Retail news

• OECD could persuade UK to drop digital tax – and thereby avoid US threats | Nils Pratley

  23-01-2020 21:03
  
  Joining France in delaying tax would be a manifesto U-turn by Javid, but not a screeching oneHere’s a ladder, Mr Javid, would you like to climb down? That was not, obviously, how the head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development pitched his hope that a global agreement on taxing technology giants will be in place by the end of the year. But one can sense how events might develop.The UK could join France in delaying its go-it-alone digital levy on the likes of Amazon, F
  
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• Town in Welsh valleys crowned UK's high street of the year

  23-01-2020 20:33
  
  Treorchy, which boasts a website and arts festival, triumphs over bigger rivalsThe small town of Treorchy in the Welsh valleys has beaten far bigger rivals to be named high street of the year in a nationwide competition.Home to just 6,000 people, Treorchy triumphed at the Great British High Street awards after impressing judges with a welter of community initiatives that had reinvigorated its struggling local economy. Continue reading...
  
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• World financial markets rocked by China coronavirus

  23-01-2020 19:57
  
  Oil and travel shares slide amid fears outbreak could hit growth in second largest economyChina coronavirus – live updatesFinancial markets around the world have been rattled by the coronavirus outbreak, with its centre in Wuhan, a city known as the Chicago of China for its central location and booming car manufacturing industry.Amid growing concern over the spread of the virus, China has put Wuhan and four other cities with a combined population of more than 20 million on lockdown. It has
  
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• Fairway Market: clean-up in aisle 11

  23-01-2020 19:24 via ft.com
  The retail industry isclaiming more famous names every year
  
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• 5 Minutes With Tanya Sanyal, Co-Founder, Hone

  23-01-2020 18:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Tell me a bit about the Hone story.
  In the summer of 2018, my co-founder and I had the idea of a home furnishings platform that would enable you to: 1) search quickly across all retailers; 2) create wish lists in one place; 3) view a virtual shop window catered to your taste and budget; and 4) make collaborative decisions easily. We developed our idea by speaking to potential users, launching a survey and chatting to shoppers outside Heal’s and Habitat on Tottenham Court Road in London.
  We
  
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• The Entertainer expands to India via new deal with Reliance Brands

  23-01-2020 16:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // The Entertainer signs long term agreement with Reliance Brands to enter India
  // This will see a store open in Mumbai in the first half of 2020
  // The deal will also entail an aggressive store roll out planThe Entertainer has signed a new deal that will see it enter the Indian market for the first time this year, before embarking on an aggressive expansion scheme in the country.
  The British toy retailer struck an exclusive long term agreement with Indian retail giant Reliance Brands in order
  
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• VF Corp to increase focus on retail brands

  23-01-2020 16:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // VF Corp mulls divestment of 9 workwear brands in its stable
  // It wants to increase focus on its retail-oriented brands such as Vans, The North Face, etcVF Corp has announced plans to review nine of its workwear labels that target businesses as it looks to increase focus on its retail-centric brands.
  Earlier this week, the company the brands it wants to divest represented about $865 million (£659.72 million) of its total 2019 revenue of $13.85 billion.
  The nine brands up for review, inc
  
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• Adidas to make 20 million shoes from plastic waste by 2024

  23-01-2020 15:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Adidas will sustainably source polyester by 2024
  // The share of recycled polyester in its products will “exceed 50% for the first time” this year
  // The retailer sold over 11 million pairs of shoes with recycled materials in 2019Adidas has pledged to sustainably source more than half of the polyester materials it uses in products in a bid to fight the war on plastic.
  By 2024, Adidas said it will commit to exclusively using recycled polyester, including “15 to 20 million pai
  
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• Morrisons to cut 3,000 manager roles in staffing overhaul

  23-01-2020 14:28 via ft.com
  Shake-up will see supermarket group boost numbers of lower level positions
  
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• Morrisons to cut 3,000 managers and take on more shop-floor staff

  23-01-2020 14:08
  
  Supermarket seeks to fill 7,000 new hourly-paid roles in overhaul of store operationsMorrisons is axing 3,000 middle managers as part of an overhaul of its store operations that also involves the recruitment of thousands of shopfloor staff.In the wake of a disappointing Christmas, the Bradford-based supermarket is eliminating higher-paid managerial roles in its near-500 store chain. At the same time it is creating 7,000 new hourly-paid roles in a bid to improve customer service and reduce the nu
  
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• M&S broadens kidswear focus amid clothing turnaround

  23-01-2020 14:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // M&S changes kidswear product range to become a little less “special occasion” and more everyday style
  // Part M&S’s plan to broaden its appeal to family customers and grow market share in kidswear
  // M&S is also in the midst of trying to turnaround its clothing departmentM&S is set to change its kidswear range to become a little less “special occasion” and more everyday style, as it seeks to broaden its appeal and grow market share.
  The retailer s
  
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• Morrisons puts 3000 department manager jobs in the firing line

  23-01-2020 13:37 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Morrisons to cut 3000 department manager jobs across its stores
  // It’s part of the Big 4’s restructure of shop floor teams
  // The latest job cuts will be replaced with 7000 new hourly-paid roles – or a net 4000 new jobsMorrisons is reportedly poised to cut 3000 department manager jobs across its stores and replace them with 7000 new hourly-paid roles.
  According to Retail Week, the job cuts are part of a restructure of shopfloor teams whereby Morrisons is looking to red
  
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• Love Island and the dark cloud of buy now pay later

  23-01-2020 13:19 via ft.com
  
  Heavy marketing of delayed payment schemes lures many young people into debt
  
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• Retail customer satisfaction sees longest period of decline since records began

  23-01-2020 13:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Customer satisfaction levels have fallen for the 5th year in a row
  // This marks the longest period of decline since The Institute of Customer Service began tracking in 2008
  // John Lewis, Next, Amazon, Debenhams, Ikea & Superdrug top retail (non-dood) sector rankingsCustomer satisfaction levels across a range of retailers and brands have endured the longest period of decline since records started in 2008, according to a report.
  John Lewis topped the overall UK Customer Service Index (UKC
  
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• 56% of Brits shopped drunk last year wracking up £29bn in sales

  23-01-2020 12:21 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Drunk shopping accounted for £28.7 billion in sales in the UK in 2019, as more than half of Brits admit to shopping while under the influence.
  Fifty-six per cent of Brits said they had shopped online drunk last year, with nearly a third of shoppers purchasing apparel, accessories and shoes.
  The average drunk shopper spent £42.76 on clothing, while perhaps unsurprisingly half of respondents admitted to ordering takeaways.
  The research, conducted by Finder.com, also found that men were
  
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• US retail drone deliveries hit major setback

  23-01-2020 11:28 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Retail drone deliveries are facing a major setback in the US as key legislation enabling companies to deliver parcels is opposed by powerful groups.
  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed new rules which would force all drones to be able to be identified remotely from the ground.
  These proposals would enable companies like Amazon, Google, Walgreens, Walmart and UPS, all of which are working on drone delivery roll outs, to fly alongside amateur drone fliers and hobbyists.
  Although
  
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• Mothercare UK stock liquidation leaves £10m debt shortfall

  23-01-2020 11:10 via ft.com
  Group says funds raised from clearance sales as it closed stores was ‘behind expectations’
  
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• Hotel Chocolat warns costs of global expansion to hit profit growth

  23-01-2020 10:48 via ft.com
  Boss Angus Thirlwell talks of ‘heavy pedalling’ as chain moves into US and Japan
  
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• Hotel Chocolat stretched by higher expansion costs, says chief

  23-01-2020 10:48 via ft.com
  Angus Thirlwell talks of ‘heavy pedalling’ as chain moves into US and Japan
  
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• COMMENT: Marketing methods retailers should test in 2020

  23-01-2020 10:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  If you are selling products from a website, there are three marketing methods you need to have covered:SEO
  Email marketing
  Search engine advertising (both keyword ads and product ads)A mix of these forms the bedrock of sales for most successful ecommerce businesses, and together they should be driving 60 per cent to 80 per cent of your online sales. If that’s not happening for you then this is where you should start your marketing optimisation in 2020.
  Take a look at your results and your
  
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• Mothercare CEO Mark Newton-Jones exits

  23-01-2020 09:43 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Mothercare CEO Mark Newton-Jones announced resignation
  // The retailer’s CFO will stand in as interim CEO
  // Mothercare chairman Clive Whiley will become non-executive chairman with effect from March 29Mothercare chief executive Mark Newton-Jones has today stepped down as part of the retailer’s “transformation plans”.
  Glyn Hughes, who has been chief financial officer throughout the restructuring period, has been drafted in as interim chief executive officer with immedi
  
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• Record Black Friday drives Asos recovery after profit warnings

  23-01-2020 09:26
  
  Fashion retailer’s overall sales up 20% to £1.1bn in the four months to 31 DecemberThe online fashion retailer Asos has staged a comeback after a difficult year in which it issued two profit warnings. It credited a record Black Friday for strong sales growth over the festive period.The firm said overall sales grew 20% to £1.1bn in the four months to 31 December, up from the 13% growth recorded in the year to 31 August. The increase beat the 15% forecast by City analysts and the
  
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• Asos Black Friday sales smash £1bn despite profit warnings

  23-01-2020 09:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Asos’ total group revenue, including revenues from third parties, rose to £1.11bn in the 4 months to December 31
  // The retailer said it rebuilt “customer momentum”
  // Asos delivered 27.7 million orders in the 4 monthsAsos has seen its revenues break through £1 billion in the last four months of 2019 thanks to a record Black Friday.
  The online fashion retailer saw its sales reach £1.07 billion in the period ending December 31.
  Total group revenue, which als
  
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• Hotel Chocolat Christmas sales rise came at a high price, CEO says

  23-01-2020 08:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Hotel Chocolat Christmas sales grew 11%
  // It opened 9 new UK sites in the 6 months to December 29
  // The retailer plans to transform its supply chain to cope with international demandHotel Chocolat’s Christmas sales have risen, although executives at the confectionery retailer warned that the growth came at a higher price than expected.
  In the 13 weeks to December 29, sales rose by 11 per cent compared with the same period last year, while sales in the six months to December 29 jumped
  
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• Strong Black Friday drives Asos sales growth

  23-01-2020 08:36 via ft.com
  Online fashion retailer shows further signs of recovery following difficult year
  
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• 57,000 retail jobs shed in the last year

  23-01-2020 08:22 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // 57,000 jobs lost in the last year
  // Store growth was at its lowest since the fourth quarter of 2016A total of 57,000 retail jobs have been lost in the last year, representing the 16th consecutive quarter of year-on-year decline.
  Despite this, the 1.8 per cent decline in the fourth quarter of 2019 came at a lower rate compared to the 2.8 per cent fall during the same period in 2018, according to the BRC Retail Employment Monitor.
  Store growth for the period was also at its lowest since the fo
  
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• £15 for an M&S Yule Log that had to be eaten ... before I bought it

  23-01-2020 08:00
  
  Confusion over what the ‘best before’ label and the ‘use by’ label meanOn 28 December I bought a £15 Yule Log cake from M&S. It wasn’t until I got home that I noticed the label said “Best before 28 December”. Customer services insisted this meant that the cake should be eaten by the end of 28th. I disagreed. “Best before” surely means that it is fine up to midnight on 27 Dec. Continue reading...
  
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• Wolf & Badger reports strong sales growth in 2019

  23-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Wolf & Badger has said the performance of its flagship stores in London and New York has helped it to achieve another year of revenue growth... View Article
  
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• TTEC announces new contract win with Volkswagen Group UK

  23-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
   TTEC Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEC) a leading global customer experience services provider focused on the design, implementation and delivery of tech-enabled transformative solutions for many of... View Article
  
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• Morrisons to cut 3,000 manager roles as part of restructure

  23-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Morrisons supermarket chain is to cut 3,000 management jobs cross its stores as part of a restructure that will create more lower-level positions on the... View Article
  
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• Hotel Chocolat reports increase in revenue and costs

  23-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Hotel Chocolat grew its revenues by a respective 11% and 14% in the 13 weeks and 26 weeks to 29 December. During the 26-week period to... View Article
  
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• HMV owner to acquire US based For Your Entertainment

  23-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Doug Putman, the owner of HMV and Sunrise Records, is to acquire the US based For Your Entertainment retail business. The company has over 200 stores... View Article
  
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• Gear4music boosted by strong Black Friday sales

  23-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Musical instruments retailer Gear4music increased its sales by 7% to £30.4 million in the two months to 31 December following strong Black Friday trading. UK sales... View Article
  
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• Boots continues to transform beauty offering with launch of Huda Beauty

  23-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Boots has embarked on the next stage of plans to transform its beauty offering by adding Huda Beauty to its cosmetics brand line-up both online and... View Article
  
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• Asos sales back on track

  23-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online fashion retailer Asos said sales grew better than expected in the four months to 31 December due to strong trading around Black Friday. Total revenue... View Article
  
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