Retail news

• Stevensons operations director on digital innovation making back-to-school shopping child’s play

  12-08-2026 13:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  As back-to-school shopping becomes increasingly digital, Stevensons is leaning on a century of retail experience, while accelerating investment in ecommerce, personalisation and services designed around busy families.
  The school uniform and sportswear specialist, which works with more than 750 schools, has built a multi-channel model spanning stores, pop-ups and online. Operations director James Harding explains that this mix is now being refined to keep up with busy, modern parents’ routi
  
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• Why ‘fake’ job ads are becoming retail’s latest marketing tactic

  12-08-2026 12:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Over the past few years there has been a rise in “fake” jobs. Not simply jobs adverts that turn out to be fabricated, but jobs that purely serve as a marketing function such as Hotwheel’s tiniest team principal or Morrison’s chief donut taster.
  Marketing experts Pete Harrison, managing partner at  M+C Saatchi Talk and Alexandra Mendes, director of celebrity and creator partnerships, EMEA at UEG explain why many brands and retailer are utilising them.
  Harrison shares
  
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• Waitrose Jesmond reopens after multi-million-pound refurbishment

  12-08-2026 12:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Waitrose has reopened its Jesmond supermarket following a multi-million-pound refurbishment as part of the retailer’s wider £1bn investment programme.
  The Newcastle store welcomed customers back at 8am on Wednesday 12 August after closing for five weeks while the transformation was carried out.
  The refurbishment coincides with the branch’s 15th anniversary and includes a new-look bakery, upgraded beer, wine and spirits department and improvements to its fruit and vegetable offe
  
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• Bershka launches first store in the US

  12-08-2026 12:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Bershka has launched its first permanent US store at Aventura Mall, Miami.
  The Inditex-owned fashion brand said its new site, which opened on 11 August, represented a “major milestone” in establishing the business in the US market.
  The shop will sell Bershka’s women’s, men’s and teen collections, with its prices anticipated to match its online offering.
  Additionally, the store will provide a click and collect service for shoppers, as well as a dedicated returns stat
  
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• AO launches mobile network in move beyond electricals

  12-08-2026 11:49 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  AO is moving beyond selling mobile phones and into the network business with the launch of its own SIM service, AO Mobile.
  The company is entering the market with a single tariff offering 500GB of data for £12 a month to AO members.
  Non-members will pay £18 a month for the Ultimate 500GB plan, which comes on a 30-day rolling contract and includes unlimited UK calls and texts, 15GB of EU roaming and 5G connectivity.
  Customers can add up to nine additional SIMs to the same account, op
  
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• Halfords appoints Morrisons’ Lee Mountain as commercial director for motoring

  12-08-2026 11:08 via theretailbulletin.com
  Halfords has appointed Morrisons executive Lee Mountain as commercial director for motoring and services as part of a strengthening of its retail leadership team. In his…
  
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• Moonpig names Earnies as consumer PR agency

  12-08-2026 10:57 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Moonpig has named Earnies as its retained consumer PR agency, following a competitive pitch process.
  The agency will be responsible for with delivering a programme of “fun, thoughtful and emotionally resonant” works and highlighting the brand’s product range.
  Moonpig marketing director, Rachael Halliday, said: “From the moment we met the Earnies team, their energy and enthusiasm for the brand was clear. Related StoryMoonpig names Earnies as consumer PR agency 12/08/2026 x
  
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• Halfords appoints former Morrisons boss Lee Mountain as commercial director

  12-08-2026 10:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Halfords has appointed former Morrisons commercial leader Lee Mountain as commercial director for motoring and services.
  Mountain joins Halfords today, and will be responsible for helping shape the commercial strategy across its motoring products and services as the retailer targets its next phase of growth.
  He joins from Morrisons, where he led the supermarket’s £1.2bn impulse division.
  Mountain has also held senior commercial roles at Asda and brings experience spanning business tr
  
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• Asos customer and technology EVPs to step down

  12-08-2026 10:35 via theretailbulletin.com
  Asos has confirmed that Ben Blake, EVP customer and commercial, and Przemek Czarnecki, EVP technology, are to leave the business on 31 August. The news forms…
  
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• Brand identity starts smaller than most retailers think

  12-08-2026 10:21 via theretailbulletin.com
  The Brand Detail Customers Keep Wearing: When independent fashion retailers talk about building a brand, the conversation usually jumps straight to packaging, storefront design or social media…
  
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• UK exporters warned over EU pallet rules as PPWR takes effect

  12-08-2026 10:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  British retailers, manufacturers and FMCG suppliers exporting into the European Union are being urged to review how they manage pallets, crates and containers as new EU packaging rules begin to apply.
  The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) generally applies from 12 August 2026, having entered into force in February 2025, with a series of packaging requirements being introduced over the coming years.
  The regulation covers packaging placed on the EU market and is designed t
  
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• How UK retailers turned loyalty into a habit

  12-08-2026 10:10 via theretailbulletin.com
  Not so long ago, customer loyalty in British retail meant a paper stamp card in a wallet, dog-eared and half-forgotten until the ninth coffee earned a…
  
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• Why retail safety has become an operational priority

  12-08-2026 10:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Retail safety can no longer be treated as a specialist issue that sits solely with health and safety or loss prevention teams. It now affects the…
  
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• Why digital receipts are powering the next generation of retail media

  12-08-2026 10:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Retail media has become one of the most talked-about growth opportunities in retail. But while retailers have monetised their websites, apps, and digital channels, a significant…
  
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• [ Webinar ] The Agentic Layer: From assistive AI to autonomous digital workers

  12-08-2026 10:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  This session demystifies agentic AI, showing how organizations evolve from AI that assists people to agents that act autonomously within clear guardrails, scaling capacity without losing…
  
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• Peter Alexander to shut all UK stores as owner pulls back from market

  12-08-2026 09:53 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Australian sleepwear brand Peter Alexander is to close all three of its UK stores as owner Premier Investments retreats from bricks-and-mortar retail in the market amid “difficult” trading conditions.
  The brand will shutter its branches at Bluewater, Westfield Stratford and Westfield London in White City, although it will continue selling to UK shoppers online.
  Premier Investments said the decision followed challenging trading conditions and a negative economic outlook in the UK, wit
  
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• B&M unveils first ‘store of the future’ as it trials new retail concept

  12-08-2026 09:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  B&M will unveil its first ‘store of the future’ later this month, with the trial of a raft of new layouts, technology and in-store features.
  The company has transformed its 24,449sq ft Worthington Way branch in Wigan, which will officially relaunch under the new concept on 28 August.
  The store, which has remained open throughout the refurbishment, will act as a testing ground for ideas that could ultimately be introduced across B&M’s wider estate.
  The revamped branch fe
  
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• Harrods swings back to £85m profit despite luxury market challenges

  12-08-2026 09:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Harrods has returned to profit, despite continued pressure across the global luxury market and rising staff and distribution costs.
  The Knightsbridge department store posted a pre-tax profit of £84.9m for the year to 31 January 2026, reversing a loss of more than £34m in the previous year.
  Turnover climbed 1.2 per cent year on year to £1.08bn, as the luxury retailer continued to invest in its flagship store and customer experience.
  However, operating profit slipped to £17
  
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• Tesco launches landmark new Clubcard rewards campaign

  12-08-2026 09:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Tesco has launched a new marketing campaign aimed at encouraging shoppers to make greater use of their Clubcard vouchers, with reward partners including Hotels.com, PizzaExpress and Alton Towers Resort.
  Its latest campaign, created by BBH London, is timed to coincide with the school summer holidays and focuses on the value customers can unlock beyond their weekly grocery shop.
  Dubbed ‘Know what you’re sitting on’, the campaign highlights what Tesco describes as one of Clubcard&
  
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• AI wins clicks but shoppers still prefer the human touch, new research finds

  12-08-2026 09:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Retailers may be racing to embrace AI-powered shopping and customer service, but new research suggests human interaction remains crucial to winning shopper trust and loyalty.
  Eight in 10 consumers are willing to use AI-powered customer service, yet two-thirds still prefer speaking to a human, according to research from customer experience platform Five9.
  Five9 found that 92 per cent of businesses have already implemented or piloted AI within customer service, however, the research highlighted a
  
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• Specsavers offers the homeless free eye and ear care at 1,000 stores

  12-08-2026 09:25 via theretailbulletin.com
  Specsavers has launched a new initiative offering free eye and ear care to anyone experiencing homelessness at all 1,000 of its UK and Irish stores. Through…
  
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• Lidl-backed report warns corporate giving is missing England’s poorest communities

  12-08-2026 09:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Corporate giving is failing to reach some of England’s most deprived communities, according to a new report produced by Neighbourly, in partnership with Lidl.
  The Giving Without Guessing report found that 82 per cent of neighbourhoods ranked among England’s most severely deprived areas in 2019 remained in the bottom 10 per cent in 2025.
  Neighbourly said traditional corporate giving models can overlook pockets of severe deprivation, particularly where hardship exists alongside more af
  
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• Schuh owner Genesco strategy chief Parag Desai to retire

  12-08-2026 09:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Schuh owner Genesco has revealed its chief strategy and digital officer Parag Desai will retire later this year after more than a decade with the group.
  Desai, who serves as senior vice president and chief strategy and digital officer, will step down on 31 October, with his responsibilities set to be shared among other members of Genesco’s senior leadership team.
  He joined the business in 2014 as senior vice president of strategy and shared services before being promoted to his current rol
  
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• On shares plunge as US slowdown hits quarterly sales

  12-08-2026 09:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  On Holding shares tumbled after the brand missed second-quarter sales expectations as growth slowed in its key Americas market.
  Shares in the Roger Federer-backed brand plunged as much as 22 per cent on Tuesday, putting the stock on course for its worst day on record, after quarterly sales came in below analyst forecasts.
  On posted net sales of CHF850.3m (£813m) for the three months to 30 June, up 13.5 per cent year on year, or 21.6 per cent on a constant-currency basis. However, the figur
  
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• Aldi and M&S lined up for £20m Derby retail development

  12-08-2026 09:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Plans have been submitted for a new £20m retail development south of Derby, featuring Aldi, M&S and Starbucks.
  Rothstone Estates has lodged a reserved matters application for the scheme on land south of Shardlow Road, near Boulton Moor.
  The development is set to include an Aldi supermarket, a Starbucks drive-thru café and a second drive-thru outlet.
  Plans also feature a BP petrol filling station incorporating a Marks & Spencer convenience store, alongside a transport hub and
  
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• Primark’s 46th US store to open at Mall of America

  12-08-2026 09:01 via theretailbulletin.com
  Primark is continuing its US expansion with the opening of a new store in the Mall of America on 3 September. Situated in Bloomington, the shop…
  
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• Lakeland launches ‘Spend Smarter’ campaign for autumn/winter

  12-08-2026 09:01 via theretailbulletin.com
  Lakeland has unveiled its new autumn/winter campaign which is designed to show customers that real value comes from spending better, not just less. Championing the homeware…
  
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• Schuh owner Genesco announces retirement of chief strategy officer Parag Desai

  12-08-2026 08:50 via theretailbulletin.com
  Genesco, owner of the Schuh footwear brand, has announced that its chief strategy and digital officer, Parag Desai, will retire on 31 October. Desai joined Genesco…
  
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• Facegym to open second standalone store outside of London at Victoria Leeds

  12-08-2026 07:30 via theretailbulletin.com
  Facegym is to open its second standalone store outside of London at Victoria Leeds. The 1,772 square foot studio in Victoria Gate will offer the facial…
  
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• UK’s largest official Harry Potter store coming to Oxford Street this November

  12-08-2026 01:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences is set to open the UK’s largest official Harry Potter store on 4 November 2026.
  The shop will be located at The Ribbon, 134–140 Oxford Street, and will span more than 21,000 sq ft across two levels of retail space.
  The company said the London flagship will be based on Diagon Alley, and will include themed retail areas, food and beverage space, and exclusive merchandise.
  Karl Durrant, senior vice president of retail at Warner Bros. Discovery G
  
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• Tesco’s latest campaign urges shoppers to use Clubcard rewards

  11-08-2026 17:16 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Tesco has unveiled a new campaign, encouraging consumers to take advantage of their Clubcard rewards.
  Devised by creative agency BBH London, the campaign aims to encourage shoppers to see their weekly shop as “the gateway to getting away”.
  This comes as the supermarket found that half a million of its Clubcard members have at least £100 to use with its reward partners.
  Part of its ‘Need anything from Tesco?’ brand platform, the campaign is centred around three films
  
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• Boden unveils Nashville launch and Alabama plans

  11-08-2026 11:53 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Boden is continuing its investment in the United States with the launch of its newest store in Nashville, Tennessee, and the announcement of a third standalone location set to open this autumn in Birmingham, Alabama.
  The expansion marks “a significant milestone” in the fashion brand’s growing US retail presence, building on its first American store launch in Atlanta, Georgia, last year.
  The new shop has opened at Hill Center Green Hills in Nashville. The 1,700-square-foot space
  
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• Tesco set to relaunch F&F website this autumn, reports suggest

  11-08-2026 11:18 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  As Tesco continues to invest in its fashion proposition, reports suggest it will relaunch the F&F clothing website this autumn.
  The move comes just over a year after Tesco brought F&F back online following a seven-year absence. The supermarket is now planning a new-look website designed to offer customers a more modern and intuitive shopping experience.
  Retail Week reported that the new F&F website will provide an “inspiring” way for customers to shop the supermarket&rsqu
  
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• Next unveils major investment at Cribbs Mall store

  11-08-2026 10:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Next has unveiled plans for a major investment at its Cribbs Mall store in Bristol, as it commits to an upsize and refit of the space.
  The fashion giant will upsize its clothing store to a larger 47,000 sq ft space at the shopping centre, allowing it to showcase more of its fashion and accessories offering. 
  The retailer has also confirmed that it will be bringing its Bath and Body Works concept to the South West, with Cribbs Mall housing its first standalone store in the region after agree
  
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• Stripe and Stare’s new campaign is a love letter to modern women

  11-08-2026 10:57 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Lingerie brand Stripe and Stare have unveiled a new television campaign that is a “love letter to modern life and the women living it”.
  Titled ‘For all of You’, the marketing drive aims to celebrate women who are juggling friendships, children and careers.
  It centres on the belief that comfort should be the bare minimum and is inspired by everyday moments, such as forgetting a child’s PE kit or work calls taken in the car. Related StoryStripe and Stare’s new c
  
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• John Lewis brings Christmas forward as advent calendar waitlist opens amid heatwave

  11-08-2026 10:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  As UK temperatures show little sign of cooling off, and many UK brands focus on summer sales, John Lewis is doing something different: inviting shoppers to start thinking about Christmas.
  The retailer has opened access to its beauty advent calendar pre-order waitlist, leaning into a growing trend that sees festive retail activity begin earlier each year.
  While the timing may feel counterintuitive, in the middle of the fifth widespread heatwave of the year, it reflects the scale of demand for pre
  
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• Mountain Warehouse names Marcus Ward as new CEO as founder steps down

  11-08-2026 09:38 via theretailbulletin.com
  Mountain Warehouse’s founder is stepping down as chief executive after almost 30 years and will be succeeded by chief financial and operating officer Marcus Ward. Mark…
  
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• Retail sales rise by modest 1.3% in July as World Cup boosts food sales

  11-08-2026 09:13 via theretailbulletin.com
  UK retail sales rose in July after food sales received a boost during the final week of the World Cup. According to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail…
  
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• Ocado launches first automated fulfilment centre in South Korea with Lotte

  11-08-2026 09:13 via theretailbulletin.com
  Ocado has launched its first automated customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in South Korea with Lotte Shopping. Situated in Busan, the facility will serve a catchment of…
  
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• Boden opens second US store in Nashville and plans third in Birmingham

  11-08-2026 09:13 via theretailbulletin.com
  Boden has opened a second US store in Nashville, Tennessee, as it continues its US expansion. It has also announced that it will be launching a…
  
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• Skin Cupid to launch K-beauty UK pop-up tour this summer

  11-08-2026 08:30 via theretailbulletin.com
  K-beauty retailer Skin Cupid is to launch a Summer Roadshow of pop-up events across four UK cities. Running from 28 August to 20 September, the tour will stop…
  
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• Shein IPO valuation could fall below $30bn as investor appetite cools

  11-08-2026 07:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Shein could be forced to accept a valuation below $30bn (£22.4bn) for its long-awaited stock market debut as investors push back on the fast fashion giant’s proposed price tag.
  The retailer’s upcoming Hong Kong IPO is being pitched to prospective investors at a valuation in the mid-to-high $20bn range, according to the Financial Times.
  The figure would represent another significant downgrade for Shein, which was valued at $98.2bn during a funding round in 2022 and had been tar
  
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• Co-op chair Debbie White steps down as Moni Mannings takes interim role

  11-08-2026 07:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Co-op Group chair Debbie White is stepping down from the board, with senior independent director Moni Mannings OBE appointed interim chair as the retailer continues its search for a permanent group chief executive.
  White joined the Co-op Group board in 2023 and became chair in 2024, overseeing the business through a period of significant disruption, including last year’s cyber-attack.
  She said the group was now in a stronger position and that the timing was right to leave as she approached
  
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• Retailers warned to fast-track subscription changes after new January deadline

  11-08-2026 07:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Retailers have been warned they may need to accelerate preparations for the government’s incoming subscription rules, after the implementation date was brought forward to January 2027.
  The warning comes a day after plans for the new subscription protections were confirmed, with businesses now facing a shorter window than many had expected to overhaul recurring payment models, customer communications and sign-up processes.
  Mills & Reeve partner and consumer law expert Katrina Anderson s
  
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• Beyoncé takes full control of SirDavis whisky as LVMH sells stake

  11-08-2026 06:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Beyoncé has taken full control of her SirDavis whisky brand after luxury giant LVMH sold its stake in the business.
  The French luxury conglomerate confirmed it had offloaded its holding in the drinks brand to the singer, although financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
  Beyoncé and LVMH launched SirDavis as a joint venture in 2024, marking the latest celebrity tie-up for the luxury group as it looked to tap into the growing crossover between entertainment, fashion a
  
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• GameStop considers pulling £41.7bn eBay takeover bid

  11-08-2026 06:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  GameStop is reportedly considering abandoning its £41.7bn takeover bid for eBay, in favour of a partnership with the online marketplace.
  Chief executive Ryan Cohen is weighing a deal that could allow eBay to make use of GameStop’s roughly 1,600 US stores as the two businesses look to grow their presence in higher-margin categories including trading cards and collectibles, Bloomberg reported.
  Under the potential partnership, the video game retailer would also seek seats on eBay’
  
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• Staycations and World Cup boost consumer spending in July

  11-08-2026 04:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  UK consumer spending strengthened in July as staycations, warmer weather and England’s World Cup run helped drive growth across retail, according to new Barclays data.
  Card spending rose two per cent year on year during the month, edging up from the 1.9 per cent increase recorded in June, although growth remained below the latest CPIH inflation rate of 2.8 per cent.
  Essential spending increased 2.9 per cent, while discretionary spending climbed 1.6 per cent as shoppers reported growing con
  
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• Burnham to crack down on vape and betting shops in bid to boost high streets

  10-08-2026 23:30 via ft.com
  Councils will be given extra powers to curb unwanted retailers and ‘bring town centres back to life’
  
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• Serve First’s Justis Saayman on AI and smarter retail operations

  10-08-2026 22:07 via theretailbulletin.com
  Here we speak with Justis Saayman of TRB partner Serve First about building confident teams, turning real-time customer insight into operational action, and why AI should…
  
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• Joe Ulloa breaks down why its Back to School campaign is so important to Clarks

  10-08-2026 16:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  British footwear retailer Clarks unveiled their Back to School summer campaign last week, aimed at capturing the excitement of returning back to school.
  Titled ‘Jump into Clarks’, the marketing drive highlighted the brands promotional offers for the Back to School season.
  Joe Ulloa, Clarks’ UK and EU president explains that the Back to School season is one of the most important trading periods of the year for the retailer.
  He says: “It’s a season with huge heritage
  
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