Retail news

• 20 Forces Shaping E-Commerce in 2020

  19-02-2020 15:00
  
  Did you know that e-commerce still only makes up 24% of all retail sales?* That means there’s a lot more revenue to come. But with the industry in a constant state of evolution, any brand or retailer that wants to survive and thrive in this landscape needs to be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice.
  Those that fail to adapt, on the other hand, risk falling into administration as the high street continues to struggle. Now more than ever, sellers will need to stay future-focused.
  D
  
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• Primark lowers prices as part of new ‘Iconic Value’ push

  20-07-2026 22:11 via theretailbulletin.com
  Primark has cut the prices of hundreds of its most popular womenswear, menswear and kidswear styles as it announced a new era of “Iconic Value”. The…
  
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• Magnet Group’s CVA approved, paving way for store closures

  20-07-2026 18:04 via theretailbulletin.com
  Magnet Group’s creditors and landlords have approved the company voluntary arrangement (CVA) it proposed on 30 June. The proposals were overwhelmingly supported by over 90% of…
  
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• Myprotein activewear launches on Next’s Sports Club platform

  20-07-2026 17:40 via theretailbulletin.com
  THG’s Myprotein has partnered with Next to bring its activewear range to Sports Club by Next, expanding its retail footprint beyond its recent Footasylum tie-up. The…
  
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• JD Sports introduces Meadowhall store

  20-07-2026 16:52
  
  JD Sports is opening a new store at Meadowhall shopping centre on 30 July.
  Based on the lower level of the high street, the store will be almost triple the size of its previous site, spanning 29,225 sq ft.
  The shop will offer “an even broader range of clothing, footwear and sportswear.” according to the business. 
  Customers will be able to browse “more popular brands than ever before,” including Nike, Montirex, New Balance, Berghaus, Adidas, and Unlike Humans. 
  
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• What John Lewis’ 20-month head start means for peak-season stores

  20-07-2026 14:35
  
  By April 2025, John Lewis was already working on Christmas 2026. Its buying team is now developing the theme for Christmas 2027 while this year’s decorations, toys and store designs make their way through the supply chain.
  Buying manager Cydney Ball summed up the retailer’s rolling timetable: “In some ways, it’s Christmas every day for us.”
  The 20-month lead time sounds extreme, until the sums behind peak trading are truly considered. Around a fifth of the UK’
  
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• Bensons for Beds returns to Burnley after six-year absence

  20-07-2026 13:52
  
  Bensons for Beds has returned to Burnley, Lancashire, after a six-year absence with the launch of a 8,173 sq ft store.
  The new shop, which opened at Prestige Retail Park on 17 July, marked a six-figure investment from the bed retailer.
  The site has created five new local jobs, including one store manager role, two full-time roles and two part-time positions.
  The Burnley site will be the closest Bensons for Beds store to the company’s Accrington headquarters, which is nine miles away.
  It is
  
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• Etsy’s VP of brand marketing: “We’re not chasing culture, we’re moving with it”

  20-07-2026 13:51
  
  Etsy aims to shine a light on sellers named Jeff in its latest campaign, showing consumers that there are non-billionaire Jeffs they can shop from. The marketplace’s VP of brand marketing Daniel ‘Monty’ Montalto explains how they want to say something different in the often “manufactured” ecommerce conversation. 
  “We were looking at one of the biggest shopping moments of the year and thinking about the kinds of messages people typically hear during that p
  
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• Urban Outfitters signs up for Sheffield’s Heart of the City regeneration scheme

  20-07-2026 13:39 via theretailbulletin.com
  Urban Outfitters has become the latest brand to sign up to Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City regeneration project after agreeing a lease for 8,500…
  
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• Will Asos’ plans for a permanent high street store be a success?

  20-07-2026 13:12
  
  Last month, it was reported that online giant Asos was seeking a London site for its first permanent physical store.
  The move would be a significant one, as Asos has traded as an online retailer since it was founded 26 years ago. 
  With the name As Seen on Screen, the retailer began its journey in 2000 by selling a range of goods and fashion worn by celebrities on TV and in films. 
  Although Asos has previously trialled in-person retail via pop-ups and brand partnerships, it has never be
  
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• Ben & Jerry’s UK head of franchising on its first mall kiosk store

  20-07-2026 13:08
  
  If there’s one thing that won’t go amiss for in-store shoppers during the UK heatwave, it’s ice cream.
  Which is good news for Ben & Jerry’s, which rolled out its first UK mall kiosk concept at Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands back in April.
  The offering consists of a 270 sq ft kiosk based near the shopping centre’s recently renovated M&S store, positioned between Pandora and Beaverbrooks.
  The arrival marked Ben & Jerry’s first mid-ma
  
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• EU fines AliExpress €550mn for failing to prevent sale of illegal goods

  20-07-2026 12:00 via ft.com
  Record penalty under bloc’s Digital Services Act comes amid broader crackdown on Chinese ecommerce platforms
  
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• Boohoo faces further £10 million legal claims over Leicester supply chain scandal

  20-07-2026 10:53 via theretailbulletin.com
  Boohoo is facing £10 million worth of new legal claims from investors who are alleging that its top leaders knew the company was using ‘sweatshops’ in…
  
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• John Lewis unveils ‘biggest-ever’ fashion tie-up with Rixo

  20-07-2026 09:58
  
  John Lewis unveiled its biggest-ever fashion collaboration as it prepared to roll out a 44-piece Rixo collection across its store estate.
  The vintage-inspired range will launch on October 22 across all John Lewis fashion stores and online, with prices starting at £65.
  The collection spans dresses, knitwear, blouses, jackets, skirts, scarves, footwear and bags, combining Rixo’s signature designs with new shapes and patterns created exclusively for the department store.
  It forms part o
  
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• Just Eat’s global health & beauty lead on “magic” mission-led categories

  20-07-2026 09:54
  
  Katie Hanlon, global category lead – pharmacy, health & beauty, at Just Eat Takeaway.com describes the fast delivery firm’s expansion of products beyond food as the “natural next step rather than a big leap”.
  High street giants, such as Boots, have joined the platform over the past few years, offering consumers the chance to get health, wellness and beauty products within 30 minutes. It was the introduction of Superdrug in November 2025, with full rollout in March thi
  
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• John Lewis to launch biggest-ever fashion collaboration with British brand RIXO

  20-07-2026 09:42 via theretailbulletin.com
  John Lewis is to launch its biggest-ever fashion collaboration by bringing British brand RIXO to all of its stores, in a move designed to strengthen its…
  
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• Czech & Speake partners with Selfridges Birmingham to bring Ozzy Osbourne fragrance in-store

  20-07-2026 09:40 via theretailbulletin.com
  Czech & Speake is expanding the retail distribution of its No.88 Prince of Darkness Limited Edition fragrance through a new partnership with Selfridges Birmingham. The move…
  
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• Zara owner confirms August launch for first UK Lefties store

  20-07-2026 08:18
  
  Zara owner Inditex has confirmed its budget fashion chain Lefties will make its UK debut in Liverpool at the end of August.
  The retailer is due to open at Liverpool ONE before launching at Lakeside shopping centre in Essex in early October and Gateshead’s Metrocentre in November.
  The stores will introduce technology already used at Lefties’ latest European locations, including robotic hanger sorters and radio-frequency identification self-checkouts.
  The automated system identifies di
  
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• Morrisons shut first of 100 Daily stores as closure programme begins

  20-07-2026 08:11
  
  Morrisons has begun its 100-store closure programme after shutting its first Morrisons Daily branch in Woodley, Berkshire.
  The Crockhamwell Rd store closed last week, less than two years after it opened.
  Its Post Office also shut after mail services had operated from the road for around 60 years. The Post Office was seeking a nearby retailer to host a replacement branch.
  Morrisons closed another Daily store on Stokesley High St in North Yorkshire on July 18 as its store reduction programme gathe
  
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• John Lewis kicked off Christmas planning 20 months early due to ongoing disruption

  20-07-2026 08:00
  
  John Lewis reportedly started work on its 2026 festive season in April 2025, as rising freight costs and supply chain disruption complicated its festive stock deliveries.
  The company’s unconventional decision came after examining economic trends, trade shows, exhibitions, cultural events and film releases.
  John Lewis buying manager Cydney Ball told The Times that it was already developing its Christmas 2027 theme while making sure this year’s decorations, toys and store designs had l
  
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• GameStop doubles eBay stake as takeover pursuit intensifies

  20-07-2026 07:56
  
  GameStop has nearly doubled its stake in eBay as chief executive Ryan Cohen presses ahead with his pursuit.
  The video game retailer now owns 43.4 million eBay shares, representing 9.8 per cent of the company, according to a US regulatory filing.
  It marks a sharp increase from the five per cent economic interest GameStop disclosed in May when Cohen submitted an unsolicited cash-and-shares offer valuing eBay at about £42 billion.
  The retailer bought 3.5 million eBay shares for approximately
  
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• Kering appoints Romain Spitzer as Bottega Veneta CEO

  20-07-2026 07:53 via theretailbulletin.com
  Kering has appointed Romain Spitzer as chief executive of Bottega Veneta, effective 1 September. With thirty years of experience in the luxury sector, Spitzer has been…
  
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• Luxury retailers face stock squeeze as EU destruction ban takes effect

  20-07-2026 07:51
  
  Luxury fashion groups are facing higher inventory costs due to an EU ban on destroying unsold clothing, accessories and footwear, which has now come into force.
  As of July 19, large companies including LVMH, Prada, Chanel and Zara owner Inditex are prohibited from incinerating or sending unsold products to landfill.
  The rules also cover customer returns and force fashion retailers to prioritise selling products through discounts or alternative markets, donating them or preparing them for reuse.
  
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• James Watt faces data law questions over ‘Equity Punks’ emails

  20-07-2026 07:41
  James Watt is facing complaints to the UK data watchdog after emailing thousands of former BrewDog investors about his new beer venture and buyback plans.
  Several former Equity Punks ask the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to examine how the BrewDog co-founder obtained their contact details and whether he used them lawfully.
  The emails invited investors whose BrewDog shares became effectively worthless to claim the same stake in Watt’s new company Second Best without charge.
  
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• Italian police search Chanel offices in luxury labour probe

  20-07-2026 07:35
  
  Italian police allegedly recently searched Chanel’s offices as prosecutors widen an investigation into alleged worker exploitation in the luxury fashion supply chain.
  The French fashion house is one of nine brands ordered to provide documents on corporate governance and supply chain controls.
  Authorities also visited the offices of Moncler, Brunello Cucinelli, Bulgari, Jacob Cohen, Etro, Stefano Ricci, Goyard Italie and Owenscorp Italia.
  None of the nine companies is under formal investiga
  
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• Boohoo faces another £10m claim over Leicester supply chain scandal

  20-07-2026 07:26
  
  Boohoo reportedly faces £10 million of new legal claims as 11 more institutional investors join a High Court case over its Leicester supply chain.
  The latest claims take the total compensation sought from the fashion retailer to £245 million.
  The new claimants include the Bank of Korea and Stichting Shell Pensioenfonds, the pension fund for Shell employees in The Netherlands.
  Investors allege that senior Boohoo executives knew the retailer used Leicester suppliers where workers faced
  
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• Superdrug owner considers delaying £1.5bn London IPO until 2027

  19-07-2026 23:18
  Superdrug owner AS Watson reportedly considered delaying its £1.5 billion London flotation until 2027, amid potential regulatory complications in Asia.
  The Hong Kong-based health and beauty group had been preparing a dual listing in London and Hong Kong this autumn.
  However, regulatory and other complications in Asia meant the initial public offering could be pushed into next year.
  The flotation had been expected to raise around £1.5 billion and value AS Watson at approximately &poun
  
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• GameStop extends pursuit of eBay despite Wall Street scepticism

  19-07-2026 11:00 via ft.com
  Video game retailer doubles stake in online marketplace as chief executive Ryan Cohen presses ahead with quixotic deal
  
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• Luxury groups face inventory squeeze under EU destruction ban

  19-07-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Ban particularly sensitive for industry that keeps products desirable by maintaining their scarcity
  
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• Chanel offices searched by Italian authorities in labour abuse probe

  17-07-2026 18:56 via ft.com
  Luxury group has said it is co-operating and has terminated relationship with subcontractor in question
  
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