More finance – Page 120
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OpinionComment: Relieving rates burden would be real retail fix
Bill Grimsey and Mary Portas may have more in common than either would care to admit. Both have passionately articulated the vast challenge that faces high street retailers.
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OpinionComment: Would Morrisons/Ocado merit a mention in Robert Peston Goes Shopping?
Robert Peston’s TV programme on shopping on Monday made enthralling viewing.
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AnalysisThe Grimsey Review: 31 recommendations to Government
The Grimsey Review is to make 31 recommendations to the Government when the review of the high street, which is led by former Focus boss Bill Grimsey, is published on Wednesday. Here, Retail Week lists the action points.
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OpinionComment: The tired business rates system needs some political TLC
Any taxation system has to be fair, transparent and the burden should be equally borne irrespective of sector. Sadly these traits are currently missing from the business rate system.
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AnalysisInternational analysis: Auchan stands out from its foreign rivals in China
Last week Auchan and its partner, Taiwan-based Ruentex, revealed first-half turnover in China climbed 12.9% to CNY44.51bn (£4.6bn).
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OpinionComment: The high street needs more than good weather to succeed
For years it’s been sinking to new depths, but the sudden change of weather, allowing Britain to enjoy the best summer in years, has caused a striking turnaround. Or so it appears.
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OpinionComment: The OFT needs to remove ambiguity in price promotion laws
Last week, six furniture stores and carpet retailers came under scrutiny from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for their pricing strategy.
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OpinionComment: Can Dixons keep its spark?
Electricals group Dixons, owner of Currys and PC World, reports on first-quarter trading next Thursday following a strong performance last year.
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AnalysisAnalysis: Is the improving housing market good news for DIY retailers?
Could a stronger housing market provide the lift the DIY market and wider retail sector so desperately needs?
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OpinionComment: Amazon - Sales are vanity, profit is sanity and cash is reality
I’m often reminded of the saying “sales are vanity, profit is sanity and cash is reality” when reading reports on retailers’ financial performance.
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OpinionComment: House of Fraser's IPO prospects
House of Fraser chiefs are considering whether there would be an appetite for an IPO of the department store business, almost a decade after it was taken private.
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OpinionComment: New Look enjoys a new lease of life
New Look was in the headlines this week after revealing plans to introduce concessions such as nail bars into its stores in order to increase shoppers’ dwell time.
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OpinionComment: BRC's Helen Dickinson - How we're stepping up a gear on business rates
The BRC has been banging the drum for a business rates freeze for several years now. We’ve worked hard with campaign partners but we’ve reached a point where we felt a rethink was needed.
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OpinionComment: The BRC supports a thriving retail industry
Since joining the British Retail Consortium (BRC), I have enjoyed meeting our members and discussing the future of the retail industry, and hearing your insights into the BRC’s work and our future direction.
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OpinionComment: The BRC's new approach to business rates is refreshing
Retailers might be surprised by the BRC’s decision, revealed today, to review its approach to business rates and abandon its calls, made repeatedly over recent years, for a freeze in business rates.
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OpinionComment: Retail landlords still need to get real
I couldn’t help smiling, albeit through clenched teeth, while reading the interview with Hammerson boss David Atkins last week on Retail-week.com.
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OpinionComment: At home and abroad, the Tesco empire strikes back
All eyes were on Watford last week as Tesco unveiled the first incarnation of a new model for its big-box Extra format.
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OpinionComment: Chris Bryant's criticism of Next and Tesco missed the real retail jobs story
British retailers employ 3 million people in the UK, but you’d think from Labour immigration spokesman Chris Bryant MP’s comments that they all come from Gdansk or Warsaw rather than Dagenham or Wakefield.
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AnalysisInternational analysis: Metro scrapes back into the black
Germany’s Metro Group has returned to the black, albeit at a very low level, with net profit of R17m (£14.6m) for the first half to June 30, compared with a net loss of R98m (£84.6m) during the same period last year.
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OpinionComment: Flexible contracts may be more ‘hero than zero’
A lot has been written this week about zero-hour contracts, whereby employees need to be available for work, but are not guaranteed any set number of hours.