Electrical
Electrical focuses on the performance, innovation, and trends shaping the UK electricals and consumer electronics retail market. This section covers product launches, retailer strategies, supply chain developments, and the impact of technology and sustainability on sales and operations. Retail Sector’s Electrical coverage provides business insight and analysis for professionals across high street, ecommerce, and specialist retailers, examining how evolving consumer demand and market competition drive growth and transformation in this key retail category.
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Apr- 2024 -8 April
Currys shareholder calls for mobile phone business sale
Currys shareholder JO Hambro has called upon the business to sell its mobile phone business ID Mobile, according to The Sunday Times. ID Mobile is valued at around £350m and this news follows two failed takeover bids for the electrical retailer. Last month, both US investor Elliott and Chinese retail…
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Mar- 2024 -28 March
AO to meet profit guidance
Electricals retailer AO has announced that it expects to hit its previously pledged profit guidance with adjusted profit before tax expected to be at least at the top range of £28-£33m for the 12 months ending 31 March. According to its pre-close update, the group also anticipates its revenues to…
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18 March
Currys ups profit guidance after takeover bid fails
Currys has revealed that it expects its full-year pre-tax profit to be “at least £115m” after predicting it would land between £105m and £115m earlier in the period. The company stated that this was due to positive like-for-likes and robust gross margins. Furthermore, the company’s disposal of its Greek business…
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14 March
Music Magpie FY23 losses widen
Music Magpie has revealed that pre-tax losses have widened to £6.8m during the year ended 30 November 2023 from £1.5m in the prior year. While the consumer technology category saw gross profits rise 15.8% to £23.4m, revenues declined from £145.3m to £136.6m during the period after sales dipped. Nevertheless, the…
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11 March
Elliott ditches Currys takeover plans
Elliott Management has abandoned plans to buy Currys after claiming that “multiple” attempts to engage with the company’s board were “rejected”. The US investment group initially offered to buy Currys for 62p per share before raising the offer to 67p last month. Currys said the proposals “significantly” undervalued the group,…
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11 March
Currys appoints Octavia Morley as non-executive director
Currys has announced the appointment of Octavia Morley as a non-executive director and a member of the company’s Remuneration, ESG and Nominations Committees with effect from 1 April 2024. The group has also announced that Tony DeNunzio, senior independent director, will step down as a director on 25 April 2024…
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6 March
Shareholder calls for Currys to hold out for £1bn offer
A Currys shareholder, JO Hambro Capital Management (JOHCM), has stated that the electronics retailer should hold out for an offer of £1bn amid takeover talks. According to The Standard, JOHCM, a UK equity income fund, stated that an offer between 80p and 100p per share would be “acceptable”. An offer…
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5 March
Currys invests £13m in staff pay boost
Currys has announced a further boost to pay with a new £13m investment which will see all hourly paid staff receive a higher hourly rate, alongside a bonus programme. Store-based employees will now be able to earn on average £12.33 per hour, with top performers on £13.95 an hour on…
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Feb- 2024 -28 February
Halfords issues profit warning as core markets weaken
Halfords has announced that it now expects its full year PBT to be in the range of £35-40m, down from the £48m and £53m it previously expected. This comes as a result of three of the company’s four core markets weakening resulting in a significant drop in like-for-like revenue growth.…
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26 February
Former Prince Andrew aide working on Currys takeover bid
Amanda Thirsk, former aide to Prince Andrew, is reportedly playing a key role in JD.com’s attempted takeover of Currys, according to Sky News. Thirsk, who quit her role as the Duke of York’s private secretary almost four years ago, is currently working in a senior business development role at JD.com.…
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