We Help Companies Find New Sales Opportunities
We Help Companies Find New Sales Opportunities
Retailing - 1996
Kingfisher, the retail group, has sold its 50% stake in the Staples office supplies superstores to Staples, its US partner, for £23.5m.
12-Dec-1996
Safeway is planning to set up 15 superstores and 4 supermarkets a year for the next two years, in a move which will create 3,500 full-time jobs.
22-Nov-1996
Great Universal Stores has acquired Experian, the US credit rating and information agency, in a £1.04bn deal.
15-Nov-1996
Harry Ramsden's, the fish and chip restaurant chain, is planning eight new franchised and joint venture restaurants, including four in Scotland, in a move which will create 1,000 new jobs.
14-Nov-1996
Comet, the electrical retailer, is acquiring Norweb's electricity showrooms for £29m, and is expected to withdraw from about 57 high-street shops in order to avoid conflict with its existing stores.
13-Nov-1996
Marks & Spencer is planning to take on 2,000 extra staff at its stores, in order to improve customer service.
06-Nov-1996
Dixons, the electrical retailer, has bought DN Computer Services, the mail order computer company, for £9.7m.
05-Nov-1996
Pet City Holdings of the UK is to undergo a £140m merger with PetsMart of the US, as the first step in the US pet product retailer's European expansion plans.
26-Oct-1996
General Nutrition Centres of the US is opening its first UK health food store in Bristol, and plans to set up 400 high street stores over the next four years.
24-Oct-1996
The Birthdays chain of 330 greetings cards shops has been sold to a consortium of investors for £90m.
22-Oct-1996
Burton, the clothing retailer, has acquired Racing Group, the mail-order concern, for £19m.
22-Oct-1996
Grand Metropolitan has sold its Pearle Vision chain of optician shops in North America and Europe to Cole National of the US for £140m.
26-Sep-1996
Boots is acquiring Laboratoires Lutsia, the French skincare concern, for £115m, as part of its strategy to develop its over-the-counter healthcare activities.
21-Sep-1996
Wm Morrison Supermarkets is planning an expansion programme with the opening of four more stores in 1997 and the creation of 3,200 jobs.
20-Sep-1996
Iceland, the frozen food retailer, is planning to open 31 new stores this year and 25 next year, and is investing in a sales-based ordering system.
04-Sep-1996
Software City has opened in Leeds, the first of 50 software superstores planned over the next four years.
08-Aug-1996
Stylo has bought the retail and wholesale operations of the Hush Puppies shoe business from Sears for £23m.
03-Aug-1996
Jessop Group, the chain of 70 photographic shops, has undergone a management buy-out backed by NatWest Ventures.
26-Jul-1996
Dixons, the electrical retailer, is planning to open 10 Currys superstores and 10 PC Worlds this year, creating 2,500 jobs.
11-Jul-1996
Cantors, the furniture retailer, is to undergo a reverse takeover with Harveys Holdings, the textiles and furniture concern, creating a group with sales of £140m and almost 300 stores.
06-Jul-1996
Asda is planning to open eight new stores this year, creating 3,000 jobs.
28-Jun-1996
Formal Group is acquiring Blakes Menswear, which operates mainly in the south east, for up to £4.5m.
22-Jun-1996
Littlewoods Stores is planning a further 40 stores across the country and a distribution centre in Burton on Trent, creating 3,000 jobs over the next four years.
20-Jun-1996
Watson & Philip is planning to expand its Alldays chain of convenience stores to 540, with a further 100 outlets this year.
19-Jun-1996
Carpetright is planning to expand its chain of carpet stores from 200 to 260 by next April.
19-Jun-1996
Moss Bros has bought Blazer, the chain of 28 casual wear shops, from Storehouse for £7.1m.
14-Jun-1996
WH Smith has sold Paperchase, the chain of 12 stationery stores, to management for £1m.
14-Jun-1996
Edinburgh Development and Investment has announced plans for a £100m shopping mall under Princes Street in Edinburgh.
14-Jun-1996
Richardson Developments has announced plans for a £90m out-of-town shopping centre in York.
12-Jun-1996
Boots is to acquire WH Smith's share in their joint Do It All chain of DIY stores.
10-Jun-1996
Allders, the retailer, has agreed to sell its duty-free business to Swissair for £160m, thus ending the attempt by BAA to buy the business.
08-Jun-1996
Mister Minit of Switzerland is buying 39 Salisburys luggage stores from the Facia Group, which is now in receivership.
07-Jun-1996
Littlewoods plans to spend £35m opening between 40 and 70 Index catalogue shops over the next four years.
07-Jun-1996
La Senza, the underwear retailer from Canada, plans to open 152 new UK shops funded by a float on the Alternative Investment Market that should raise £19m.
03-May-1996
JJB Sports, the sports retailer, plans to open a further 15 superstores and 20 high street stores this year.
25-Apr-1996
Adare Printing of Ireland has bought Prontaprint, the chain of 250 design and print centre franchises, for £23m.
24-Apr-1996
Sears has sold Hoogenbosch Beheer, the Dutch shoe retailer with 308 outlets, to a management buy-out for £47m.
23-Apr-1996
WH Smith has sold its Niceday stationery supply business to Guilbert of France for £142m.
19-Apr-1996
La Senza, the lingerie retailer, is to float on the Alternative Investment Market, raising £20m to expand its outlets from 22 to 174 over the next 4 years.
19-Apr-1996
Tesco plans to open 24 new stores this year, including 12 compact stores, 4 Metro stores and 8 superstores, thus creating 4,000 new jobs.
17-Apr-1996
Tie Rack, the tie and fashion accessories retailer, plans to open 50 new outlets this year, mainly overseas.
17-Apr-1996
Dixons, the electrical retailer, is planning a £100m expansion focusing on its PC World and The Link outlets, and creating 4,000 jobs over the next two years.
07-Apr-1996
Tesco is to recruit 4,500 mainly part-time staff to help customers with their shopping.
06-Apr-1996
City Centre Restaurants plans to add another 50 outlets this year, with emphasis on its newer chains rather than the established Deep Pan Pizza and Garfunkels.
04-Apr-1996
Facia is acquiring the chain of 110 Bata shoe shops in Germany, its first move into continental Europe.
14-Mar-1996
Tesco is buying Kmart's Czech and Slovak outlets for £77m, including seven department stores in Slovakia and six in the Czech Republic.
06-Mar-1996
Marks & Spencer is selling its 85-strong Canadian chain of D'Allaird's stores to Comark, and its Canadian strategy will now be to replicate its successful UK format.
06-Mar-1996
Millets Leisure, the chain of outdoor clothes and camping equipment shops, has been bought from Sears in a management buy-out, for about £17m.
05-Mar-1996
Storehouse is acquiring Children's World, the 56-strong chain, from Boots for £62m and will integrate it with Mothercare.
01-Mar-1996
PizzaExpress plans to open 20 new restaurants this year, mainly company-owned.
20-Feb-1996
J Sainsbury has received planning permission for the first 2 of 7 stores that it is planning in Northern Ireland in a £100m investment.
15-Feb-1996
Unichem is poised to acquire Lloyds Chemists for £480m, which would create the leading pharmacy chain and drugs wholesaler in the UK.
18-Jan-1996
The Jackswood chain of five garden centres has been bought by Wyevale Garden Centres for £2.78m.
16-Jan-1996