Flying Brands warned that poor weather and increased grain and flower costs are hurting its Gardening Direct, Garden Bird Supplies and Flying Flowers brands and could lead to disappointing results for the year ending in December. To try to compensate, the company is raising prices on some products and implementing Christmas campaigns targeting non-Flying Flowers customers.
Furniture retailer MFI, which started out as a mail order marketer, has been saved from administration by a management buyout, according to The Press Association.
At number two, Alliance Boots is the top-ranked retailer on the Sunday Times’ Top Track 100 listing of Britain’s largest private companies. Others on the list include John Lewis Partnership, at number three; Littlewood Shop Direct, at 19; and Wilkinson Hardware Stores, at 29.
ASOS chief exec Nick Robertson tells The Times that he expects his company to overtake Next as the top fashion website in Britain within the next three years. ASOS currently has almost 5 per cent of the online apparel market, making it number two; Next has about 7 per cent.
The Times also speaks with Brent Hoberman, co-founder of Lastminute.com, about his latest venture, furniture etailer Mydeco.com.
The Guardian profiles the husband-and-wife team behind Pedlars, a cataloguer/retailer of home accessories and gifts.
From the Tell Us Something We Don’t Know department: “Attraction of web grows for bargain-hungry shoppers,” declares The Times.
The gardening column in The Independent recommended clematis from cataloguer Sherston Parva Nursery.
Share