Retail news

• Supermarkets to be allowed to increase night-time deliveries

  09-03-2020 19:47
  
  Government will relax rules to limit impact of panic buying caused by coronavirus outbreakCoronavirus outbreak: latest live updatesThe government has agreed to relax restrictions on the hours delivery lorries can operate in built-up areas in the latest step to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.Top supermarket executives held a conference call with George Eustice, the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, on Monday afternoon. It was the second group call with the big grocer
  
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• Amazon offers to sell its technology to other retailers

  09-03-2020 19:02
  Tech company markets in-store cameras that track what shoppers pick up
  
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• Changing times as Tesco cashes in on aversion to risk

  09-03-2020 18:46
  Sale of Thai operations underlines strategic shift to return chain to UK supermarket core
  
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• Where’s Tesco at with Jack’s?

  09-03-2020 16:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Tesco launched its discount chain Jack’s – named after Tesco founder Sir Jack Cohen – back in 2018 to offer customers a “cost-effective” and “value-orientated” way of shopping.
  But Big 4 grocer brazenly axed the first ever Jack’s store in Rawtenstall, East Lancashire just a year after opening – only to be replaced with a 40,000sq ft regular Tesco store. The retail giant said it was responding to customer demand, suggesting that some sort of b
  
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• UK grocers to challenge competition law amid coronavirus fears

  09-03-2020 15:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Some of the largest UK grocers will challenge competition law in midst of coronavirus outbreak
  // At least one of the Big 4 grocers has planned to call out waiving rules interfering with industry collaboration
  // Temporarily waiving competition law would be the first time such a decision will be taken in decadesThe UK’s biggest supermarkets will reportedly warn the government that competition law may have to be suspended to allow them to co-ordinate shopping deliveries, provided the cor
  
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• Tesco plans £2.5bn pension top-up with Thai and Malaysia sales

  09-03-2020 13:44
  
  Shareholders in line for £5bn windfall if sell off of profitable businesses is approvedTesco is planning to hand out £5bn to shareholders and pump £2.5bn into its pension fund after lining up the sale of its Thai and Malaysian businesses.Thai conglomerate CP Group, which operates thousands of 7-Eleven stores in Thailand and the Siam Makro cash and carry chain, has agreed to buy Tesco Lotus in Thailand, which has a network of nearly 2,000 stores, and Tesco Malaysia, which has 68
  
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• John Lewis launches first ever spring/summer TV ad campaign

  09-03-2020 13:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // John Lewis launches its first ever campaign will see it advertise its spring season on TV for the first time ever
  // Also marks the first time it has run TV adverts outside the peak Christmas & Clearance seasons
  // TV ad will debut online at 2.30pm before appearing on TV airwaves at 9pm tonightJohn Lewis has launched a brand new advertising campaign which will see the department store advertise its spring/summer season on TV for the first time ever.
  It also marks the first time that the r
  
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• Dr Martens on brink of being sold for £300m

  09-03-2020 13:18 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Dr Martens set to be sold to US private equity firm Carlyle Group LP for £300m
  // The news comes after KKR dropped out of a potential deal
  // It is currently owned by UK-based investment firm PermiraDr Martens is reportedly set to be acquired by US private equity firm Carlyle Group LP for £300 million.
  Carlyle is currently the interested party in talks with Dr Martens to acquire it after rival firm KKR dropped out of a potential deal, the Mail on Sunday reported.
  The British footw
  
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• Stella McCartney plunges into the red as profits drop 219%

  09-03-2020 12:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Stella McCartney saw profits drop 219%
  // It made a loss of £10.8 million in the year to December 31, 2018Stella McCartney has reported a drop in profits for the year to December 31, 2018.
  The luxury retailer’s operating profits plunged by 219 per cent – equating to an operating loss of £10.8 million during the period, according to files registered at Companies House.
  The business had made an operating profit of £9.1 million in the previous year, but profits were
  
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• CHARGED: Amazon launches new business to sell cashier-less convenience stores to retailers

  09-03-2020 12:29 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Amazon has revealed it will launch a new website for its so-called Just Walk Out technology service.
  Speaking to Reuters, the online retail giant said it will launch a new website for the service, and that it has already signed “several” deals with retailers.
  The new business line will sell technology to enable other retailers to operate cashier-less convenience stores.
  READ MORE: Will Amazon Go change the way Brits pay for their shopping?
  The rise of Amazon Go has meant sh
  
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• Burden of business rates has “hidden human cost,” Co-op CEO says

  09-03-2020 10:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Co-op CEO urges Chancellor to reform the business rates system
  // Co-op found that towns with highest number of vacant shops have lowest “community wellbeing” scores
  // Centre for Retail Research found that over 18,000 jobs have been lost since start of 2020Co-op chief executive Steve Murrells has reportedly called on newly-appointed Chancellor Rishi Sunak to reform the business rates system ahead of the budget this week.
  The chancellor was told the burden of business rates on the
  
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• Reiss sales reach £227m thanks to rapid global expansion

  09-03-2020 09:53 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Reiss total sales up 21.9% to £227.4m in the 52-week period ending February 1
  // EBITDA increased by 51.6% to £29.3m
  // Reiss said it has continued to invest in the “design and quality” of its productsReiss has see its total sales increase in its fiscal year results thanks to new partnerships and vigorous expansion, particularly in the US.
  For the 52-week period ending February 1, total sales increased by 21.9 per cent to £227.4 million, compared with £186.
  
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• 18,000 retail jobs lost, 1200 shops closed since the start of the year

  09-03-2020 09:50 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Over 18,000 jobs have been lost & 1211 shops have shut down in first two months of 2020
  // Real estate advisory firm Altus Group blames it on an “unfair” business rates review system
  // Altus Group says retail premises in England will be denied a further £100m in tax reductions on April 1More than 18,000 jobs have been lost and 1211 stores have shut down in the retail sector during the first two months of 2020.
  The figures, from the Centre for Retail Research, come as re
  
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• Tesco sells Thailand & Malaysia divisions for £8.2bn

  09-03-2020 09:29 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Tesco Thailand & Tesco Malaysia to be sold off for £8.2 billion
  // The sale was agreed with CP Group, Thailand’s biggest conglomerate presided over by Dhanin Chearavanont
  // The exit from Thailand and Malaysia follows Tesco’s exit from ChinaTesco has agreed a deal to sell its supermarket arms in Thailand and Malaysia, in a move worth around £8.2 billion.
  The Big 4 grocer said the deal would see it receive around £8 billion in cash proceeds, of which £5
  
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• February footfall plunges 7.8% from severe rain & storms

  09-03-2020 09:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Footfall plunged 7.8% in February, according to new data from Springboard
  // Survey suggested that the coronavirus outbreak was not a major factor in overall footfall decline
  // Springboard warned the increased severity of Covid-19 outbreak in recent days will impact footfall in MarchFootfall throughout the month of February took a nose dive as dismal weather and storms caused shoppers to stay at home, according to new figures.
  Severe and ongoing rain – particularly from Storm Ciara and
  
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• Tesco to sell Thai and Malaysian operations for $10.6bn

  09-03-2020 09:08
  UK’s biggest supermarket agrees deal with Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand
  
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• Coronavirus: Supermarkets ration hand sanitisers, soap & pasta to halt panic buying

  09-03-2020 09:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Tesco, Asda & Waitrose have started rationing sales of certain items amid panic buying from coronavirus fears
  // Restrictions have been placed on toilet paper, soap, pasta, long-life milk & antibacterial hand sanitisers – in store or online
  // Most grocers, including Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, have not introduced rations yetSupermarkets have placed restrictions on items such as pasta, anti-bacterial wipes and hand soap in a bid to prevent shoppers from stockpiling through
  
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• Perfect storm of bad weather and business rates fuels retail crisis

  09-03-2020 01:01
  
  Severe rain in February caused a 7.8% fall in the number of people visiting high streetsThe crisis on Britain’s high streets showed no sign of easing during the storm-buffeted month of February, while new figures show the number of retail workers losing their jobs this year is approaching 20,000.Severe rain last month caused a 7.8% fall in the number of people visiting high street stores in February, according to the retail research company Springboard, whereas there was only a 1.1% fall i
  
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• Unit London to unveil new Unit X concept

  09-03-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Contemporary gallery Unit London will be launching its new experience-led Unit X concept in London’s Seven Dials. Due to open in April, the 5,498 square foot... View Article
  
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• Tesco sells businesses in Thailand and Malaysia

  09-03-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Supermarket giant Tesco has agreed to sell its businesses in Thailand and Malaysia to CP Group for £8 billion. The move follows a strategic review. Once... View Article
  
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• Reiss posts strong full year sales

  09-03-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Reiss fashion brand saw its group sales climb by 21.9% to £227.4 million in the year to 1 February.  EBITDA growth was even better with... View Article
  
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• H&M teams up with Justine Skye on festival collection

  09-03-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Fashion retailer H&M has teamed up with singer-songwriter Justine Skye on the design of a capsule collection for the festival season. The range features body-con and... View Article
  
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• Footfall down in February as rain washes away hopes for bounce back

  09-03-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Retail footfall dropped by 4.9% in February after the month’s rainy weather discouraged people from shopping in high streets. Figures from Springboard show that high street... View Article
  
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