Talking Shop: Discounting is the devil, not a necessary evil

With the ever-changing retail scene, one could be mistaken for thinking we are having a retail revolution. If only…

House of Fraser reports record gross profit of £460m

House of Fraser reported a record gross profit of £460.2m for the year to January 31, up £29.6m on 2013, as like-for-like sales increased 5.8%.

Primark sales up 15% but like for likes flat

Primark has reported that like-for-like sales were level with last year for the 24 weeks ending February 28, after being hit by the unseasonably warm weather in Europe during the autumn and the impact of opening new stores in the Netherlands and Germany on existing stores in the region.

Profit warning from Shoe Zone after mild autumn

Shoe Zone has warned that the mild weather during the autumn slowed revenues for the six months ended April 4.

SNP wants £8.70 minimum wage

Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has made a bid to woo businesses and workers with the party’s 2015 general election manifesto.

Hotter, Phase Eight and Seraphine win Queen’s Award

Footwear business Hotter, womenswear retailer Phase Eight and maternity retailer Seraphine have all won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

SNP targets wages and jobs in election manifesto

Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has made a bid to woo businesses and workers with the party’s 2015 general election manifesto.

Hotter, Phase Eight and Seraphine celebrate winning Queen’s Award

Footwear business Hotter, womenswear retailer Phase Eight and maternity retailer Seraphine have all won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Google to prioritise mobile-friendly sites

Google is about to embark on a major change to its search function, with the internet giant set to prioritise websites that have been optimised for mobiles.

Benetton Group makes £700k Rana Plaza payment

Italian fashion group Benetton has contributed a further $1.1m (£736,000) to the Rana Plaza Trust Fund.

Michael Kors to open Sloane Street store

Michael Kors will open a store on London’s Sloane Street at the end of the month.

Video: Westgate Oxford seeks high street and premium retailers

Oxford’s Westgate shopping centre is seeking high street and premium retailers to move in ahead of its reopening in autumn 2017.

Sales and profits rocket at The Hut Group

Etailer The Hut Group has reported a 39% rise in group sales to £244m for the year to December 31, as EBITDA rocketed 50% to £22.6m.

Chinese investors in talks to buy New Look

New Look’s private equity owners have held talks with one of China’s largest investors as they look to offload the high street chain.

BHS pension deficit twice the reported level

BHS’s pension scheme deficit was £207m last year, twice the amount reported in the 2013 accounts.

Pep&Co to create 500 new jobs

Pep&Co, the new value chain from former Asda boss Andy Bond and former Tu boss Adrian Mountford, is to create 500 new jobs across England, Wales and Scotland at the end of August.

Mike Ashley funds £200m London development

Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley has reportedly backed a deal to redevelop a £200m storage development in Chelsea.

Morrisons clothing boss departs

Morrisons’ trading director for general merchandise and clothing Tim Bettley has left the business amid a wider restructure of the supermarket chain’s head office.  

Tesco to invest £250m in pension scheme

Troubled supermarket Tesco is to invest £250m every year into its pension scheme in an attempt to plug a deficit approaching £5bn.

Bicester Village to open 28 more shops

Bicester Village will gain 28 more shops and extra parking bays after plans to demolish a nearby Tesco and petrol station were given the green light.