IKEA has announced that its total sales in the UK for the financial year ending August 31st 2012 rose 6.3 per cent to £1.23 billion, representing the biggest growth seen in six years. IKEA’s market share also grew by 0.4 per cent to 6.8 per cent, despite a 2.2 per cent drop in total sales in the
home furnishing sector. Online like-for-like sales were good, increasing by 24.9 per cent, while IKEA also experienced great success in the bedrooms product category, with an increase in like-for-like sales of 16.7 per cent.
In more good news, pet-supplies retailer Pets at Home announced that for the 52 weeks to 29th March 2012 sales rose by 7.1 per cent from £508.2 million in 2011 to £544.3 million this year. Like-for-like sales grew 1.3 per cent, while EBITDA increased 0.5 per cent to £91.7 million, up from £91.3 million in 2011. Operating profit before exceptional items and goodwill amortisation decreased by 2.4 per cent to £76.0 million from £77.9 million in
2011, reflecting an increase in depreciation as a result of increased capital spending on growth projects.
John Lewis has strengthened its IT directorate with the appointments of Sarah Venning joining from BAA as head of IT relationships and former Sainsbury’s chief technology officer and head of technology planning Julian Burnett hired as John Lewis’s head of IT architecture. The new hires follow the recent appointment of Paul Coby as IT Director and are aimed to help cement John Lewis as a leading omnichannel retailer.
Toy retailer The Entertainer has launched a best-of-breed transactional website, developed and built by neoworks based on its hybris Multichannel Suite, to support its multichannel strategy. The Entertainer also announced plans to grow the business significantly online over the next five years
in the UK and overseas through a collaboration of digital partners. The new multichannel functionality includes order tracking, 30 minute click and collect and an “order anywhere, despatch anywhere” function.
The Guardian reports embattled electrical retailer Comet has plunged into chaos after yesterday’s announcement that a notice of intent to file for administration had been handed in at the high court, putting 6,500 jobs at risk. The piece notes that the revelation led to suppliers commandeering stock, its website crashing and shoppers being urged to spend vouchers soon to avoid them becoming worthless. It is believed Comet, Britain’s second-largest electrical specialist after Dixons, has struggled against supermarkets and online retailers such as Amazon.
Ebay is set to make a renewed push into China via a partnership with xiu.com, an online retailer of luxury goods. According to the Financial Times the US group plans to focus on importing high-end western goods at discount prices, to take advantage of a growing desire for such items in China.
The Financial Times also has an article on British clothing retailers bringing production home as overseas costs rise and merchants seeking to tap into demand for UK-made products. The piece looks at Fat Face’s “British Heritage” coat and jacket range.
Gifts and gadgets retailer Firebox has revealed that this week’s launch of its Bytox Hangover prevention patch sold out in less than two hours, officially becoming the retailer’s fastest selling product in its 14 year history. Firebox is now taking pre-orders for its next batch, which is expected to be delivered in 2-3 weeks.
Beauty Bay, the beauty products retailer, has launched its new autumn/winter TV ad campaign. You can view the advert here.
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