National Business News from nebusiness, The Journal and Evening Gazette

Sales slide at Arcadia group Nov 24 2011

Sir Philip Green today said his retail empire had seen a near 40% slide in profits as chains including Top Shop and Miss Selfridge chose not to pass on increasing costs to cash-strapped customers.Read

Lloyds to increase SME loans Nov 23 2011

Lloyds Banking Group vowed to step up lending to Britain’s small and medium-sized businesses today by targeting at least £12bn of loans next year.Read

JD Sports reports sales drop Nov 23 2011

Fashion retailer JD Sports today showed it was not immune from the consumer spending squeeze as it reported a fall in sales after a long spell as one of the shining lights on the high street.Read

Mitchells' sales slower Nov 22 2011

Harvester owner Mitchells & Butlers today revealed a slowdown in sales at the start of its new financial year amid a challenging consumer environment.Read

Profits up 17% at Nationwide Nov 22 2011

Building society Nationwide hailed a 17% rise in half-year profits today but warned UK prospects for the next 18 months looked to be "very challenging".Read

Thoma Cook in talks with banks Nov 22 2011

Thomas Cook said today that it is in further talks with its banks to shore up its finances after trade continued to deteriorate amid plummeting consumer confidence.Read

Ofgem promises crackdown over switching issues Nov 21 2011

Energy watchdog Ofgem vowed today to crack down on suppliers who frustrate businesses from switching to another provider.Read

Hornby sales rise Nov 11 2011

The era of budget travel stretched as far as model railways firm Hornby today after it said a new 'lower-spec’ locomotive had proved a hit with customers.Read

Morrisons' sales increase Nov 10 2011

Morrisons produced more robust sales figures today as the supermarket group continues to fight its corner against price-cutting rivals.Read

New jobs at Jaguar Land Rover Nov 10 2011

Car giant Jaguar Land Rover brought some welcome good news to the economy today by announcing 1,000 new jobs.Read

Halfords hails robust performance Nov 10 2011

Halfords reported a slide in profits today but described its performance as robust at a time when consumers are driving less and cutting back on spending.Read

Admiral issues profits warning Nov 09 2011

Car insurer Admiral today warned that higher-than-normal levels of personal injury claims were likely to dent its profits growth.Read

Comet sold for £2 Nov 09 2011

Struggling electricals chain Comet was today sold for a token £2 after its owner Kesa Electricals called time on the loss-making business.Read

Sainsbury's profits up Nov 09 2011

Sainsbury’s said its efforts to help shoppers cope with tighter budgets were paying off after it reported a 6.6% rise in half-year profits today.Read

Higher costs hit M&S profits Nov 08 2011

Marks & Spencer revealed a hit to profits today after it opted not to pass on the full extent of rising costs to cash-strapped shoppers.Read

Lloyds Banking Group reveals profits dip Nov 08 2011

Taxpayer-backed Lloyds Banking Group revealed a dip in third- quarter profits today and warned it is in danger of missing its medium-term targets.Read

Jobs under threat at Carphone Warehouse Nov 07 2011

More than 1,000 jobs were under threat today after retailer Carphone Warehouse announced it was pulling the plug on its Best Buy stores in the UK.Read

Taylor Wimpey hails 'robust' market Nov 07 2011

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey today said housing market conditions have remained robust despite the continued drought in mortgage lending.Read

Ryanair profits rise Nov 07 2011

Low-cost airline Ryanair announced a jump in profits today but said passenger numbers will fall 10% this month as it grounds more planes this winter.Read

Better than expected results at BT Nov 03 2011

Telecoms giant BT posted better-than-expected quarterly profits today with the number of broadband customers surging as they took up superfast connections.Read

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