Drapers
George MacDonald

Bolland expected to revise down M&S growth target

14 May 2012
Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland is expected to admit his plan to add £3bn of sales in three years was too ambitious.
New Look set to refinance

9 May 2012
Fashion retailer New Look is poised to take another step forward in its refinancing, it is understood.
Primark ponders legal action against fake Dubai store

25 April 2012
Rip-off merchants have opened a fake Primark store in Dubai, pirating the retailer’s image and selling lookalike goods.
ONS reports retail sales rise in March

20 April 2012
Retail sales surged year-on-year and month-on-month in March, official data showed.
SuperGroup's value drops following profit warning

20 April 2012
Fashion retailer SuperGroup has issued a shock profit warning after uncovering maths errors in its forecasting.
Shortage of best-selling stock dents Marks & Spencer sales

17 April 2012
Marks & Spencer was hit by a shortage of top fashion lines that undermined general merchandise sales in the fourth quarter.
John Lewis sales climb 14%

16 March 2012
Sales at John Lewis department stores climbed 14.2% last week, when five stores delivered a double-digit revenue rise.
Tesco UK boss Brasher sensationally quits

15 March 2012
Tesco UK chief executive Richard Brasher has stepped down from the troubled grocery giant’s board with immediate effect and leave in July.
Marks & Spencer veteran Andrew Skinner leaves the business

13 March 2012
Marks & Spencer veteran Andrew Skinner is leaving the retailer after almost three decades.
M&S general merchandise brand director Jones leaves

20 February 2012
Marks & Spencer’s brand director for general merchandise, Alison Jones, has quit the retailer after less than a year in post.
Bonmarche stores to close as part of rescue deal

18 January 2012
Up to half of Bonmarché stores are likely to closed or be offloaded as part of a rescue deal to salvage the heart of the business.
Online shopping spree leads to delivery chaos

23 December 2011
A seasonal online shopping spree has resulted in a delivery logjam after a leading courier company failed to cope with demand.
John Lewis sales rise 21% as shoppers come out to spend

23 December 2011
Hopes are rising that a long awaited Christmas spending spree has at last got under way after sales rose strongly at John Lewis department stores.
Tomorrow to be busiest shopping day of the year

22 December 2011
Tomorrow is expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year as consumers stock up n last-minute Christmas gifts.
Barratts Priceless administrators make 170 redundancies

22 December 2011
The administrators of shoe specialist Barratts Priceless will shut 18 shops on Friday with the loss of 127 jobs.
Consumer confidence falls to 'chilling' level

21 December 2011
Consumer confidence fell in December to the lowest level in three years.
Selfridges launches last-minute Christmas shopping services

20 December 2011
Department store group Selfridges has brought forward the launch of a mobile-optimised website to help last-minute Christmas gift buyers make their purchases and is introducing an in-store SOS shopping service.
Arcadia takes £53m VAT-rise hit to keep prices low

25 November 2011
Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group, which owns chains including Topshop, BHS and Dorothy Perkins, shouldered £53m of costs resulting from this year’s VAT rise rather than pass them on to shoppers.
Rivals woo M&S fashion boss Bostock

24 November 2011
Marks & Spencer’s general merchandise executive director Kate Bostock is in the frame for top jobs with other retailers attempting to woo her away from the high street giant.
Price matching drives weekly sales rise at John Lewis

11 November 2011
Sales at John Lewis department stores climbed 4.4% last week lifted by an “outstanding” fashion performance as the retailer price-matched a rival’s promotion.
Directory sales power third quarter sales growth at Next

2 November 2011
A strong third quarter performance from Next’s Directory business helped compensate for weak store sales and full-year profits are expected to be up.
Profits plunge at JJB

31 October 2011
Sports retailer JJB has suffered a slump in interim profits and poor second half trading has forced a re-budgeting.
Sales rise at John Lewis as Christmas buying begins

28 October 2011
Signs of early Christmas shopping were evident last week at John Lewis department stores with fashion sales rising 5%.
Burberry bolsters senior management team

28 October 2011
Luxury retailer and brand Burberry has bolstered its senior management team with the creation of the roles of senior role vice-president, customer insight, and chief technology officer.
Peacocks bolsters board with key appointments

14 October 2011
Value fashion group Peacocks has made two senior appointments in key roles.
UK sales growth slows at Asos

14 October 2011
Online fashion specialist Asos has posted a sharp slowdown in UK sales but overseas revenues continue to soar.
Tesco overhauls its retailing services division

10 October 2011
Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke is overhauling its £4bn retailing services division which includes its banking, mobile and online operations.
Asda posts full-year profit rise

7 October 2011
Asda’s operating profit rose almost five per cent to £998.6m last year, excluding charges such as royalties to parent Walmart.
Warehouse woes to hit SuperGroup profits

5 October 2011
SuperGroup, owner of the Superdry brand, has warned that full-year profits will be hit by as much as £9m after warehouse problems.
Shop price inflation stable in September

5 October 2011
Shop price inflation remained unchanged month-on-month in September, with the overall rate staying at 2.7%.
Marks & Spencer to recruit 200 graduates

4 October 2011
Marks & Spencer aims to recruit 200 people as part of its 2012 graduate and business placement programme.
New Look boosts mobile with new app

4 October 2011
New Look has launched a new iPhone and iPod touch application that provides users with fashion content and style advice.
Marks & Spencer asks suppliers for contribution to store overhaul programme

4 October 2011
Marks & Spencer is seeking a contribution from suppliers towards the cost of its £600m store revamp programme.
New Look loses ecommerce director McBrien to M&S

3 October 2011
New Look ecommerce director Dom McBrien is to leave the retailer and join Marks & Spencer.
Aurora to extend 90-minute delivery to 90% of UK

27 September 2011
Fashion group Aurora, owner of brands including Oasis and Coast, intends to extend its offer of 90-minute delivery to most customers by next February.
New Look to launch click-and-collect service into 600 stores

23 September 2011
New Look is poised to launch the most extensive click-and-collect service in fashion retail, an initiative that is expected to transform the way customers shop with the retailer.
Debenhams to refit Oxford Street store

23 September 2011
Department store group Debenhams will transform its Oxford Street store when its planned head office move releases space.
David Riddiford named chief executive of Links of London

22 September 2011
Former Arnotts and Selfridges director David Riddiford has been named chief executive of jeweller Links of London globally and the UK business of Folli Follie.
Debenhams veteran Nigel Palmer to leave

21 September 2011
Debenhams veteran retail operations director Nigel Palmer is to leave the department store group after almost 30 years at the business.
Debenhams to beat profit expectations after strong final quarter

20 September 2011
Department store group Debenhams expects to report profits ahead of consensus expectations after a strong finish to its financial year.
New Look m-commerce sales rocket

19 September 2011
Fashion retailer New Look has revealed surging sales through its m-commerce site.
Banks call in KPMG over Peacocks debt fears

19 September 2011
Lenders to value fashion group Peacocks have called in KPMG to conduct an independent business review as fears grow that the retailer is in danger of breaching its banking covenants.
Next signals end of price inflation as profits rise

14 September 2011
Fashion giant Next has reported a 8.5% rise in first-half profits and signalled an end to price inflation.
CPI inflation rate reaches 4.5%

13 September 2011
The rate of inflation rose to 4.5% in August from 4.4% in July as clothing prices climbed, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) showed.
Shop price inflation slows in August

7 September 2011
Shop price inflation slowed in August to 2.7% compared to 2.8% in July.
Harsh trading conditions prompt redundancies at Arcadia

6 September 2011
Fashion giant Arcadia expects to make redundancies at its head office to improve efficiency and make best use of resources in tough trading conditions, but the retailer will continue to invest in growth.
Marks & Spencer strengthens brand marketing team

6 September 2011
Marks & Spencer has bolstered its marketing team to help achieve chief executive Marc Bolland’s aim of turning some of its ‘labels into real brands’.
Retail sales hold up in August, despite riots

6 September 2011
Last month’s riots in English cities had little impact on retail sales, which edged down 0.6% like-for-like during August.
Debenhams claims retail world-first with smartphone innovation

5 September 2011
Department store group Debenhams has claimed a retail world-first after deploying innovative smartphone technology to bring print ads to life.
Templeman exits Debenhams as Sharp takes over the hot seat

2 September 2011
Rob Templeman formally hands over the reins at department store group Debenhams on Monday, when he will be succeeded as chief executive by Michael Sharp.
Burberry switches marketing spend into digital media

1 September 2011
Luxury fashion group Burberry now allocates 60% of its marketing budget to digital media – more than three times the average.
Consumer confidence slides to recessionary low

31 August 2011
Consumer confidence fell in August back to its level in April and only matched during the turbulent periods of 2008/09 and in early 1990.
M&S drafts in new celebs to front brand ad campaigns

30 August 2011
Marks & Spencer has drafted in new celebrity faces to front print, in-store and online campaigns which focus for the first time on brands including Autograph.
Primark sees scope for 300 store openings in Europe

24 August 2011
Value fashion giant Primark sees scope to more than double store numbers as it considers its next phase of overseas expansion.
No pay rise for SuperGroup's Julian Dunkerton

23 August 2011
Directors of young fashion business SuperGroup, including founder Julian Dunkerton, will not take a pay rise this year.
Restructuring options considered for troubled A-wear

22 August 2011
UPDATED: A-wear, the Irish fashion retailer controlled by private equity firm Alchemy, is not at risk of going into examinership sources familiar with the situation told Drapers.
M&S becomes exclusive fashion partner for The X Factor

19 August 2011
Marks & Spencer has been named the exclusive fashion partner of The X Factor, the search-for-a-star TV show.
Shopper footfall resilient last week despite riots

16 August 2011
Shopper traffic remained resilient last week, despite widespread rioting and looting during which retailers were targeted.
BRC urges business rate suspension for riot-hit retailers

11 August 2011
Industry body the BRC has written to Prime Minister David Cameron asking for a temporary suspension of business rates for riot-hit retailers and other measures to support traders disrupted by this week’s disorder.
Arcadia profits to fall by a third

4 August 2011
Profits at fashion giant Arcadia will fall steeply this year, owner Sir Philip Green has told staff.
Cocosa raids Asos for new managing director

2 August 2011
Online retailer Cocosa has poached a top Asos executive to lead the business.
Matalan posts quarterly sales fall

19 July 2011
Value fashion group Matalan has posted a quarterly sales decline and warned that trading conditions remain tough, despite an uptick in July.
SuperGroup sees sales improve

13 July 2011
Profits at young fashion group SuperGroup, which owns of the Superdry brand, more than doubled last year, while strong current trading is likely to silence the company’s critics.
Cath Kidston appoints new chief executive

12 July 2011
Quintessentially English fashion and homewares specialist Cath Kidston has named Kenny Wilson chief exective.
Duke Street pulls out of Bonmarche sale talks

6 July 2011
Private equity firm Duke Street has abandoned interest in acquiring the Bonmarche business from value fashion group Peacocks.
Sports Direct takes control of USC and Cruise

6 July 2011
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has bought a majority stake in Sir Tom Hunter’s branded fashion business USC and the luxury retailer Cruise Clothing as part of plans to build a premiu lifestyle division.
Sales improve at N Brown

5 July 2011
Home shopping group N Brown has reported an improving sales trend but has been forced to sacrifice some margin to persuade shoppers to spend.
Consumer confidence slides back in June

30 June 2011
Consumer confidence suffered a setback in June after a big leap in May.
Designers At ranges drive like-for-likes rise at Debenhams

30 June 2011
Strong sales of Debenhams’ Designers At collections are expected to help the department store chain to meet full year profits targets despite tough high street conditions.
Marks & Spencer appoints Arcadia marketing boss as brand director

1 June 2011
Marks & Spencer has poached Arcadia group marketing director Alison Jones to join the retailer as brand director for general merchandise, which includes its clothing division.
Burberry focuses on flagships as profits leap

26 May 2011
Luxury brand and retailer Burberry is to focus on high-profile flagship store openings and refurbishments after reporting a surge in profits.
Burberry focuses on flagships as profits leap

26 May 2011
Luxury brand and retailer Burberry is to focus on high-profile flagship store openings and refurbishments after reporting a surge in profits.
Government drafts in Portas to advise on future of the high street

17 May 2011
The Government has drafted in TV presenter Mary Portas to lead a review of the future of high street.
Leighton in frame for top job at Peacocks

28 April 2011
Former Asda chief executive Allan Leighton is the front-runner to become chairman of value chain Peacocks.
TJ Hughes chief executive departs

26 April 2011
TJ Hughes chief executive Beatrice Lafon has been replaced after just three months in the role.
New Look appoints Alistair McGeorge as executive chairman

26 April 2011
New Look has named former Matalan chief executive Alistair McGeorge executive chairman.
Sports Direct to extend share bonus scheme after profits rise

21 April 2011
Sports giant Sports Direct is to extend its bonus share scheme after partially attributing a sales and earnings rise to its success.
Oxford Street to go traffic-free on Boxing Day in bid to add £50m to retail spending

18 April 2011
London’s Oxford Street is to go traffic-free on Boxing Day this year for the first time in an effort to boost trade in the premiere shopping district.
Prince Andrew hosts summit to promote UK fashion overseas

15 April 2011
Prince Andrew called a summit of 13 fashion industry chiefs to explore ways to use his controversial role as UK trade envoy to boost the British industry’s standing overseas this week.
TJ Hughes sold

25 March 2011
TJ Hughes, the discount department store, has been refinanced and sold to a restructuring specialist, thought to be Endless.
VIDEO: Marks & Spencer promotes "innovation" in spring fashion tv ads

22 March 2011
Marks & Spencer will launch its spring advertising campaign featuring its first menswear-only TV ad and the launch of an ‘Only at Your M&S’ strapline tomorrow.
Matalan planning to grow online business

18 March 2011
Value fashion and homewares group Matalan is to ramp up its ecommerce operations and plans to hire a top-level online retail specialist to drive growth.
Sports Direct gets all-clear from SFO

9 March 2011
Sports Direct has reported that the Serious Fraud Office has dropped investigations into any individuals connected to the retailer.
John Lewis to raise £50m through retail bond

7 March 2011
John Lewis Partnership, owner of the eponymous department store chain, is to raise £50m through a retail bond.
John Lewis reports half-term sales lift

4 March 2011
Sales at department store chain John Lewis rose 7.2% to £54m last week, when the retailer benefited from the half-term holiday south of the border.
JJB unveils CVA proposal

3 March 2011
Embattled sports retailer JJB Sports has disclosed terms of its proposed CVA, which is seen by management as key to the retailer’s survival.
Primark reports tougher trading

28 February 2011
Value giant Primark has reported a slowdown in consumer demand this year, signalling how tough high street trading has become.
Marks & Spencer hires Inditex man to lead expansion overseas

24 February 2011
Marks & Spencer has drafted in Inditex director Jan Heere as its international director.
John Lewis suffers weekly sales fall

28 January 2011
Sales at department store chain John Lewis went into reverse last week but the retailer said its full-year performance would be strong.
Wolfson attacks planners for holding back economy

27 January 2011
Next chief executive Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise has attacked planners for holding back economic growth.
Blue Inc cracks Christmas as snow fails to faze shoppers

14 January 2011
Young fashion chain Blue Inc said sales shone during the Christmas period because many of its stores were accessible by foot.
A fashion sales revival is Rose’s parting gift to M&S

7 January 2011
Business was revitalised during Sir Stuart Rose’s seven years at the helm, yet his tenure had its lows too.
JJB Sports to raise £30m of new investment

23 December 2010
Sportswear retailer JJB Sports is to stage a £30m fundraising and make boardroom changes, it is understood.
Christmas at least as good as last year, retailers believe

13 December 2010
Most retailers expect Christmas trading to be at least as good as last year’s and said that shoppers had brought forward purchases to avoid the January VAT rise.
Fake Next page removed from Facebook on child safety fears

5 November 2010
Fashion group Next has had a fake page removed from Facebook because of concerns about child safety.
Sales rise at Next but so will prices

3 November 2010
Next has reported third quarter sales at the upper end of its guidance range but warned that clothing price rises will also be at the top end of expectations.
Argos to muscle its way into fashion

22 October 2010
Retail giant Argos is to throw its muscle behind branded clothing - but has met with a cool reception from the branded fashion sector.
Suits You owner considers sale or closure

19 October 2010
The owners of SRG, the company behind 66-store menswear chain Suits You, are understood to have begun a strategic review of the business, which could lead to its sale, closure or administration.
Marks & Spencer to hire 20,000 Christmas staff

15 October 2010
Marks & Spencer is hiring 20,000 seasonal staff as the crucial Christmas trading season gets under way.
JJB Sports funding concern prompts big broker downgrade

30 September 2010
Broker Singer has slashed its price target for JJB Sports to by more than a third to just 8p because of concerns about the retailer’s funding and punishing trading conditions.
JJB cuts losses but prepares for promotional blitz

28 September 2010
Sportswear chain JJB Sports has hailed “steady progress” in its turnaround after cutting losses and fattening margins in its first half.
French Connection "back on track" says Marks

15 September 2010
French Connection is “back on track” founder and chairman Stephen Marks has declared after interim results showed a return to the black.
John Lewis fashion sales climb 15% last week

27 August 2010
Sales of fashion at department store group John Lewis rose 15% last week. The category was once again the strongest performer for the chain.
Swannell will replace Rose at Marks & Spencer in January

23 August 2010
Marks & Spencer has confirmed that Sir Stuart Rose will be succeeded by Robert Swannell as chairman of the retailer on January 4 next year.
John Lewis weekly fashion sales rise 15%

20 August 2010
Sales across the fashion lines at department store chain John Lewis rose 15% last week as shoppers bought into new autumn 10 product.
Retail revealed as the UK’s top creator of jobs

30 July 2010
Retailers created more jobs proportionately than any other sector of the economy during the recession, and the trend has continued since the recovery started.
Government ignores retailers' pleas on Boxing Day trading

9 July 2010
Retailers’ hopes that Sunday trading rules would be relaxed for the Boxing Day Sales have been dashed by the Government.
John Lewis sales benefit from England’s World Cup exit

9 July 2010
Fashion was the strongest category for department store group John Lewis last week with an 18.1% year-on-year rise.
Marks & Spencer first quarter clothing sales rise 7.4%

7 July 2010
Marks & Spencer has reported a 7.4% climb in clothing sales in the first quarter as the retailer wooed clothing shoppers with “improved styling, stronger fashions and great value”.
Shoppers spent £250bn online over last 10 years

2 July 2010
Consumers spent £250bn shopping online over the last 10 years and the market is set to double in the next decade.
John Lewis records 15.4% rise in fashion sales

2 July 2010
Fashion sales at department store chain John Lewis were up 15.4% last week boosted by summer products and clearance lines.
Matalan sales and profits climb

25 June 2010
Value fashion and homewares retailer Matalan has posted a 30% increase in annual profits.
Father's Day helps lift John Lewis sales

25 June 2010
John Lewis generated a 15% rise in fashion sales last week and is poised to launch its summer Sale tomorrow.
John Lewis fashion sales boosted by online

18 June 2010
Department store group John Lewis saw its online fashion sales for last week grow 88% on last year, driven by an increased womenswear and accessories offer on the website.
Sir Ken Morrison: ‘Marc Bolland was no retailer’

4 June 2010
Incoming Marks and Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland has come under fire from Sir Ken Morrison, founder of supermarket chain Morrisons, which Bolland left to join M&S.
Peerage for Next chief executive Simon Wolfson

28 May 2010
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson has been named a Conservative working peer in the Dissolution Honours List put forward to the Queen by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Consumer confidence falls again in May

28 May 2010
Consumer confidence has fallen to the same level as when Northern Rock was nationalised in early 2008.
Demand for warm weather product lifts John Lewis sales

28 May 2010
Warm weather helped increase sales at department store chain John Lewis last week, with fashion once again outperforming many other categories.
Mohamed Al Fayed explains Harrods sale

26 May 2010
Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed has explained that he decided to sell the legendary department store after pension fund trustees stopped him taking a dividend from the business.
Fashion sales up 3.5% by value in April

20 May 2010
Clothing and footwear sales rose 3.5% in terms of value in April, the highest month-on-month increase since May 2008.
Mothercare sales pass £1bn

20 May 2010
Maternity specialist Mothercare passed the £1bn sales mark for the first time in the year to March 27 but profits narrowly missed City expectations.
John Lewis's weekly fashion sales climb 20%

14 May 2010
Department store chain John Lewis generated a 17.7% sales rise to £55m in the week to May 8, boosted by a 20% rise in fashion sales.
Liberty sales climb 40%

12 May 2010
Sales at Liberty, the iconic department store and fabrics business, rose 40% in the first four months of this year.
Fashion helps John Lewis deliver 15.9% weekly sales rise

7 May 2010
Fashion again drove sales at department store chain John Lewis last week, which reported a 15.9% rise in total turnover to £53.7m.
M&S finance director quits

5 May 2010
Marks & Spencer has announced the departure of group finance and operations director Ian Dyson, just a day after Marc Bolland joined as chief executive.
Faith in administration

22 April 2010
UPDATED: The administrators to footwear retailer Faith are seeking a going concern sale of the business after it went into administration today.
Faith on the brink of administration

21 April 2010
Footwear retailer Faith is expected to go into administration this evening.
Faith suppliers threaten stock removal

21 April 2010
A group of major footwear suppliers have arrived at Faith’s London head office to demand their stock back amid growing uncertainty about the future of the young fashion footwear chain.
M&S posts record share gains

17 April 2010
Marks & Spencer delivered a record uplift in its clothing market share in its fourth quarter after initiatives around accelerating newness in ranges, an overhaul of its sub-brand Per Una and the relaunch of its Collezione menswear sub-brand paid off.
Kate Bostock

17 April 2010
With arguably the biggest job in fashion retail, all eyes are on Marks & Spencer’s director of general merchandise as she implements a drive for newness and streamlines clothing options
Primark withdraws tots' padded bikini range after criticism

14 April 2010
Value retailer Primark has stopped selling a controversial padded bikini top range for girls as young as seven following criticism from politicians and children’s groups.
John Lewis fashion sales boosted by own brand

9 April 2010
John Lewis said “phenomenal” fashion sales last week helped the department store chain post a 30% rise in turnover year on year, 21% ahead of Easter week in 2009.
Sports Direct makes offer for Faith

8 April 2010
Sports Direct is among five bidders to have made offers to invest in footwear specialist Faith, it is understood.
Marks & Spencer brings forward bonus payments to avoid 50% tax rise

16 March 2010
Marks & Spencer has become the latest retailer to bring forward its bonus payments in order to beat the 50% tax rate being introduced next month.
Video: Primark founder Arthur Ryan collects outstanding achievement award

5 March 2010
Famously private Primark founder Arthur Ryan stepped into the limelight last night at the Oracle Retail Week Awards.
John Lewis defies bad weather with 14.8% sales uplift

5 March 2010
Department store chain John Lewis posted a 14.8% sales increase last week to £50.4m, when sales of fashion were strong.
Blacks poised to seek deadline for Ashley bid

5 March 2010
Blacks Leisure, the outdoor specialist is likely to ask the Takeover Panel to issue a ‘put up or shut up’ notice to tycoon Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct following the latter’s disclosure that it is considering a takeover of its rival.
Retail sales hit in January, according to ONS

19 February 2010
Total retail sales in January fell by value and volume month-on-month but climbed year-on-year, the Office for National Statistics reported.
Supermarkets take biggest market share in kidswear in 2009

19 February 2010
Supermarkets were market leaders in kidswear for the first time last year, taking over from high street retailers.
Fashion boosts John Lewis sales

19 February 2010
Strong fashion helped department store chain John Lewis increase year-on-year turnover by 12.5% to £49.5m last week.
Blacks to raise £20m to speed up recovery

5 February 2010
Outdoors specialist Blacks Leisure has unveiled proposals to raise £20.3m through a share placing and open offer to drive the recovery of the business.
Debenhams announces new chairman

29 January 2010
Department store retailer Debenhams has named Nigel Northridge as its new chairman.
Consumers more optimistic in January

29 January 2010
Consumer confidence rose in January and people are more optimistic about the outlook for themselves and the economy.
Fashion sales soar at John Lewis

29 January 2010
Pent up demand following snowy weather helped lift sales at department store chain John Lewis by 15.7% to £51.2m in the week to January 23.
January retail sales disappoint CBI reports

27 January 2010
Retail sales got off to a disappointing start in the New Year according to the CBI.
TJ Hughes posts 4% Christmas sales hike

21 January 2010
TJ Hughes said like-for-like sales grew 4% over the Christmas period, driven by strong sales of kidswear and accessories.
Jane Norman lenders to take over business

8 January 2010
Jane Norman’s lenders are to take over the business and restructure its debts of almost £136m.
Clothing proves Xmas winner for M&S

6 January 2010
Marks & Spencer said that like-for-like sales of general merchandise, which includes clothing, rose by 1.2% in the 13 weeks ended December 26.
Xmas Day online spend to reach £120m

23 December 2009
Shoppers are expected to spend £120m on Christmas Day in an online spending frenzy.
Potential buyers circle Liberty

22 December 2009
Big names are running the slide rule over department store Liberty, but a “serious offer” remains to be tabled.
Blacks reports Sports Direct to FSA

21 December 2009
Blacks Leisure has reported rival Sports Direct to the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for allegedly breaking City rules.
Marks & Spencer chases kidswear and footwear sales rise

6 November 2009
Marks & Spencer is targeting higher sales of kidswear and footwear after reporting a better-than-expected first half in which the retailer increased its overall market share by value.
Kate Bostock confident of M&S' continued strength

13 October 2009
Marks & Spencer general merchandise director Kate Bostock acknowledged at Marks & Spencer’s investor day today that the retailer has faced increased competition but was confident of its continued strength.
High & Mighty administration looms as sale nears

8 September 2009
Niche clothing trailblazer High & Mighty, which specialises in men’s outsize fashion, is to be sold in a process likely to involve a pre-pack administration.
OFT refers Sports Direct stores acquisition to Competition Commission

7 August 2009
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has referred Sports Direct’s acquisition of 31 stores from rival JJB to the Competition Commission.

DrapersGeorge MacDonald

Drapers
George MacDonald