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GUS is a retail and business services group. Its activities comprise general merchandise retailing through Argos Retail Group, information and customer relationship management services through Experian and luxury goods through a majority shareholding in Burberry Group plc
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Argos Retail Group
General merchandise retailing
Argos Retail Group (ARG) is the UK’s leading
multi-brand, multi-channel retailer.
It delivers choice, value and convenience
through a unique and award-winning
combination of stores, catalogues, websites
and home delivery options.
ARG provides this through its market
leading brands:
- Argos – the UK’s most successful general
merchandise retailer
- Homebase – one of the UK’s leading home
enhancement companies
- Wehkamp – the largest home shopping
catalogue in the Netherlands
- ARG Financial Services – providing
financial services, including the Argos
and Homebase store cards
ARG leads its markets by leveraging its
size and strength to integrate and improve
purchasing scale, to share services and
to provide multi-channel capability across
the business.
ARG employs 44,700 people in the UK,
Holland and the Republic of Ireland. |
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ARG operating profit
£ million |
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Experian
Information solutions Experian helps organisations to find,
develop and manage profitable
customer relationships.
The company does this by leveraging its:
- skills in managing client processes
- ability to develop analytical solutions
- ownership of core data assets
Experian also empowers consumers to
understand, manage and protect their
personal information and assets.
Experian has become a strategic partner to
more than 40,000 clients across diverse
industries, including financial services,
telecommunications, healthcare, insurance,
retailing, automotive, manufacturing,
leisure, utilities, property, e-commerce
and government.
The company employs 13,100 people,
supporting clients in more than 60 countries.
Experian’s headquarters are in Costa Mesa,
California and Nottingham, UK.
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Experian operating profit
£ million |
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Burberry
International luxury goodsBurberry designs and markets a
comprehensive range of clothing and
accessories, which appeal to style-conscious
consumers around the world.
Burberry products are sold through 145
directly-operated stores, concessions and
outlets, and through partnerships with key
retailers in the world’s leading economies.
The company employs approximately 3,850
people around the world.
Burberry’s principal strengths are its:
- unique history and positioning
- international recognition and broad appeal
- diversified distribution channels
- multiple product and geographic
growth opportunities
The Lewis Group
South African retailing
The Lewis Group is a leading retailer in
Southern Africa selling household and
electrical goods, mainly on credit, together
with associated financial products.
The business trades under the Lewis brand in
400 furniture stores, as well as under the Best
Electric brand in 47 specialist electrical stores
and under Lifestyle Living in 18 upmarket
furniture and electronic goods stores.
Lewis is the largest single brand by number
of stores in the furniture retail industry in
Southern Africa and employs 5,700 people. |
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Burberry operating profit
£ million |
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Operating profit*†
Year ended 31 March 2004
£882m |
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Argos Retail Group |
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Experian |
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Burberry |
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The Lewis Group |
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Operating profit*
Year ended 31 March 2000
£519m |
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Argos Retail Group |
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Experian |
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Burberry |
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Other: |
9% The Lewis Group |
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5% Finance |
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6% Property |
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7% Home shopping |
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Key events of the year
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7 April
Experian North America
acquires three regional
affiliate credit bureaux in
ongoing affiliate
acquisition programme
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27 May
GUS disposes of home
shopping businesses in
the UK, Ireland and
Sweden, together with
Reality, the UK logistics
and customer care
business
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5 September
Homebase introduces
new home furnishings
range, miHome
10 September
Burberry opens store in
Milan, its first in Italy
26 September
Argos central distribution
centre at Barton
becomes operational
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2 October
FARES, Experian’s
20%-owned real estate
information associate,
acquires Transamerica’s
real estate tax service
and flood certification
businesses
8 October
Homebase store
card launched |
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5 November
Argos website tops
European ranking of
online retailers
12 November
Experian named UK’s
‘National Business of
the Year’ in the National
Business Awards
17 November
GUS sells its 50% stake
in property joint venture
for £163m
19 November
GUS sells further 11.5%
stake in Burberry to
improve liquidity in
Burberry shares
20 November
GUS reports record interim
results, with 44% increase
in profits
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17 January
New Spring/Summer Argos catalogue has 13,000 lines, 12% more than a year ago
21 January
Andy Hornby, Chief Executive of Retail Banking at HBOS plc, joins GUS Board as a non-executive director
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25 May
GUS reports 29% increase in profits, its third year of double-digit growth
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