Retail news

• Will the end of lockdown prompt the sale of the century?

  05-06-2020 23:00
  Shoppers and tourists wooed by promotions but executives warn against mass discounts
  
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• Amazon/Elon Musk: monopoly money

  05-06-2020 20:02
  Anyone can post angry tweets but antitrust action is harder
  
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• 'We need to mix things up': UK retailers prepare for return of high street

  05-06-2020 18:05
  Browsing appointments and floral markers among ideas as shops in England plan to re-openCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhen shoppers in England venture back on to the high street in 10 days’ time, they will emerge into a very different retail universe to the one they remember.Instead of wandering round clothes shops, they will be asked to make browsing appointments in advance. Instead of bustling restaurants, they will find distanced dining zones on the s
  
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• 'We need to mix things up': retailers prepare for return of high street

  05-06-2020 18:05
  
  Browsing appointments and floral markers among ideas as shops in England plan to re-openCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhen shoppers in England venture back on to the high street in 10 days’ time, they will emerge into a very different retail universe to the one they remember.Instead of wandering round clothes shops, they will be asked to make browsing appointments in advance. Instead of bustling restaurants, they will find distanced dining zones on the s
  
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• Matalan scurries to find chairman after securing vital funding

  05-06-2020 17:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Matalan searches for new chairman as John Mills steps down
  // The retailer recently secured funds to help it survive through the Covid-19 crisisMatalan is reportedly scurrying to find a replacement as chairman John Mills announces his resignation from the retailer.
  The fashion retailer has appointed headhunters to identify a successor to Mills, who is also a veteran adviser to Matalan founder John Hargreaves, Sky News reported.
  Mills is said to be preparing to step down as Matalan’s cha
  
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• Charity shops seek staff to prepare for deluge of donations

  05-06-2020 16:57
  Managers fear up to half of existing volunteers will be unable to return when stores reopen
  
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• Retail Gazette Loves: Waitrose cashier becomes a Vogue cover star

  05-06-2020 15:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  In a first for the British edition of Vogue, the magazine is devoting its front cover to honouring key workers who have been working tirelessly during the coronavirus pandemic.
  Gracing the front cover of Vogue‘s July issue is Anisa Omar, 21 who works as a supermarket assistant at Waitrose in King’s Cross.
  Normally serving customers on the checkouts or replenishing the shelves with much needed essentials, Omar was photographed in her uniform during a regular shift.
  She described the w
  
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• Over 800 jobs at risk as Victoria’s Secret UK falls into administration

  05-06-2020 15:49 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Victoria’s Secret UK arm collapses into administration
  // The lingerie retailer has hired Deloitte advisers
  // Over 800 jobs are at riskVictoria’s Secret has announced that its UK division has fallen into administration, putting over 800 jobs at risk.
  The US lingerie retailer, which has furloughed 785 employees, has 25 stores in the UK and confirmed on Friday that it has drafted in Deloitte advisers to assess the impact of Covid-19 on business.
  The insolvency firm said it will con
  
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• Plans to reopen shops in England 'in chaos' over social distancing rules

  05-06-2020 15:19
  
  Study finds 10 sq metres of space is required per shopper to stick to government’s 2-metre guidelinesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHigh street retailers must give each shopper a minimum of 10 sq metres of space if they are to maintain social distancing rules, a new study has found, prompting businesses to complain that a lack of official guidance has left reopening plans in chaos.With 10 days to go until most non-essential shops reopen in England, a rese
  
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• 5 Consumer Shopping Trends in the Age of COVID-19

  05-06-2020 15:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  As consumers adjust to life under lockdown, one thing’s certain — consumer shopping behaviour has changed dramatically. Whether it’s embracing home DIY, taking up gardening, introducing a lunchtime yoga class or learning the hard way that home manicures don’t always go to plan — consumers are turning to online and digital channels to source products and advice to suit their new lifestyles.
  With more of us online than ever before, now’s the time for brands and
  
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• Gap reports $932m quarterly loss after Covid-19 shutdown

  05-06-2020 14:06
  
  US-based clothing retailer forced to close 90% of global stores during lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUS clothing retailer Gap has reported a quarterly loss of almost $1bn, after it had to close the vast majority of its stores worldwide during the coronavirus shutdown.The company, based in San Francisco, made a loss of $932m (£738m) for the three months to 2 May, compared with $227m profit during the same period in 2019. Continue reading...
  
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• Save The High Street launches campaign to support indie retailers post-lockdown

  05-06-2020 13:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Save The High Street launches Covid-19 Recovery & Resilience campaign
  // Features free, personalised support for indie high street retailers to assist post-lockdown recoverySave The High Street has launched a new campaign to support independent retailers up and down the country as non-essential shops prepare to exit lockdown on June 15.
  The industry body said the phased lifting of lockdown restrictions mean the next few months may “prove to be the most important in the history of th
  
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• Elon Musk calls for Amazon to be “broken up” in Twitter spat

  05-06-2020 13:14 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Elon Musk has called for Amazon to be “broken up” in a tweet directed at Jeff Bezos after the retailer refused to sell a book about COVID-19.
  The Tesla founder and chief executive tagged fellow billionaire Bezos in a tweet on Thursday stating that Amazon’s decision not to publish Unreported truths about Covid-19 and lockdowns was “insane”, adding “Time to break up Amazon. Monopolies are wrong!”
  Alex Berenson@AlexBerenson · 22hO
  
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• Aldi introduces self-service checkouts to speed up sales

  05-06-2020 13:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Aldi introduces new self-service checkouts in some stores
  // The initiative is part of a trial to speed up transactions and minimise contact with others during the pandemicAldi has announced new changes to its checkout service in an effort to speed up transactions amid the pandemic.
  Most recently, the German discounter has installed the new tills at its Lichfield branch.
  It has confirmed plans to introduce them in three more stores at its Atherstone, Hounslow and Tooting branches before the e
  
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• Adidas sales in China return to growth while UK sales remain doubtful

  05-06-2020 11:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Adidas reports return to growth in greater China following a Covid-19 lockdown
  // The sportswear retailer had anticipated a 40% drop in second-quarter salesAdidas has reported a faster-than-expected growth in sales in greater China as stores continued to reopen in the country post-lockdown.
  While Chinese sales returned to growth, the business awaits for sales to return to normal in Europe and US as stores are due to reopen this month.
  The sportswear giant said in April that it expected a 40 p
  
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• Tesco makes changes to its online shopping service allowing customers to purchase more items

  05-06-2020 11:09 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Tesco has begun removing purchase limits for online orders and essential items as its operations begin adjust to the new normal.
  During the start of the pandemic the UK’s largest grocer limited online order sizes to 80 items in an attempt to mitigate panic buying and relieve the pressure on its online operations.
  This is now being gradually eased to 85 items as the retailer’s supply chain and delivery capacity has adjusted to the new demands of life under lockdown.
  Purchase limits we
  
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• 12,000 Boots eyewear customers on 10-week wait-list as opticians shut

  05-06-2020 10:44 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boots customers had to wait 10 weeks for eyewear prescriptions
  // Boots’ high street pharmacies and stores continued to operate throughout the pandemicBoots customers have reportedly had to wait for 10 weeks for their prescription glasses after the retailer shut 549 opticians outlets due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
  Up to 12,000 customers have had to wait for more than 10 weeks for eyewear, The Guardian reported.
  Meanwhile, Boots’ high street pharmacies and stores have continued to o
  
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• While supermarket workers get extra praise, their bosses get extra pay | Polly Toynbee

  05-06-2020 10:30
  
  As a dark recession looms, now is the time to make sure no company profits from coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCashing in on coronavirus is a bad look. Supermarkets have seen a surge of as much as 50% in sales, reports Pensions & Investment Research Consultants (PIRC), which scrutinises companies’ good governance. Yet supermarkets have been gifted millions in a business rates holiday windfall that they need least. Related: UK corner sh
  
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• Gap plunges to a £740m loss as coronavirus pandemic bites

  05-06-2020 10:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Gap plunges to a loss of $932m (£740m) in the three months ending May as the coronavirus pandemic bites
  // This compares to a profit of $227m during the same quarterly period last year
  // Gap is also being taken to court by the US’s largest shopping centre operator over £52m worth of unpaid rentGap has plunged to a loss of almost $1 billion as store closures from the coronavirus pandemic bites into its finances.
  In the first quarter ending May, the fashion retailer was $932
  
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• Charlotte Tilbury has a new majority owner

  05-06-2020 09:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Puig takes majority stake in Charlotte Tilbury valued as much as £1m
  // Charlotte Tilbury herself will have a minority stake and will remain as chair, president and creative chiefCharlotte Tilbury has undergone a major upheaval of its ownership after Barcelona-based fashion and fragrance group Puig acquired a majority stake in the British cosmetics retailer.
  While full details of the deal remain undisclosed, Puig reportedly made an offer valuing Charlotte Tilbury’s eponymous busin
  
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• Skyrocketing online sales fail to offset retailers’ high street woes

  05-06-2020 09:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Online sales in May surged 129.5% higher compared with the same month last year – the highest jump on record
  // This did not offset high street sales for retailers, with total like-for-like sales slumping almost 1/5
  // Fashion and lifestyle retailers suffered the worst during MayUK retailers saw record online sales last month as trading more than doubled but it still failed to offset the impact of empty high street stores, according to new figures.
  The BDO retail sales tracker for May r
  
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• Consumer confidence tumbles to near-recession levels

  05-06-2020 08:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // UK consumer confidence drops 2 points to -36
  // This is three points shy of the word score on record, -39, which was recorded during the 2008 financial crash
  // Behind the overall score, perceptions about personal finances and economic situation all deterioratedConsumer confidence in the UK is teetering just above its 2008 historic low point, according to an index.
  Research carried out between May 20-26 found consumer sentiment had deteriorated compared to the previous two weeks.
  The long-run
  
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• Consumers’ reluctance to spend puts brake on UK recovery

  05-06-2020 05:00
  Sluggish indicators add to pressure on Treasury for economic stimulus
  
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• Webinar : Weds 10 June : Future Proofing Customer Contact

  05-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  TTEC :: Enable always-On CX for the always-connected customer :: 10 June 2020, 2pm BST (UK). Businesses need a strategy that not only needs to support... View Article
  
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• Webinar: 10 June : Future Proofing Customer Contact

  05-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Enable always-On CX for the always-connected customer :: 10 June 2020. Businesses need a strategy that not only needs to support and manage crises like the... View Article
  
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• Puig acquires majority stake in Charlotte Tilbury

  05-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Spanish fragrance and fashion company Puig has acquired a majority stake in the Charlotte Tilbury cosmetic brand. The deal is thought to value the business at... View Article
  
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• Gap Inc first quarter sales down 43%

  05-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Gap has posted a 43% drop in first quarter net sales as a result of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on retail. The owner of... View Article
  
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