CELEBRITY cult fashion label Ed Hardy collapsed owing creditors more than $15 million, including about $500,000 owed to employees, liquidators said. A second creditors meeting voted to wind up Ed Hardy Operations on Monday after Deloitte was appointed voluntary administrators last month. The move only relates to Ed Hardy’s Australian…
The IKEA ‘honey pot’ effect
IKEA stores have a “honey pot” effect on surrounding retailers, driving up sales with the furniture chain’s ability to draw large crowds of shoppers from long distances, a retail analyst says. Deutsche Bank’s Alexi Baker-McLennan says retailers which benefit most are those with complementary home-focused offerings like appliances, storage, Manchester…
Law firms ban workplace gossip site Firm Spy
TWO of Australia’s most prestigious law firms have banned a workplace gossip website after it published a series of articles criticising management and mocking staff. Both Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Clayton Utz have barred the Firm Spy site, branding it “irresponsible and inaccurate”. Update May 2, 2011: Firm Spy reports…
Luxury brands send out secret cues, study finds
LUXURY goods may sell the dream of mixing it with the rich and famous, but the bigger the branding the more you identify yourself as a “cashed-up bogan”. And in a case of less is more expensive, luxury goods manufacturers have been charging a premium for the more discreetly-branded goods…
ACCC wins case against online retailer Ozdirect
THE competition watchdog has won its case against online retailer Ozdirect Online Brands and its director Paul Albright for misleading and deceptive conduct but the parties will have to wait until 2010 for the judge’s final orders. Despite this win, customers who have lost money buying from the Ozdirect site…