The owner of the Boots chain said revenues had risen by 31.3 per cent to £11.74bn, powered by its pharmaceutical wholesale division's two acquisitions in Turkey and Germany last year.
But in the UK, Boots's like-for-like retail sales rose by only 0.7 per cent, including VAT, in the half -year to 30 September.
The finance director, George Fairweather, said: "In London and the South, we are seeing the economy being stronger and footfall on the high street relatively stronger in the South than in perhaps areas, such as Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the North of England."
He explained that because shoppers in these areas were being hit by a larger proportion of public-sector job cuts, they were struggling more with high inflation, rising petrol prices and soaring energy costs. Nevertheless, Boots UK's dispensing volumes rose by a healthier 1.8 per cent on a like-for-like basis. The group's health and beauty division – which has shops in countries including Thailand and the Netherlands – grew revenues by 0.4 per cent to £3.65bn over the half-year.
Andy Hornby, the former head of the rescued bank HBOS, left his job as chief executive of Alliance Boots in March. The company said two months later that he was too "stressed" to continue.
But Mr Fairweather said Alliance Boots – which was taken private in 2007 in a £11.4bn deal backed by the private equity giant KKR – had "no current plans" to start a search for a new chief executive.
The engine room of Alliance Boots's growth was its pharmaceutical wholesale arm, which grew revenues by 47.7 per cent to £8.84bn. This was largely driven by it acquiring Hedef Alliance, a Turkish pharmaceuticals wholesaler, and the Germany pharma specialist, Anzag, last year.
"We are continuing to look for acquisitions in emerging markets," Mr Fairweather said, adding that talks were "progressing" with Nanjing Pharmaceutical Group to take a stake in the Chinese wholesaler.
Good Sharing About Wholesale China Cell Phones - Salon
Nowadays cell phones are highly in demand because these are used for communication. Due to high technology, cell phones have transformed its uses and functions. With these cell phones, we tend to experience great things not only for communication but even for entertainment.
Knowing that China have grown to be so competitive with their experiment in electronics so it’s the main reason why they are highly in demand nowadays in producing cell phones. China cell phones are considered to be one of the fast growing industries nowadays.
If you are planning to begin an ecommerce business and you’re pondering how the wholesale china operates? If so, you are in the good site. It is very significantly fantastic if you are sourcing wholesale China which is a low cost solution in starting an internet business which is certainly profitable without bank breaking. But the first question that definitely comes to the mind is that if you could obtain branded items in wholesale China. Obviously, the answer is no. So that you can know isn’t it an option for a reseller like you if you buy directly branded items from wholesale China.Here are some factors behind to acquire an idea precisely why it isn’t probable in such cases. First, the brand’s exert may possibly handle the product sales of their items from their manufacturer to their wholesale cell phones sales shop. Second, the brand’s exercise controls the supply chains of the item. You may additionally find out that there are instances it can be feasible to look for a distinctive models which is available in many countries nevertheless the things is that it can’t be profitable structure in Western countries even though it has decreased taxes in one product that is definitely more affordable at retail price China.
Is it possible to obtain benefits from purchasing non-branded products in wholesale China? Well it could be pointless to make an attempt to source goods with brand from the manufacturers of wholesale China and you could be frustrated about it. Actually, there are few features you can usually get form obtaining non-branded items from wholesale China. You could be at liberty in offering items under your name if you purchase items with no brands like for example you have the options of obtaining custom labeling and packaging with your name when you precisely obtain it from China. It’s also possible to get the top quality items at a very low price tag when you buy it from a reputable source in China. So for you to get the merchandise at a cheap rate, purchase them from the China wholesale.
wholesale jerseys cheap quality in a.ddition to the expense - Salon
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UPDATE: Canada April Wholesale Sales Up 1.5%, Most Since May 2011 - NASDAQ
--Sales of agricultural supplies up most since May 2008
--Wholesale volume grows at fastest pace since July 2011
--Wholesale trade expected to contribute to April GDP
(Adds economist's comments in paragraphs 5-7.)
By Nirmala Menon
OTTAWA--Canada's April wholesale sales trounced expectations to grow at the fastest monthly rate in nearly a year as soaring exports of fertilizers helped drive the largest gain in sales of agricultural supplies since May 2008.
Wholesale sales grew 1.5% - the most since May 2011 - to 49.35 billion Canadian dollars (US$48.19 billion), Statistics Canada said Tuesday. The consensus call was for a tepid 0.2% increase, according to a report from Royal Bank of Canada. March's gain was revised down to 0.3% from 0.4%.
The figures are seasonally adjusted.
Sales volume in April rose 1.3%, the most since July 2011, suggesting that wholesale trade will be a key contributor to monthly gross domestic product figures due at the end of the month.
Emanuella Enenajor, an economist at CIBC World Markets, said data are showing a rebound in the energy and resources- related sectors from production disruptions in the first quarter, when growth was an annualized 1.9%, well short of the Bank of Canada's 2.5% forecast.
So, second-quarter growth may meet or even exceed the 2.5% forecast by the central bank, she said. But the key question is whether the economy can "achieve and continue economic momentum beyond any temporary rebound from the resources sector," and this is unlikely as consumers step back after "engorging at the table of credit for years," Ms. Enenajor said in an interview.
Furthermore, the pace of hiring will probably slow after the second quarter as sectors that have seen good employment growth in recent months, including factories and resources, are vulnerable to the global economic slowdown, she added.
Wholesalers in the agricultural supplies industry reported a 48.5% jump in sales, which coincided with a 51.8% surge in exports of fertilizers and fertilizer materials. As a result sales in the miscellaneous sector, which includes agricultural supplies, were up 12.8%.
Excluding agricultural supplies, overall wholesale sales were unchanged, StatsCan said.
Wholesalers of machinery, equipment and supplies reported a 1.1% increase, while sales in the building materials and supplies sector were up 0.5%. Wholesalers of motor vehicles and parts posted a 0.2% rise, the third consecutive gain.
The four sectors that posted gains accounted for some two-thirds of total wholesale sales.
The largest decline was in the personal and household goods sector which saw a 2.2% drop, dragged by lower sales in the pharmaceuticals and pharmacy supplies industry.
Wholesale inventories climbed 0.3% to C$59.82 billion, with increases in 13 of the 25 industries. The inventory-to- sales ratio declined dropped to 1.21:1 from 1.23:1.
Seven provinces posted higher sales, with Alberta and Saskatchewan contributing the most to the national gain. Sales in Alberta were up 4.6%, the largest increase since 2004, thanks to gains in several industries, including metal service centers and agricultural supplies.
In Saskatchewan, where agricultural supplies account for over one-third of the total, sales were up 6.7%.
Wholesale sales in Ontario rose 0.4%, the third straight gain, while sales in Quebec were up 1.0%.
Write to Nirmala Menon at nirmala.menon@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires 06-19-121110ET Copyright (c) 2012 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Gilbert warehouse fire caused by discarded cigarette - AZCentral.com
The massive six-alarm fire that destroyed the warehouse of a Gilbert plumbing supply company on Monday caused an estimated $8 million in damage, and was caused by a discarded cigarette, a Gilbert Fire Department spokesman said Tuesday.
The blaze destroyed the outdoor warehouse of Farnsworth Wholesale, on Baseline Road between Arizona Avenue and S. McQueen Road. The large plumbing supply company has other facilities in Mesa and the west Valley.
Captain Mark Justus said someone apparently threw a cigarette into an area where there were cardboard boxes containing fiberglass bathtubs.
"We see people discard cigarettes all the time,'' he said, adding the owners of Farnsworth Wholesale want the public to know that "they are down several million in merchandise because of carelessness.''
No charges are planned because there is no evidence the fire was intentional, Justus said, adding that the fire occurred in a public area and it is unclear if it was started by an employee or a visitor.
Justus said Investigators could not narrow the fire down to a specific cigarette and are calling it improper disposal of smoking materials for that reason. Investigators made the ruling based upon surveillance video from Farnsworth Wholesale and nearby businesses, interviews with witnesses who were near the point of origin and aerial footage shot from news helicopters.
"Normally, you don't have this trail of information to follow. This is as good as it gets,'' Justus said, adding that burn patterns also helped narrow down the point of origin. "They could tell where the most concentrated area was from the videos."
The massive fire was fought by 193 firefighters, during its zenith, from the Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert and Tempe fire departments. There were no major injuries and firefighters were able to contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading to Farnsworth Wholesale's offices and to a nearby neighborhood.
Mesa Fire Captain Forrest Smith said today that one patient was treated on scene for a laceration, a second suffered from smoke inhalation and two firefighters were treated for heat-related illnesses.
While the fire's cause remains under investigation, fire officials estimate the damage at about $8 million, he said.
With 193 firefighters from Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler and Mesa battling the blaze at its height, Justus said: "It's testimony to the ability of these firefighters to work together."
"We all work from the same playbook,'' he said. "We all play well together.''
Early this morning, firefighters started using heavy equipment to remove debris from the fire scene so that they could extinguish embers burning underneath, Justus said.
He said a team of investigators from the Gilbert and Mesa police departments, and possibly other agencies, then started to investigate the origin.
Justus estimated that it may take several days to determine a cause.
Smith said the Union Pacific Railway shut down a line as a safety precaution as thick black smoke enveloped the area just south of Baseline Road and west of McQueen Road.
Railroad ties also were damaged and crews were dispatched to begin repairs about three hours after the fire started at 3 p.m.
Gilbert police Lt. John Lyle said residents on one street east of the fire site were voluntarily evacuated as a precaution.
Justus said the evacuation lasted for about two hours so that air quality readings could be obtained to assure the safety of residents.
Embers from the fire, whipped by high winds, also ignited palm trees on fire in the neighborhood.
By 7 p.m., the state Department of Environmental Quality determined it was safe for residents to return, but advised them to minimize their exposure to air outside.
Despite the heavy burden caused by the fire, Smith said Mesa fire still responded to 94 ther calls for service, including three where patients had stopped breathing.
Biden's wife takes Secret Service lingerie shopping in Chicago (VIDEO) - Washington Times
CHICAGO, June 19, 2012 —
Mrs. Biden was captured on iPhone video exiting La Perla, at
Earlier that day, the Bidens held a political fundraiser at the Chicago Cut Steakhouse with luncheon tickets ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 a pop.
That must have been some steak.
Let us not forget that Vice President Joe Biden has criticized Republican Mitt Romney for being rich and “out of touch.”
Back in May, at a campaign stop in
“I resent when they [the Romneys] talk about families like mine that I grew up in. I resent the fact that they think we’re talking about envy: it’s job envy, it’s wealthy envy; that we don’t dream,” said Biden. “My mother and father dreamed as much as any rich guy dreams! They don’t get us! They don’t get who we are!”
But Biden hasn’t exactly been “middle class” for quite some time.
“I don't live like I did when I was growing up. I have a beautiful home, and you pay me a lot of money," Biden later admitted. "But I remember. I remember."
Chicago Police resources were also diverted over the weekend for President Obama, who was in town for the wedding of senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett’s daughter.
Since Friday, seven people were killed and 35 people were injured in shootings. Last week, eight people were killed and 46 injured citywide. The previous week, three people were killed and 29 injured.
Conservative commentator and satirist William J. Kelly is also a contributor to Breitbart.com and edits the Tea Party Reports for the
Email questions to him at williamjkellyrebuild@gmail.com.
Find him on Facebook/Williamjpkelly
Read more of Bill Kelly's Truth Squad in The Communities at the Washington Times
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Social Shopping Site Fab.com Launches UK Platform, Acquires Llustre - Mashable
As a part of its British expansion, Fab is acquiring what was a UK competitor, online home goods hub Llustre.com. Launched in April 2012, Llustre.com similarly sold products from indie designers.
Fab and Fab UK will specialize in limited edition pieces and exclusive design-driven products. The company currently sells designs that cost $1 to $20,000. New products appear daily.
In a year since launch, Fab has about 5 million active users in 20 countries and sells products from 5,000+ designers. In the past year, more than 1.8 million products were purchased on Fab.com.
Other interesting facts about the fast-growing shopping network: Fab has offices in the U.S., the UK and Germany — and wants to keep growing. That shouldn’t be problem if the network continues to gain a million users every four months.
On the Fab.com news feed, visitors can comment, like and buy recently purchased products. Product shares onto Twitter and Facebook and also synced to the feed.
Being socially connected is doing great things for Fab. The website is seeing huge traffic numbers from Facebook and Twitter — 50% of Fab.com’s members come from social sharing. About 30% to 40% of Fab’s daily visits are on mobile. This matches Fab mobile revenues, which account for 23 to 25% of overall weekly sales.
Have you purchased anything from Fab.com or other social shopping sites?
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