Arts and crafts retailer Hobbycraft in its full
year financial results for the 52 weeks ending 19th February 2012
has shown a 12 per cent increase in sales to £106.5 million,
up from £95.2 million in 2011, and a 9 per cent rise in
EBITDA from £14.4 million in 2011 to £15.6 million this
year. Hobbycraft also announced that 10 new stores opened during
the period, creating over 200 jobs and growing its store
portfolio to 61 shops.
The Liverpool Daily Post reports that
Shop Direct, the owner of
Littlewoods, Very and
Isme, delivered a sales rise of just 0.5 per cent
in the 52 weeks to 30th June, to £1.7 billion. Meanwhile,
EBITDA increased 36 per cent to £125 million. The results
also showed that the group’s traditional catalogues Littlewoods,
Kays and Gus saw a 9 per cent
fall in sales, while brands Very and Isme saw sales rise 33
per cent and 46 per cent, respectively. Further, outgoing chief
executive Mark Newton-Jones told the newspaper that 12 per cent of
sales now come from smartphones or tablets; last year it was 5
per cent.
According to Skynews.com struggling online sportswear
retailer JJB Sports’ chief executive Keith Jones
is set to step down after a string of profit warnings and
emergency fundraisings. The report states that Jones, who has
been running JJB since March 2010, is expected to leave within
days.
Amazon has warned of a possible loss in the
current quarter. According to the Telegraph the online marketplace is
forecasting a third-quarter revenue of $12.9 billion to $14.3
billion with a third-quarter operating loss of $50 million to
$350 million. The loss is attributed to Amazon’s investment phase
and overseas expansion plans.
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