Retail news

• Five ways coronavirus will change retail

  01-05-2020 22:00 via ft.com
  Fewer stores and shoppers, but more technology and co-operation
  
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• Five ways coronavirus will change British retail

  01-05-2020 22:00 via ft.com
  Fewer stores and shoppers, but more technology and co-operation
  
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• House panel calls Bezos to testify on Amazon data use

  01-05-2020 18:10 via ft.com
  Judiciary committee’s request comes amid broad probe into digital competition issues
  
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• Coronavirus obliterates hopes of improved retail health for 2020

  01-05-2020 17:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Covid-19 pandemic obliterates hopes of improved retail health in foreseeable future, says KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank
  // Retail Health Index fell by 3 points to 71 in the first quarter of 2020, a new record low
  // Health is predicted to deteriorate further in the second quarter – down to 62 – but this is dependent on lockdownThe health of the UK retail industry hit a record low in the first quarter due to the coronavirus pandemic, dashing all hopes previously held for recovery in
  
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• Retail Gazette Loves: Captain Tom’s local Co-op donates £10k to NHS for his 100th

  01-05-2020 16:12 via retailgazette.co.uk
  To celebrate Captain Tom Moore’s 100th birthday, his local Central England Co-op store created a special display and donated £10,000 to his recent record-breaking NHS fundraising effort.
  Central England Co-op’s Marston Moretaine store was decorated with special bunting and messages created by pupils at Marston Moreteyne VC School to wish the village’s now-famous resident a happy birthday and thank him for raising £32 million for the NHS amid the ongoing coronavirus
  
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• New campaign to bring new pay deal for retail workers amid pandemic

  01-05-2020 16:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Usdaw calls for “new deal” for retail, manufacturing, distribution and home delivery workers in the wake of Covid-19
  // The union called for a £10 minimum wage for all workers & improved sick pay
  // It also called for minimum contracts of 16 hours per week and a ban on zero-hour contractsMillions of low-paid and undervalued workers – including retail staff – deserve a “new deal” because of their efforts during the coronavirus crisis, according to
  
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• Amazon: the mask slips

  01-05-2020 15:55 via ft.com
  Earnings reports have dispelled some lockdown myths
  
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• Intu threatens large tenants over unpaid rent

  01-05-2020 15:37 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Intu says it only got 40% of all rent for the first quarter of the year, which was due end of March
  // As a result, it threatened to take “robust action” against large tenants who have not paid
  // Intu is now offering monthly rent collectionIntu has threatened to take “robust action” against large tenants who have not paid their latest rent bills.
  The cash-strapped shopping centre giant said it has only received 40 per cent of all rent and service charge for the first
  
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• Retail job numbers nose dive in the first quarter of the year

  01-05-2020 13:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Retail job numbers in the UK plummet by 14% year-on-year in Q1 2020, according to CV-Library
  // Compared to the previous quarter, it plunged 24.6%
  // But according to Adzuna, retail job vacancies nose dived 57% in the last few weeksNew data has revealed that demand for retail jobs has nose dived amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the sector being among the worst-hit in terms of job vacancy numbers.
  According to the latest quarterly job market report from CV-Library, retail job adverts in the
  
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• Lakeside and Trafford Centre owner to get tough with big name shops

  01-05-2020 13:21
  
  Intu Properties to take on ‘well-capitalised large brands who have chosen not to pay rents’ during Covid-19 crisisIntu Properties has said it is ready to take “robust action” against some of its tenants who have failed to pay rent owed during the coronavirus crisis.The owner of the Trafford Centre in Manchester and Lakeside in Essex said while it had collected 40% of the rent due by the end of March – up from 29% collected on the due date – some tenants were r
  
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• Morrisons steps up support for farmers with new restaurant-quality meat

  01-05-2020 13:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // New steak and seafood bars open to help struggling British farmers and fishermen
  // 20 species of seafood and all restaurant-style steaks to be reduced to half price
  // Follows last week’s announcement of a 5% discount on shopping for 2700 farmersMorrisons has started selling restaurant-quality meat for half price on its new summer steak and seafood bars, which aim to support farmers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
  All of the supermarket’s fillet, sirloin, ribeye and rump steak pri
  
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• Majestic Wine bolsters leadership team with promotions & new hires

  01-05-2020 12:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Majestic Wine unveils new additions to leadership team
  // Includes a new head of buying John Storm and customer director Matthew Gaunt
  // Robert Cooke will also be leading the wine retailer’s commercial team as commercial MD Olivia Fitzgerald leavesMajestic Wine has revealed details of a number of changes to its leadership team as the alcohol retailer prepares for its new chapter.
  In the hopes of aligning goals across the business, the retailer has given chief commercial officer Robert
  
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• Tapestry to re-open stores after a near 20% drop in quarterly sales

  01-05-2020 11:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Tapestry will open 40 of its stores across North America after quarterly sales drop 19.4%
  // The Coach owner has now re-opened most of its stores in China & South KoreaThe Coach owner Tapestry has announced that it will open 40 of its stores in North America on May 1 after the coronavirus pandemic hammered its business.
  Sales of luxury goods companies have been among the worst hit in the retail space as fashion capitals in Italy, France and the United States were forced to halt all busine
  
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• Deliveroo to slash 367 jobs and furlough 50 more as it struggles amid lockdown

  01-05-2020 11:28 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Deliveroo is set to slash around 15 per cent of its work force leading to hundreds of redundancies as it struggles to operate during the pandemic.
  The UK delivery start-up confirmed that it is being forced to axe 367 staff and furlough a further 50, accounting for around 15 per cent of its 2500-strong workforce.
  The cuts, first reported by The Telegraph, are reportedly a response to the “extraordinary global health crisis” and come just over a week after Amazon’s &pou
  
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• Coronavirus: TK Maxx resumes online operations & Net-a-Porter prepares

  01-05-2020 11:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // TK maxx reopens online operations with a daily order limit to maintain social distancing among employees
  // Net-a-Porter prepares to re-open its online business after temporarily closing UK distribution centreTK Maxx has resumed its online operations with a daily order limit to protect its warehouse workers during the coronavirus crisis.Once the limit is reached customers will only be able to browse but not buy items on the site for the rest of that day.
  TK Maxx has also provided workers with
  
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• Retail workers at Amazon and Whole Foods coordinate sick-out to protest Covid-19 conditions

  01-05-2020 11:00
  
  Workers take part in organized protests to demand safety guidelines to limit the risk of coronavirus, as well as paid sick leaveHundreds of workers at Amazon warehouses, Whole Foods grocery stores, Target retail stores, and shoppers at Instacart and Shipt called out sick on Friday as part of a coordinated one-day strike across the US in protest of working conditions and inadequate safety protections during the coronavirus pandemic.The 1 May walkout began after Amazon ended its unlimited unpaid t
  
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• Wilko profits drop 65% in “incredibly difficult year for retail”

  01-05-2020 10:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Wilko full-year pre-tax profits and sales decline in “challenging” year
  // Pre-tax profits dropped by 65% while sales declined 5.6%Wilko has seen its full-year pre-tax profits and sales drop thanks to the “challenging” UK retail environment.
  In the year to February 1, the retailer’s pre-tax profits dropped by 65 per cent, exacerbated by a 5.6 per cent decline in sales to £1.5 billion.
  Like-for-like sales declined by 6.1 per cent during the period, while sal
  
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• Greggs does u-turn on reopening stores during lockdown

  01-05-2020 10:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Greggs halts plans to reopen stores as fears grow over crowds amid Covid-19
  // It shut all 2050 UK outlets last month following lockdownGreggs has taken a u-turn on its decision to reopen stores next week over fears it could lead to large crowds amid the coronavirus pandemic.
  The bakery chain shut all of its 2050 outlets when the UK went into coronavirus lockdown last month, and has now postponed plans to reopen.
  Earlier this week, Greggs said it had planned to reopen 20 shops in the Newcastl
  
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• Boots helps domestic abuse victims as cases rise during lockdown

  01-05-2020 09:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boots provides safe space for domestic abuse victims during coronavirus lockdown
  // The health & beauty giant has teamed up with charity HestiaBoots has set up a safe space for domestic abuse victims at its UK pharmacies as cases rise during the coronavirus lockdown.
  Domestic abuse victims will be able to access the spaces at Boots pharmacies under measures to improve access to support.
  The Metropolitan police said it was making an average of about 100 arrests a day for offences linked to
  
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• Intu hires restructuring boss as it works towards fixing balance sheet

  01-05-2020 08:44 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Intu hires new chief restructuring officer
  // David Hargrave also joins as non-executive directorIntu has appointed David Hargrave as chief restructuring officer and non-executive director as it works towards a strategy to fix its balance sheet.
  Hargrave holds 33 years of experience in the transaction businesses of the Big 4 accounting firms.
  He has worked in leading processes of change or restructuring within businesses, having worked as a partner at EY and PwC.READ MORE:Intu shopping c
  
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• Iceland slams HMRC for probe into savings scheme amid Covid-19

  01-05-2020 08:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Iceland launches attack against HMRC for its investigation over a savings scheme amid Covid-19
  // Iceland exec chair Malcolm Walker said he is “totally shocked and amazed” that HMRC is chasing the businessIceland has reportedly slammed HMRC for “harassing” the business over its Christmas Club employee savings scheme during the coronavirus crisis.
  The frozen food retailer’s boss Malcolm Walker said he is “totally shocked and amazed” that the government
  
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• Boots to provide help for domestic abuse victims

  01-05-2020 01:01
  
  Pharmacies to provide safe spaces during coronavirus lockdown after rise in calls
  Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDomestic abuse victims will be able to access safe spaces at Boots pharmacies across the country from Friday under measures to improve access to support during the coronavirus lockdown.Multiple support services for domestic abuse have reported a surge in calls to helplines since the lockdown was imposed, while the Metropolitan police said it was maki
  
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• The Shopping Cart Conversion: Six Ways Retailers Encourage You To Spend Online

  01-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  As more consumers shop online than ever before, Webloyalty has launched – today – the ‘Digital Choice: Applying Behavioural Economics to Online Conversion & Retention’ report,... View Article
  
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• Oasis and Warehouse stores to permanently close

  01-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  All Oasis and Warehouse stores are to permanently close after administrators for the failed fashion chains were unable to find a buyer for the company behind... View Article
  
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• Intu appoints chief restructuring officer

  01-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Shopping centre operator Intu has appointed David Hargrave as a non-executive director and chief restructuring officer. The company is currently working through a strategy to fix... View Article
  
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• Greggs postpones store re-opening plans

  01-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Greggs has postponed plans to re-open some stores next week due to social distancing concerns. The retailer had planned a trial run of 20 shop re-openings... View Article
  
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• Boots to provide access to safe spaces for domestic abuse victims

  01-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Boots pharmacies have begun offering domestic abuse victims access to safe spaces in its consultation rooms. Whilst in the rooms, victims can contact specialist domestic abuse services for... View Article
  
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