Latest news with #Pep
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Pepkor plans 250 more stores by year-end as operating profit grows 13.3%
Pepkor, the owner of Pep, Tekkie Town and Bradlows furniture stores, plans to open between 250 and 300 new stores by the end of the year. The group recently announced a number of acquisitions including Legit, Style and Boardmans from Retailability. It also bought House & Home furniture from Shoprite. On Tuesday the company reported a 12.8% rise in revenue to R48.8bn for the six months to March, while operating profit grew by 13.3% to R5.8bn. Pepkor's traditional retail businesses delivered a strong trading performance, outperforming the market and expanding market share. The clothing and general merchandise segments, which includes Ackermans, reported a 9.5% increase in sales to R34.5bn. The furniture, appliances and electronics segment, which also includes HiFi Corp and Incredible, reported a 9.1% rise in sales to R6.5bn. Pepkor also provides loans, store credit and leasing of cellphones. The segment — fintech — reported revenue growth of 34.5% to R7.9bn. The company said it sold 6.8-million cellphones, up 17%, during the six months to March. Eight out of 10 prepaid handset sales in South Africa are sold by Pepkor companies. 'Combined with the group's expansive store network as a powerful distribution channel, Pepkor has cemented its position as the clear leader in the cellular market, backed by a differentiated and highly resilient strategy,' it said. FoneYam, the cellular handset rental product launched last year and designed to make smartphones affordable for customers, continued to grow strongly with active customers reaching 1.5-million by the end of March. Monthly activations averaged 165,000 over the period, said Pepkor. CEO Pieter Erasmus said: 'We have delivered consistent retail performance, strategically executed on our fintech growth ambitions and maintained disciplined cost management. Our focus on digital and financial inclusion yields tangible benefits for our customers and the group's performance.' Erasmus said the company was particularly pleased with the progress in its fintech segment and its expanding cellular market share, which are becoming increasingly significant contributors to its overall success. 'Strategic acquisitions announced will further diversify our offering into new customer segments and product categories — positioning Pepkor for sustained growth and value creation.'
The Herald Scotland
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Neil Warnock on Aberdeen truth, Rangers job & 'arrogant' Clement
'I never got into slagging off the football up here because, listen, it is what it is. 'Everybody knows there are two teams that are always going to be dominant up there. 'But I still think it's possible for a Hearts or a Hibernian or an Aberdeen to get amongst them. 'I would love to have had a go at that for a couple of years, bringing my own players in. Sadly it wasn't to be.' It's over a year since one of the gnarled veterans of British football quit Pittodrie after six games in charge. Enticed north by an invitation to steady the ship until the end of the season, he realised it wasn't going to work after two or three games. 'Without going into detail Aberdeen didn't feel right after a few weeks. 'They asked me to stay on and get through the season and get through the cup game against Kilmarnock, which I did. 'But I thought it was better to go then. It wasn't going to be long term for me, so that's life. 'They've got to the cup final and I don't recognise anybody left now if I'm honest. 'But, look, it needed a big change, a big turnover really. 'That's why I said to them, 'get your next man in, having a look at what he needs.' Neil Warnock has hinted there may be more to his Aberdeen exit (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) After leaving he claimed that he didn't want to take money under false pretences. Addressing the suspicion that there might be more to the story than he is prepared to let on he is unusually coy. 'There might be…. 'The thing is, I didn't really want to go into detail over why I left quickly. 'I just wanted to let them get on with how they wanted to run the club. 'I thought the new manager should come in and try to deal with the obvious problems that were there really. 'If I started dealing with them over that, I thought I'd probably fall out with people…' On leaving Pittodrie he drove straight to Dunoon for a few days, stopping off to take in a Morton training session in Port Glasgow and play some golf at Blairmore and Stroan, the golf course 20 minutes from the Dunoon holiday home he purchased in 1990. A therapeutic bolt hole when his wife Sharron was diagnosed with breast cancer he took himself to the picturesque fifth hole, overlooking the Holy Loch, to block out the noise and clear his head. Now a man of leisure he has gathered all the details of the North Coast 500 and plans to hit the road in the next 12 months. He rarely stays still for long. 'I've been all over' he confides. 'Pep invited me over for a couple of days so I went over there….' An unlikely meeting of minds he pauses to gather up the name dropped casually into the conversation before explaining that he took in City's 1-0 win over Wolves at the beginning of May. 'We got on from the moment we first met, when we had a long chat. It was funny because City played against an Italian team in Europe and they asked him, 'were you surprised by their tactics Pep, with the man marking?' 'He said, 'no, Neil Warnock's been doing that to me for years….' He dissolves into laughter before moving seamlessly into an account of his Old Firm game. Pictured sitting beside Rangers director Graham Park at Ibrox for the recent 1-1 draw he found the experience underwhelming. 'It wasn't a very good game was it? It wasn't my kind of game with bloody tackles flying in everywhere and heads going in where it hurts. 'I expected one of those games and the whole thing was a bit of a damp squib on the end.' Neil Warnock attended a recent match between Celtic and Rangers (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) In a managerial career spanning five decades and 16 clubs the Rangers job was the one that got away. His first post in 1980 took him to Gainsborough Trinity where one of the strikers had an eye for goal and wore his socks around his ankles. Three decades later Charles Green would emerge, with his big shovel hands, as an unlikely Rangers saviour. 'I had Charles when he was nothing,' Warnock recalls. 'He didn't run about much but he was the best finisher at the club, he could score goals when you gave him a chance. 'So when I saw him come up here and take charge at Rangers it was funny that really. 'That Rangers job would have been ideal for me at one point, but there was always somebody putting a spoke in. 'There was always somebody behind the scenes who wanted somebody else. So I was disappointed that it never happened. 'I would like to have had a go, because when I pull up at Ibrox and get into the car park I think it's special.' It seems only right to point out that the job is vacant once again. Sensing where the conversation is headed he laughs, 'They could do a lot worse…. 'Listen, I suspect the new people coming in will have something to say on who the manager will be. They will have an idea on who they want. 'All I know about what's happening with the Americans is what I read in the papers. But it's a great club and it's ripe for investment. 'I don't really know who they should be going for, but I wasn't a fan of Clement at all, me. 'When I came across him I thought he was arrogant, if I'm honest. I didn't have a great deal of time for him.' Read more: He has more time for Brendan Rodgers, crossing the city of Glasgow for Saturday's 3-1 win over Hibs at the invitation of Easter Road – and former Aberdeen striker – Junior Hoilet. 'All credit to Brendan. A little over 12 months ago, when I was here, he was getting slaughtered. 'To do what he has done proves what a good manager he is. I mean, 17 points? Bloody hell.' In England you'll find people who swear blind that Celtic could stick their nan in the technical area and win the league with the cash and resources at their disposal. Warnock snorts, giving the idea short shrift. 'Let's wait and see what they do when Brendan goes then. Let's see how easy it is then. 'To be fair, they've invested right. They've run the club the right way the last few years. 'They have sold players when they needed some money and they've pretty much supported him with what he wants signings wise. That's what you get when you have something running smoothly and I hope that happens at Rangers now with the new people. 'I hope they get some stability and get somebody in who they can work with and make a fight of it.' Neil Warnock always wanted to manage Rangers (Image: SNS) He always fancied giving Glasgow's big two a run for their money at one of the other big city clubs. Enthused by the idea of Tony Bloom pumping millions into Hearts, his doubts over the growing influence of data on player recruitment are based on a bad experience. 'When I was at Crystal Palace they had three recruitment people working on computers all day long. 'We needed a centre half desperately and I went in and said, 'look, there's one in Scotland who was spotted by one of our scouts.' 'So I sent my assistant Ronnie Jepson up to watch him and he came back and said, 'gaffer, he'll do for us.' 'So I told these computer lads, we can get this centre half for a few million pounds and I would like him if I could. 'So they said, 'give us 24 hours' and off they went to crunch the numbers and look at all his clips. 'Then they came back and told me, 'sorry Neil, we don't want you to sign that player. We don't think he's good enough.' 'I said, 'what do you mean, he's playing with a fag in his mouth! He reads the game so well he doesn't have to sprint.' 'It turned out that they didn't think Virgil van Dijk was quick enough for the English Premier League. Virgil van Dijk! 'I saw Virgil two years later and he came up and said, 'I know you tried to sign me from Celtic.' 'I said, 'yeah, I bet you're f****** pleased now that they thought you were too slow…'' Even if a late invite comes in the post - 'maybe Brendan will ask me along' – his daughter's wedding in Italy will prevent him heading to Hampden for the Scott Fourteen months since he left, Aberdeen might prove to be his final job in management. The man himself is closing no doors. 'You never know son. I got offered a job with 10 games to go until the end of the season. Never say never….'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
We have to look at ourselves: Pep on Fulham showdown
We have to look at ourselves: Pep on Fulham showdown Pep Guardiola says he's pleased Champions League destiny is in our own hands heading to Fulham on Sunday. City just need a draw in the 16:00 (UK) kick off at Craven Cottage to ensure a top-five finish, a placing which would guarantee a spot in the UCL next season. Advertisement The boss insists he and his players will be fully focused on the task in hand rather than looking over our shoulders at other results on the day, with Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest all in the mix. 'It's better,' he said of knowing we have control of proceedings this weekend. 'Arriving in the last games, it depends on you, it depends on us, yes it's better. 'We have to look at ourselves. We need one point to be in the Champions League next season and we have to go to win against a top side. WATCH: King Kev: My City Dream XI 'The situation is clear, to play in the Champions League we have to take a result there and that's what we're going to do. Advertisement 'See today, tomorrow in training who's fit, how we are going to play, different shapes and different ways and see how the players are more fit and focused and go to London to take the result we need.' Standing in our way on Sunday is Marco Silva's Cottagers. Facing the London outfit at Craven Cottage in vital Premier League games is not new to Guardiola's men, as we saw them off deep into the season in the successful Treble and Four-in-a-Row campaigns. WATCH: Watch: De Bruyne's Etihad farewell presentation in full The manager believes this is another colossal clash and expects a tough encounter in the capital. Advertisement 'It's a really tough game away, always it has been,' he added. 'The game we have played against Fulham in the last years, it was 2-1, 3-2, so tight. 'Always there have been tight games when we've been there to win the Premier League because it was at the end of the season every time. 'I know perfectly how tough it will be.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PSG's run to the Coupe de France final
Pep on KDB role for final Etihad appearance Pep Guardiola discusses how he will use Kevin de Bruyne for the final home game of the season, as Manchester City bid to secure Champions League qualification. 0:46 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Scottish Sun
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Five Man City stars most at risk as Pep Guardiola threatens to resign if club don't cut his squad down
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PEP GUARDIOLA has threatened to quit Manchester City if they do not cut the size of his squad this summer. The Spaniard had to leave out several stars from his 20-man squad for Tuesday's 3-1 win over Bournemouth. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Pep Guardiola threatened to quit Manchester City if they do not cut the size of his squad this summer Credit: Reuters And he revealed the situation is 'impossible for my soul'. With Pep wanting a smaller squad, SunSport's PHIL THOMAS assesses which Etihad players are facing the exit . . . JACK GREALISH THE man who arrived as the nation's costliest signing in 2021, but British football's first £100million man now plays no more than a bit-part role. Grealish has started only seven Prem games and any doubts about his future effectively ended in last week's FA Cup final, when Pep chucked on untried kid Claudio Echeverri instead. READ MORE IN football MICAH'S MESS Richards forced off CBS' Europa League final coverage after toilet emergency Regular action demands a move – but also a huge drop in wages. 6 Jack Grealish now plays no more than a bit-part role Credit: Getty JOHN STONES ON his day Stones has plenty of backers as the best ball-playing English centre back, and at times when others doubted him, Pep Guardiola always fiercely fought his corner. But injuries have limited him to 18 Prem starts in two seasons – only six in this one – and fitness woes mean he can't be relied on. There are whispers David Moyes, who signed him from Barnsley as a teenager, would like him back at Everton. Even if it is only a season-long loan, the deal makes sense. 6 John Stones is linked with a return to Everton Credit: Rex EDERSON THE Brazilian keeper has been a fixture in the side for eight years, but this season a few cracks have appeared. Injuries have meant more openings for back-up Stefan Ortega, another whose future may be elsewhere, yet even when fully fit, Ederson is no longer an automatic pick. A pocket-lining move to Saudi Arabia wouldn't be the biggest surprise…they have flirted with him before but this time could have a different outcome. 6 Ederson's City future is uncertain Credit: Getty JAMES McATEE HIS City future looked pretty solid when Pep Guardiola knocked back Chelsea's efforts to sign him in January, a month in which McAtee hit an FA Cup hat-trick against Salford. But the local-born midfielder knows he will probably only have a cameo role if he sticks around, and with promoted Leeds sniffing around, McAtee's best chance of regular football is likely to be at Elland Road. 6 James McAtee's best chance of regular football is likely to be at Elland Road Credit: Reuters MATEO KOVACIC MAYBE a surprise, given his end-of-season form, but with Rodri fit, Nico Gonzalez signed in January and possibly Morgan Gibbs-White to come, Kovacic could be back in the shadows. There has been interest from Atletico Madrid and Saudi Arabia, and with two years left on his contract, it wouldn't be a huge shock if City decided to cash in.
