News roundup--Ikea, Dick's Sporting Goods, JJB, more

The Financial Times reports that Ikea is mulling the launch of a budget hotel chain. But guests won’t immediately make the connection as the “hotels will not use the Ikea name and will not be run by the Swedish company but by an established hotel operator,” according to the piece.

US-based retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods saw its profits slide in the second quarter after it was forced to take a $0.22 per share impairment charge on its investment in UK business JJB—equivalent to $32.4 million. Although Dick’s chairman and chief executive Edward Stack says he knew JJB was always going to be a high risk investment, but that currently Dick’s has “no further funding obligations to JJB… and will continue to monitor the situation.”

Tesco is testing a new service in two of its stores that will allow customers to access a larger library of music and films than is currently available on the shelves. The Discs on Demand service is being trialled in the Maldon and Dudley stores using electronic kiosks in stores. Customers use a touchscreen to browse Tesco’s library of music, film, TV and software, select the product they wish to purchase and it’s printed onto a disc, ready for their collection, complete with original artwork on both the disc and inlay sleeve. The service complements Tesco’s digital film and music offerings through blinkbox and We7.

Last week we covered Coleen Rooney’s interpretation of iconic Littlewoods covers of yesteryear. The Telegraph follows up with its gallery of the “famous faces of Littlewoods”.

In more celebrity fashion news, Dorothy Perkins has teamed up with the Kardashians to bring the Kardashian Kollection of 100 pieces of apparel and accessories to the UK. The line goes on sale in November and will be stocked in more than 250 Dorothy Perkins stores, including eight shop-in-shops within BHS. The Kardashian Kollection will also be sold online at dorothyperkins.com and internationally to thirteen further countries via franchise stores.