The boom in internet shopping failed to stop online grocer Ocado slipping back into the red.
Ocado, which delivers Waitrose and its own products to much of the UK, made a bottom-line loss of £2.4 million in the year to November 27 as it continued to struggle with capacity constraints at its Hatfield distribution centre.
The losses were an 80% reduction on the previous year.
Apple swoop
A retail boss credited with helping PC World and Currys stores survive the downturn has been poached by technology giant Apple to run its shop portfolio.
The surprise appointment of John Browett as Apple’s senior vice president of retail caused shares in Dixons Retail Group - the owner of PC World and Currys - to fall by 5% amid City disappointment at his departure.
Mr Browett, a former management high-flyer at Tesco, joined Dixons at the end of 2007.
Bank blow
Banking group Santander revealed a 40% drop in UK profits but hailed its success in increasing support to small and medium sized firms.
The group’s UK arm loaned £4.3billion to SMEs in the year to December 31, which was higher than its £4 billion target in the Project Merlin deal with the Treasury.
The improvement followed the opening of five new corporate lending centres.