March
British giant Frasers to go big on Accent, roll out Sports Direct
The placement price is expected to be set on a volume-weighted average price basis.
How Ray Itaoui built a $500m retail and property empire
Brett Blundy’s right-hand man has bet big on turning around Best & Less, and the pair once again have lingerie in their sights.
January
Sales growth slows at Hype DC, Platypus shoe chain owner
ASX-listed retailer Accent Group turned to higher promotions to attract shoppers, but at the expense of its profit margins.
City Chic shares surge as billionaire-backed retailer fights back
The apparel group confirmed it had a bumper Black Friday and Christmas sales period driven by its stores in Australia and New Zealand.
Blundy’s former right-hand man takes on Lovisa jewellery empire
Shane Fallscheer spent more than a decade growing the billionaire’s accessories retailer into a giant. Can he do it again – for himself – with Harli + Harpa?
December 2024
Myer says Black Friday sales were ‘encouraging’ despite tough trading
The retailer’s executive chairwoman Olivia Wirth used her first annual meeting in the job to sell plans for a merger with Premier Investments’ fashion brands.
November 2024
Brett Blundy reassures investors after Lovisa sales miss mark
The jewellery and accessories chain’s billionaire chairman insists he is still a “growth junkie” despite new store openings falling well short of expectations.
Premier claims sacked Smiggle boss ‘interfered’ in HR investigation
The disclosure was issued to proxy advisers, and is the first time that Solomon Lew’s retail empire has made a specific allegation against its former executive.
Sacked Smiggle executive John Cheston faces loss of $4m in shares
The board of Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments has unanimously recommended shareholders strip him of stock handed over as part of executive incentives.
October 2024
Lucy Henry-Hicks knows what young women want
A debutant on this year’s Young Rich List, Henry-Hicks took a successful clothing business, tipped it on its head and created a whole new business in Dissh.
September 2024
Adairs snares ex-Country Road boss as next chief
Two months on from exiting the turmoil at Country Road Group, Elle Roseby will next year take the top job at the ASX-listed home furnishings and linen company.
The stoush over Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments gets dirty
For decades, the billionaire has been the king of retailing in Australia. But a carefully leaked document shows not all is well in his sprawling empire.
Billionaire Brett Blundy plots new brand to relive lingerie glory days
The businessman was behind the Bras N Things chain, which was sold to Hanes for $500 million, and Honey Birdette, acquired by Playboy for $443 million.
August 2024
Inflation slows; Tabcorp’s $1.4b write-down; $2.2b for Forrests
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Blundy’s Accent Group misses lofty expectations
After a tough 2023-24 when sales rose just 2.4 per cent and earnings fell, the new year began slower than investors expected, pushing shares down 16 per cent.
July 2024
Bombed out retailers stage comeback ahead of results season
There is plenty of pressure on household budgets, but retailers from Universal Store to shoe chain owner Accent Group say trading is picking up.
Blundy’s Accent Group plots overseas expansion with Nude Lucy
The move would be the first time that the company, better known for its shoe brands including Platypus and The Athlete’s Foot, has operated in another market.
June 2024
City Chic sales smashed by 30pc, capital raise documents show
The women’s specialty fashion retailer is raising $27.5 million at a steep discount, investors were being told this week, with its bottom line deep in the red.
Lovisa investors remain bullish despite high-profile CEO exit
But brokers have downgraded the Brett Blundy-controlled chain as the executive who oversaw rapid international expansion, Spaniard Victor Herrero, leaves.
Brett Blundy’s poaching of Solomon Lew’s exec leaves a big question
As Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments considers a spin-off of Smiggle, the departure of the chain’s boss, John Cheston, raises questions about the timing of such a deal.