The latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel show an ongoing polarisation of the grocery market, as both Aldi and Waitrose continue to make gains on rivals. Value retailer Aldi posted an all-time record share of 3.5 per cent in the 12 weeks to 12 May 2013, up from 2.8 per cent of the market last year.

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Swarovksi US Holdings has acquired a 100 per cent stake in Minneapolis-based brand Chamilia as it looks to add new brands to stronghold. It’s thought Chamilia, which uses Swarovski crystals in its designs, will maintain its focus on the European marketplace, where Swarovski has been trading since 1895.

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London-based private equity firm Permira on Friday sold a 10 per cent stake in Hugo Boss, six years after first investing in the German fashion house. Friday’s placement of seven million shares is expected to bring in around EUR 633.5 million for Permira, after Hugo Boss on Thursday revealed a bigger-than-expected drop in first-quarter sales.

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Shares in Sports Direct fell 7.4 per cent after its founder and majority shareholder Mike Ashley sold part of his holding in the business. According to Reuters, Ashley sold 25 million shares on Monday at 400p each, reducing his stake from 68.6 per cent to around 64 per cent. The move comes after Ashley, who also owns Newcastle United, was linked to talks with House of Fraser over the possibility of acquiring a stake in the department store chain.

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Dutch toymaker Lego has reported that its share of the global toy market rose to 8.6% in 2012, an increase of 1.5% compared to 2011. Lego's success during the year proves that the iconic toy manufacturer can still compete with the creators of more high-tech toys and computer games. The company’s revenues for the year amounted to 23.4 billion krone, an increase of 35 percent compared to the previous year, while their net profit rose by 25% to a total of 5.6 billion krone (around £650.6 million).

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Tension between the UK’s four biggest supermarkets shows little sign of letting up as industry figures suggest Tesco is back on fighting form. The latest grocery share figures from Kantar Worldpanel found Tesco maintained its market share of 30.4 per cent in the 12 weeks to 20 January.

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Sainsbury’s on Wednesday revealed it had met analysts’ forecasts for the Christmas trading period, with sales at stores open over a year up 0.9 per cent. Total third quarter sales rose 3.3 per cent excluding fuel in the 14 weeks to 5 January, Sainsbury’s third financial quarter, which was the retailer’s 32nd consecutive quarter of underlying sales growth.

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Pearson Plc has announced it will buy a 5 per cent stake in Barnes & Noble’s Nook Media for USD 89.5 million. The retailer’s Nook Media unit includes its digital e-reader business, along with 674 college bookstores across America. Pearson, which also owns both Penguin Group and Financial Times Group, added that subject to certain conditions, it will also have the option to buy another 5 per cent stake in Nook Media in the future.

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Another win for Sainsbury’s as the retailer saw sales and market share rise over the last quarter. The latest data from Kantar Worldpanel found Tesco, Asda and Morrisons all lost out as Sainsbury’s, the UK’s third largest supermarket, raised its market share 0.2 per cent to 16.9 per cent in the 12 weeks to 25 November.

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Sainsbury’s saw its market share grow to 16.7 per cent during its first half, its highest in almost a decade, as the supermarket reported pre-tax profits up 2.5 per cent to £405 million. The UK’s third largest supermarket said sales, including VAT and fuel, rose 4 per cent to £13.36 billion in the six months to 29 September.

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