All City & finance articles – Page 542
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Opinion
City Insider: Morrisons is well placed to win
Morrisons unveiled a surge in sales and profits last week, but the retailer was rewarded not with an investor buying spree but by its shares touching a two-year low.
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News
Ideal Shopping offers credit to persuade shoppers to spend
Ideal Shopping Direct is to test a short-term credit offer to encourage customers to spend through the credit crunch.
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News
Home Retail’s first-half slump lowers forecasts
Analysts took their red pencils to Home Retail forecasts after the downturn took a toll on Argos and forced the write-down of DIY chain Homebase’s carrying value.
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News
Ikea to rein in expansion as housing crisis slows growth
Swedish furniture group Ikea has revealed that sales growth has slowed over the past year and that it will curb its expansion plans as the global housing market stalls.
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News
London rent growth slows as credit crunch bites
London’s position as a safe haven in UK retail has weakened, according to figures published this week.
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Analysis
Currency shifts: Less bang for your buck
As the dollar gains strength against the pound and inflation creeps up, George MacDonald investigates how badly the shift could hurt retailers in this already stricken climate.
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Opinion
Michael Poynor: Why the fast and the focused will win
As the economy slows down, speed paradoxically grows in importance.
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Opinion
Ian Cheshire: Value has to be a commitment
Only those retailers with a long-term focus on offering value will benefit through the downturn.
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Analysis
Product information: Knowledge is power
In a culture where customers are empowered to find product information for themselves, retailers are in danger of losing authority in their field. Liz Morrell finds out why it’s crucial they take control.
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News
Holland & Barrett buys Julian Graves
Holland & Barrett’s parent company NBTY Europe has bought its high street competitor Julian Graves from Icelandic investor Baugur.
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News
Inditex second-quarter profits rise
Fashion giant Inditex, owner of the Zara chain, has posted a surge in first-half sales and profits.
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News
Tesco launches into discounter arena
Tesco has today launched its biggest package of money-saving measures since the launch of its iconic Value range in a bid to become Britain’s biggest discounter.
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News
Carphone Warehouse deal to add $3.2bn to Best Buy sales
US electricals giant Best Buy expects its European venture with Carphone Warehouse – Best Buy Europe – to generate sales of US$3.2 billion ( 1.8 billlion) in the second half, it revealed today. However, the strength of the dollar is likely to dent the business’s performance when incorporated into Best ...
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News
Asda's Bond says food price inflation has peaked
Asda chief executive Andy Bond is confident that food price inflation has peaked, as the grocer launches over 5,000 price cuts across its ranges.
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News
Inflation climbs to 4.7 per cent in August
The annual rate of inflation rose to 4.7 per cent in August, an increase on the previous month’s 4.4 per cent rate, following hikes to food and energy bills.
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News
Kesa: City reacts to first-quarter power failure
City analysts have reacted with horror after electricals group Kesa reported a first-quarter sales slump at its top businesses.
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News
New season of negative updates gives retail analysts little reassurance
Retail had regained favour in the run-up to the reporting season, but the first set of updates brought a slew of bad news.
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Opinion
City Insider: Simon Fox is working magic at HMV
There was no new Harry Potter book this year to summon up book sales but that other sorcerer, Magic Circle member and HMV boss Simon Fox, still managed to conjure an impressive performance at group level.
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News
Thorntons defies downturn with profits and sales surge
Confectioner Thorntons expects the trend for shoppers to focus on quality rather than quantity to help it ride out the economic storm and revealed gloom-busting preliminary results.
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News
August blow cements September sales fears
Analysts fear non-food like-for-likes will dip further in September, after the BRC revealed a comparable store sales fall of 1 per cent in August.