key talks May 26, 2023 Lenders to Cazoo, the online car retailer, have enlisted bankers to lead talks with the group about a £510m debt restructuring. According to reports today from Sky News’ Mark Kleinmann, funds with more than £500m held in the London-based firm, have enlisted PJT Partners to advise them on negotiations with the company. Cazoo has faced [...]
New Look in talks with lenders to refinance £100m debt May 26, 2023 New Look is reportedly in talks with its lenders to refinance £100m of debt amid a challenging time for the British fashion chain. New Look is understood to be working with advisers at Deloitte on exploring options for a term loan which ends its June 2024, according to reports in Sky News. Sources told the [...]
John Allan: Tesco chair mulls legal action over sexual misconduct allegations May 26, 2023 John Allan, the outgoing chief of Tesco, has hired a law firm to defend himself after he was accused of engaging inappropriately with women during his tenure at the CBI. “I’m determined, as far as I possibly can, to prove my innocence,” Allan told the Times, revealing that he has hired media law firm Schillings [...]
Asos share price in focus after £75m cash call May 26, 2023 Asos has tapped shareholders for £75m as the loss making retailer attempts to repair its balance sheet. The pure-play digital retailer revealed the plans to investors yesterday, with the fundraising underwritten by three shareholders including Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen, the owner of Bestseller through his investment vehicle. In a separate cash building move, Asos also [...]
Retail sales up in April but analysts warn on implications of further rate hikes May 26, 2023 Retail sales volumes recovered slightly by 0.5 per cent in April as the sector was lifted by the Easter holidays, however high inflation and strains on household finances continue to hinder spending. Non-food stores sales volumes rose by 1.0 per cent during the month, data from the ONS shows, following a fall of 1.8 per [...]
Asda owners tying up £10bn merger with petrol giant EG May 25, 2023 The billionaire owners of Asda and petrol giant EG are reportedly gearing up to tie a ribbon on their £10bn merger in Britain. The deal, which will create a cluster of 170,000 employees and revenues of £30bn, is set to be announced on Friday, according to reports in Sky News. If confirmed, the group will [...]
Pets at Home to open 40 new stores as pandemic puppy trend looks here to stay May 25, 2023 Retailer Pets At Home has unveiled plans to open at least 40 new stores across the UK under aims to become the “world’s best pet care platform” after posting record annual results. The firm’s chief executive Lyssa McGowan said the group was spending £400m on an ambitious growth strategy that would see it expand its [...]