Mothercare
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Jan- 2019 -23 JanuaryAdvice
How retailers can maximise profits and survive in 2019
It is no secret that the past year has been a challenging time for UK retail. Declining profits, closing shops and changing consumer behavior has contributed to the worst year in retail since the global recession a decade ago. Retailers such as Toys R Us, Maplin, New Look, Mothercare, and…
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9 JanuaryHigh Street
Mothercare sales plunge 11.4% during third quarter
Embattled retailer Mothercare has reported an 11.4% drop in UK like-for-like sales in its Q3 trade update, which covered the 13 week period to 5 January 2019. According to the group the results reflect a combination of the “difficult consumer backdrop” and the “aggressive discounting activity undertaken in the prior…
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4 JanuaryComment
Carnage on the shop floor
The pressure on the retail sector has been a consistent staple for investors since the end of the financial crisis, partly as a result of changing shopping habits but also down to rising costs and outdated business models. This has been no better illustrated by the way UK consumers behaved…
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Dec- 2018 -11 DecemberGovernment
Major retailers’ e-receipts ‘may break data protection rules’
New research has found that major retailers “may break data protection rules” for sending promotional marketing to shoppers who had asked for no promotional emails. The research by Which?, saw mystery shoppers sent to 11 retailers: Topshop, Clarks, Gap, New Look, Dorothy Perkins, Arcadia Group (Miss Selfridge, Outfit, Burton), Schuh,…
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Nov- 2018 -22 NovemberHigh Street
Mothercare revenues down 13% in half-year results
Mothercare’s half year results for the 28 week period to 6 October 2018 saw revenues drop by 13% to £295m. Worldwide sales decreased by 9.8% to £566m, compared with £627m during the period last year, and group adjusted loss before taxation was reported to be £6.2m. In July, the British…
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1 NovemberHigh Street
Mothercare culls 200 head office jobs
Mothercare has axed around 200 staff from its head office in an attempt to cut costs and save up to £20m. The job cuts are part of Mothercare’s restructuring program and 50 new jobs are expected to be created in the department, bringing the net job losses to roughly 150.…
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Oct- 2018 -31 OctoberEntertainment
Argos and John Lewis Christmas toy lists create surge in interest
A new study has found interest in this year’s “must-have” Christmas toys surged by almost eight times, following the publication of the Argos and John Lewis top Christmas toys lists. The research by digital marketing agency, Everest Media, analysed the volume of Google searches that each toy on the list…
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4 OctoberAdvice
What is an administration pre-pack, and how might it affect retail suppliers?
2018 has been a difficult year for retailers: East, Maplin, New Look, Carpetright, Carphone Warehouse, Poundworld, Mothercare, Toys ‘R’ Us, House of Fraser, and Homebase have all stumbled to varying degrees. For House of Fraser, Mike Ashley (via his SportsDirect group) arrived as a ‘white knight’, using an administration pre-pack…
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Sep- 2018 -13 SeptemberAnalysis
How Wesfarmers’ takeover strategy almost sent Homebase ‘down under’
There are few home comforts for Homebase right now. The DIY chain confirmed on August 31 that it will close a further 42 stores later this year, resulting in 1,500 job losses. The home improvement and garden retailer has already shut 16 stores this year, following its acquisition by restructuring…
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Aug- 2018 -20 AugustAdvice
Is your omnichannel strategy costing or saving you money?
For retailers that operate both online and physical stores, an ongoing challenge is to find a way to compete directly with online-only competitors. The latter has increasingly been flexing their muscles as traditional High Street chains come under more and more financial pressure, leading to some high-profile collapses and reshuffles…
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