Online marketplace eBay has appointed
Sainsbury’s director of digital and
cross-channel Tanya Lawler to the newly created role of vice
president of UK trading. She joins in the autumn with the brief
to develop eBay’s customer strategy and drive growth in eBay’s
retail brand business and business seller partnerships, which
include Superdry, Bench, House of Fraser, LK
Bennett and Comet. Lawler will report
into Clare Gilmartin, vice president Marketplaces UK and rest of
Europe, with the buyer, enterprise sales and marketing functions
reporting to her.
Apparel retailer New Look says it will close up
to 100 stores as it turns its focus to its online and
multichannel offer. However, the retailer stressed stores will
continue to remain core to the business and as such will
refurbish the store portfolio to improve the customer shopping
experience. New Look today confirmed that it has received
consensus from its lenders to restructure its debt and improve
the financial position of the company. Group sales for 2011/2012
were down 2 per cent to £1.5 billion, while earnings plunged
23 per cent from £191 million to £147 million.
Jewellery and accessories business Stella & Dot
is on target to achieve sales of £7 million in the UK this
year, reports the Express. It notes that the US-based firm
currently employs 800 direct sellers in the UK and plans to
recruit a further 1,000 by the end of the year. It will also
expand into Germany and Ireland by 2013.
According to the Sunday Times
Top Track 100, Alliance Boots is the largest
privately held company in the UK. However, following its proposed
merger with publicly listed Walgreens this is no
longer necessarily the case. Other retailers in the newspaper’s
top 20 list include the John Lewis Partnership
at number 4, TopShop’s parent company
Arcadia at number 11 and Littlewoods owner
Shop Direct Group at number 18. New
Look (27), Clarks (29), River
Island (45), House of Fraser (87) and
Monsoon (91) also feature in the table.
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