mad.co.uk : Retail

iPhone and iPad double Apple profit

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:38:00 GMT

Record iPhone and iPad sales lifted Apple’s revenue to $28.57bn (£17.7bn) during the last quarter.

Carphone Warehouse launches business drive as UK consumer market ‘matures’

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:11:00 GMT

Carphone Warehouse is launching a multi-million pound push to net UK small business customers as it looks to develop alternative revenue streams as the consumer mobile market “becomes more mature.”

Mobile retail search traffic quadruples

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:10:00 GMT

The number of consumers searching for retail information on their mobiles quadrupled in the three months to June, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium and Google.

Sainsbury's debuts transactional mobile site

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:43:00 GMT

Sainsbury’s has launched a transactional mobile site that lets users reserve items from their phones and then collect in store.

Tesco’s new social media chief wants digital to “enrich and simplify”

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:50:00 GMT

Tesco’s greatest digital marketing challenge is to find ways to use technology to “enrich and simplify” customer’s lives, according to the supermarket’s incoming digital chief.

Asos international sales boost revenues

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:40:00 GMT

Asos has reported yet another strong quarter, with revenues up 63% year on year to £107m on the back of a muscular international sales performance.

Starbucks reorganises business to drive growth

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:41:00 GMT

Starbucks is to invest in its Seattle’s Best Coffee and Tazo tea brands to build its multi-brand business as it overhauls its global organisation to drive growth.

Nestlé swoops on Chinese chocolate firm

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:46:00 GMT

Nestlé has confirmed the acquisition of Chinese confectionary company Hsu Fu Chi, its biggest acquisition in the region.

Tesco Facebook promotion prompts thousands of complaints

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Tesco has received more than 1,000 complaints from customers about a Facebook voucher promotion that suffered technical problems because it was over-subscribed.

Waitrose to open 20 convenience stores

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Waitrose is ramping up its convenience store network and plans to open 20 stores under its Little Waitrose sub brand by the end of 2012.

Thorntons names marketing head

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:28:00 GMT

Thorntons has named its new head of marketing following the departure of marketing director Peter Wright amid a strategic review.

Asda names COO

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:14:18 GMT

Asda has named former financial director Judith McKenna as its chief operating officer, the second senior executive to move this week.

UK consumers unconvinced by Facebook commerce

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:13:00 GMT

Almost half of UK consumers are not interested in buying products via social commerce, such as Facebook stores, according to a study.

HMV swings to loss after sales plummet

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:41:00 GMT

HMV Group has reported a £122m loss for the year to April, hit by declining sales at its entertainment stores.

O2, Orange & Vodafone team up to develop m-payment standards

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:41:00 GMT

Three of Europe’s largest mobile operator groups are developing a standardised m-payments logo and terminology in an effort to promote the channel among consumers.

Ocado partners with French supermarket Carrefour

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:08:00 GMT

Ocado has partnered with Carrefour, the world’s second largest supermarket group, to sell a range of French products that it hopes will differentiate it from rival Waitrose in the online grocery market.

Argos owner buys Habitat brand

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:23:00 GMT

Argos-owner Home Retail Group has bought the Habitat brand as part of a £24.5m deal.

Sainsbury’s ramps up digital

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:48:00 GMT

Sainsbury’s has poached Ocado’s head of retail Jon Rudoe to lead its ecommerce team.

Fitting tribute

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Shelving can be so much more than the backbone of a product display - why not make it dazzling through its playfulness, sculptural quality or sheer surreal impact? Laura Snoad considers a range of artistic answers to the question of how to display your goods

Kesa reviewing Comet after more losses

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Kesa Electricals is reviewing strategy for its loss-making Comet chain as it looks to reverse the decline in sales at the retailer.

Discounters continue to gain as Asda stumbles

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:48:00 GMT

Asda is losing market share at the hands of discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl, according to the latest supermarket share figures from Kantar Worldpanel.

Versace to design H&M range

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Versace is to design a collection for high street fashion chain H&M.

Asda customer service chief in shock exit

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:47:00 GMT

Asda’s chief operating officer Simon King has left the supermarket just six months after being appointed.

Waitrose launches online grocery campaign to take on Ocado

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:30:00 GMT

Waitrose is launching its biggest ever marketing push for its online grocery arm as it prepares to compete against Ocado for the lucrative London home delivery market.

Sainsbury sales get bunting boost

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Sainsbury’s says Easter and Royal Wedding celebrations helped lift sales in its first quarter, outstripping the performance of rival Tesco.