Marks And Spencer Share Discussion Threads

[philanderer] 09/5/2023 15:03

Retail sales pushed higher in April, industry research showed on Tuesday, although shoppers took home fewer items as inflation continued to bite.

According to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, total sales rose 5.1% last month, unchanged on March. A year previously, sales had eased 0.3% in April.

On a like-for-like basis, sales jumped 5.2% against a 4.9% improvement a month earlier and a 1.7% decline in April 2022.

Sharecast.com

[debsdowner] 09/5/2023 14:50

darrin, Sainsbury cut it's own brand bread and butter prices due to falling wholesale prices.

There are accusationns of profiteering however..



A number of online retailers fallen badly today ASOS, BooHoo, THG.

[xxxxxy] 09/5/2023 13:52

Sainsbury's is cutting the price of bread and butter as ingredient costs start to fall, raising hopes that Britain's inflationary crisis is nearing its end.The UK's second biggest supermarket said it was slashing the price of its own-brand loaves of bread by 11pc to 75p, in a move which comes weeks after the chief executive of Tesco said baked goods were likely to get cheaper.... Daily Telegraph

[darrin1471] 09/5/2023 11:07

Clothing inflation will be around 5% this season. These prices were fixed 6-12 months ago. Next give a very good commentary. From memory they are forecasting volumes down 3% in H1 and around zero in H2.
Commodities like cotton have fallen nearly 50% from their peaks.

Sea freight is back to near normal levels.
Volumes are lower, so factories are lowering prices to get work.

Where will the falling input prices go? IMO some will be passed onto consumers but everybody in the supply chain including the retailers will be trying to repair margins or boost margins. When clothing inflation is zero and food inflation is negative it is going to be harder to accuse retailers and brands of profiteering from inflation. Two stocks I hold, ACRL and MCB should be early beneficiaries and retailers will be at the back end in 2024 and 2025

[debsdowner] 09/5/2023 09:56

Retail sales up 5.2% YOY is masked by inflation running in double digits which means volumes dropped...



Non food volumes fallen far worse I suspect nearer 10% taking account of inflation in double digits. However the £ has risen so it is difficult to ascertain how much non food has fallen as most fashion in particular is imported.

[xxxxxy] 07/5/2023 20:53

Brexit Britain continues to eat EU food faster than any other country in the worldLatest figures show UK consumed over one-fifth of EU's agricultural exports?Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2023The EU's farmers are dependent on UK consumers as their No.1 export marketIf the UK stopped buying their produce, the EU's farmers would lose 21% of their total export sales outside the EU. When it comes to foodstuffs it's even higher.Figures released by the EU Commission on Wednesday (03 May 2023) and analysed in detail by Facts4EU have revealed just how dependent the EU's agricultural sector is on sales to the United Kingdom.In 2022 the UK consumed €47.8bn of the EU's agricultural output, including livestock and feed. This is 65% higher than the EU's second-biggest export market for agriculture : the United States.Yet when it comes to importing agricultural produce, the EU shuns the UK and prefers to buy from a country half-way around the world : Brazil.

[debsdowner] 07/5/2023 16:38

There is a lot of discontent in Dame Sharon White the Chair at John Lewis and a "secret vote" which could see her removal..



John Lewis performance has deteriorated since she became chair and a number of people including myself questioned her appointment as she has had no previous experience in such retail. A number of partners want her removed and the pressure could see her resign.

Telegraph

[debsdowner] 05/5/2023 14:08

MOSS bross to expand as it sees its EBITDA soar 112%...



I suspect MARKS formal wear also doing well after return to work.

[debsdowner] 05/5/2023 09:14

Red flags at BooHoo as they are consulting for job cuts and demanding suppliers reduce orders by 10% which would mean losses for suppliers...



Doeasn't read well if BooHoo fails it will be one of the biggest failers in retail since Debenhams.

[qantas] 05/5/2023 07:19

Ocado group goes shopping.



On Thursday, the British grocery-tech company Ocado Group said it was buying another major part of the Shopify’s network - the warehouse automation firm 6 River Systems, or 6RS.











Please do your own research as always

[debsdowner] 04/5/2023 21:52

Mail also reported security guard killing man over food..



Sadly there is no excuse a security guard should not use violence and the homeless man now dead. This isn't MARKS fault they will be careful to vet more in future.

[johnwise] 04/5/2023 21:21

The sheer desperation experienced by so many suffering in this economic crisis is forcing many like this poor soul to steal for survival. Restraining him should be acceptable but killing him is unforgivable.

[philanderer] 04/5/2023 13:53

Next keeps annual profit guidance but the bellweather of the high street predicts a summer sales slowdown

[darrin1471] 03/5/2023 21:49

Copied from simon gordon post 176754 of 176757 on SHA thread

JO Hambro - 2/5/23:

We noted last month we had added one new stock, which we now highlight, having built it to a c.40-50bps position. We will continue to build this holding, Marks & Spencer’s (MKS), as we see results and capital allocation decisions made. We sceptically approached our assessment of MKS given its history and our (negative) preconceptions given that history. What is under the bonnet, once assessed, is very different. The market capitalisation of MKS is materially lower than a straw poll would think, just c.£3bn. Part of this is driven by the more comprehensive valuation points we make about the UK market in this report and part is driven by the perception issues just noted. Under the bonnet, it is clear (a) the new management has made a noticeable and material impact strategically and operationally (we would encourage very interested readers to watch the 90 minutes capital markets event by the new team from Q4 last year), (b) the over-spacing issues have been addressed; when the current plan is finished there will be just 180 mainline (non-food) MKS stores in the UK, (c) both sides of the business are taking market share – from Waitrose in Food, from John Lewis and the historic closures of Debenhams, Arcadia etc on the clothing side, (d) there are clear margin targets on both sides of the business that are realistic, (e) the balance sheet is now strong, (f) forecasts, in our view are too low and (g) we expect the Company to reinstate the dividend in the next 6-12 months. Our normalised earnings are c.30p a share compared to a share price of around 160p. MKS also own 50% of Ocado UK, which is not in this earnings number.

[debsdowner] 03/5/2023 16:56

Waitrose sales boosted by strongDuchy Organic products...



I suspect it may be an attempt to promote Waitrose products on a rise in the Organic products range but I could be wrong, also most retailers will see some rises due to limited street parties etc.

[debsdowner] 03/5/2023 11:05

Fenwick says outside London towns and cities could only sustain 1 department store. This is interesting as most towns and cities have at least 1 store...




Most large towns and cities had multiple department stores, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham may have had half a dozen or more large department stores in the UK cities 50 years ago it is surprising how the landscape has changed.

I always thought there would have been a last man standing and we are near that at the moment.

Frasers is the one to watch to see whether it expands or declines.

[xxxxxy] 02/5/2023 11:20

Inflation inched higher across the eurozone last month amid high food prices, raising pressure on the ECB to raise interest rates later this week.Consumer prices in the 20 countries using the euro jumped 7pc in April from a year earlier, just up from the annual rate of 6.9pc in March, the European Union's statistics agency Eurostat said.Food, alcohol and tobacco prices eased a little, with annual price growth slowing to 13.6pc from March's 15.5pc.Energy prices rose by a more modest 2.5pc but this was falling back from a rate of 37.5pc in the same month last year in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel, slowed slightly but was still high at 5.6pc, underlining the expectation that the ECB will press ahead with an increase in interest rates this week.... Daily Telegraph

[debsdowner] 02/5/2023 09:44

Food prices continue to rise..

[debsdowner] 02/5/2023 09:36

Ed Davey is calling for supermarkets to face CMA over possible profiteering with inlation. There is no certaintly this will happen but I think there has been some profiteering.

I don't think the CMA can do a lot however as there are ample supermarkets to choose from so it is unlikely there could be a sale of sorts.



Supermarkets are also facing a fruit and veg shortage due to poor weather which just adds to food inflation.

[debsdowner] 02/5/2023 09:28

Retailers should benefit through coronation weekend both on food and clothes.

[debsdowner] 01/5/2023 16:42

eeza, John Lewis is desperate to slash costs and working from home another way of saving on office space.

Neither Joh Lewis nor MARKS need the expensive office space in London both should look for smaller hubs in other areas of the UK but it's difficult to change as most of the better talent tends to be in London I would suspect but it comes at a higher cost. Rents and ratesmust be higher in London.

On other news ALDI and LIDL eating their way into M&S middle class heartlands



I supect Sainsburys and TESCO more at risk of losing middle class but Marks may lose some business.

MARKS may be OK if they compete more on price as the quality is far better but things will get more difficulkt the next few years.

[debsdowner] 28/4/2023 10:51

Mary Portas critiscises Sharon White for considering to sell a stake in the business..



I have to agree with some of the critiscism getting rid of "not knowingly Undersold" but it was a difficult trying to compete with pure online competitors and they need to deal with their debts.

Even Mary Portas tryimng to revigorate the High Street failed.

John Lewis has been an institution for the middle and higher class and I wouldn't like to see it dissapear.