Aamir Ahmad is stepping down as managing director of multichannel furniture retailer Dwell. His departure follows Dwell’s recent expansion and incoming private equity investment, which sees current investor Key Capital Partners take a majority stake in the business. He is succeeded by Rebecca Cotterell, formerly chief executive of Adams Childrenswear and British Shoe Corporation. Ahmad, who founded the company in 2003, retains a significant financial interest in the business.
Royal Mail delivered its half year results yesterday, announcing that group operating profit after transformation costs rocketed from £12 million to £144 million in the six months ended 25th September. The figure represents its second consecutive year of profit growth in the first half at the Group level. In response to speculation about a potential float, a company statement says “preparations are now underway for the sale of Royal Mail Group. All options are being considered and there can be no certainty about the outcome.”
Ikea is countering criticism that it’s missing out on eCommerce opportunities by improving its online offering, reports the Financial Times. According to the piece, Ikea is pushing forward online with more products and cheaper distribution.
Another retailer making the most of the online opportunity is Bonmarche, which has relaunched its e-commerce website on the Venda platform. Following the change in ownership to Sun European, which also owns womenswear brands Alexon and Jacques Vert, Bonmarch� saw the opportunity to reinvent itself online. In addition to using the eCommerce platform, Bonmarche will use Venda Interactive Merchandising to schedule updates to the site’s merchandising during promotional periods, to ensure content is always up-to-date and the customer experience is not disrupted.
Sainsbury’s has made a strong start to the year, delivering a total sale growth (excluding fuel) of 4.1 per cent to £13.37 billion. Underlying profit before tax was up 5.4 per cent to £373 million thanks to “careful control of costs”, according to a company statement.
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