All City & finance articles – Page 546
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Opinion
Asda means business in grocers' price war
It's payday, and the big grocers are parking their tanks on each other's lawns as a new front opens in the price war.
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News
Sales fall at John Lewis but show week-on-week improvement
Sales at John Lewis department stores fell 1.5 per cent in the week to February 21, while turnover at grocery stablemate Waitrose dropped 1 per cent.
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News
Consumer confidence improves slightly in February
Consumer confidence improved marginally in February but remains extremely weak, GfK NOP's Consumer Confidence Index has found.
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Opinion
Don't write off Fresh & Easy
The weekend story that Tesco had “got it wrong in the US” made for great headlines but didn’t reflect the bigger picture.
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News
Kingfisher expected to ride out downturn
DIY giant Kingfisher is expected to emerge stronger from the downturn, but weakening performances in some international markets have prompted City caution about short-term prospects.
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News
Sentiment swings in favour of retail despite general malaise
The market was down last week as arguments continued to rage about the health of the economy and whether the right action is being taken to steer the world out of recession. However, once again the impact on store stocks was limited versus the All Share Index.
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News
Primark's value stance keeps sales on course in first half
Value fashion retailer Primark’s keen prices helped it defy the economic gloom with a 5 per cent rise in like-for-like sales in the six months to February 28.
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News
Retailer anger mounts over rate rise
Top retailers have renewed their attack on the proposed 5 per cent increase in business rates scheduled for introduction in April.
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NewsTop retailers lobby Government to reverse rate rise
Top retailers are to lobby Local Government Minister John Healey to reduce the rise in business rates planned for April.
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Opinion
Brands and nostalgia: the new dynamic in food
Comfort eating has taken on a new meaning in these downbeat, recessionary times.
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News
Retail sales up 0.7 per cent in January
Retail sales volume rose 0.7 per cent in January and advanced 1.5 per cent on a three-month basis, the Office for National Statistics reported.
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News
Banks compete to sell former Baugur stake in Iceland
Icelandic bank Landsbanki is understood to have held a beauty parade of investment banks vying to run the sale of a stake in frozen food retailer Iceland.
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Opinion
Getting JJB match-fit again
Like Didier Drogba, sports retailer JJB has spent more time on the bench than in competition of late. Once hailed as a premiership business, JJB has been teetering on the brink of permanent relegation for several seasons – outplayed by rivals such as Sports Direct and top of the league ...
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News
Mixed retail signals polarise City opinion for industry’s prospects
Food retailers and general merchandisers alike fell last week but still outperformed the market. The industry’s prospects continue to polarise City opinion, however.
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Opinion
History can't prepare us for this recession
Retailers are almost all suffering from low sales, tightening gross margins, pressure on costs and difficulty in simply retaining existing borrowing facilities.
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Opinion
A public appeal to Alistair Darling
If the Chancellor really wants to tackle the crunch he needs to help with credit insurance
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News
Ziff buys Stylo stores
The management of shoe retailer Stylo, led by Michael Ziff, has bought 160 Stylo stores and 165 concessions from administrator Deloitte.
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News
Wickes owner Travis Perkins reports profits plunge
Builders’ merchant Travis Perkins has posted a plunge in preliminary profits but said its Wickes DIY chain has made a good start to the new financial year in key categories.
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News
Thorntons posts 39% interim profit fall
Confectioner Thorntons’ profits plunged in the first half when sales at company-owned stores fell and margins suffered during highly promotional trading conditions.
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News
Wal-Mart posts quarterly profit fall despite record sales
Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, has reported a 7.7 per cent fall in fourth quarter profits after being hit by the costs of legal action and exchange rates.