Debenhams is set to wind down the business and close all 124 stores after JD Sports ended discussions over a rescue deal, says Sarah Butler in The Guardian. While Debenhams’ administrators have been seeking a buyer since the summer, they now admit that the sale process has “not resulted in a deliverable proposal”, blaming the “extremely challenging” economic landscape and the pandemic-related “uncertainty” facing the UK retail industry.
No wonder JD Sports pulled out, says Jonathan Eley in the Financial Times. The market reacted “badly” to the news that the successful retailer was planning a bid for Debenhams, with the stock sliding by 10%. The collapse of Arcadia, a leading concession in Debenhams’ stores, is “unlikely to have helped sentiment”. JD’s departure means that Mike Ashley, the founder of JD’s rival Sports Direct, is expected to be a “prominent bidder” for any stores or parcels of stores that become available as part of the process.
Ashley is positioning himself as the “only saviour of either Arcadia or Debenhams”, says Ben Marlow in The Daily Telegraph. But while his “long courtship” of Debenhams has already cost Sports Direct shareholders £150m thanks to a failed investment in the company, he is not assured of success. His “highly provocative offer” to bail Arcadia out with a £50m loan is likely to ensure that Arcadia chair Philip Green works hard to block him. Although Arcadia’s various brands are technically in the hands of administrators, UK retail is a “small world” and Green “still knows all the big-hitters”.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
-
Review: The Terrace in Ventnor – a foodie stay on the Isle of WightTravel Natasha Langan embarks on a seafood and wine adventure on the Isle of Wight from The Terrace in Ventnor
-
Jeremy Hunt: Tech and defence will make Britain great again - investors should stay or risk missing outFor investors shifting away from the UK, tech and defence may well be opportunities worth staying for, the former chancellor Jeremy Hunt says.
-
Small UK industrial stocks are hidden gemsOpinion Ed Wielechowski of the Odyssean Investment Trust highlights three of his favourite British small-cap industrial stocks
-
Aurora Innovation is running on empty – is it overvalued?Aurora Innovation, a maker of self-driving trucks, may have promised far more than it can deliver
-
'Ride the recovery in emerging markets': Gustavo Medeiros of Ashmore Group tells MoneyWeekInterview What's the outlook for emerging markets? Gustavo Medeiros, head of research at Ashmore Group, gives his analysis and reviews progress in developing economies
-
What is the Enterprise Investment Scheme and should you have one?The Enterprise Investment Scheme is tax-efficient and potentially lucrative. Taking a chance on the scheme could trim your family’s IHT bill, says David Prosser
-
The alcohol industry is suffering as consumers sober up – is it still worth investing in the sector?Changing consumer tastes are rocking the alcohol industry, but the best players are adapting their strategies. Buy them while their shares are still cheap
-
A strange calm in creditCorporate bond markets remain remarkably relaxed, with yields that offer little compensation for risks
-
'The City's big bet on green finance fails to pay out'Opinion Insurers and banks are backing away from “green finance”, and there is not much sign of the green boom we were promised. That’s a problem for the City
-
Six top investment trusts for smaller stocksLiquidity constraints mean investment trusts are best placed to seize the juiciest opportunities
