The Financial Times reports that mail order
retailer Boden saw pretax profits drop 45
percent to £17.9 million last year, “due to soaring
cotton prices and belt tightening by its ‘yummy mummy’ customer
base”. The company reported a sales growth of 6 percent to
£245.9 million during the year, which included a
“modest” growth in the UK business. Sales in the US
rose by 9 percent, while sales in Germany soared 21 percent.
According to the piece, international sales at Boden now exceed
those in the UK. The report also noted that trading in the UK
remained “challenging”, but sales in the first half
of 2012 were ahead of the same period last year.
Turnover at maternitywear etailer Isabella
Oliver is expected to rise to £8.3 million, up from
£6.3 million in 2011, writes the Daily Mail. Cofounder Geoff Van Sonsbeeck
told the newspaper the business had returned to profit after
investing in the launch of nonmaternity wear range
Baukjen. Direct Commerce covered the
launch of the new Baukjen label, and Isabella Oliver’s future
plans in the July Issue.
Sporting goods retailer JJB says it will appoint
KPMG to sell its assets through an administration process. The
retailer, which put itself up for sale on 30th August, says it
has received offers for its trade, assets and brands, but has
not-and does not expect to receive-any offers for the shares of
the business. The company says it will continue to trade through
all its retail outlets pending completion of the sale and
administration process. Some 4,000 jobs hang in the
balance.
The Mail’s financial column looks at why this
cake-making business ditched bricks in favour of clicks.
Life’s going to get harder for Mothercare as
Kiddicare gears up to open its superstores this
week, notes the Observer.
Rakesh Aggarwal, founder of perfume website
Escentual, is profiled in the Sunday Times’ How I made it column. His
advice to budding entrepreneurs is take the leap but be aware of
the worries that come with being the boss, “You’re dealing
with people’s employment and their lives. Juggling suppliers,
staff and customers is a huge responsibility.”
You’ve heard of the Sunday Times Wine Club, now’s there’s the
Playboy wine club. The world-famous top shelf
magazine has launched a wine club for its US customers through a
licensing agreement with wine curator Barclay’s Wines. The
Playboy Wine Club is the first of a series of online initiatives
being developed by the company’s digital ventures group.
Ironmongery Direct has appointed Raj Ramoutar as
its head of operations. Ramoutar previously held operational,
logistics and customer service roles at Cath
Kidston, Fortnum & Mason and
Littlewoods Shop Direct Group,
and most recently was head of logistics and customer service at
pottery brand Emma Bridgewater.
In more movers news, NBTY Europe, which operates
Holland & Barrett, GNC and
Nature’s Way, has appointed Lysa Hardy as chief marketing officer
to head up its sales and marketing divisions. Hardy previously
held marketing roles at RAC,
T-Mobile and Orange. Her remit
will include leading a creative review of the Holland & Barrett
television advertising campaigns.
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