Boohoo has bought collapsed department store group Debenhams for £55m but will shut all remaining stores
Deal confirms Debenhams brand will disappear from high street after 242 years with up to 12,000 job losses
Boss Mahmud Kamani in battle with Amazon as he wants to dominate homeware and beauty as well as clothes
Battle of the billionaires has broken out over who will buy Topshop brand from ruins of Phil Green s empire
ASOS boss Anders Holch Povlsen in poll position to buy up Arcadia businesses after entering exclusive talks
Both Boohoo and ASOS have seen sales jump up during the pandemic after most of Britain s shops closed
The six department store closures will result in the loss of around 320 jobs, with stores in London, Portsmouth, Staines, Harrogate, Weymouth and Worcester closing their doors for good.
The first lockdown seems like ancient history now, something that happened a long time ago, almost to someone else.
I remember peaceful, sunny days and long, warm evenings, all very enjoyable in the loveliest spring there had been for years.
I was alone in London, isolated and perfectly happy in my Jan-bubble, foolishly believing that the pandemic and its restrictions wouldn’t last much beyond Easter.
Little did I realise that ten months later, things would be so very much worse. Yes, the end is in sight fingers crossed but what have we lost in the meantime?
A woman in my neighbourhood threw a party for more than 100 people on New Year’s Eve, and is now facing a £10,000 fine for her troubles. Can I say something? Good. When police arrived to break up the illegal gathering, they were refused entry. This had echoes of the rule-breaking birthday bash thrown in a West London restaurant by singer Rita Ora (pictured) in November. ‘Sorry,’ she said, after 30 of her nearest
Editor’s Comment: M&S fashion was on the right path – until lockdown hit Add to Bookmarks
Marks & Spencer’s strategy for returning its clothing sales to growth has been derailed by the pandemic and the distraction of a looming deal to acquire Jaeger.
When Richard Price joined Marks & Spencer as managing director of clothing and home last year, he had a clear idea of where to take the division. His strategy was a continuation of that put in place by CEO Steve Rowe: more curated, deeper buys; a focus on quality and reduced discounting; cautiously introducing third-party brands; and rapidly improving the online business.