THE boss of Boohoo is stepping down as the online retailer explores a break-up of its fashion brands.

John Lyttle joined from Primark five years ago when Boohoo was valued at £3billion and one of the fastest-growing names in retail.

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He would have bagged a £50million bonus had Boohoo’s valuation doubled, but it has tanked to just £371million.

Over the past five years Boohoo has been rocked by a worker exploitation scandal in Leicester, a sharp slump in growth since Covid restrictions ended, higher costs and rising competition from Chinese rival Shein.

Boohoo is exploring options for all its divisions including PrettyLittleThing, Nasty Gal, Karen Millen and Debenhams.

The company said it wanted to “maximise shareholder value” which could mean selling off parts of the business.

Analysts at Peel Hunt suggested that Karen Millen is “at least a £300million brand” — almost as much as the entire company.

A break-up is likely to attract interest from the retail tycoon Mike Ashley, who has already built up a 26 per cent stake in Boohoo.

Mr Ashley lost £180million when Debenhams went bust five years ago and his attempt to buy the department store out of bankruptcy was thwarted by Boohoo.

Industry sources said the tycoon would like to settle the score, but reckoned he would be unlikely to be willing to pay what Boohoo was asking.

SHOP SALES UP

RETAIL sales rose by 0.3 per cent last month — beating predictions of a 0.3 per cent fall.

The Office for National Statistics said technology products were the biggest driver — helped by Apple’s new iPhone and students buying laptops for the new term.

Supermarkets were hit by a sales drop as consumers cut luxury food.

BUDGET FEARS

A RECORD number of companies are at risk of collapse if taxes on employers increase in the Budget.

More than 630,000 firms are in significant financial distress, says consultancy Begbies Traynor’s report.

Julie Palmer, partner at the firm, said the knock-on effect of higher taxes could be damaging for many “teetering on the edge of collapse”.

GOOD WEEK: JOHN O’Reilly, boss of Rank Group, which reported a boost in sales as punters flocked back to bingo halls and casinos.

BAD WEEK: LAURENT Freixe, new boss of Nestle, after the food giant had to cut its growth outlook amid slowing sales.

As someone who owes their life to the work of Scottish scientist and insulin pioneer JJR Macleod, could I possibly nominate the statue of him that stands in Duthie Park, Aberdeen, to be included alongside those of Eric Morecambe and The Beatles on Alex von Tunzelmann’s list of the few honorific statues that have found favour with the public (“Pompous and nostalgic: why honorific statues are so awful”, Opinion, September 14)?

Created by Ayrshire sculptor John McKenna, and commissioned by the John JR Macleod Memorial Statue Society, the statue is neither pompous nor nostalgic but sits instead on a park bench in a relaxed and welcoming pose which invites passers-by to pause for a moment and join him.

I myself gratefully took up this invitation when, on a recent visit to the park, the alarm on my blood glucose monitor sounded to warn me of impending hypoglycaemia due to type 1 diabetes and I paused, thankful not just that Macleod’s bench offered somewhere for me to sit and hastily scoff some medicinal jelly babies, but also that I was alive thanks only to his medical research.

Kersten Hall
Visiting Fellow, University of Leeds,
Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK

THE top and worst places to buy tech and homeware have been revealed by Which?. 

The consumer group surveyed almost 3,400 people who had bought household appliances and around 3,500 who had bought tech products in the previous six months.

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The 28 retailers were rated based on the quality of their products, customer service, product range, after-sales service, packaging used, delivery and value for money.

And one small retailer pipped big names including John Lewis and Argos to the top spot for the seventh year running.

Richer Sounds was awarded a customer score of 89% and was the only retailer to get the full five stars for value for money.

One customer said: “Their customer service is better than any other company.”

It also scored five stars across several other categories including product quality, customer service during the buying process and delivery.

As a result it has been named a Which? Recommended Provider.

Hot on its heels was John Lewis, which was awarded a score of 85% for its tech.

It was awarded five stars for product quality, customer service and delivery and was also named a Which? Recommended provider.

One shopper said buying at John Lewis is “always a smooth process; often the best value for money.”

John Lewis also beat competitors to be named the best home appliances store and received a score of 88 per cent.

It excelled at product range, quality, delivery and after-sales service and returns.

The department store also got impressive customer scores for both home appliances and tech purchases.

A John Lewis spokesperson said: “It’s absolutely fantastic news that we’ve been recognised as the country’s leading home appliance retailer.

“Customers know our Partners will go above and beyond to give the best advice.

“The return of Never Knowingly Undersold with competitor price matching means they can be confident they’re getting a really competitive deal.”

AO and Euronics both received a customer score of 85% and were also named Which? Recommended providers for home appliances.

One Euronics shopper described the store as “a well-established high street store selling goods at online prices, but with real people ready to answer everything face to face. Why would I go anywhere else?”

Meanwhile, Lakeland earned a score of 82% and joined the Which? Recommended list.

One Lakeland customer told Which?: “Customer service is top quality in store and on the phone – a real person answers within seconds.”

At the other end of the spectrum was The Range, which came in last place for home appliances with a score of 66%.

It was awarded just two stars for customer service and product range.

One The Range customer said it had “poor customer service” as “no-one was available to ask questions”.

Wilko and Homebase were not far behind, with both earning a score of just 67%.

How did supermarkets score?

Sainsbury’s got the lowest score in the tech category, scoring just two stars for after-sales service and returns.

In total it was awarded a score of just 67%.

Meanwhile, fellow supermarkets Asda and Tesco both ended up in the bottom five with scores of 70% and 72% respectively.

Sainsbury’s and Tesco both received low scores compared to others for home appliances, partially because of their limited range and unremarkable customer service.

They were awarded scores of 71% and 70% respectively.

Harry Rose, Which? magazine editor, said: “With Black Friday and Christmas fast approaching, shoppers may be looking to get a new device or appliance – but we’ve found some retailers simply aren’t up to scratch when it comes to quality or customer service.

“Our research shows that shoppers wanting help with big purchases could be best off sticking to retailers that excel with their customer care and technical expertise.”

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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WE all know the famous Blackpool Illuminations, but if you can’t venture up north to catch them, there’s a tradition in the middle of the country that’s been going almost as long.

Matlock Bath in Derbyshire may be landlocked, but its seaside vibe draws the crowds, especially in the autumn when it’s got its own version of the illustrious illuminations on the coast.

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I headed for the bright lights of this Heart of England hotspot to see why tourists are still in love with its illuminated boat parade, more than 125 years after it first lit up the River Derwent.

The big event takes place in Derwent Gardens every weekend in September and October, with children’s rides, food stalls and character appearances making for a festive atmosphere.

There’s even a fireworks display on some evenings, included in the price.

As we joined a steady stream of visitors wandering along the road towards the riverside park in the twilight, autumn leaves crunching beneath our feet, there couldn’t really be a more quintessentially British build-up to Bonfire Night.

The riverbank started to get crowded about half an hour before the boats appeared, but the parade spends a good hour rowing up and down, so you’ll soon get to see the displays if you’re not at the front when they first take to the water. 

Honestly the effort taken by the Matlock Bath Venetian Boat Builders’ Association to create these light displays on just a rowing boat is incredible.

This year’s winner is a moving model of a fairground teacup ride, with child-size dummies riding in the cups and bubbles spouting from the central teapot.

Our favourite was the second-place Optimus Prime, which transformed from truck to robot and then back again as it was rowed along the river.

But hats off to all the designers and builders, who take their inspiration from everything from current culture like Squid Game or Spirited Away to historical figures like Florence Nightingale.

I also loved the helicopter, the planes and the lifeboat with its friendly, waving captain, marking 150 years of the RNLI.

There’s even a candle-lit boat to give an idea of what visitors would have seen if they attended the first illuminations in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria‘s jubilee.

I grew up visiting the Skegness Illuminations and I can remember the excitement as a child of being out in the dark, looking at the moving lights and trying to guess the story behind them.

They’ve even got a few of the ones I remember from childhood scattered through the gardens here.

I spotted a cow jumping over the moon at a little grotto, which was definitely a touch of nostalgia for the famous Jolly Fisherman mascot and the rest of the Skeggie lights, some of which were sold off a decade ago.

I do love the Blackpool Illuminations, which are free to visit and run until the New Year.

But Matlock Bath has a festive, family-friendly vibe that made it worth the ticket price of £7 or £8 for adults, depending on whether it’s a fireworks night, and just 50p for children.

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Tokens for the kiddie rides were £2.50 for a single or five for £10. My tip would be to bring your own food and light-up wands if you want to keep costs down.

There’s loads to do in the town if you’re travelling from further afield and want to make a day of it.

Theme park Gulliver’s Kingdom is over the road from Derwent Gardens and even opens its car park for illuminations visitors.

A short stroll away are the cable cars which take you up to the unique Heights of Abraham attraction, which offers cut-price tickets for anyone attending the illuminations.

With playgrounds, tours of the caving systems and spectacular views out over the countryside, it’s a must-see for anyone who’s not been before.

And just up the road from Matlock Bath is Crich Tramway Museum, which is great if you love heritage vehicles.

It’s no wonder that 100,000 visitors enjoy these awesome autumn illuminations every year.

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In the caption accompanying the front page picture story (Report, FT Weekend, October 12) you refer to Sandy Irvine’s sock as “embroidered” with his name. Not so. Anyone of a certain age and history looking at a photograph of the mountaineer’s sock will instantly recognise Cash’s woven sew-on name tape. Generations of mothers, clearly including Irvine’s, dutifully sewed such name tapes to all articles of their schoolchild’s clothing.

What survived innumerable boilings in school laundries was equal to the rigours of entombment in an Everest glacier. Irvine’s name tape is in an astonishing state of preservation. What an advertisement. And what a moving personal touch to the find.

Philip Head
Oakham, Leicestershire, UK

HALLOWEEN-loving households nationwide are stocking up on sweets for trick-or-treaters.

But with the cost of living crisis providing the real scares this year, supermarkets have revealed savvy savings.

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A 750g bag of Quality Street is now half-price at Tesco costing £5, rather than £10.

At 67p per 100g, the deal is for Clubcard users only.

Usually, the octagonal tins don’t make an appearance on supermarket shelves until the winter months but this year they started cropping up as early as July.

Tesco’s Clubcard rewards customers with points as they shop, which can then be turned into vouchers for money off food or with Reward partners.

You earn one point for each £1 spent, and each point is then worth 1p.

So 150 points gets you £1.50, and you would have to spend £150 to get 150 points.

You need a minimum of 150 points to request a voucher.

Any vouchers are worth their face value when used in-store at Tesco.

But you can double their worth by spending them at one of the supermarket chain’s partners.

Any Clubcard points turned into vouchers expire after two years.

Any vouchers transferred into Reward Partner codes expire after six months.

In Sainsburys and Asda a 600g tub of the individually wrapped treats is £6.

This works out to be £1 per 100g.

However, for Nectar card holders, the classic purple tub is just £4.

Similar to the Clubcard, shoppers who use Sainsbury’s Nectar collect points for every pound spent.

The loyalty scheme was launched in 2002 and now has over a million customers.

To find the best deals on your favourite items, search websites like Trolley.co.uk which compares supermarket prices.

In Aldi, 600g Quality Street tubs are £4.49, working out at 75p per 100g.

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