According to the UK Gift Card & Voucher Association, in 2014 the gift card and voucher market was worth £5.4 billion in the UK and $124 billion in the US.
Gift cards can confer numerous benefits on the retailer, including promotion, working capital and additional profit from up-spend, and are popular with consumers as a method of paying for goods and services in advance of receiving them.
Protecting your business from your customer’s insolvency
In the second article in our series on risk and opportunity in the fashion retail sector, Rob Russell and Peter Manley assess one of the most prominent areas of risk for suppliers − the insolvency of a trade customer/ retailer.
In the Q3 2014 edition of Global Insight, we discussed the merits of bankruptcy sales for distressed hospitals in the United States. In many ways, the challenges facing healthcare companies in America have been mirrored in the UK care home sector in recent years. Unlike the US, the majority of health service provision in the UK is via the publicly funded National Health Service. An exception exists however in the provision of residential care to the elderly which has seen large scale private sector involvement.
CONSIDERABLE RISKS FOR PRIVATE INVESTORS
Following on from our article on “Understanding and managing the risks of an insolvent acquisition” in the Q2 2014 edition of Global Insight, in this third article in our series of risks and opportunities in the fashion retail sector we assess one of the most prominent areas of risk for suppliers - the insolvency of a trade customer/retailer.
Understanding and managing the risks of an insolvent acquisition
OPPORTUNITY ARISES OUT OF ADVERSITY
The recent global financial crisis has seen consumers tighten their belts and the retail industry as a whole has faced increasing pressure. Profits warnings have peppered the financial pages and fashion retailers, in both the budget and luxury sectors, have been subject to formal insolvency processes.
In our “Insolvency in the fashion retail sector: the risks and opportunities” article in the Q2 edition of Global Insight, we looked at the challenges the fashion retail industry faces today and the opportunities available for both existing players and new market entrants in the context of insolvent business acquisitions. In this article we comment in more detail on these opportunities and consider some of the factors and risks to be aware of when purchasing an insolvent fashion retail business and its assets.
OPPORTUNITY ARISES OUT OF ADVERSITY
In this article on the changing landscape of UK fashion retail, we consider the challenges and changes faced by the industry and comment on the opportunities available for existing players and potential new entrants to the market.
The UK fashion industry is estimated to contribute over £21 billion annually to the UK economy. Of this figure, an estimated £2.5 billion comprises retail spending. With over 800,000 people employed in the industry, fashion retail is a significant and vibrant part of UK Plc.
In this article on the changing landscape of UK fashion retail, we consider the challenges and changes faced by the industry and comment on the opportunities available for existing players and potential new entrants to the market.
The UK fashion industry is estimated to contribute over £21 billion annually to the UK economy. Of this figure, an estimated £2.5 billion comprises retail spending. With over 800,000 people employed in the industry, fashion retail is a significant and vibrant part of UK Plc.
Company insolvencies in England and Wales are at their highest quarterly level since 2009, according to a report released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week.
In the Q3 2014 edition of Global Insight, we discussed the merits of bankruptcy sales for distressed hospitals in the United States. In many ways, the challenges facing healthcare companies in America have been mirrored in the UK care home sector in recent years. Unlike the US, the majority of health service provision in the UK is via the publicly funded National Health Service. An exception exists however in the provision of residential care to the elderly which has seen large scale private sector involvement.
CONSIDERABLE RISKS FOR PRIVATE INVESTORS