News roundup--Clas Ohlson, Tesco, Pets at Home, more

Swedish cataloguer/retailer Clas Ohlson has unveiled a UK online shop following the relaunch of its ecommerce platform in Sweden and Norway. The hardware specialist is also launching an online store in Finland as it continues its quest to become a leading European retail chain. Delivering the company’s results for the year ending 30th April, Klas Balkow president and chief executive, said the company was planning to expand into additional markets, initially through ecommerce. Clas Ohlson recorded a sales uplift of 9 percent in the last fiscal year, to 1.27 billion Swedish krona (£114.9 million), and operating profit more than doubling to 10 million SEK (£905,000) from 4 million SEK last year.

Tesco has confirmed Dame Lucy Neville-Rolfe, the company’s executive director responsible for corporate and legal affairs, will retire on her 60th birthday on 2nd January 2013. Neville-Rolfe’s responsibilities will be divided between Adrian Morris, who will join from BP as group general counsel on 3rd September and Rebecca Shelley, who joined the group from Brunswick on 1st May and will take responsibility for corporate affairs.

  
Pet-supplies retailer Pets at Home has rolled out its click and collect service to all of its 319 stores nationwide. The service enables customers to buy goods online and collect in-store, or reserve goods online and pay in the store.

Richard Pennycook, group finance director at Morrisons, announced his resignation and confirmed plans to leave the company at the end of June 2013. In the meantime, he will retain his responsibilities for finance, IT, online and strategy. Commenting, Pennycook said in a statement, “This was a difficult decision but by the time I leave next year I will have been with Morrisons for over eight years and I feel that it’s the right time to seek new challenges. It was very important to me to give Morrisons as much notice as possible to ensure a smooth transition.”

The Independent writes that cleaners at the John Lewis flagship Oxford Street store are protesting against low pay, redundancies and cuts to hours. In more John Lewis news, the Telegraph reports that managing director Andy Street is in talks “with various unnamed parties about extending the click-and-collect service” to enable John Lewis customers to pick up their orders from “the end of their road”—potentially a newsagent or corner shop.

“Sole survivor in a dying industry”, that’s how the Telegraph describes footwear manufacturer/retailer Hotter Shoes. The piece notes that last year’s sales of £57 million are expected to improve to about £70 million this year.