The chairman of Debenhams (DEB), Sir Ian Cheshire, has hit back at reports that the retailer is on the brink of closing stores and drawing up emergency plans to rescue the business. Sir Ian said that the department store chain brought forward its trading statement to Monday because “we saw this sort of circus develop over the weekend”.
The chairman of JD Sports Fashion (JD.) has raced to the defence of high street shopping as the athleisure retailer notched up record half-year profits. Executive chairman Peter Cowgill said the “theatre” of bricks and mortar retailing cannot be rivalled online, claiming the choice was like going to a football match as opposed to watching a game live on TV.
German pilots have upped the ante in their bitter dispute with Ryanair Holdings (RYA), calling a “surprise” strike and forcing 150 flights to be cancelled at short notice. Union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) announced the industrial action on Monday, advising Ryanair pilots in Germany to walk out on Wednesday. Separately, German cabin crew union Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft called for a walk-out on the same day to “exact pressure” on Ryanair. It says that 1,000 cabin crew members will strike.
Price rises fail to stop Turks dialling for Domino’s Pizza Group (DOM). Turkey’s economy may be plumbing the depths of a crisis but its people cannot get enough pizza, according to the London-listed company that operates Domino’s Pizza in the country. DP Eurasia N.V. (DI) (DPEU) shares have been punished by stock markets this year, falling 60% on concerns about economic challenges in its main markets of Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Questor: after nearly two years our Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (MRW) tip is coming good. Now hold on for more
