Retailer/cataloguer Hotel Chocolat delivered a
25 percent rise in pretax profits, to £2.6 million, for the
year to June. Group sales increased 12 percent to £59.9
million and EBITDA improved 17 percent year-on-year to £5.1
million. Last year also saw Hotel Chocolat grow its UK
Chocolate Tasting Club customer base to 100,000,
and launch clubs in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the US.
Arcadia, which operates TopShop and Burton and
is owned by retail tycoon Sir Philip Green, is expected to
announced a profits slide of 30 percent to £150 million,
writes the Mail on Sunday.
The Financial Times reports that retailers,
including Tesco, Sainsbury and
N Brown, are putting pressure on their suppliers
to negotiate deeper discounts. According to the article,
cataloguer N Brown, the parent of Jacamo and
Simply Be, has asked for discounts of between 1
and 2 percent.
This week culminates in
Black Friday in the US and Amazon is working
on attracting customers to its website via daily deals and flash
sales. The Guardian has more.
But Amazon and other retailers may find it
harder this year to attract shoppers using time-limited
discounts. Consumers are being advised to avoid being lured into
doing their festive shopping early as deals will last well into
the season, writes the Telegraph.
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