Retail news

• Amazon employees publicly attack its climate record

  27-01-2020 21:51
  Article also criticises warehouse conditions and use of surveillance technologies
  
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• US retail upheaval laid bare as bankruptcies grow

  27-01-2020 18:15
  Shopping malls and department stores hit hard by rise of ecommerce
  
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• The secret to Sosandar’s success

  27-01-2020 16:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  For a fashion retailer that’s driven by former magazine publishers, Sosandar has shown impressive growth since its launch in September 2016.
  After 10 years of working together at Look magazine, Ali Hall and Julie Lavington left their jobs as editor and publishing director respectively to establish the online womenswear retailer.
  The joint chief executives didn’t waste time, either – they started working on the Sosandar website the day after they left Look in October 2015.
  In it
  
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• Waterstones promotes Luke Taylor to retail director as Steve Callaghan steps down

  27-01-2020 15:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Waterstones promotes Luke Taylor to retail director
  // Steve Callaghan has resigned as operations director
  // Beccy Preece has also been appointed to logistics director, while Andrew Stephenson will join as HR directorWaterstones has made several changes in the senior operational team after Steve Callaghan announced he would step down as operations director.
  The book retailer said Callaghan, who has been with Waterstones for 17 years, decided to step down so he could spend more time with his
  
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• Aesop store to open in Seven Dials

  27-01-2020 15:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Aesop’s new store is set to open in Seven Dials, London’s West End
  // The 1,412sq ft. will house luxury skincare, haircare and body productsThe luxury Australian skincare retailer Aesop is set to open its newest UK store in London’s West End.
  The retailer’s space will open at 16 Monmouth Street, joining a host of well-established beauty brands within Seven Dials.
  The 1,412sq ft space will house Aesop’s skincare, hair and body products.READ MORE: Boots to launch m
  
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• Aesop store opens in Seven Dials

  27-01-2020 15:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Aesop’s new store is opens in Seven Dials, London’s West End
  // The 1412sq ft. will house luxury skincare, haircare and body productsLuxury Australian skincare retailer Aesop has opened its newest UK store in London’s West End.
  The retailer’s space is located at 16 Monmouth Street, joining a host of well-established beauty retailers within Seven Dials.
  The 1412sq ft space will house Aesop’s skincare, hair and body products.READ MORE: Boots to launch more beauty h
  
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• Mothercare left with £10m shortfall after heavy discounting

  27-01-2020 15:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Mothercare left with £10 million deficit after failing to accumulate enough cash from clearance sales
  // Mothercare had planned to use proceeds made from liquidating stock to pay down the £24.5m in net debt
  // The company said the cash raised had come in “behind expectations”Mothercare has been left with a £10 million debt shortfall after funds raised from clearance sales were “behind expectations”.
  The retailer closed down its 79 stores in the UK fol
  
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• McColl’s operating chief Dave Thomas to retire

  27-01-2020 13:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // McColl’s COO Dave Thomas poised to retire
  // He has been with McColl’s for more than 20 years
  // Thomas first joined McColl’s in 1998 as a regional manager for convenienceMcColl’s chief operating officer Dave Thomas is reportedly going to announced his retirement after working for the convenience grocery chain for more than 20 years.
  According to Retail Week, McColl’s will issue a note to shareholders confirming Thomas’ departure today.
  Thomas will also rep
  
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• House of Fraser stocks skimpy womenswear in controversial move

  27-01-2020 13:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // House of Fraser stocks controversial clothing range
  // The Presidents Club sells skimpy womenswear and is named after a scandalous charity eventHouse of Fraser has come under fire for stocking a controversial clothing range named The Presidents Club.
  The clothing range was named after a mens-only fundraising event which saw waitresses being made to wear tight clothing and accept groping and sexual harassment.
  The charity which was aimed at 300 businessmen and held at the Dorchester Hotel, clo
  
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• Alibaba, JD.com struggling to meet demand for medical supplies amid coronavirus outbreak

  27-01-2020 11:21 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Alibaba, JD.com and Pinduoduo are struggling to meet demand for medical supplies in China amid a scramble to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
  China’s biggest retailers are facing stock shortages of medical supplies like face masks and hand sanitiser forcing suppliers to work “overtime at full speed to increase production”.
  Between January 20 and 21 Alibaba’s Taobao is understood to have sold 80 million face masks, while JD.com has run out hand sanitiser and P
  
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• Space NK blames shrinking profits on expansion

  27-01-2020 10:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Space NK profits have halved after it invested in new store openings and improving its website
  // In the year to March 30, Space NK posted profits of £3m, compared with £6.3m a year earlier
  // Sales increased 6% to £109m during the yearSpace NK has said its profits halved last year after it injected cash into new store openings as well as developing its website.
  In the year to March 30, the cosmetics retailer posted profits of £3 million, compared with £6.3 milli
  
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• Reiss Christmas sales rise 18% as owner seeks buyer

  27-01-2020 10:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Reiss’ Christmas sales rise while owner seeks a buyer for the chain
  // Revenues in the UK up 15% during the festive period
  // Owner Warburg Pincus bought a majority stake in Reiss for £100 million in 2016Reiss has seen its Christmas sales rise while its private equity owner Warburg Pincus seeks out a buyer.
  The fashion retailer saw group sales increase by 18 per cent in the seven weeks to January 18.
  UK revenues jumped by 15 per cent during the period.READ MORE: Auction of Reiss i
  
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• Planet Organic to double store numbers in the next 4 years

  27-01-2020 10:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Planet Organic wants to double store numbers in 4 years
  // It currently has 7 grocery stores and plans to have 18 within 5 years
  // Planet Organic’s sales jumped 8% to £35.1m for the year despite a challenging retail backdropPlanet Organic has announced plans to double its store numbers over the next four years as it defies the current challenges plaguing UK retail.
  The grocery retailer has seen sales surge in recent years thanks to rising demand for ethical, sustainable and healt
  
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• “Hundreds” of Iceland jobs at risk amid management structure

  27-01-2020 09:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Iceland launches a management structure review, putting jobs at risk
  // The retailer denied that job losses will take place
  // Iceland’s move follows the likes of Asda, Sainsbury’s and MorrisonsIceland has launched a review of its management structure, in a move that could see “hundreds” of jobs axed.
  The review had “recently begun”, with a formal consultation process expected to be launched within weeks.
  The frozen food retailer has denied any plans f
  
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• “Hundreds” of Iceland jobs at risk amid management review

  27-01-2020 09:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Iceland launches a management structure review, putting jobs at risk
  // The retailer denied that job losses will take place
  // Iceland’s move follows the likes of Asda, Sainsbury’s and MorrisonsIceland has launched a review of its management structure, in a move that could see “hundreds” of jobs axed.
  The review had “recently begun”, with a formal consultation process expected to be launched within weeks.
  The frozen food retailer has denied any plans f
  
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• Mike Ashley, Selfridges & Primark owners among UK’s biggest taxpayers

  27-01-2020 09:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Selfridges & Primark owners the Weston Family the biggest taxpayer in UK retail 6th overall after contributing £85m in taxes
  // Tom Morris & family – who own Home Bargains – in 8th place after paying £67.4 million in taxes
  // Mike Ashley ranked 13th after contributing £54.8 million worth of taxThe family that owns the likes of Selfridges and Primark has been identified as biggest taxpayer in UK retail, according to new figures.
  The Sunday Times Tax List&n
  
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• 10,000 retail jobs already lost since the start of the year

  27-01-2020 08:50 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // A total of 9949 retail jobs have gone since the start of 2020, according to new research
  // Debenhams, Mothercare, Arcadia, HMV, Morrisons & Asda among those have closed stores or announced redundancy plans
  // A further 1400 jobs under threat with the collapse of Beales & Hawkin’s Bazaar in the past weekNearly 10,000 jobs have been lost in retail since the start of 2020, according to new research.
  Debenhams, Mothercare and Asda are among several big brands to have closed stores
  
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• H&M collaborates with Helena Christensen

  27-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Fashion retailer H&M has embarked on a fashion collection collaboration with photographer and supermodel Helena Christensen. The capsule range includes t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies featuring flower... View Article
  
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• Central England Co-operative hires commercial director

  27-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Central England Co-operative has appointed Andy Peake to the new position of commercial director. He will lead the organisation’s product and category teams and continue the... View Article
  
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• Aesop opens Seven Dials store

  27-01-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Aesop, the Australian luxury skincare brand, has joined the retail line-up at London’s Seven Dials. The 1,412 square foot store at 16 Monmouth sells the brand’s... View Article
  
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