Retail news

• Moving pay goalposts for Tesco's Dave Lewis is slippery behaviour

  13-05-2020 20:19
  
  He’s been paid £29m over six years – manoeuvre of excluding Ocado to make Tesco shine feels grubbyDave Lewis did a decent turnaround job at Tesco, we can agree, but he’s been paid spectacularly well in the process – £29m over six years. It is why an artful manoeuvre within his £6.4m pay packet for his last full year in charge feels so grubby.Tesco’s remuneration committee seems to have been shocked when it crunched the numbers on Lewis’s &ldq
  
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• Unsung Hero: Hilary Allen, Covid-19 volunteer, Central England Co-op

  13-05-2020 18:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the nation, Hilary Allen decided she wanted to make a difference by supporting essential workers during the challenging times.
  “I have always admired how hard our retail heroes work and their commitment to the job, as well as their friendliness and customer skills,” Allen said.
  “To be able to go into store and support them in any way during this especially difficult time is the least I can do.”
  As a member of Central England
  
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• Ex-Debenhams Bangladeshi staff post video demanding proper payout

  13-05-2020 17:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Ex-Debenhams staff in Bangladesh plead to be paid in YouTube video message
  // The staff in the video say their roles were terminated “illegally” and that they’re entitled to compensation under Bangladeshi law
  // Debenhams liquidated its Bangladeshi operations as part of its administrationStaff who have been affected by the liquidation of Debenhams’ sourcing office in Bangladesh have posted a video demanding they be paid properly.
  The video, posted on YouTube on behalf
  
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• Pensions authority wants another Laura Ashley administrator appointed

  13-05-2020 16:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The Pension Protection Fund seeks new administrator at Laura Ashley
  // The authority wants FRP Advisory to run the administration alongside PwC
  // Laura Ashley went into administration last month, but its brand and archives have been acquired by the Gordon BrothersdThe Pension Protection Fund reportedly wants Laura Ashley to have another administrator installed to oversee the investigation regarding the retailer’s collapse.
  According to Sky News, the UK’s pensions lifeboat au
  
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• Tesco boosted executive pay by axing Ocado from peer group

  13-05-2020 15:06
  Removal of online supermarket from custom index ensured management did not miss out on bonus
  
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• Tesco chief executive handed £6.42m pay package

  13-05-2020 13:58
  
  Dave Lewis received biggest annual haul for executive at supermarket in a decadeTesco chief executive, Dave Lewis, has been handed a £6.42m pay package, the biggest annual haul for an executive at the supermarket since the departure of Sir Terry Leahy nearly a decade ago.Lewis, who is leaving the business in September, saw his total pay rise by more than a third last year, thanks to a leap in annual and long-term bonus payouts. Related: How Tesco's 'doomsday exercise' helped it cope with t
  
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• M&S to partially re-open in-store cafes in 49 locations

  13-05-2020 13:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // M&S to re-open 49 cafes from tomorrow
  // They will only offer takeaway hot drinks
  // Social distancing and hygiene measures will be in place, and only one staff member will work the tillMarks & Spencer is set to begin re-opening its in-store cafes across 49 locations from tomorrow, but they will only offer customers takeaway hot drinks.
  M&S said the cafes selected for re-opening are located adjacent to their food halls and follows a trial at five of the locations, including High S
  
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• Wickes stores set for phased reopening starting this week

  13-05-2020 13:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Wickes stores to begin re-opening of 106 stores Thursday May 14
  // Target to have 220 stores open nationwide by Tuesday May 19Wickes has announced a phased re-opening of its stores to the public in the next two weeks, with strict safety measures in place to protect customers and staff amid the coronavirus pandemic.
  Despite being classified as an essential retailer and having permission to remain open during the lockdown, Wickes decided to close its stores and only serve customers through its
  
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• H&M to launch online in 9 new countries as part of its “ongoing digitalisation”

  13-05-2020 13:24 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  H&M has announced plans to expand its online operations to nine new European markets this month “as part of our ongoing digitalisation”.
  H&M Group’s brands, including Arket, Weekday, Monki, & Other Stories and Cos will all be launched online in Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Estonia and Croatia tomorrow.
  On May 20, these brands will also launch in Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Greece.
  It is understood that H&M had planned to launch these brands last month but wa
  
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• UK fashion industry pleads for more aid to survive Covid-19 crisis

  13-05-2020 12:55
  
  British Fashion Council hands out £1m in emergency funds but says much more is neededCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe British fashion industry has called for more financial aid from the government amid fears that Covid-19 crisis could wipe out half of the sector.On the day the British Fashion Council (BFC) announced the recipients for its £1m emergency fund, the organisation said the amount was meagre in light of the sum needed to help small, inde
  
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• Morrisons rolls out “Speedy Shopping” lanes for small basket shops

  13-05-2020 12:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Morrisons introduces Speedy Shopping for customers doing smaller “basket shops”
  // 3 Speedy Shopping customers will be invited in for every Big Shop trolley shopper
  // There will also be dedicated Speedy Shopper checkouts & more self-scan tills will be “card only”Morrisons has introduced Speedy Shopping for customers doing smaller “basket” shops at all of its stores as part of measures to control queues during the coronavirus pandemic.
  The Big 4 grocer
  
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• Amazon delivery times to return to pre-coronavirus levels

  13-05-2020 11:43 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Amazon delivery times should soon return to pre-coronavirus levels after a huge spike in demand wreaked havoc on its supply chain.
  One-day and two-day delivery times will once again become the norm for Amazon shoppers as the retailer says it has caught up with a backlog of orders.
  The online retailer has also lifted restrictions on the amount of items suppliers and sellers can send to its warehouses after imposing limits to ensure essential goods were prioritised.
  Amazon’s rapid delivery a
  
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• Coronavirus: New safety guidance for retailers reopening stores

  13-05-2020 10:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Government publishes new safety guidance to help retailers reopen safely
  // June 1 is the provisional date given to non-essential retailers to begin a phased reopeningRetailers have been provided with a new safety guidance by the government to help them prepare store re-openings next month.
  Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that June 1 is the provisional date given to non-essential retailers to begin a phased reopening.
  The new guidance will offer advice on how retailers c
  
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• Landsec losses widen by £1.18bn as Covid-19 lockdown bites

  13-05-2020 09:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Landsec takes a £1.18bn hit to its property portfolio
  // The shopping centre group owns Bluewater and Trinity Leeds shopping malls
  // Landsec has lost over 20% of its valueLandsec has taken a near £1.2 billion hit to its property portfolio during the coronavirus lockdown and has prepared for more empty units at its shopping centres.
  The shopping centre owner, which manages Bluewater in Kent and Trinity Leeds shopping malls, said the value of its property portfolio had dropped by n
  
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• Pets at Home denies misleading investors over £34m loan

  13-05-2020 09:16 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Pets at Home has been accused of being untruthful over a £34 million loan
  // The retailer has been criticised by a US investor for making its finances appear more secure
  // Pets at Home has denied these allegationsPets at Home has reportedly been criticised by a short-seller over claims it was misleading about a £34 million loan, which made its finances appear more secure than they are.
  The pets goods retailer saw its shares drop as much as 13 per cent after the attack from T
  
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• TM Lewin snapped up by new private equity owner

  13-05-2020 08:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // TM Lewin is acquired by private equity firm SCP for an undisclosed sum
  // The sale comes almost a month after TM Lewin called for bidders to make an offerTM Lewin has been bought by London-based private equity firm SCP from from its current owner Bain Capital, via its subsidiary acquisition vehicle Torque Brands.
  The vehicle has been set up by SCP to “acquire a portfolio of complementary British brands into one centralised shared services platform”.
  The sale was handled by corpora
  
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• Coronavirus: Retail sales at lowest levels since 1995

  13-05-2020 08:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Retail sales declined 19.1% from April 5 to May 2
  // This is the worst decline since January 1995 according to BRC-KPMG retail sales monitorRetail sales have seen a record decline in April as the coronavirus lockdown continues to take its toll on the sector.
  On a total basis, sales decreased by 19.1 per cent between April 5 and May 2, against an increase of 2.4 per cent in April 2019, according to the BRC–KPMG retail sales monitor.
  This marks the worst decline since the monitor was intr
  
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• What does the biggest economic slump in 300 years mean for Britain?

  13-05-2020 04:00
  
  As the chancellor announces plans to extend the unprecedented scheme to pay the wages of millions of workers, whole sectors of the economy remain shut because of Covid-19, causing a recession unseen in Britain for centuries. Larry Elliott explains what it will mean for the country The coronavirus lockdown has resulted in the UK’s biggest economic downturn for 300 years, with shops shuttered, factories closed and millions of workers told to stay at home while the government pays their wages
  
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• UK consumer spending drops over a third during lockdown

  13-05-2020 01:07
  
  Contraction fuelled by near-halving of money going on travel and 97% fall in sales for bars, pubs and clubs
  
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• UK retailers warn of shop closures and job losses amid lockdown

  13-05-2020 01:01
  
  Consumer spending during coronavirus crises is steepest drop since records began in 1995 Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritain’s retailers have warned of the mounting risk of shop closures and job losses across the country after consumer spending plunged to record lows in April since comparable records began as the coronavirus lockdown took hold.Reflecting the impact of lockdown measures across the country, the British Retail Consortium said sales fell 1
  
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• WEBINAR: Return to Vender – take your vending business to the next level

  13-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Ingenico Enterprise Retail is pleased to announce its latest webinar on the future of payments. Taking place on Tuesday 19th May at 11am BST, it will... View Article
  
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• UK retail sales saw record fall in April

  13-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  UK retail sales suffered a record decline in April as covid-19 lockdown measures took their toll. Figures from the British Retail Consortium and KPMG in their... View Article
  
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• Subway reopens 600 UK branches

  13-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Sandwich retailer Subway has embarked on phased reopening of 600 stores across the UK. Equating to a quarter of Subway’s store portfolio, the shops will offer... View Article
  
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• Morrisons launches ‘Speedy Shopping’ for basket customers

  13-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Morrisons supermarket chain has introduced ‘Speedy Shopping’ lanes both inside and outside its stores for customers doing smaller ‘basket’ shops. The new system aims to... View Article
  
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• Marks & Spencer to re-open 49 in-store cafés

  13-05-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Marks & Spencer is re-opening 49 of its in-store cafés as it looks to provide customers with beverages while they shop. The outlets will only sell... View Article
  
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