Mike Ashley slams Debenhams for rejecting his £40m loan December 13, 2018 Retail tycoon Mike Ashley has launched a scathing attack on Debenhams today, claiming that the beleaguered department store giant has rejected a £40m interest-free emergency loan. In a letter addressed to Debenhams boss Sergio Bucher, the billionaire Sports Direct owner suggests that without the money the company "has zero chance of survival". Ashley, who controls [...]
Carrot or stick? For Aldi and Lidl, equal pay goes hand in hand with commercial success December 13, 2018 Kevin the Carrot, who once again features in Aldi’s Christmas advert, is proving a bigger hit with shoppers than even Elton John, star of the John Lewis ad. Soft-toy versions of the animated vegetable sold out at 4am on the day of release in some areas and have reportedly provoked fights among customers desperate to [...]
Holiday experiences help travel operator Tui weather the heatwave storm December 13, 2018 Travel operator Tui has reported double-digit sales growth for the full year, as strong performance in hotels and cruises outweighed the impact of the summer heatwave and airline strikes. The figures Reported core earnings rose 10.9 per cent from €1.10bn (£990m) to €1.14bn. Revenues were up five per cent to €19.52bn. Profit before tax fell [...]
Tech supermarket Ocado reveals solid sales growth amid physical retail downturn December 13, 2018 Once dubbed the "Microsoft of retail", online supermarket Ocado has shaken off the sector's blues to post strong sales growth in its final quarter of the year. In a trading update for the three months to the start of December, Ocado said it had seen "consistent strong" growth in sales in the region of 12 [...]
Bonmarche shares tank after it slashes profits, blaming Brexit for bleak high street trading December 13, 2018 Retailer Bonmarche lost nearly half its value this morning after investors sold out following a bleak profit warning. Its share price fell 45 per cent this morning after the markets opened. Having closed on 80p last night, shares were trading at 44p this morning. The retailer said its Black Friday sales were “extremely poor” and had [...]
Network Rail offers to wrap commuters’ Christmas presents at London stations December 12, 2018 Network Rail is offering a free gift wrapping service to commuters at London train stations this Christmas. The service, which Network Rail has dubbed “Wrapland”, is available from a pop-up stall at London Bridge until tomorrow and then at King's Cross from 17 to 19 December. The stall has been set up to encourage commuters to purchase presents from shops [...]
Zara owner Inditex falls short of market expectations despite rise in profit December 12, 2018 Fashion group Zara’s parent company Inditex fell short of market expectations today as currency effects weighed on the world’s largest clothing retailer. Shares in the Spanish firm, which is controlled by billionaire tycoon Amancio Ortega, tumbled four per cent in trading after missing estimates for third-quarter profits and sales. The group, which is highly sensitive [...]
Thomas Cook’s shares rebound after senior executive says bookings for 2019 have started strongly December 12, 2018 Thomas Cook’s share price jumped more than 15 per cent this morning after a senior executive said bookings for 2019 had started strongly. The travel company has experienced severe turbulence this year, warning on profits twice as the hot summer hit holiday bookings. Its share price has taken a battering, falling from 117p this time [...]
Dixons Carphone sinks to £440m loss, sending share price falling December 12, 2018 Dixons Carphone sank to a huge loss in its half-year result today, as a £500m writedown in its Carphone Warehouse division weighed the company and its share price down. The figures Dixons swung to a £440m loss for the six months to the end of October after paying out £490m in impairment charges for a restructure of [...]
Sainsbury’s share price under pressure as it asks for more time on Asda merger probe December 12, 2018 Sainsbury’s has seen its share price tumble five per cent so far today, after it joined Asda in appealing to the courts for more time to argue its case over a planned £15bn merger between the two supermarkets. Both grocers said this morning that they have lodged a request to review the timetable and process of [...]
