Retail news

• Boots to reinvent its beauty hall experience

  07-03-2019 21:38 via theretailbulletin.com
  Boots is reinventing its beauty offering by removing traditional beauty counters in 25 of its biggest beauty halls and replacing them with “trending zones”, “discovery areas” and spaces for live demonstrations.
  
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• Aviva’s new boss aims to boost pace as Brexit hits growth

  07-03-2019 20:40 via ft.com
  Insurer can go faster if Maurice Tulloch focuses on certain areas
  
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• Sports Direct demands Debenhams board clear-out

  07-03-2019 20:02 via ft.com
  Mike Ashley pushes for CEO job in latest attempt to control department store
  
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• Mike Ashley launches coup attempt to seize control of Debenhams

  07-03-2019 19:56
  Sports Direct boss announces plan to oust all but one director at ailing department storeThe Sports Direct boss, Mike Ashley, is attempting a coup at Debenhams by calling a general shareholder meeting to appoint himself to the board in an executive role and oust nearly all other directors.In a dramatic stock market announcement filed late on Thursday, Ashley pledged that, if appointed to the board of the ailing department store, he would step down from his role as chief executive of Sports Direc
  
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• Kroger shares plunge as grocer warns profits will fall

  07-03-2019 19:50 via ft.com
  The supermarket chain is investing heavily in technology to head off Amazon threat
  
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• John Lewis: the winning streak may be over, but it's not a crisis | Nils Pratley

  07-03-2019 19:38
  The retailer has just unveiled its worst profits for a decade but it’s still a solid businessIt’s usually best to take a long view of the John Lewis Partnership, since that is how the employee-owned retailer tries to manage itself.The verdict on the department store side, as opposed to Waitrose supermarkets, is not pretty: the latest operating profits of £115m represent their worst outcome for more than a decade. Related: John Lewis cuts staff bonus to lowest level since 1953Co
  
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• LK Bennett fashion chain collapses into administration

  07-03-2019 19:23
  As many as 500 jobs at risk after owners fail to find new financial backerThe upmarket fashion chain LK Bennett has collapsed into administration, putting 500 jobs at risk, after its owners failed to find a new financial backer to keep it afloat.The company, which counts the prime minister and Duchess of Cambridge among its customers, has appointed the accountancy firm EY to manage the administration of its 39 shops. Related: Primark tells 200 UK staff to move to Dublin or risk redundancyContinu
  
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• Fashion chain LK Bennett files for administration

  07-03-2019 17:28 via ft.com
  Collapse is latest example of a premium-priced retailer struggling on UK high streets
  
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• Primark tells 200 UK staff to move to Dublin or risk redundancy

  07-03-2019 15:37
  The move affects the fashion brand’s office in Reading, with roles to be relocated to IrelandBudget fashion chain Primark has told 220 of its staff in the UK that they must agree to move to Ireland or risk being made redundant.The changes will affect staff at Primark’s UK office in Reading, with roles in buying, sourcing quality control, design and merchandising set to be shifted to Dublin from September. Related: Primark sales defy UK high street gloomContinue reading...
  
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• John Lewis cuts staff bonus to lowest level since 1953

  07-03-2019 12:38
  Workers will receive bonus worth 3% of annual pay as underlying profits fall 45.4% The John Lewis Partnership has cut its staff bonus to the lowest level in 66 years, as it said underlying profits had slumped.The company said 83,900 workers, known as partners because they jointly own the business, would receive a bonus worth 3% of annual pay. All partners, from leading executives to Saturday shelf-stackers, receive the same percentage bonus. Continue reading...
  
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• Greggs sales top £1bn for first time as it bucks high street slowdown

  07-03-2019 12:35
  Pre-tax profits at UK’s largest bakery chain rise by 15% to £82.6m in 2018Greggs had a milestone year in 2018 with sales topping £1bn for the first time, while the launch of its vegan sausage roll provided a strong start to 2019.The UK’s largest bakery chain said total sales rose by 7.2% year-on in 2018 to £1.03bn, compared to £960m in the previous year. Related: Just Eat and HelloFresh tap into appetite for home-delivered foodContinue reading...
  
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• John Lewis Partnership posts sharp fall in annual profit

  07-03-2019 12:22 via theretailbulletin.com
  The John Lewis Partnership has seen a sharp fall in annual profit in what it described as a challenging year.
  
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• Calvin Klein to close luxury collections business

  07-03-2019 11:32
  American fashion brand to shut New York store and focus on denim and underwearThe American fashion brand Calvin Klein has announced that it is shutting its luxury collections business. It will instead focus on its existing categories, including denim and underwear.It comes after the unexpected departure of Calvin Klein’s creative director Raf Simons – formerly of Christian Dior and Jil Sander – late last year. The designer, who changed the category’s name from Calvin Klei
  
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• Australia warns of penalties for migrant worker abuse

  07-03-2019 11:13 via ft.com
  Report names 7-Eleven chain among those employers underpaying vulnerable staff
  
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• Australia warns of criminal penalties for migrant worker abuse

  07-03-2019 11:13 via ft.com
  Government report names 7-Eleven chain among those employers underpaying vulnerable staff
  
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• John Lewis cuts staff bonuses to lowest in 65 years

  07-03-2019 10:48 via ft.com
  Chairman says department store chain’s employees increasingly face choice between bonus payouts or pensions
  
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• John Lewis cuts bonuses to staff amid tough trading

  07-03-2019 10:48 via ft.com
  Employee-owned retailer had hinted in January it may be unable to pay one at all
  
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• Mulberry launches store on Tmall Luxury Pavilion

  07-03-2019 09:42 via theretailbulletin.com
  Mulberry has opened a flagship store on Alibaba’s Tmall Luxury Pavilion as part of plans to grow its customer base in China.
  
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• Macy's uses AR to improve customer experience

  07-03-2019 09:31 via theretailbulletin.com
  The Macy’s department store in the US has announced plans to use augmented reality technology to improve the customer experience.
  
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• Hugo Boss says store revamps pushed costs to outpace sales

  07-03-2019 09:24 via ft.com
  Higher investment at the German fashion house led to 42 per cent drop in cash flow
  
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• ASICS hires Gary Raucher to lead new category organisation

  07-03-2019 09:17 via theretailbulletin.com
  ASICS has appointed Gary Raucher to lead a new category organisation as it looks to drive growth in its running, core performance sports and sports style categories in its EMEA region.
  
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• Allison Kirkby to step down as non-exec director of Greggs

  07-03-2019 09:14 via theretailbulletin.com
  Greggs has announced that Allison Kirkby will be stepping down as a non-executive director of the business at the end of its annual general meeting on 21 May.
  
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• On a roll: Greggs sales top £1bn for the first time

  07-03-2019 08:47 via ft.com
  Social media helped whet UK appetites for sausage roll maker’s vegan snack
  
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• On a roll: Greggs sales top £1bn for first time

  07-03-2019 08:47 via ft.com
  Social media helped whet UK appetites for sausage roll maker’s vegan snack
  
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• Retailers see silver lining in Brexit uncertainty

  07-03-2019 06:00 via ft.com
  Urban Outfitters’ chief says cheaper rents present an opportunity in the UK
  
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• Almost 90% of UK shoppers use Amazon, research reveals

  07-03-2019 01:01
  Study by Mintel also finds that more than 25% of British adults are signed up to PrimeAlmost 90% of UK shoppers use Amazon and 40% have access to its Prime subscription service, according to research that lays bare the challenge for high street retailers.Most Amazon shoppers visit the online retailer at least once a month and just under a fifth once a week, underlining the retail dominance Amazon has gained. Its core categories of books, DVDs and video games are still the most popular purchases,
  
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