As widely predicted, Royal Mail’s letters and parcels and
international business lost £120 million in
2010/11–compared with a £20 million profit in fiscal
2009/10. The company said revenue decline, approximately £2
million a week–was mainly driven by a fall in volumes. This
year, Royal Mail delivered 62 million items of mail a day, a
decline of some 20 percent. Chief executive Moya Greene says she
expect further declines “of around 5 percent a year”.
Total sales at supermarket Sainsbury’s for the
first quarter rose 4.3 percent excluding fuel. Like-for-like
sales in the 12 weeks to 11th June 2011 were broadly flat, up a
scant 1.9 percent excluding fuel. Yesterday, rival
Tesco unveiled its first-quarter results. Group
sales for the 13 weeks ending 28th May 2011 increased by 6.7
percent, excluding fuel.
Game Group will move its website to a new
platform this summer as it seeks to further integrate web and
store operations. For the 19 weeks to 11th June, total group
sales at the PC and video games retailer were down by 11.3
percent.
Apparel retailer Zara, which currently has an
ecommerce presence in 16 European countries, will launch in the
US on 7th September.
Online marketplace eBay has appointed Amanda
Metcalfe as director of fashion inventory and assortment. She
joins from designer discount fashion e-tailer
Cocosa, where she was marketing director. The
move sees Metcalfe reunited with former Koodos
boss Miriam Lahage.
The Argos TV-shopping channel launches tonight
at 7pm. The channel will be available 24 hours a day on Sky
channel 642, with live programming during the evening. Following
the launch show at 11pm tonight, Argos will kick off with a
selection of personal care and fitness products.
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