Tag

Retail

News

Agilo buys struggling retailer

London-based fund Agilo, which specialises in ‘distressed assets and special situations’ has bought a loss-making bedding and home furnishings retailer.

News

Rippleglen snaps up Northcliffe retail

Rippleglen, a Birmingham-based CTN operator, has acquired Northcliffe Retail, the news shops arm of Daily Mail and General Trust, with 61 outlets in the Midlands and the North, for £8.2 million.

Growth Planning

What Tesco can teach us

Unfortunately, “tall poppy” syndrome is a fact of business life in the UK. The more successful or prominent a business or other enterprise becomes, the greater the amount of criticism it attracts. It isn’t the most endearing of our national traits, and I believe that it underlines much of Tesco’s savaging.

PR and Marketing Strategy

Mystery shopping

For most companies, customer service is an integral part of business strategy. Indeed, many firms have established guidelines on greeting customers and how staff should generally represent the company in a positive manner. But how do you find out whether these principles are being carried out in practice?

News

Coffee Nation looks for growth

Coffee Nation – the fast-growing self-service coffee business which has already secured relationships with Tesco Express, WH Smith Travel and motorway service station operator Wellcome Break – is considering its refinancing options as it looks to fund its expansion plans.

Entrepreneurs

Cash Generator plays to its strengths

Brian Lewis opened his first outlet selling second-hand goods in 1994, offering televisions, trombones and a lot more besides to the residents of Bolton. Now, there are 80 Cash Generator stores across the UK and annual turnover exceeded £50 million last year.

News

£2m for Original Shoe

Branded clothing retailer Original Shoe Company has secured an additional £2 million of development capital from Aberdeen Murray Johnstone Private Equity, with a view to funding its expansion plans.

News

Advent plumps for Fat Face

Experienced retail investor Advent International has made another foray into the high street, purchasing Fat Face, a leading sports and casual clothing brand, from rival private equity group ISIS Equity Partners.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Acquisition dangers

Acquisitions can fail spectacularly. Instead of creating extra wealth, they destroy it. Step forward the latest apparent victim – Ken Morrison of Morrison Supermarkets, a man with a 37-year unblemished record of success.

Legislation and Regulation

Murphy to advise on retail red-tape

Gerry Murphy, chief executive of pan-European DIY store group Kingfisher, has been recruited by the DTI to investigate methods of reducing the regulatory burden on UK retailers.

News

Laura Ashley hires accounting chief

Laura Ashley has recruited Roger Bambrough, former adviser to Foreign Office’s Overseas Development Administration, as a non-executive director.