Retail news

• Shirtmaker TM Lewin collared by private equity

  12-05-2020 20:21
  SCP will use special vehicle to acquire niche British brands
  
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• Fast-food chains step up plans to reopen as lockdown loosens

  12-05-2020 20:13
  
  McDonald’s, Greggs and Subway are among food firms easing way back to businessCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMajor fast-food chains such as McDonald’s, Greggs and Subway have stepped up plans to reopen outlets as they ease back into business amid the loosening of lockdown restrictions.McDonald’s said it will reopen all of its drive-through restaurants by early June, while Subway is reopening 600 of its 2,600 stores across the UK and Ireland. G
  
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• Is sustainability falling off retailers’ agendas amid Covid-19?

  12-05-2020 17:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Before the coronavirus crisis struck the UK, sustainability was one of the buzzwords of retail. But last month, GlobalData predicted that Covid-19 pandemic would put sustainability concerns on hold as retailers focus on the battle for survival.
  Shopping habits were starting to shift even before the pandemic – with 74 per cent of Brits saying they prefer to shop with a retailer that offers more loose fruit and vegetables. But the prioritisation of health has led to a drastic increase i
  
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• Dobbies to reopen stores in England

  12-05-2020 17:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Dobbies to reopen its stores across England from tomorrow
  // Social distancing, queuing system, in-store customer limits, protective screens, PPE and hand sanitisers will featureDobbies it set to re-open its 54 stores across England from tomorrow after receiving guidance from the government that garden centres may open during the lockdown.
  The gardening retailer said the safety of staff and customers was the priority and social distancing measures have been implemented to allow the stores to
  
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• B&Q sales begin UK recovery after 70% lockdown slump

  12-05-2020 16:44
  
  Sales up 20% on equivalent week in April as Britons tackle DIY projectsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageB&Q’s weekly takings plunged by 70% during the first stage of lockdown but sales have begun to recover since the reopening of its stores a fortnight ago.The chain, part of the Kingfisher group, said UK sales slumped 70% in the first week of April but were up nearly 20% in the equivalent week of May as Britons stocked up on materials to tackle lockdown
  
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• Government officially extends furlough scheme to October

  12-05-2020 15:53 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Furlough scheme extended until the end of October
  // Government contribution of 80% to remain unchanged until July, but August to October it will be tapered
  // This means workers will continue to receive the current level of support through a combination of state & employer contributionsThe UK Government has officially extended the coronavirus job retention scheme until October, although from July onwards the tax payer-funded contributions would be reduced.
  Chancellor Rishi Sunak announce
  
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• Sainsbury’s hires two new board members

  12-05-2020 13:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Sainsbury’s appoints two new non-executive directors effective from July 1
  // Keith Weed will join the audit, corporate responsibility & sustainability, and nomination committees
  // Tanuj Kapilashrami joins the nomination and remuneration committeesSainsbury’s had announced the appointment of Keith Weed and Tanuj Kapilashrami as new non-executive directors to its board.
  The two will join the grocery giant’s board of directors on July 1.
  Weed will be member of Sainsbury&r
  
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• Morrisons sales rise as it doubles online delivery slots during lockdown

  12-05-2020 12:56
  
  Supermarket also introducing a click and collect service at 280 stores by mid-JuneCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMorrisons’ online grocery store is set to pass £1bn in annual sales by next spring after doubling the number of delivery slots during the coronavirus lockdown.The Bradford-based supermarket chain said sales on its Morrisons.com site had doubled, to £1bn on an annualised basis. Continue reading...
  
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• Morrisons highlights slump at petrol pumps

  12-05-2020 12:14
  Decision on whether to pay special dividend deferred until later in the year
  
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• Lockdown prompts £12.9bn shift in annual home shopping spend

  12-05-2020 11:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Stay-at-home shopping triggers a shift in consumer spending habits equating to £12.9bn
  // This is due to increased spending on 4 key “at home” sectors: groceries, alcohol, entertainment and hobbies & crafts
  // Despite the shift in where money is being spent, UK households have been spending less money generallyThe “isolation economy” as people have remained at home has triggered a shift in consumer spending habits equating to £12.9 billion annually, ana
  
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• 79% UK retail landlords say Covid-19 permanently changes leasing terms

  12-05-2020 11:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // 79% retail property owners in UK believe the coronavirus impact will change how property is leased
  // Changes will likely be driven by an advanced use of dataA colossal 79 per cent of property owners throughout the UK who own more than 120 million sq ft of UK retail believe that the Covid-19 pandemic will bring permanent changes to how retail property is leased and the terms on which it is occupied.
  Changes will likely be driven by an advanced use of data but landlords face challenges in term
  
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• Lidl launches WhatsApp chatbot to inform customers when the best times to shop are

  12-05-2020 10:55 via chargedretail.co.uk
  Lidl has launched an online chatbot via WhatsApp so customers can avoid queues and find the quietest time to shop.
  Customers in Ireland can now send a message to Lidl through the Facebook-owned messaging app informing the chatbot of the day and time they intend to visit.
  The chatbot will then inform them if this is generally a quiet, average or busy time to visit, the supermarket said in a LinkedIn post.
  “We’ve analysed our shopper behaviour over the past couple of weeks to find the
  
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• Chancellor set to extend furlough scheme, but reduce payments

  12-05-2020 10:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce an extension to the furlough scheme
  // It might continue to September, although payments would be cut from 80% of salary to 60%
  // The current scheme ends in at the end of JuneChancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce an extension to the job retention scheme under which the government subsidises the wages of workers temporarily laid off due to the coronavirus lockdown.
  At least 6.3 million people are currently having up to 80 per cent of the
  
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• Moss Bros to reopen website

  12-05-2020 10:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Moss Bros to reopen website from Wednesday
  // The retailer’s online operations have been closed for 8 weeksMoss Bros has revealed plans to reopen its online operations from Wednesday, after being closed for eight weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  The menswear retailer said it has “implemented the necessary operational changes” to protect employees and will operate with a reduced workforce.
  Moss Bros stopped selling online on March 26, three days after the coronavirus lockd
  
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• Retailers urge government for “further clarity” on reopening stores

  12-05-2020 09:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // UK retailers call for “further clarity” about the updated lockdown guidelines
  // Boris Johnson’s Sunday announcement was criticised for being vagueRetailers in the UK have urged the government to provide “further clarity” about plans to reopen services as the lockdown begins to ease.
  Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined on Sunday the next steps in the easing of the lockdown – which was widely criticised for being vague.
  The PM said “non-essential&rdq
  
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• Coronavirus: Morrisons’ rising sales offset by weak Easter trading

  12-05-2020 09:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Morrisons Q1 sales rise 5.7% during the 14-week period from February 3 to May 10
  // Sales rise was offset by the difficult Easter periodMorrisons has seen its sales during the first quarter rise despite a worse than expected Easter period thanks to the coronavirus lockdown.
  The Big 4 grocer said like for like sales excluding fuel were up 5.7 per cent – with retail sales up 5.1 per cent and wholesale 0.6 per cent during the 14-week period from February 3 to May 10.
  Retail like-for-like s
  
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• Kingfisher sales dented by Covid-19 despite reopening stores

  12-05-2020 08:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Kingfisher sales affected by coronavirus store closures
  // The group recorded a 24% sales drop in the first quarterKingfisher has seen its first quarter sales drop thanks to the coronavirus lockdown enforcing store closures across its its UK, Ireland, French and other international businesses.
  The home and DIY giant reported a 24 per cent decline in sales to £2.2 billion for the three months to April 30.
  In the UK, Kingfisher sales dropped by 14.7 per cent to £1.09 billion, with B
  
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• 'Our world is cancelled': How toy store The Entertainer is fighting to stay afloat

  12-05-2020 07:00
  
  Family owned chain is among many retailers struggling with lower sales and an uncertain future It has sold out of slides, sandpits and swingball as families with gardens try to keep children occupied but The Entertainer has still seen sales dive by three-quarters after being forced to close all its stores.The family-owned toy store chain has become an online-only operator by necessity, converting a warehouse that usually supplies stores into extra space to serve home deliveries as it battles to
  
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• 'Our world is cancelled': How The Entertainer is fighting to stay afloat

  12-05-2020 07:00
  
  Toy store is among many retailers struggling with lower sales and an uncertain future It has sold out of slides, sandpits and swingball as families with gardens try to keep children occupied but The Entertainer has still seen sales dive by three-quarters after being forced to close all its stores.The family-owned toy store chain has become an online-only operator by necessity, converting a warehouse that usually supplies stores into extra space to serve home deliveries as it battles to keep up w
  
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• Sales rise at Morrisons as it plans a new click and collect service

  12-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Morrisons increased its like-for-like sales by 5.7% excluding fuel in the 14 weeks to 10 May although the supermarket said trading in the individual weeks of... View Article
  
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• Sainsbury’s appoints new non-executive directors

  12-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Sainsbury’s has appointed Keith Weed and Tanuj Kapilashrami as non-executive directors. Both will join the supermarket’s board on 1 July. Weed previously spent 36 years working... View Article
  
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• Moss Bros to resume online trading

  12-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Moss Bros is to resume trading online tomorrow after implementing changes to its operations to enable social distancing. The men’s formalwear retailer is also preparing to... View Article
  
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• Kingfisher’s sales recover after lockdown plunge

  12-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  B&Q owner Kingfisher saw its group sales drop by 24% to £2.2 billion in its first quarter after trading was impacted by covid-19 lockdowns in the... View Article
  
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• AO says full year sales and profits will be in line with expectations

  12-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online electricals retailer AO World has said that it expects its full year revenue and adjusted EBITDA to fall within analysts’ expectations. The company is aiming... View Article
  
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• All Dobbies stores to re-open tomorrow

  12-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Dobbies garden centre chain is to re-open all 54 of its UK stores from tomorrow following their enforced closure due to the covid-19 crisis. The... View Article
  
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