The Sunday Telegraph said Mothercare is in talks with China's biggest manufacturer of childcare products about an alliance that would involve the British retailer taking its first steps on Chinese soil. Mothercare chief executive Ben Gordon is in early-stage talks with Goodbaby, a private equity-backed firm, about the launch of a chain of jointly branded stores targeted at China's increasingly free-spending middle class. If a deal is reached between the two to take Mothercare into China, it could mark the most important stage in the company's international expansion to date.
Private equity firm Warburg Pincus has appointed investment bank Morgan Stanley to help plan a bid for fashion chain New Look, said The Sunday Times. The move makes Warburg Pincus a serious contender in the auction, which aims to attract bids of up to£2 billion. New Look's owners, private-equity groups Apax and Permira, are considering a sale of the retailer at present.
Britain's big four supermarkets have launched 52 separate supplier and environmental initiatives in just 11 months in an attempt to undermine the Competition Commission's probe into the£95 billion grocery sector, according to The Sunday Telegraph. Since the commission announced its investigation into the supermarket sector last May, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons have unleashed a deluge of initiatives to address the issues that the commission is examining.
Investors in Sainsbury's will demand that the retailer's board actively considers separating off its property portfolio, according to The Independent on Sunday. Among those calling for the move is Iranian property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz, who upped his stake in Sainsbury's to 4.67 per cent last week and who has previously indicated that he believes there is scope to split off the valuable property assets. The 750-strong property chain is estimated to be worth at least£7.5 billion.
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