- Man charged in house attack inquiry
- Marchers support same-sex marriage
- Ferry collides with harbour wall
- Further fall in house prices: Study
- Shop sales fall biggest since 1999
- BAA warning on Heathrow hub plans
- Independence 'key to growth boost'
- Unemployment rate up by 16,000
- Toddler death case report released
- Two arrested after house drugs raid
- Sheridan in legal bid over damages
- First-time buyers seize duty bonus
- Panda cake treat for zoo keepers
- Homelessness 'down by a fifth'
- Third man held in ear attack probe
- Rail signal staff on 24-hour strike
- Fishing quotas talks set to resume
- Valentine treat for solo polar bear
- Rangers to go into administration
- Police name death crash teenager
Retail
Thorntons defiant as profits melt
Struggling retailer Thorntons slumped to half-year profits of less than £1 million today after counting the cost of a poor Christmas performance.
Sports Direct steps up sales pace
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley remains on track for a multi-million pound windfall after his Sports Direct chain continued to beat expectations.
Nexus Oncology completes journey from back bedroom to global force
A CANCER research firm founded 13 years ago by a former Edinburgh University student in her back bedroom has been sold to a US company in what is thought to be a multi-million pound deal.
2 commentsUS sales hit as consumers cut back
Retail sales in the United States rose less than expected in January as consumers cut back on car purchases and did less online shopping, figures yesterday revealed.
Fresh Peacocks blow as ‘suitors pull out’
Thousands of staff at collapsed retailer Peacocks were facing further uncertainty yesterday amid reports that only one company remained in the race to salvage the firm.
Sparkling: Aurum is the jeweller in the crown
The owner of jewellery businesses including Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb has defied lacklustre conditions to unveil a 53 per cent hike in profits.
Interview: Mark Laing, Managing Director of Nairn’s Oatcakes
TUCKED away behind Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh is a factory that makes that well-known Scottish delicacy, the oatcake.
1 commentCity hoping to hear news from BAE on shipyards
DEFENCE giant BAE Systems is the biggest company reporting results this week, but the City spotlight will also fall on two struggling businesses, telecoms group Cable & Wireless Worldwide and chocolatier Thorntons.
Aurum shines despite tough climate
The owner of jewellery businesses including Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb has defied lacklustre conditions to unveil a 53 per cent rise in profits today.
Dyson hoovers up sales in N America
BRITISH engineering firm Dyson has passed the £1 billion turnover milestone for the first time and is pledging to create 500 skilled jobs in the UK.
2012 will see record number of ‘zombie’ shops, claims study
A FREEZE on spending by cash-strapped consumers is set to push a record number of shops, manufacturers and property businesses to near‑collapse in 2012, a body representing advisory firms warned yesterday.
Comet axes 450 jobs in savings bid
Struggling electricals chain Comet is poised to cut 450 jobs in a drive for the “significant savings” needed to safeguard its future.
Out–of–town centres on the up
One of the UK’s biggest property firms yesterday said occupancy and footfall at its out-of-town shopping centres continued to improve amid evidence shoppers are deserting high streets.
Reckitt’s new boss plans overhaul
The new boss of Reckitt Benckiser, which owns brands including Dettol and Nurofen, yesterday hailed a decade of “superior growth” but warned the company would have to overhaul its strategy to keep ahead of the game.
Licence to thrill: Brewer signs up to Bond deal
DUTCH brewing giant Heineken yesterday unveiled a deal with the producers behind the James Bond movie franchise to promote their latest film, Skyfall.
Lovefilm boss Calver takes the helm at Mothercare
The boss of internet movie rental firm Lovefilm was yesterday unveiled as the new chief executive of struggling Mothercare.
Müller seals 93.9% of Wiseman
GERMAN dairy operator Müller yesterday declared that its £280 million offer for East Kilbride-based Robert Wiseman Dairies had turned “unconditional” after securing 93.9 per cent of the Scottish milk maker’s shares.
Low & Bonar eyes overseas expansion
LOW & Bonar, the international yarns and fibres business that includes a plant in Dundee, yesterday revealed its ambitions to “scale up” in Asia and Latin America after posting a surge in annual profits.
January sales squeezed as UK’s consumers put off spending
Fresh evidence of a squeeze on consumer spending emerged today as a key snapshot of high street sales revealed the second worst January since records began.
Terry Murden: Banking blow latest evidence of Tesco’s fallibility
MORE problems for Tesco. After seeing its grocery crown slip it’s now finding the banking market tougher than expected.
It is delaying the launch of a current account following the earlier postponement of its mortgages, testing customers’ patience for some months yet.
Scottish Business Briefing – Monday 6 February, 2012
WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today.
Textile billionaire could join Peacocks rescue bid
A PAKISTANI billionaire was yesterday reported to be working on a surprise bid to rescue fashion chain Peacocks from administration.
Dr Martens bounces towards new ownership
THE family-owned maker of the boots and shoes favoured by punks, goths and skinheads is being put up for sale, it was reported yesterday.
1 commentScottish Salmon Company to cast net wider with £40m expansion plan
A FISH producer will make a splash today when it announces plans to open ten farms along Scotland’s west coast, creating 100 jobs and pumping in £40 million worth of investment.
1 comment
Adelphi looking for new investors for distillery
WHISKY bottler Adelphi is looking to bring in fresh investment as it presses ahead with plans to build a woodchip-powered distillery on the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula in the West Highlands.
Tablets boost John Lewis sales
Demand for tablet and netbook computers helped department store chain John Lewis to post an 8.9 per cent year-on-year rise in sales for the week to 28 January.
Panasonic forecasts record £6.3bn loss
Japanese electronics company Panasonic has forecast a record net loss of ¥780 billion (£6.3bn) for the financial year to March amid falling sales of digital products and production disruptions from flooding in Thailand.
Lenders prove they are Game with lifeline to computer games retailer
STRUGGLING computer games retailer Game has been handed a lifeline after its lenders agreed to revise the firm’s banking facilities.
Red alert: Second profit warning from French Connection
FASHION group French Connection posted its second profit warning in less than two months yesterday, blaming poor trading in the key Christmas period.
Hamleys buoyed by festive trading
Hamleys eyed further overseas expansion today after strong demand for toys based on Harry Potter and other films over Christmas left it on track for a record year.
Game thrown lifeline by lenders
Struggling computer games retailer Game has been handed a lifeline after its lenders agreed to revise the firm’s banking facilities.
Brightsolid expansion into US begins with launch of census records site
FAMILY history website operator Brightsolid will today unveil details of its push into America.
Business news in brief: Refinery attracts global interest
ADMINISTRATORS to an oil refinery which went bust have received more than 40 expressions of interest from companies around the world, the UK government announced yesterday.
Game may cut overseas stores
Retailer Game Group is reviewing its overseas operations as part of discussions with its lenders to revise its banking facilities.
Troubled Comet sold for token £2
Struggling electricals chain Comet was set to change hands today for a token £2 following days of tense talks with suppliers.
Unilever: 2012 a ‘difficult’ year
Unilever, the consumer goods group behind brands such as Hellmann’s and Knorr, yesterday warned that 2012 would be a difficult year as growth in emerging markets slows and demand in Europe and North America stays flat at best.
CJ Lang reports surge in profits as convenience market hots up
PROFITS at CJ Lang, the Dundee-based wholesaler and Spar master franchise holder for Scotland, have risen by 12 per cent after the firm was involved in £9 million of deal activity.
Private equity firms in battle for Iceland
TWO private equity firms have placed bids for frozen food retailer Iceland, sources last night said.
Amazon says its drive for growth could see it slide into the red
Online retail giant Amazon has warned that the cost of its enthusiastic expansion could push it to a loss in the first quarter of the year.
1 commentWalden chosen to reignite Argos
AN AMERICAN who has held senior positions at electricals retailer BestBuy and department store Sears was yesterday handed the task of reviving catalogue chain Argos.
1 commentBusiness news in brief: Rogue City financier hit with record fine
BRITAIN’S financial regulator has slapped a record fine on City financier Ravi Sinha for an invoicing scam when he was in charge of the European operations of US buyout giant JC Flowers.
Carpertright issues fresh warning
The trading woes of the country’s largest floor-covering retailer showed no signs of easing yesterday after it issued a fresh profits warning.
Ocado slips back £2.4m into the red
The boom in internet shopping failed to stop online grocer Ocado slipping back into the red yesterday, despite strong growth in customer numbers.
Farmers markets warned of retail threat
THERE are more than 200 farm shops in Scotland and rising, but yesterday the sector was warned that the major retailers might muscle in on the territory.
Fresh blow as Tesco loses further ground to supermarket rivals
Tesco has seen its crown slip further after its share of the grocery market dipped below 30 per cent for the first time in nearly seven years.
2 commentsPrivate equity firms step up bids for Iceland
FROZEN food chain Iceland has grabbed its biggest share of the grocery market for a decade as private equity firms were last night submitting their takeover bids for the company.
Travel website’s reviews criticised
An ADVERTISING watchdog has told the travel website TripAdvisor it could not claim that all of its reviews were written by real travellers.
1 comment
Dixons shares suffer on news of Browett being poached by Apple
John Browett, the City high-flier who revived Dixons Retail, shocked the markets yesterday when it was revealed he had been poached by Apple to become its senior vice-president of retail.
Business news in brief: Terrace Hill wins Sainsbury’s deal
TERRACE Hill, the Glasgow-based property developer founded by oil tycoon Robert Adair, yesterday won a contract from Sainsbury’s to build a supermarket at Sedgefield.
Debenhams to roll out Nautica brand
DEBENHAMS will bring Nautica, the US lifestyle brand, to the UK market after striking an exclusive deal.
- Rangers run into the ground as furious HRMC battles to claw back tax
- Broken Rangers: Club signals intention to go into administration
- Scottish independence: David Cameron set to snub Alex Salmond’s separation talks bid
- Rangers blame HMRC for driving club to brink of administration
- Six Nations: Steadman given notice as ruthless Robinson seeks to strengthen team
- Scottish independence: No breakthrough in talks between Alex Salmond and Michael Moore
- Scottish independence: David Cameron set to snub Alex Salmond’s separation talks bid
- The Rumour Mill: Tuesday’s football news and gossip
- Devo-max merely a dodgy back-up plan to save SNP, says Jim Sillars
- The Rumour Mill: Monday’s football news and gossip
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Weather for Edinburgh
Wednesday 15 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South west
