News roundup--Royal Mail, Pavers, Staples

Royal Mail and the Communications Workers Union are “inching closer to what is believed to be a landmark three-year deal on pay and modernisation”, reports the Mirror. According to the article, the CWU’s national executive committee will meet today to consider the latest proposals “thrashed out between the two sides over the weekend”.

Online shoe store Shoe-shop.com has been acquired by Pavers, a company owned by the founder’s mother. The merger sees Pavers, which operates a retail chain including more than 100 high-street stores, discount concessions, and designer outlets, cement its plans to become a multichannel retailer.

Despite recording a 5 percent sales increase to $24.3 billion (£16.19 billion) in 2009, office supplies merchant Staples disappointed investors with its fourth quarter and annual results. According to Associated Press, shares in Staples fell more than 10 percent year yesterday.Staples announced that income decreased 8 percent year-on-year to $739 million (£492.5 million) in 2009.
In its international division sales increased 13 percent in US dollars and 14 percent in local currency to $5.3 billion compared with the full year 2008. 

Shop Direct is bolstering its virtual private network (VPN) by installing Windows 7 at its 10,000-strong PC network. The system’s DirectAccess functionality will allow staff at Shop Direct’s brands including Very, Marshall Ward, and Littlewoods to connect to the corporate network from virtually any internet connection, writes Computer World.