2012 review: A year in Welsh business
by Carole Green
Our Business Correspondent looks at 12 months that began with the collapse of a Welsh retailer, but end with signs of confidence returning.
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Peacocks jobs fear for Valleys
Almost 150 jobs could be cut in the Valleys by the retailer Peacocks.
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147 jobs could go at Peacocks
Peacocks has proposed cutting 147 jobs in three of the distribution centres in the South Wales Valleys. The company hopes the final figure of job losses will be much less.
Peacocks employs 660 people at the sites in Nantgarw, Pentre in the Rhondda and in Merthyr Tydfil.
Recently the Cardiff-based firm was sold out of administration by Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM). In February, 6000 jobs were saved but 3100 staff were made redundant.
A spokeswoman said: "Our aim is to have as few redundancies as possible. This is a process we have to go through but we are hoping the final figure will be much less."
The company hopes extra work can be found for staff at the distribution centres within the EWM group or that the staff can be deployed elsewhere.
'We're really, really pleased to see it back open'
Shoppers and staff have welcomed the reopening of Peacocks' flagship branch in the centre of Cardiff.
'Flagship' Peacocks branch reopens
The fashion chain Peacocks has reopened one of its largest stores - in the centre of Cardiff - after it closed following the chain's collapse in January.
The company went into administration with debts of £750m. 338 of its stores were taken over a month ago by Edinburgh Woollen Mill, but over 200 had remained closed.
Chief Executive Philip Day says there are plans to reopen another "30-40" stores around the country.
Store manager Sue Chalmers, who's worked for Peacocks for 25 years, says staff at the Cardiff branch are "absolutely buzzing" at returning to work.
"We're all really over the moon. Customers have been knocking on the door waiting to come in already"
Peacocks reopens Cardiff store
The chain's new chief executive says he's 'hugely excited' about the future of the business.
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Peacocks boss: "It's good to get our flagship back"
The new owner of Peacocks says he's "hugely excited" about the reopening of one of its stores in Cardiff city centre.
Edinburgh Woollen Mill Chief Executive will oversee the running of both firms following the aquisition.
Mr Day told reporter Dean Thomas that the process of reopening had taken "a lot of negotiation".
But he said there was a sense of "jubilation" when it was confirmed that the store would be reopening.
Peacocks Cardiff store reopens
New Peacocks owners Edinburgh Woollen Mill will reopen the company's flagship Cardiff city centre store this weekend.
It's the first store to open since the new owners took over.
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