Retail news

• These are the top 5 retailers defying the high street doom & gloom

  24-01-2020 17:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  The current trend of retailers struggling to maintain profits persisted in 2019, with soaring number of household names falling into administration or launching CVAs to close stores, cut jobs or overhaul operations to cut costs.
  Despite the so-called doom and gloom, there are some retailers bucking the trend and posting positive trading results throughout 2019.
  Here are Retail Gazette’s top five:
  1. Primark
  Parent company AB Foods hailed Primark’s  “resilient” year a
  
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• Friday Fun One: Ivy Park or Sainsburys uniform?

  24-01-2020 17:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Beyonce’s latest Ivy Park collection may have sold out in minutes but following the reveal of the line, many noticed it looked incredibly familiar.
  Made in collaboration with Adidas, the new Ivy Park collection’s main colours were orange and burgundy – eerily similar to a Sainsbury’s uniform.Beyoncé X Sainsburys pic.twitter.com/IaCbGWcIVk
  — Caitlin Robinson (@Caitlin86682767) January 17, 2020Swarms of fans took to twitter to roast the singer for the design si
  
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• Retail Gazette Loves: Intu’s mood boosting light houses

  24-01-2020 17:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Intu has introduced mood-boosting light houses to brighten its visitor experience at its Lakeside shopping centre.
  The three walk-in “light houses” aim to boost footfall, dwell time and brighten the moods of its 35 million visitors using the psychological benefits of colour.
  Kicking off in Lakeside, the Happy, Calm and Energise houses will visit a total of 12 different Intu shopping centres around the country throughout the year.
  They featurecolour combinations proven to help people
  
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• Covent Garden welcomes 8 new stores

  24-01-2020 17:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Floral Street welcomes 4 new lifestyle concepts including Dominique Ansel Bakery & Jigsaw
  // Big Mamma opens its new London site and The Henrietta Hotel expandsCovent Garden has welcomed eight new stores in recent weeks, three of which are new flagships.
  The three new flagship concept stores on Floral Street are Dominique Ansel Treehouse, American Vintage and a brand-new Jigsaw concept.
  The Dominique Ansel Treehouse opens next month, set within a two-storey space.
  
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• Central England Co-operative appoints Andy Peake as commercial director

  24-01-2020 16:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Central England Co-op hires Andy Peake as commercial director
  // He joins after nearly 20 years working across a range of roles at Asda
  // He will lead the product and category team at Central England Co-op & help steer its commercial strategyCentral England Co-operative has hired Andy Peake to join the retailer as its new commercial director.
  Peake previously worked for Asda for nearly 20 years in various roles spanning the commercial and buying areas of the business.
  As the senior direc
  
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• Toolstation opens landmark 400th store

  24-01-2020 16:45 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Toolstation has opened its 400th store in Balham, South London
  // The tools and DIY supplies retailer is owned by Travis PerkinsToolstation has just opened its landmark 400th UK store in Balham, South London.
  The news comes after Toolstation opened 67 branches last year and now has plans to launch a further 60 in 2020.
  Toolstation is part of the Travis Perkins Group, which also owns Wickes.
  It had a turnover of £354 million in 2018 and in the third quarter of 2019, sales increased 21.3
  
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• Retail job applications plummet despite salary growth

  24-01-2020 16:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Retail salaries grew by 7.2% in 2019 but candidate applications dropped 18.5%
  // Retail experienced the second largest application drop year-on-yearWhile salaries soar in the retail industry, job applications in the sector plummet, new research has shown.
  According to the latest quarterly job market report from CV-Library, salaries in the retail sector soared in the final few months of 2019 and grew by 7.2 per cent year-on-year.
  Despite this, applications for retail jobs plumme
  
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• Despite salary spike in retail applications plummet

  24-01-2020 16:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Retail salaries grew by 7.2% in 2019 but candidate applications dropped 18.5%
  // Retail experienced the second largest application drop year-on-yearWhile salaries soar in the retail industry, job applications in the sector plummet.
  According to the latest quarterly job market report from CV-Library, salaries in the retail sector soared in the final few months of 2019 and grew by 7.2 per cent year-on-year.
  Despite this, applications for retail jobs plummeted by 18.5 per cent dur
  
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• Wex Photo Video to open two new stores before spring

  24-01-2020 16:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Wex Photo Video announces retail expansion with Milton Keynes and Birmingham store openings
  // The photo and video retailer relocates Birmingham outlet to larger-capacity premises
  // The brand new Milton Keynes branch will be its 9th storeWex Photo Video is slated to open the doors to two new stores in the first quarter of 2020, as the photography and video specialist retailer gears up for further expansion.
  The first store to open is the new 3752sq ft showroom at 100 Hagley Road, Birmingham
  
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• 'It came out of adversity': how Treorchy became UK's best high street

  24-01-2020 16:29
  
  Residents of ex-mining town in Welsh valleys joined forces to create award-winning destinationKirsty Rees was in a particularly jolly mood as she bustled around her florist’s on Bute Street in Treorchy. Business was good, Kitty the shop cat was not causing too much mischief, and the high street the shop is based on had just found out it had been named the best in the UK.“Not bad for a town in the Welsh valleys, is it?” said Rees. “This means everything to Treorchy. The pl
  
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• New York City votes to ban cashless businesses in step against discrimination

  24-01-2020 14:31
  
  Supporters of the ban argue electronic-only payments discriminate against people who don’t have a bank account or access to creditNew York City’s council has voted to ban cashless businesses, in what politicians said was an effort to rein in “the excesses of the digital economy” and stop discrimination against low-income residents.The city council on Thursday almost unanimously passed legislation, which will fine retail outlets, including stores and restaurants, if they r
  
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• New York City bans cashless businesses in step against discrimination

  24-01-2020 14:31
  
  Supporters of the ban argue electronic-only payments discriminate against people who don’t have a bank account or access to creditNew York City’s council has voted to ban cashless businesses, in what politicians said was an effort to rein in “the excesses of the digital economy” and stop discrimination against low-income residents.The city council on Thursday almost unanimously passed legislation, which will fine retail outlets, including stores and restaurants, if they r
  
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• Lunar New Year no longer the biggest shopping period for Chinese visitors

  24-01-2020 14:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Lunar New Year is no longer the biggest spend period for Chinese shoppers
  // Transactional outlook for next 90 days is down by 15% compared to the previous period, which included Golden Week & Christmas
  // A surge in shoppers is expected but sales will be more muted than previous yearsThe upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations is slated to no longer be the biggest spend period for Chinese shoppers, as Golden Week and Christmas rise in importance.
  According to tax-free shopping experts at Gl
  
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• Karen Millen’s ex-CEO Beth Butterwick joins Jigsaw to “work on a project”

  24-01-2020 13:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Beth Butterwick joins Jigsaw and is “currently on a project” on an interim basis
  // She was previously the CEO of Karen Millen, departing shortly after Boohoo’s takeoverJigsaw has hired former Karen Millen chief executive Beth Butterwick to work on a project on an interim basis.
  According to Drapers, Jigsaw said Butterwick is “currently working on a project” but would not reveal the details of what this entails.
  Jigsaw also stressed that Butterwick was not appoin
  
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• Hawkin's Bazaar toy chain collapses into administration

  24-01-2020 13:16
  
  Nearly 200 jobs at risk as Norwich-based retailer becomes latest high street casualtyToy chain Hawkin’s Bazaar has become the latest retailer to collapse into administration, putting nearly 200 high street jobs at risk.The Norwich-based chain has suspended its website but its 20 stores, which are already running clearance sales, remain open. Gift cards will only be accepted for a limited time after administrators were appointed.Continue reading...
  
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• Digital payments will kill plastic cards, not cash

  24-01-2020 11:59 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Digital payments have the power to “do no less than rebalance global economic power” and will bring about the end of plastic cards, not cash.
  Deutsche Bank’s latest The Future of Payments report challenges the view that the increase in digital payments signifies the end of cash.
  “Our view is different,” it said, adding that its research suggests “cash will be around for a long time”.
  After surveying 3600 customers across the US, UK, China, Germ
  
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• Fat Face sets further sustainability goals after reducing carbon footprint

  24-01-2020 10:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Fat Face sets sustainability targets for the next 5 years
  // The fashion retailer will sustainably source its cotton, viscose and linen
  // It has reduced its carbon footprint by 8% since 2018Fat Face has revealed a list of sustainability targets for 2025 in a bid to keep up to pace with consumer demands.
  From this month, the lifestyle retailer will sustainably source its cotton, viscose and linen, and will recycle 100 per cent of the polyester it uses.
  By 2025, Fat Face will prioritise its bu
  
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• 177 jobs at risk as Hawkin’s Bazaar enters administration

  24-01-2020 09:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Hawkin’s Bazaar appoints Moorfields Advisory as administrators
  // The toy retailer’s 20 stores will continue to operate until further notice
  // Hawkins Bazaar was put up for sale in AugustHawkin’s Bazaar has become the latest in the growing list of UK retailers that has entered administration, plunging the future of its 20 stores and 177 employees into uncertainty.
  Moorfields Advisory partners Tom Straw and Simon Thomas were appointed joint administrators of UK toy shop chai
  
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• Carpetright goes private amid boardroom exodus

  24-01-2020 09:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Carpetright chair steps down after company goes private
  // Shares in the company are suspended following the takeover by Meditor FundCarpetright has revealed its chair Bob Ivell has resigned after the retailer returned to private ownership after 26 years.
  The court-approved scheme of arrangement, which saw lender Meditor Fund take full control of the retailer, came into effect Friday, and saw Ivell depart as a result of the takeover.
  In November, Carpetright agreed to a takeover offer from Me
  
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• Co-op faces equal pay claim from over 400 workers

  24-01-2020 09:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // The grocer is facing an equal pay claim from over 400 colleagues
  // It responded that it was “confident that reward practices are fair”
  // Workers are asking for up to 6 years of back payThe Co-op is facing an equal pay claim from over 400 of its employees, after many women said they were being underpaid compared with male warehouse workers.
  The retailer responded that it was “confident that reward practices are fair”.
  A hearing for the claim took place last week at Ma
  
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• HMV owner Doug Putman bags US music & film retailer for £7.6m

  24-01-2020 08:57 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // HMV buys US music outlet For Your Entertainment (FYE) for £7m
  // Doug Putman aims to expand his store estate with the new acquisition
  // FYE has over 200 stores and over 2500 colleagues in the USHMV owner Doug Putman has acquired US music, film and pop culture outlet, For Your Entertainment (FYE) for $10 million (£7.6 million).
  FYE has over 200 stores across the US and over 2500 employees.
  Canadian businessman Putman who also owns Sunrise Records, bought struggling HMV out of
  
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• Tesco to scrap plastic wrapping from multi-pack tins

  24-01-2020 08:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Tesco pledges to remove plastic wrapping from multi-pack tins
  // It will roll out the changes from March, but will continue to sell down remaining stocks
  // Over 40% of Tesco customers buy tinned multi-packsTesco has committed to removing plastic wrapping from its multi-pack tins in a bid to fight the war on plastic waste.
  The grocer aims to remove 350 million tonnes of plastic from its supply chain each year.
  It has teamed up with canned food businesses including Heinz and Green Giant t
  
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• Shopify is nuts, when’s the crash?

  24-01-2020 07:30
  The Beret bubble continues to balloon.
  
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• Dotcom redux as Shopify extends explosive share spike

  24-01-2020 07:30
  Beware the beret bubble in Canadian company facing the Amazon threat
  
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• Tesco's plastics purge: what took so long and is it enough?

  24-01-2020 01:01
  
  Campaigners welcome common-sense move but say companies need to be bolderTesco is to remove 67m pieces of plastic from its shelves from March by doing away with the plastic wraps commonplace on multibuy packs of tins. It sounds like a huge amount, but is still only a small proportion of the 1bn pieces of plastic that the chain has pledged to remove this year.Campaigners hailed the move as “simple logic” and “common sense”, asking why retailers had not done this sooner. Pa
  
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• Tesco to stop sale of plastic-wrapped multipacks in stores

  24-01-2020 01:01
  
  Supermarket chain will remove items packaged in plastic and replace with multi-buy dealsTesco is banishing shrink-wrapped multipacks of baked beans, soup and tuna from its aisles as part of a drive to slash its use of plastic packaging.The store-cupboard staples are among the biggest selling groceries in UK supermarkets. Tesco said shoppers would not end up paying more because the packs would be replaced with permanent multi-buy deals on individual tins. Continue reading...
  
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• Toolstation celebrates 400th branch milestone

  24-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Toolstation is celebrating a significant milestone with the opening of its 400th UK store in London’s Balham. Part of the Travis Perkins Group, the retailer supplies... View Article
  
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• The Entertainer to expand into India

  24-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Entertainer has signed a master franchise agreement with Reliance Brands to enable it to enter India. The toy retailer will open stores in Mumbai in... View Article
  
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• Q & A – Brendan Abbott – Sales Manager, Retail – Experian

  24-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Experian are one of the largest data companies in the word. Experian helps organisations in many different areas, but specifically within retail; we help maintain, manage... View Article
  
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• Ingenico predictions: What’s on the horizon for payments in 2020?

  24-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Guest post: Lee Jones, Director of Sales and Business Development, Ingenico Enterprise Retail In this new decade Ingenico is thinking about the changes ahead of us. There’s... View Article
  
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• Hawkin’s Bazaar enters administration

  24-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Toy shop chain Hawkin’s Bazaar has entered administration after a “challenging” Christmas trading period. Founded in 1973, the retailer operates around 20 stores in the UK... View Article
  
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