High Asking Price Dampens Interest from Potential Buyers

  • Barclay family told to lower expectations for Very Group sale
  • Very Group valued at £4bn previously
  • Retail analyst suggests lowering price to attract private equity buyer
  • Frasers Group, Zalando, and Next considering offers

The Barclay brothers, owners of Very Group, are facing challenges in selling the online department store due to their high asking price. They put the retailer up for sale earlier this year to address its mounting debts and considered offloading the entire business or a stake. The group, which operates very.co.uk and littlewoods.com, was previously valued at £4bn. Retail analyst Jonathan De Mello stated that they need to lower their expectations to attract a private equity buyer as it has generated little interest from potential buyers such as Frasers Group, Zalando, and Next.

Factuality Level: 7
Factuality Justification: The article provides relevant information about Very Group’s sale and potential buyers, but lacks some details on the current state of negotiations and specific reasons for low interest from potential buyers.
Noise Level: 6
Noise Justification: The article provides some relevant information about Very Group’s sale and potential buyers but lacks in-depth analysis or new insights. It also includes a reference to another unrelated topic (Ocado being booted out of the FTSE 100) which may not be directly related to the main subject.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: The potential sale of Very Group impacts financial markets as it involves a major retailer and its valuation affects investors.
Financial Rating Justification: This article discusses the sale of a significant retail company, which has an impact on the financial market due to its size and the involvement of major companies like Frasers Group, Zalando, and Next. The valuation of Very Group also affects investor interest.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event mentioned in the text.

Reported publicly: www.retailgazette.co.uk