Strong sales at Express Gifts have helped
Findel achieve an 8 per cent rise in group sales
in the 16 weeks to 25th July. There was good news too from
Kitbag, which has recovered to deliver
comparable year-on-year sales with growth in cash margin. The
turnaround in the company’s Education Supplies business continues
to progress well also, said the company, with its curricular and
specialist brands achieving a sales improvement since the launch
of new catalogues in late April. Sales at
Kleeneze, however, which relies on distributors
to collect orders from customers were hampered by the bad
weather.
Preowned specialist Watchfinder has reported a
strong start to 2012, with sales for the first quarter up 21
per cent on the same period last year, reaching £3.3 million.
The company plans to further grow the business by opening a
retail outlet and taking the business overseas, says director
Matthew Bowling.
The Manchester Evening News tips Sir Terry Leahy,
the former chief executive of Tesco, to be
The Hut Group’s next chairman. Sir Terry is
already a shareholder in the business and, according to the
piece, “is understood to be in negotiations with a view to
finalising his appointment as chairman within weeks”.
Retail giant Toys R Us has launched a mobile
platform enabling customers to browse, shop, check store stock
availability based on the user’s location, as well as use QR
code-driven purchasing. The site was built in partnership with
eCommerce consultancy Neoworks, multichannel software provider
Hybris and digital agency Red Ant.
Christmas has come early at Harrods, notes the
Guardian. The London store has already
unveiled its yuletide department a month earlier than usual-to
take advantage of an influx of tourists this summer. According to
the piece, Harrods has been opening “Christmas World”
in the summer since 1998, but “changing consumer trends
means it has gradually made it even earlier. This year the
opening date is the earliest ever for the retailer”.
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