Multi title mailer Findel reported a
5 per cent decline in like-for-like sales for the first 23 weeks
of the fiscal year, as the company focuses on reducing debt
rather than increasing revenue. The home shopping division, which
includes the Ace and Studio
catalogues, enjoyed “an encouraging increase in average
order value”, according to a statement. But the educational
supplies group, which includes NES Arnold and
Hope Education, “continues to experience
difficult trading conditions caused predominately by uncertainty
over public sector funding”. Findel did not break out
results for its healthcare unit, which supports rumours that it
is looking to sell the division.
Congratulations, The Hut Group: The parent
company of etailers TheHut.com and
Zavvi and a provider of white-label
entertainment-products websites for other retailers, including
Argos and Asda, topped the
Sunday Times Tech Track 100. The list ranks the fastest-growing
privately held tech companies by sales growth over a three-year
period. The Hut’s sales grew 189 per cent a year from
£997,000 in 2005 to £24 million last year.
Hotel Chocolat will open concessions in
John Lewis stores beginning 24th September.
August’s online sales hit £3.6 billion, up 16 per cent
from a year ago, according to IMRG and Capgemini.
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