Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Oh dear, reverting to type yet again... Which comes as no surprise as usual.

Joe Public, are seeing through the Wavey Davey, Osborne and the con party spiel. The camp followers haven't caught up. (Some seemed to be still snorting.)

Bur interesting market this am.


Debenhams fails to spread Christmas cheer

The share price of Debenhams dropped sharply after the department store group warned that its bottom line would be hit by falling margins in the first half. The company is now guiding to a pre-tax profit of just £85m for the six months ending March 2nd, down 26% year-on-year and well below analysts' estimates.

Debenhams said it didn't experience the "anticipated final surge in sales" in the key week before Christmas and has had to make additional markdowns to clear stock in January and February. Next which is due to update the market on recent trading on Thursday, quickly erased early gains to trade lower after the Debenhams statement.

Other retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Kingfisher, Sainsbury and WH Smith were also firmly out of favour.




Another pile which reminds me of Manuel and the like.

Debenhams take the piss out of the public. You cannot sell a £5 rag for £150 with a designer label in it. I have seen better stuff in the market or primark. I was looking at some of their clothes in the sale ie £150 down to £75 . No1 what message does this send out to the public . 2. What are you buying, no doubt something that Debenhams has paid a fiver for. Rip off merchants.

it has been flagged for a while that high street retailers were having a really bad time, even through christmas ..... the vile weather will have done nothing to cheer of course

however, NXT and almost certainly ASC who have strong on-line business, fared much better

i don't know if NXT's last figures were late enough to make any comment of their own christmas trade, but if i heard correctly, they were the only multiple fashion outlet that did NOT reduce prices before christmas

Been in two or so m+s over the Christmas period and I praise them for the 30% off store sale. What else can they do. Is it better to turn the goods over with a less profit or be stuck with them ?

the only part of M+S that isn't dead meat, is its dead meat (and veg) :-)

==============

DC - now ask yourself how much that mulberry/prada/chanel handbag or whatever actually costs to make (in hk and the like) and how much it sells for

is it a rip off?
in many ways yes, but if someone will pay the money - and plenty will - then what's the argument?

btw, "sales" are traditionally the most lucrative times for stores, though with some shops marking down 70%+ and before christmas, that may prove to be otherwise this year

the other prob that retailers have now created for themselves, is that there are now few months in the year when "sales" are NOT taking place, so the public will inevitably opt to buy at full price less and less

Cynic, renegotiate the Treaty of Rome, I don't see that its realistically possible. The Treaty of Rome served to create a common market of goods, workers, services and capital within the EEC's member states. Without the Treaty a marketplace will still exist anyway. I think the Treaty of Rome, Treaty of Paris as with most of the European Treaties serve to control and hinder what would become free trade if we were outside of Europe.

03 Jan 2014 Q4 trading statement for Nxt , I think it includes the 24 Dec trading.

NXT was very good shorting prior to Christmas, thats all I've got to say on the matter..

I'm off, have a great new year everyone..

thanks DC .... it'll make interesting reading

shortie - i am decidedly undecided

Happy new year all.

It is not the Treaty of Rome that is the problem. It created a trading block. The part that everyone complains about is the movement towards EU government, federalism, monetary control and dictating our laws. A trading treaty should have no business in writing laws that interfere with our laws.

The trading aspect has lessened in importance and now the EU as a sort of German empire is emerging. The Germans now don't have to get involved with all that messy killing. They can just buy the whole thing.

How do you spell TWAT? F R E ............................1

Happy New Year All!!! :O)

Shrewd move by the lesser spotted millibandus.


Labour calls for talks with broadcasters over TV election debates

Douglas Alexander says Labour backs format used for 2010 election and does not rule out participation of Ukip leader


Patrick Wintour, political editor


The Guardian, Tuesday 31 December 2013 18.09 GMT


Alexander said: "Farage potentially taking part is not a dealbreaker for Labour, but it appears that it might be for David Cameron. The priority for us is to ensure that there is a debate between the two prospective prime ministers of the country – Ed Miliband and David Cameron. The other issues about format are a matter for negotiation."


http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/31/labour-broadcasters-tv-election-debates-douglas-alexander

There is no point in Garage debating as he is on track to get zero MPs.

What would he debate. It is a one policy party.

You could say the same about Cleggy...his lot are gong to get wiped out.

They will end up with roughly the same number of MPs. The Libs also have a complete set of reasonable policies.

A few more surges like Eastleigh, and ukip could take off.


Mike Thornton (Liberal Democrat) 13,342

Diane James (UKIP) 11,571

Maria Hutchings (Conservative) 10,559

John O'Farrell (Labour) 4,088

Danny Stupple (Independent) 768


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21625726

lib/dems really do seem to have collapsed completely .... we could be back to the days when their whole representation could fit in a telephone kiosk

ukip really do not seem to have any sensible policies, and i'm far from convinced that staying silent for weeks and months at a time really does them any favours, though i suppose farage is hoping that the others will all hang themselves