Retail

Bloomberg Online greeting-card retailer Moonpig Group Plc and its shareholders plan to raise as much as 384 million pounds ($524 million) in an initial public offering in London, part of a rush of European companies looking to capitalise on robust stock markets and pandemic-fuelled sales growth. Moonpig is marketing as many as 113 million shares at 310 pence to 350 …

Bloomberg Dr Martens owner Permira Holdings and other shareholders are looking to raise as much as 1.3 billion pounds ($1.8 billion) in an initial public offering of the shoemaker on the London Stock Exchange, betting on the enduring popularity of its cult leather boots. The company doesn’t plan to raise any money itself in the IPO. Private equity firm Permira …

Bloomberg Shiseido Co is in advanced talks to sell its shampoo and affordable skincare business to CVC Capital Partners for 150 billion to 200 billion yen ($1.45 billion-$1.9 billion), as the Japanese cosmetics maker shifts its focus to premium beauty products, people with knowledge of the matter said. The board of Shiseido is preparing to vote on the divestment soon, …

Bloomberg Online fashion retailers Boohoo Group Plc and Asos Plc are seeking to rescue ailing UK retail mainstay brands like Debenhams and Topshop. Boohoo said it’s buying the Debenhams brand for 55 million pounds ($75 million). Separately, Asos Plc said it’s in exclusive talks with administrators of Philip Green’s Arcadia Group Ltd to buy the UK retailer’s Topshop brand and …

Bloomberg Walmart Inc plans to offer Covid-19 vaccines in at least seven additional states in the coming days, significantly expanding the availability of shots as the US grapples with a slower-than-expected rollout. The world’s largest retailer, which had already been providing inoculations to eligible people in New Mexico and Arkansas, will broaden the effort to select stores in Georgia, Indiana, …

Bloomberg UK retail sales rose less than expected in December, adding to evidence that a succession of Covid-19 lockdowns is dragging down the economy. Sales in shops and online increased 0.3% after declining in November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. That’s a percentage point less than economists had expected. From a year earlier, sales rose 2.9%. The report …

Bloomberg Burberry Group Plc’s decision to eliminate discounts is showing progress as the brand aims to elevate the image of its products in the eyes of luxury consumers. Burberry shares rose as much as 5.9%, the most in two months in London trading. The brand has been phasing out markdowns, leading to an improvement in full-price sales during its fiscal …

Bloomberg The parent of Office Depot said it’s open to a potential tie-up with Staples, but only if it can avoid the regulatory pushback that derailed their last merger attempt. ODP Corp sent a letter to Sycamore Partners, the private-equity owner of Staples, rejecting Staples’ original offer and suggesting some alternative directions. ODP would be open to either a joint …

Bloomberg Manhattan’s retail pain is worsening as the pandemic drags on, with rents falling in every major shopping district. Soho was hit the hardest in the fourth quarter, with average asking rents dropping nearly 22% to $290 a square foot, according to a report by brokerage Cushman & Wakefield Plc. Rents in the area, known for its many fashion boutiques, …

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc workers at an Alabama warehouse will vote by mail in February and March on whether to form a union, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said, setting a date for a closely watched referendum on the relationship between the largest online retailer and the employees who pack and ship its products. A group of about 6,000 frontline …