Mulberry rejects Frasers £83m offer as too low October 1, 2024 British luxury brand Mulberry has rejected a possible takeover from minority shareholder Frasers Group on the grounds that it doesn’t recognise the company’s future value and will not lead the group back to profit. Frasers announced a possible takeover bid yesterday, 30 September, after it was snubbed from Mulberry’s £10m capital raise with majority shareholder [...]
Greggs delivers success once again as evening trade boosts sales October 1, 2024 High street bakery Greggs has reported another quarter of strong sales growth, fueled by new products and extended evening opening hours. The sausage-roll maker told markets this morning that total sales rose by 10.6 per cent in the third quarter of 2024, with like-for-like sales up five per cent. This growth was “supported by menu [...]
Next boss Lord Wolfson sells £29m of stock in the high street bellwether September 29, 2024 Next’s chief executive has sold £29m worth of shares in the FTSE 100 fashion and homeware store. Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise sold around 290,000 shares, leaving him with 950,000 shares worth £100m, Next told markets on Friday. News of the sale sent Next’s share price down 3.5 per cent, although it’s risen by 21.24 [...]
Card Factory shares plummet despite first interim dividend in five years and ‘resilient’ results September 24, 2024 Shares in personalised gift and party supply business Card Factory have slumped despite the return of its interim dividend after a revenue boost. The company announced the recommencement of an interim dividend of 1.2p, “demonstrating commitment to delivering progressive returns to shareholders”. However, its share price fell by nearly 20 per cent in early trades. The [...]
Next: Closures on the horizon if court rejects appeal. What is in store for the retail giant? September 22, 2024 Fashion retailer Next lost a major legal battle last month over unequal pay in its UK operations. Now, it has been revealed that if it loses its appeal, it will have to close some of its stores
Retail sales smash expectations despite a drop in consumer confidence September 20, 2024 Retail sales in the UK blew past expectations in August, climbing to their highest level since July 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Sales were up one per cent compared to the previous month, beating analysts’ predictions of a 0.4 per cent rise. The increase builds on July’s return to growth, which [...]
Newriver REIT raises £50m for Capital & Regional bid September 19, 2024 Local shopping centre owner Newriver REIT has successfully raised over £50m via a share issue to fund its bid of peer Capital & Regional. On Wednesday, Newriver REIT announced a possible cash and share offer for Capital & Regional, which would create a shared property portfolio of £890m. At the same time, Newriver announced the [...]
Retail group calls for ‘rates corrector’ in next Budget September 13, 2024 High business rates and other bills have led to an overtaxing of the retail industry compared to its size in terms of GDP, according to fresh data. The British Retail Consortium found that retail pays 7.4 per cent of all business taxes – £33bn – a share 1.5 times greater than its share of the [...]
New Boots UK boss named after Seb James’ departure and aborted IPO September 12, 2024 Anthony Hemmerdinger has been appointed managing director of Boots UK and Ireland only months after the high street pharmacy chain’s US parent company once again shelved plans to sell or list the business. Current managing director Seb James, who has run the company since 2018, will pursue a new role in the healthcare sector. Hemmerdinger [...]
WH Smith shares jump on buyback plan after pension buy-out frees up cash September 11, 2024 WH Smith has announced strong revenue growth, driven by a boost in its airport and train station stores and a £50m share buyback programme. It also announced a £85m cash benefit as the result of its pension fund buy-out. Shares in WH Smith rose more than 12 per cent in early trades. Revenue at the [...]