Breakfast briefing: Retail news on Kingfisher, Alliance Boots, Clintons and Next

Kingfisher profits advance in third quarter

DIY group Kingfisher retail profits edged up 1.7% in constant currency to £271m in its third quarter as like-for-likes increased 1.4%. Total sales advanced 4.6% to £2.9bn in the quarter to November 2.

In the UK and Ireland like-for-likes increased 2% and retail profit jumped 8.3% to £63m.

Alliance Boots accused of ‘avoidance of tax’

Alliance Boots has been accused of breaking disclosure and taxation guidelines set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Anti-poverty charity War on Want and US labour federation Change to Win have complained to the OECD that Alliance Boots is avoiding tax through transactions involving more than £400m.

Alliance Boots refutes the allegations, which it said are “inaccurate” and “defamatory”, and is taking legal advice.

Alliance Boots accused of ‘avoidance of tax’

Clintons generated pre-tax profits of £5.6m in the first eight months under its new ownership.

Documents published at Companies House cover the eight months from May 29, 2012 to February 2 since it was acquired by American Greetings in June last year. It shows that the greetings card retailer generated sales of £153.4m, while pre-tax profits after exceptional items hit £10.3m.

Clintons was acquired out of administration by a subsidiary of its biggest supplier American Greetings, saving 388 stores out of its original 784 store estate.

Next lands in copyright infringement bother over use of image without permission

High street retailer Next has been issued an undisclosed sum of damages over copyright breach for using Welsh photographer Allan Potts’ image of a freestyle motocross rider Arran Powley without permission, The Telegraph reported.

The picture shows Powley in a euphoric moment: flying mid-air, with his hands raised off the handlebar, legs slung to the side. Next added a chimp’s head on the rider, added a saturation effect and sold it as a £10 T-shirt for children.

Next has pulled all the T-shirts from sale and donated them to Oxfam.