News roundup--SuperGroup, Marks and Spencer, more

Although sales at apparel retailer SuperGroup grew 31.9 percent to £313.8 million in the 52 weeks to 29th April, chief executive Julian Dunkerton called it a “disappointing year” for the company. Underlying pretax profit was down 14.7 percent from £50.2 million in 2011 to £42.8 million this year as the business struggled to cope with its rapid growth and tough market conditions.

Following the announcement of a management reshuffle at Marks & Spencer, the company has made one further appointment. Merchandising director Sacha Berendji has been named retail director, reports the Financial Times. Berendji takes up the role in December.

Jewellery retailer Links of London has opened a new store in Waterloo Station in time to take advantage of increased footfall during the Olympic Games.

According to the Telegraph, kitchenware retailer/cataloguer Lakeland is capitalising on the trend for eating in to save money and launched low-cost cheese-making, sausage-making and pie-making kits in time for the Christmas market.

The constant downpour has not only had a big effect on high street footfall and lower sales of summer clothing, it’s also had a big effect on customers’ moods with a significant spike in the number of complaints and negative reviews. That’s according to online feedback forum Feefo, which has seen a soaring number of negative comments on feedback forms in the last two months. Feefo, which works with online retailers including MyWardrobe, The White Company and Fat Face, has noted a “palpable uplift” in complaints, which it says has a direct correlation with the miserable weather.