Retail news

• M&S seeks to dress up image with range of affordable sportswear

  02-01-2020 19:54
  
  Collection shows firm’s bid to shed its reputation as seller of frumpy clothes to over-50sMarks & Spencer is looking to shed its reputation for selling frumpy clothes aimed at the over-50s in 2020 by going after the booming athleisure market with a range of affordable sportswear.From Friday the 150-piece Goodmove collection, which includes leggings, will be available. In-store leggings “experts” will be on hand to help customers choose from five styles, which start at &poun
  
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• M&S seeks to dress up image with brand of sportswear clothes

  02-01-2020 19:54
  
  New collection shows firm’s bid to shed its reputation as seller of frumpy clothes to over-50sMarks & Spencer is looking to shed its reputation for selling frumpy clothes aimed at the over-50s in 2020 by going after the booming “athleisure” market with a range of affordable sportswear.From Friday the entire 150-piece Goodmove collection, which includes leggings, will be available. In-store leggings “experts” will be on hand to help customers choose from five sty
  
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• 'They do taste nice': consumers spoilt for choice for vegan fast-food options

  02-01-2020 19:27
  
  KFC and Greggs among chains selling meat-free options to quarter of a million Britons set to embrace VeganuaryForget food storage boxes with leftover nut roast and bean curries, the quarter of a million Britons set to ditch animal products for Veganuary this month are unlikely to be stuck for on-the-go options.On the first working day of 2020 several food retailers started selling new meat-free options, including KFC, which launched its first vegan burger nationwide. Greggs, the UK’s large
  
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• Fast-food outlets launch new vegan options for Veganuary

  02-01-2020 19:27
  
  KFC and Greggs among retailers and supermarkets cashing in on growing popularity of veganismForget tupperware boxes with leftover nut roast and bean curries, the quarter of a million Britons set to ditch animal products for Veganuary this month are unlikely to be stuck for on-the-go options.On the first working day of 2020 several food retailers started selling new meat-free options, including KFC, which launched its first vegan burger nationwide. Greggs, the UK’s largest bakery chain, als
  
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• Shoppers shun post-Christmas sales as footfall drops 4%

  02-01-2020 17:42 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Post-Christmas sales failed to appeal as footfall dropped 4%
  // However, December 27 & December 28 were now key shopping dates, with footfall on each of these days performing 7% higher than on Boxing DayPost-Christmas sales failed to revitalise the UK’s high streets as footfall dropped by four per cent compared with 2018.
  After a flat two weeks before Christmas, footfall dropped on all but one day between December 26 and January 1, according to Springboard.
  Footfall rose across all
  
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• M&G extends ban on withdrawals from £2.5bn fund

  02-01-2020 16:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // M&G extends its temporary suspension on shares of its M&G Property Portfolio fund
  // The decision was taken by the fund’s authorised corporate director (ACD)
  // The Financial Conduct Authority has been informedInvestment firm M&G has confirmed it will continue the temporary suspension of its £2.5 billion property portfolio fund “until further notice”.
  The company said the decision was taken by the fund’s authorised corporate director (ACD) in the
  
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• Topshop in Westfield Stratford set to close

  02-01-2020 14:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Topshop store at Westfield Stratford is due for closure
  // The store, which also has Topman, opened in September 2011
  // The exact closure date remains unknownThe Topshop and Topman store in London’s Westfield Stratford centre is closing down, Arcadia Group has confirmed.
  The two-storey shop opened in September 2011 and is closing as the lease expires, Drapers reported.
  The store closure is not part of Arcadia’s seven CVAs, which were passed in June.READ MORE: Arcadia completes To
  
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• M&G extends ban on withdrawals from flagship fund

  02-01-2020 14:42
  
  Property Portfolio suspension continues as M&G sells assets to raise cashM&G has extended the ban on investors withdrawing funds from its flagship £2.5bn property fund, one of the biggest in the country.The company shocked small investors in December by suspending its giant Property Portfolio fund in response to a surge in the numbers of people pulling their cash out.Related: UK property funds suffer worst week since Brexit referendumContinue reading...
  
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• Hamleys owner Mukesh Ambani to challenge Amazon with JioMart launch

  02-01-2020 14:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Indian multinational conglomerate company Reliance Industries has launched JioMart to compete with Amazon
  // JioMart offers “free and express delivery” on 50,000 grocery products
  // The service is expected to be rolled out more widely across India following a pilotHamleys owner Mukesh Ambani has launched an ecommerce platform from his multinational conglomerate company Reliance Industries to challenge tech giant Amazon.
  Reliance Industries said it had been inviting people to sign
  
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• The plastic polluters won 2019 – and we're running out of time to stop them

  02-01-2020 13:46
  
  Further steps have been taken to clean up beaches and seas in 2019 – but much more needs to be done The beach at Muncar on the island of Java was revolting. The 400-yard wide, mile-long stretch of sand was feet deep in foul-smelling sauce sachets, shopping bags, nappies, bottles and bags, plastic clothes and detergent bottles. Bulldozers had cleared away and buried some of the huge mat of plastic and sand two years ago, but every tide since then had washed up more rubbish from the ocean, a
  
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• Squire’s Garden Centres turnover reaches £57m amid expansion plans

  02-01-2020 11:53 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Squire’s Garden Centres turnover up 15% in the the year ending July 31 2019
  // Average transaction value in the Garden Centres was up by 4%
  // Footfall increased by 10% during the periodSquire’s Garden Centres has seen a record year of sales thanks to “excellent weather conditions” throughout the peak season.
  For the year ending July 31 2019, turnover increased by 15 per cent to £57 million, boosted by the addition of the newly acquired centre at Frensham, which
  
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• ‘Takeback Thursday’ to see 72% hike in returns

  02-01-2020 10:57 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Online returns are expected to jump 72 per cent today on ‘Takeback Thursday’ amid the “busiest time of the year for returns”.
  Takeback Thursday will see the number of people returning unwanted Christmas presents increase by nearly three quarters compared to an average day in December, according to new research from the Royal Mail.
  Retailers are also increasingly under pressure to make the process as “user-friendly” as possible as 60 per cent of shoppers say th
  
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• Retail Think Tank hails 1% retail industry growth for 2020

  02-01-2020 10:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Post-election certainty will bring boost to retail sector for 2020
  // Non-food retailers will benefit from “turning point”
  // However, numbers of restructuring and administrations still set to grow in year aheadThe UK’s retail sector can feel “cautiously optimistic” for 2020, according to a new report by the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank.
  The sector is predicted to grow by at least one per cent this year, after what Retail Think Tank (RTT) described as “thre
  
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• UK music sales hit highest levels since 2006 thanks to streaming, vinyl & cassettes

  02-01-2020 09:53 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // UK music lovers bought the equivalent of 154 million albums in 2019
  // Streaming reaches record highs
  // Vinyl sales as popular as they were in 1980sMusic sales are far from over as new research finds UK music fans have bought or streamed the equivalent of 154 million albums in 2019.
  Music industry body BPI’s annual report found music consumption in the UK hit its highest levels since 2006, when the UK bought the equivalent of 161.4 million albums.READ MORE: Does HMV have a future on th
  
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• UK music sales hit highest levels since 2006

  02-01-2020 09:53 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // UK music lovers bought the equivalent of 154 million albums in 2019
  // Streaming reaches record highs
  // Vinyl sales as popular as they were in 1980sMusic sales are far from over as new research finds UK music fans have bought or streamed the equivalent of 154 million albums in 2019.
  Music industry body BPI’s annual report found music consumption in the UK hit its highest levels since 2006, when the UK bought the equivalent of 161.4 million albums.READ MORE: Does HMV have a future on th
  
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• BrightHouse falls to £16m loss in latest quarter

  02-01-2020 09:18 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // BrightHouse quarterly losses fall by 36% year-on-year
  // Rent-to-buy retailer closed 36 UK stores in 2019
  // Former Thomas Cook exec Anth Mooney now leading the businessRent-to-own retailer BrightHouse fell to a loss of £16 million in its latest financial quarter as it was hit by rising compensation claims.
  The business’ loss deepened by more than a third from £11,893 million to £16,283 million year-on-year to September 28.READ MORE: Brighthouse appoints former Thomas
  
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• Co-op launches new meat-free range for Veganuary

  02-01-2020 08:42 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // The Co-op launches new vegan brand, Gro
  // Brings total number of vegan and vegetarian products up to 1,000
  // Nielsen finds red meat sales fell further than any other supermarket category for 2019The Co-op has revealed a new meat-free range just in time for Veganuary, as supermarket sales in red meat drop more than any other category.
  The Co-op has launched what it describes as its “biggest rollout of vegan products” with new brand Gro.READ MORE: Sustainable spending reaches &pou
  
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• Central England Co-op invested £12 million in new stores, refits and funeral homes in 2019

  02-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Central England Co-operative has revealed that it invested nearly £12 million in expanding the business throughout 2019. This included opening 10 new food stores and relaunching... View Article
  
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• Burberry unveils campaign for Chinese New Year

  02-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Luxury brand Burberry has unveiled its Chinese New Year 2020 campaign. Starring Burberry brand ambassador Zhou Dongyu, the campaign is promoting a vivid red clothing collection... View Article
  
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• Aldi ramps up plant based menu

  02-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Aldi is looking to benefit from the estimated 3.5 million people taking part in this year’ s Veganuary by introducing an array of new vegan products.... View Article
  
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