Retail news

• Germany takes tentative steps back to normality as lockdown eases

  20-04-2020 21:11
  
  Shops start reopening, but Merkel warns Germans to stay ‘disciplined and watchful’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAs shops across parts of Germany took their first tentative steps back to normality since lockdown rules were introduced a month ago, Andreas Trost took stock at the window of a haberdashery in the Potsdam district of Babelsberg, west of Berlin.“Not exactly life as we’ve known it,” he said, reading the sign in the window
  
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• UK sales of baking goods and alcohol rise while makeup and plants fall

  20-04-2020 20:15
  
  IRI figures show changing shopping patterns during coronavirus lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSales of baking ingredients, frozen vegetables and alcohol are rising while makeup, garden plants and newspapers have taken a hit as the UK changes its shopping habits during the coronavirus crisis.Total sales were up by 1.9% in the week to 5 April compared with the same period last year as the stockpiling peak subsided, according to the market analysts IRI. Be
  
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• London death shines light on Covid-19 threat to local shopworkers

  20-04-2020 19:49
  
  Gipsy Hill man worked in similar conditions to many other convenience store staffCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe frontline role of local convenience stores during the coronavirus pandemic and the heightened risk to their workers have come into the spotlight as tributes were paid to a popular staff member at a south London cornershop.UK data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed that men are almost twice as likely to die from the disease as wom
  
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• Le Pain Quotidien UK set to appoint administrators unless buyer found

  20-04-2020 19:03
  Bakery chain at risk of collapse, with 500 jobs under threat
  
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• M&S extends NHS support as Covid-19 crisis continues

  20-04-2020 17:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Marks & Spencer extends its support to NHS
  // The retailer has been working with NHS in recent weeks amid the Covid-19 pandemicMarks & Spencer has extended its support to the NHS by sharing the next step of its plans amid the coronavirus pandemic.
  The retailer has been working with NHS teams in recent weeks and is now sending out clothing care packs to hospitals for patients when they get discharged.
  It has extended its donations to the following hospitals:
  • NHS Nightingale Hosp
  
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• £14bn loss expected for UK’s clothing & footwear sector

  20-04-2020 17:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The UK clothing & footwear sector to endure £14bn loss due to coronavirus lockdown
  // Online sales expected to drop 7.9%The UK’s clothing and footwear market is set to become the worst hit sector, facing a £14 billion decline as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on trading.
  Clothing and footwear spend is expected to drop by 26.1 per cent compared with 2019, according to data and analytics company GlobalData.
  Due to the lockdown extension, the sector is expected to
  
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• Market snapshot: France

  20-04-2020 16:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Since the 2008 financial crisis, France’s economy has been growing steadily, although it continues to underperform in comparison to neighbouring Germany and falls well below average EU growth rates.
  Despite this, a Statista report – published before the coronavirus crisis took a hold – found that France has remained one of Europe’s largest economies since 1980, growing from an estimated GDP of about €2467.17 (£2123.07) per capita in 2019 to €2771.62 (
  
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• Premier Foods sales jump as consumers forced to eat at home 

  20-04-2020 16:57
  Shares rise 20% as shoppers stock up on instant soups, noodles and pasta sauces
  
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• Amazon thrives in the crisis but still faces risks

  20-04-2020 16:23
  The ecommerce platform is vulnerable through its model of a low-paid workforce
  
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• 1/3 of indie retailers may not re-open after lockdown

  20-04-2020 15:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Up to 1/3 of independent retailers may struggle to reopen post-lockdown without loans, experts warn
  // Warning comes after retailers faced delays in accessing emergency government loans
  // The coronavirus pandemic prompted the lockdown, which led to plummeting footfall & retail salesExperts of have warned that up to a third of independent retailers may struggle to reopen post-lockdown after reportedly facing delays in accessing emergency government loans.
  The British Independent Retailers
  
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• M&S adds 3 new food boxes as it ramps up capacity to 2500 deliveries a week

  20-04-2020 14:58 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Marks & Spencer is significantly ramping up its capacity to deliver food boxes to customers in lockdown to over 2500 each week.
  M&S is repurposing its clothing and home distribution networks to begin fulfilling and delivering its food boxes, which it launched in March.
  According to the brand this means they can now deliver 2500 boxes every week while maintaining worker safety and social distancing at its warehouses.
  READ MORE: Morrisons ramps up lockdown food box production tenfold
  
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• Morrisons breaches Sunday trading laws to help NHS workers

  20-04-2020 13:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Morrisons scraps Sunday browsing hour so NHS staff can begin buying products from 9am
  // This means Morrisons now trades for longer than the 6 hours stipulated in Sunday trading laws
  // The Sunday shopping hour for NHS workers is in addition to the 6am-7am slot Monday to SaturdayMorrisons has reportedly abolished its Sunday browsing hour to allow NHS staff to buy products from 9am, making the retailer defy Sunday trading laws.
  According to The Grocer, Morrisons has started opening its stores
  
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• The cull of retail businesses spells the end for mediocre malls

  20-04-2020 13:29
  Too many big brands have been coasting for too long
  
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• Sainsbury’s latest to launch e-gift cards for vulnerable shoppers

  20-04-2020 12:17 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Sainsbury’s has launched an e-gift cards for elderly and vulnerable customers to send to people shopping on their behalf.
  Sainsbury’s Volunteer Shopping Cards, launched today, can be purchased from a new dedicated website and emailed directly to volunteers who can shop for them.
  The gift cards can be purchased with a value of between £5 and £250 and then redeemed at the checkout of any Sainsbury’s store.
  READ MORE: Waitrose launch digital gift card to
  
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• Fears for retail as 11.7m could be furloughed or unemployed in coming months

  20-04-2020 11:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // As many as 11.7m people across all sectors could be furloughed or unemployed over the next 3 months
  // Employees in hospitality & retail sectors are most likely, 50% more than average, to be affected
  // The government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme launches todayRetail has been identified as one of the two most at-risk sectors that would be affected by a surge in unemployment or furloughed staff in the coming months, a report has suggested.
  As many as 11.7 million people across
  
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• Lacoste announces milestone production of 100,000 face masks

  20-04-2020 11:37 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Lacoste produces 100,000 face masks in efforts to help fight against Covid-19
  // The retailer pledges to reach 200,000 masks stating, “the fight is not over”Lacoste has reached the milestone of producing 100,000 face masks in just a few weeks to help fight against the spread of coronavirus and pledges to reach 200,000 masks.
  “We want to thank all our volunteers who work every day to protect lives,” Lacoste said in a statement.
  “As the fight is not over, the discr
  
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• Retailers warn of further administrations amid Covid-19 chaos

  20-04-2020 11:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Retailers warn that many of them will have to file for administration if government does not intervene further
  // Job losses will have a “devastating impact” on high streetsThe UK’s biggest retailers have written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak warning that “many viable companies” will file for administration and job losses will have a “devastating impact” on high streets if the government does not support the struggling sector.
  The retailers’ surviva
  
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• Amazon poised to launch “Ultra Fast Fresh” offering same-day grocery delivery to 40% of UK households

  20-04-2020 11:15 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Amazon is poised to launch a new “Ultra Fast Fresh” delivery service to bring rapid grocery deliver to 40 per cent of UK households by 2021.
  The online giant is aiming to merge its Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service with its super-fast delivery arm Prime Now in the UK, retrofitting nine of its warehouses to handle, fulfil and deliver fresh produce in a matter of hours, according to The Grocer.
  Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon is understood to have met with a number of s
  
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• Tapestry appoints new board of directors

  20-04-2020 10:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Kate Spade owner Tapestry appoints John Bilbrey to its board of directors
  // John Bilbrey was previously president and CEO of The Hershey CompanyTapestry, the parent company of Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman and Coach has appointed John Bilbrey to its board of directors.
  “We are extremely pleased that John has agreed to join our board,” Tapestry chairman and CEO Jide Zeitlin said in a news statement.
  “He brings to our board deep consumer and operational experience along with br
  
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• Coronavirus: Retailers demand 50% price cuts from factory workers

  20-04-2020 10:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Bangladeshi manufacturers face pressure to cut prices by 50% as retailers are affected by the coronavirus pandemic
  // Exports dropped by 84% in the first half of April
  // £2.3bn worth of orders have been cancelled or suspendedRetailers are demanding 50 per cent price cuts from Bangladeshi manufacturers amid the coronavirus crisis.
  The clothing sector has been heavily impacted by the pandemic, with exports dropping by 84 per cent in the first half of April as $3 billion (£2.3 billi
  
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• Matalan & Poundstretcher under scrutiny over unpaid rents

  20-04-2020 10:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Matalan & Poundstretcher face pressure to pay rent during the government-mandated lockdown
  // Poundstretcher is facing 3 separate claims from L&C Investments, Sheet Anchor Investments & Black OfficeMatalan and Poundstretcher are reportedly facing increased pressure from their landlords to pay rent during the lockdown period.
  Value fashion retailer Matalan, which is run by billionaire businessman John Hargreaves and has more than 8000 staff across 230 stores, was blindsided by a wr
  
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• Primark extends support to suppliers by taking on £370m of additional stock

  20-04-2020 10:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Primark extends commitment to support suppliers by agreeing to take £370m of additional products
  // This means it will now take all product that was both in production & finished, and planned for handover by April 17
  // Primark had previously committed to paying for orders in transit or booked for shipment by March 18Primark has extended its commitment to support suppliers by agreeing to take £370 million of additional stock to add to the £1.5 billion of stock already in
  
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• DFS in “advanced stages” of discussions for £60m-£70m funding

  20-04-2020 09:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // DFS in “advanced stages” of new discussions for additional debt facility of £60m-£70m
  // This is intended to supplement an existing £250 million bank facility
  // DFS is also preparing for a possible equity fundraiser to further strengthen its balance sheetDFS has revealed that it is in the “advanced stages” of talks over an additional £60 million to £70 million debt facility as it looks to bolster its finances in the face of coronavirus.
  I
  
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• Retail footfall declines at sharpest rate in March

  20-04-2020 08:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Overall footfall dive 44.7% in March due to the coronavirus lockdown
  // In the first 3 weeks of the month, footfall declined 17.7%, then 83.2% after lockdown was announced
  // Shopping centres were hardest hit, reporting a 43.6% dive in footfall for the monthRetail footfall in the UK experienced its sharpest ever decline after shops shut their doors in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, according to new figures.
  Overall footfall dived by 44.7 per cent in March due to the government-mandated
  
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• Workers without degrees hardest hit by Covid-19 crisis - study

  20-04-2020 07:01
  
  UK and Europe face growing inequality with layoffs hitting non-university educatedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWorkers without a university degree will be hardest hit by the Covid-19 crisis, raising fears of increasing inequality across Europe, where up to 59m jobs are at risk.Nearly 80% of workers facing job insecurity – including cuts to hours or pay, temporary furloughs, or permanent layoffs – do not have a university degree, according to new r
  
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• Pret A Manger hastens launch of retail coffee range because of pandemic

  20-04-2020 06:00
  New products will hit supermarket shelves this month as it adapts to a post-Covid world
  
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• British high street pleads for state help with rent

  20-04-2020 05:00
  Both shop chains and their landlords say many businesses will fail without further support
  
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• John Lewis and Mother of Pearl mark Earth Day with joint fashion line

  20-04-2020 01:01
  
  Sustainable fashion collaboration featuring only biodegradable fabrics will be sold onlineJohn Lewis and the fashion brand Mother of Pearl have chosen Earth Day for the launch of their sustainable fashion collaboration, specifically for its geopolitical symbolism.Earth Day, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on 22 April, seemed an appropriate day to launch a collection bringing rigorous standards of ethical design to mass market fashion. A launch date that pays homage to the planet rather tha
  
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• Tapestry hires new board member

  20-04-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Kate Spade owner Tapestry has appointed John Bilbrey to its board of directors. The move means that the Tapestry board now comprises eight members. Jide Zeitlin,... View Article
  
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• Safeguarding Social Distancing: Retail Employees and their Customers Need Protection

  20-04-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  That Tesco in the UK currently have up to 55,000 people unavailable for work, either through illness or self-isolation, and have needed to employ 45,000 extra... View Article
  
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• Pure Electric takes over 11 Cycle Republic stores

  20-04-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Pure Electric, the electric mobility retailer that was previously known as Pure Scooters, has taken over 11 former Cycle Republic stores that had been earmarked for... View Article
  
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• Mention Me: How Covid-19 is impacting fashion brands: a timeline

  20-04-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  As part of their series on Covid-19, our friends at Mention Me have analysed the order volumes and referrals of more than one hundred fashion clients,... View Article
  
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• Lacoste reaches mask making milestone

  20-04-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Fashion brand Lacoste has announced that it has reached the milestone of producing 100,000 masks in the last few weeks as it looks to help healthcare... View Article
  
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• H&M to launch childrenswear collaboration with Emma Jayne

  20-04-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  H&M is launching a childrenswear capsule collection in collaboration with illustrator and pattern designer Emma Jayne. The UK designer’s eye-catching illustrations of tropical birds, tigers, marine... View Article
  
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• DFS in advanced talks regarding additional financing

  20-04-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  DFS has confirmed that it is in the advanced stages of negotiating an additional debt facility as it looks to boost its finances due to the... View Article
  
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• AO offers free delivery and free timeslots for NHS workers

  20-04-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online electricals retailer AO.com has introduced free delivery and free timeslots for people working on the frontline in the NHS. The retailer said it wants to... View Article
  
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• AllSaints partners with Netacea for bot protection as part of wider digital transformation programme

  20-04-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Netacea, a provider of bot management solutions, announces that AllSaints has chosen the company’s Enterprise Bot Management solution for protection against unwanted web traffic. By harnessing... View Article
  
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