Retail news

• Can the Fed's chair shake off the wolves of Wall Street and White House?

  22-08-2019 19:16
  Trump may howl for stimulus but the put-upon Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell has his hands tiedDonald Trump is not known for his love of 12th-century English history but there are echoes of the clash between Henry II and Thomas Becket in the president’s troubled relationship with Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve.If Powell feels beleaguered as he prepares to make the most important speech in his 18 months in the job, on Friday, then that’s hardly surprising. The wor
  
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• Morrisons shuts four supermarkets, putting 400 jobs at risk

  22-08-2019 15:55
  Chain will try to redeploy staff from stores in Crawley, Ince near Wigan, Shirley in Solihull and SwindonMorrisons is closing four supermarkets, putting more than 400 jobs at risk.The Bradford-based grocer said the decision was made after a review of the performance of its 494 stores. Continue reading...
  
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• Laura Ashley reports £14m loss on slump in home furnishings

  22-08-2019 14:16
  Retailer blames Brexit for denting consumer confidence, with furniture sales also downLaura Ashley has slumped to an annual loss of more than £14m after a collapse in demand for its signature floral home furnishings.The retailer said Brexit concerns had hit consumer confidence and stopped shoppers from making big-ticket purchases or starting big DIY projects.Related: Laura Ashley to close 40 stores, putting hundreds of jobs at riskContinue reading...
  
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• UK high street sales fall at fastest rate since 2008

  22-08-2019 13:52
  Sentiment ‘crumbling’ as shop owners grapple with rising costs and Brexit uncertaintyHigh street sales have slumped at their fastest pace since 2008 in August, leaving retailers’ confidence “crumbling”.The CBI’s health check on the retail industry found sales volumes and orders fell at the fastest rate in 10 years, while the wholesale industry experienced a drop in orders on a scale not seen since 2013. Continue reading...
  
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• In the flesh: how beauty is luring customers back to the high street

  22-08-2019 08:00
  The beauty industry is fighting back against the mass exodus to online retailers – with the kind of exclusivity that can only be experienced in-storeFrom plumes of powder to spritzes of perfumes, the department-store beauty hall has remained in many ways unchanged since Harry Selfridge first moved personal-care products to the front of his Oxford Street store early last century. But in the face of a difficult retail landscape, with the British high street suffering closures and losses as f
  
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• Tesco promises to ban brands that use excessive packaging

  22-08-2019 07:00
  Chief executive says hard-to-recycle plastic on own-brand products will be eliminated‘I want packaging overhaul to plug into a national framework’Tesco has pledged to step up its efforts in the battle against single-use plastic with measures that include banning brands using excessive packaging from Britain’s largest supermarket chain.Dave Lewis, Tesco’s chief executive, said the company would “reserve the right not to list” products with too much non-recyclab
  
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• I want Tesco's packaging overhaul to plug into a new national framework | Dave Lewis

  22-08-2019 07:00
  CEO says retailer has recycling targets for itself and its suppliers but wider collaboration is neededTesco promises to ban brands that use excessive packagingIt’s almost two years since the television series Blue Planet II ignited a long overdue debate which captured the nation’s attention, pricked our collective conscience and brought a focus to tackling the problem of plastic. The proliferation of plastic in society remains a challenge, and something everyone involved in the consu
  
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• Physical stores fight Amazon with tech makeover

  22-08-2019 06:00
  Start-ups are helping shops offer customers a better choice and experience
  
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• Australian shoppers are spending less – and Qantas and Coles see their profits dip

  22-08-2019 05:39
  Consumer demand weakens in face of stagnant wage growth and economic uncertaintyAustralian shoppers have become increasingly careful in their spending habits as a slew of consumer-facing companies reported tougher conditions and a closely watched survey showed the entire service sector shrank in July.Big guns including Qantas and Coles saw a dip in profits over the past 12 months, with the airline reporting weak demand for flights and the supermarket noting that the appetite for its cheaper own-
  
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