Latest news with #C&A
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tycoon's mega basement plan sparks fears of floods in Chelsea
A millionaire private equity mogul's plans for a luxury bunker under his Chelsea town house have sparked fears of floods and gridlock in the area. Peter Dubens, the founder of Oakley Capital, is seeking planning consent to build a 721 sq metre basement under the back garden of his £10m home in west London. The concrete-lined basement complex would include a bar, plunge pool, wine cellar, massage therapy room, gym and golf simulator. There would also be two saunas, one of which would be infrared. However, his plans have been fiercely opposed by a group of Conservative councillors who have raised concerns about an 'unacceptable flood risk' from the works, citing their potential to displace groundwater in an already 'high-risk' zone. Construction is also expected to require more than 400 tipper lorries, leading to concerns over the 'gridlock and safety' issues. The councillors, who represents residents in the Chelsea Riverside and Royal Hospital areas, said the basement's construction would have an 'excessive and hazardous' impact, in a letter of objection filed with the council. A group of Mr Dubens's neighbours are also resisting the proposals, which were first reported by local news publication The Chelsea Citizen. One resident called the plans 'outrageous'. Another criticised it as a 'long-term vanity project' installing features that 'may be desired but are unnecessary as the present owners seem not to be in situ very often'. The luxury bunker would stretch underneath an all-weather tennis court in the garden, which sits within a conservation area. An existing pool house on the premises would be replaced with a bigger one, connecting to the underground spa, while an extra basement kitchen would be installed. One resident complained in a letter to the council: 'The owners of this property have already enlarged the house in the very recent past over a period of three years causing enormous disruption and annoyance to their fellow neighbours. 'They have now applied for a major underground new build into the originally Elizabethan Garden from which the tenants in the square benefited ... It is unimaginable what chaos will ensue.' Another neighbour wrote: 'Hundreds of vehicles will be needed to drive up a road which is too narrow to take them. This is an unacceptable risk to the property of the residents.' A spokesman for Mr Dubens has previously said: 'We make every effort to listen to the concerns of our neighbours. In the event that any development work does take place, it will be undertaken with due care and consideration, and in strict accordance with planning regulations.' Mr Dubens made his name selling colour-changing T-shirts in the 1980s. Throughout the 1990s, he sold clothes to businesses such as C&A, Marks & Spencer and Sir Philip Green's Arcadia empire. Once a major Tory donor, he went on to invest in several businesses, including Time Out, which he floated on the London Stock Exchange, and model Alexa Chung's fashion label. He set up Oakley Capital in 2002. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Bloomberg
07-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Billionaire Dynasty's Buyout Firm Hires Hayfin Veteran as CFO
A private equity firm backed by one of the world's richest families hired a veteran of direct lender Hayfin as chief financial officer, adding to a series of leadership changes. Neil Syers was appointed Wednesday to the London-based role at Bregal Investments, founded by the Brenninkmeijer dynasty behind clothing retail giant C&A. He'll oversee the firm's global finance function and help continue its growth in investment strategies and geographies, according to a company statement. The 46 year-old UK native previously held a similar role at Hayfin Capital Management, one of Europe's largest closely held private-credit firms, which he left in March, filings show.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Markmi Raises €1.1M to Bring AI-Powered Markdown Assistant to Fashion Retailers Across Europe and the U.S.
GHENT, Belgium, April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fashion tech startup Markmi has raised €1.1 million in seed funding to accelerate the rollout of its AI-driven markdown assistant across Belgium, the Netherlands, the Nordics, and the U.S. later this year. Fashion retailers are under growing pressure to protect margins in a market shaped by shifting consumer behavior and rising costs. When it comes to markdowns—whether during mid-season sales, end-of-season clearances, or events like Black Friday—they can't afford to leave money on the table. Yet many still rely on spreadsheets and gut feeling, leading to missed revenue & margin. Markmi replaces these outdated methods with a smart, fast, and fashion-specific AI assistant. It empowers merchandising teams to make data-driven pricing decisions that increase sell-through and profitability. Customers including C&A, G-Star, Zizzi, ZEB, and Torfs have already seen 5–10% revenue growth and 2–5% margin improvements during markdown periods. "Markdowns are one of the biggest cost lines in a fashion retailer's P&L," said Markus Krenn, VP & Head of Commercial Planning Europe at C&A. "Markmi has significantly reduced this cost for us." Founded by Laurent Mainil, whose family has deep roots in the Belgian fashion industry, Markmi emerged from firsthand experience during the pandemic, helping retailers manage inventory and hit revenue targets under pressure. Markmi analyzes multiple scenarios in minutes, providing clear price recommendations that show the impact of different discount levels on sales, margin, and inventory. For instance, at G-Star EU, the tool ran 14.5 million calculations for its inventory in 5 days, enabling teams to select the most profitable strategy, in the blink of an eye. The round includes backing from fashion and tech investors such as Wolf (Luc Van Mol, ex-ZEB), the Torfs family, and tech veterans Lorenz Bogaert, Matthias Geeroms, Jan Teerlinck, Roeland Delrue, Jonas Deprez, and PMV. Looking ahead, Markmi plans to evolve into a full AI-powered pricing platform for fashion retail, expanding into areas like full-price optimization and promo management. "Retailers worldwide face the same challenge: setting the right price at the right time," said Mainil. "With AI, it's no longer a guessing game; it's a strategic advantage." About MarkmiMarkmi is the AI-powered markdown assistant for fashion retail. It helps fashion teams make faster, smarter, and more profitable markdown decisions. Logo: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Markmi
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
C&A streamlining continues with France store closures announced
In a statement to Just Style, a C&A spokesperson said following a consultation project to 'redefine its store portfolio', the management of C&A decided on the closure of 24 stores in France 'experiencing structural difficulties'. In addition, all 57 Shop-in-Shops in France will close said C&A. As a result of the decreased volume of products being handled, C&A has moved to adapt its distribution centre in Villenoy and its workforce accordingly. In total, this will result in 324 layoffs 'aiming to improve C&A's competitiveness in France and securing the brand's future in a French clothing market that is constantly deteriorating and in which C&A France is experiencing economic difficulties,' the statement reads. C&A said it would be consulting with affected staff over the next few weeks and the project to redefine the commercial footprint of France would be studied over the next four months. 'It is part of C&A's European strategy to continue its transformation to better meet the needs of consumers, future-proof the company and ensure the future of a brand with 184 years of history. C&A intends to focus on the core of its business, excellence in execution, flexibility and innovation. To ensure its future and consolidate what has made its model successful – combining quality of supply and affordable prices to dress the whole family – C&A must focus its priorities on distribution methods with the best development potential and, in particular, adapt its network of physical stores,' the statement added. Last month C&A confirmed it is to close its R&D FIT factory in Germany after the facility failed to meet the retailer's expectations. "C&A streamlining continues with France store closures announced" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
C&A streamlining continues with France store closures announced
In a statement to Just Style, a C&A spokesperson said following a consultation project to 'redefine its store portfolio', the management of C&A decided on the closure of 24 stores in France 'experiencing structural difficulties'. In addition, all 57 Shop-in-Shops in France will close said C&A. As a result of the decreased volume of products being handled, C&A has moved to adapt its distribution centre in Villenoy and its workforce accordingly. In total, this will result in 324 layoffs 'aiming to improve C&A's competitiveness in France and securing the brand's future in a French clothing market that is constantly deteriorating and in which C&A France is experiencing economic difficulties,' the statement reads. C&A said it would be consulting with affected staff over the next few weeks and the project to redefine the commercial footprint of France would be studied over the next four months. 'It is part of C&A's European strategy to continue its transformation to better meet the needs of consumers, future-proof the company and ensure the future of a brand with 184 years of history. C&A intends to focus on the core of its business, excellence in execution, flexibility and innovation. To ensure its future and consolidate what has made its model successful – combining quality of supply and affordable prices to dress the whole family – C&A must focus its priorities on distribution methods with the best development potential and, in particular, adapt its network of physical stores,' the statement added. Last month C&A confirmed it is to close its R&D FIT factory in Germany after the facility failed to meet the retailer's expectations. "C&A streamlining continues with France store closures announced" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
