Retail news

• Reopening of pubs, restaurants and hairdressers not risk free, say top advisers

  23-06-2020 21:23
  
  Lockdown in England to be mostly lifted on 4 July but ‘rules must be rigorously kept to’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson hailed the beginning of the end of “our long national hibernation” as he set out a dramatic easing of lockdown rules amid warnings from government scientists that the move was “not risk-free”.From 4 July in England, households will be allowed to mingle indoors; pubs, restaurants, churches, museu
  
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• Timber from unsustainable logging allegedly being sold in EU as ethical

  23-06-2020 21:00
  
  Campaigners say some of the wood is going to companies supplying Ikea, though it and logging firm deny wrongdoing
  Laws to protect biodiversity in Ukrainian forests are failing to prevent environmentally unsustainable logging that is harming wildlife, and the resulting timber is being sold to EU consumers as ethical and sustainable, a green campaign group has alleged.Trees are being felled during silent periods, when forests are supposed to be left intact so that birds and other wildlife can nest
  
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• Shopping centre owner Intu could have saved itself years ago | Nils Pratley

  23-06-2020 20:12
  
  You cannot blame Covid-19 for the commercial property firm’s precarious plight – its value plunged well before the pandemicIntu prepares plan contingency for administrationIf you want to see how complicated it is possible to make the financing of an owner of shopping centres, have a trawl though Intu’s annual report for 2019, which could be its last if knife-edge talks with lenders go badly in the next few days. Related: Trafford Centre and Lakeside owner warns it could go bust
  
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• Shopping centre owner Intu could have saved itself years ago

  23-06-2020 20:12
  
  You cannot blame Covid-19 for the commercial property firm’s precarious plight – its value plunged well before the pandemicIntu prepares plan contingency for administrationIf you want to see how complicated it is possible to make the financing of an owner of shopping centres, have a trawl though Intu’s annual report for 2019, which could be its last if knife-edge talks with lenders go badly in the next few days. Related: Trafford Centre and Lakeside owner warns it could go bust
  
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• Why a midsummer nightmare ending looms for Intu

  23-06-2020 18:30
  No quarter day for retail property group; Chesterman’s Cazoo makes a buzz
  
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• Laura Ashley CEO among staff made redundant last week

  23-06-2020 18:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Laura Ashley CEO Katharine Poulter made redundant
  // She had only been made CEO in February, and has been with Laura Ashley since January
  // Gordon Brothers only bought the brand, achives and IP of Laura Ashley when it bought it out of administration in AprilLaura Ashley boss Katharine Poulter was reportedly among the staff made redundant last week when the retailer revealed a further 56 job cuts since its administration.
  Poulter was only appointed chief executive at the end of February after
  
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• Online retail revenue grows 17% in the UK

  23-06-2020 17:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Retail is being impacted dramatically around the globe as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the UK government ordered the closing of all non-essential businesses on March 26, consumers have had to shift their lives and purchasing patterns overnight. As they can no longer shop, socialise or partake in well-being activities the way they once used to, they are turning to digital ways of fulfilling these needs.
  Across the UK, we’ve seen innovative brands come up with new ways to connect
  
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• BRC welcomes while Usdaw opposes relaxation of 2m social distancing rules

  23-06-2020 15:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // PM Boris Johnson announces social distancing rules in England to be relaxed to at least 1m from July 4
  // BRC has welcomed the move, but trade union Usdaw has called for 2m to be maintained in shops
  // The government also greenlit the reopening of pubs, restaurants and hairdressers from July 4The UK Government has announced a relaxation of the two metre social distancing rule in England from July 4, the same date when other high street businesses like pubs, restaurants and hairdressers will b
  
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• Amazon Small Business Accelerator launches in the UK to help 200,000 retailers through pandemic

  23-06-2020 15:42 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Amazon is launching the ‘Amazon Small Business Accelerator’ in a bid to help over 200,000 small UK businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Amazon Small Business Accelerator launched today, offering businesses free online training programmes and a range of benefits including discounts on business supplies and PPE equipment.
  Launched in partnership with small business support network Enterprise Nation, the initiative allows business to take an online ‘diagnostics test’ to
  
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• Monsoon Accessorize founder: “Only 6 or 10” Monsoon stores will reopen

  23-06-2020 14:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Monsoon Accessorize founder says only 6-10 Monsoon stores will reopen after lockdown
  // The rest of its store estate will be Accessorize – about 83 shopsMonsoon Accessorize founder Peter Simon has told BBC Radio 4 that of the 100 stores that are planned for reopening, only six to 10 of them will be Monsoon shops.
  The news comes nearly two weeks after Simon re-acquired the fashion retail group’s brands, head office and distribution centre out of administration via a pre-pack deal.
  
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• UK shoppers choose local grocers and online stores in Covid-19 crisis

  23-06-2020 13:35
  
  Only just over half of people feel safe visiting supermarket or convenience storeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUK shoppers are continuing to turn to local shops and online grocers amid concerns about visiting supermarkets during the coronavirus pandemic.One in five British households bought groceries online in the past month, pumping up sales for home delivery by 91%, while small independent stores rang up 69% more sales in the three months to 20 June, accordi
  
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• Pepco pushes on with store openings despite Covid-19 impact

  23-06-2020 13:08
  Discounter eyes new outlets in eastern and southern Europe even as profits fall
  
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• Ocado achieves largest market share of all time as online grocery sales jump 91%

  23-06-2020 11:33 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Ocado has seen its market share of the UK grocery sector hit an all time high amid a dramatic increase in online grocery sales.
  Online grocery sales skyrocketed a whopping 91 per cent over the last four weeks despite lockdown measures easing across the UK, according to the latest data from Kantar.
  This saw Ocado enjoy sales growth of over 42 per cent, the most of any major UK supermarket, and achieve its best ever market share of 1.7 per cent.
  The staggering growth was largely thanks to grocers&
  
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• UK convenience store sales up 17% as shoppers go “ultra local”

  23-06-2020 10:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Shoppers stay “ultra local” with convenience store sales up almost 20%
  // Iceland gains 23% on market share thanks to demand for frozen food
  // The Co-op also makes new headway with market share up by 16 per centSales across the UK’s convenience stores rose by almost a fifth in the four weeks to June 13 2020 as shoppers stayed local against the backdrop of coronavirus.
  According to Nielsen’s Total Till data, sales were up 17 per cent for convenience stores, ahead of ov
  
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• Patagonia boycotts Facebook & Instagram advertising

  23-06-2020 10:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Patagona joins The North Face in boycotting ads on Facebook and Instagram
  // Patagona said its ban would be in place for all of July and possibly longer
  // The brand said Facebook failed to take steps to stop the spread of “hateful lies and dangerous propaganda”Patagonia has become the latest retailer to announce an advertising boycott of Facebook and its Instagram app.
  The outdoor equipment brand and retailer, based in California, said the ban would take place for the month of Ju
  
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• Shoe Zone shuts down 20 stores, cuts HQ jobs amid £2.5m half-year loss

  23-06-2020 10:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Shoe Zone CEO says impact of coronavirus will be felt by retailer “for several years.”
  // Revenue fell 6% after impact of Covid-19 while online sales rose by almost a third
  // Shoe Zone shuts down 20 stores and cuts jobs at head office to reduce costsFootwear retailer Shoe Zone has revealed it made a loss before tax of £2.5 million in the six months to April 4, while also announcing store closures and head office job cuts.
  Revenue fell six per cent to £68.9 million for
  
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• Shoe Zone reports £2.5m loss for half year to April

  23-06-2020 10:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Shoe Zone CEO says impact of coronavirus will be felt by retailer “for several years.”
  // Revenue fell 6% after impact of COVID-19
  // Online sales rose by almost a thirdFootwear specialist Shoe Zone on Tuesday revealed it made a loss before tax of £2.5 million in the six months to April 4 2020.
  Revenue fell 6 per cent to £68.9 million for the period, although online sales rose 32 per cent to £6.5 million.READ MORE: Shoe Zone cancels final dividend & warns of
  
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• Intu to file for administration if crunch talks with lenders fail this week

  23-06-2020 10:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Intu warns its shopping centres may close if it calls in administrators should crunch talks with lenders fail this week
  // Intu hopes to arrange a standstill agreement on terms of up to 18 months, but at this stage it is unlikely to be more than 15 months
  // Intu has put KPMG on standby & is negotiating details with lenders ahead of a deadline on FridayIntu has warned that its shopping centres across the UK may have to close if it calls in administrators as it remains locked in crunch tal
  
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• Poundland owner Pepco sees profits fall 16%

  23-06-2020 09:50 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Pepco says group revenue rose almost 10% for first half, despite impact of coronavirus
  // CEO says Poundland is “extremely well placed” to take advantage of expected rise in demand for discount productsPoundland’s owner Pepco Group on Tuesday posted a 16.3 per cent fall in profit for the first half of its financial year, due to the impact of coronavirus.
  The retail group said total revenue rose 9.7 per cent in the six months to the end of March 2020, slowing from a 14.4 per
  
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• Trafford Centre owner prepares contingency plan for administration

  23-06-2020 09:34
  
  Intu, which also owns Lakeside in Essex, has been unable to collect rent from many tenantsIntu Properties, one of Britain’s largest shopping centre owners, has appointed accountancy firm KPMG as administrator to make a “contingency plan” if it cannot reach an agreement with its creditors.The indebted company, which owns the Trafford Centre in Manchester and Lakeside in Essex, confirmed last month it was seeking debt standstill agreements with some of its lenders as it battles f
  
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• Boris Johnson says plans to relax Sunday trading laws are “under review”

  23-06-2020 09:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Group of Conservative MPs prepare to defend Sunday trading laws
  // Prime Minister says plans to lift Sunday restrictions are “under review”The Prime Minister has said plans to extend Sunday opening hours for shops are “under review” as a group of at least 50 Conservative MPs prepare to rebel over the proposal.
  Boris Johnson is still considering whether to allow shops to trade for longer on Sundays by relaxing current restrictions for retailers open on the last day of t
  
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• John Lewis customer service has let me down

  23-06-2020 08:00
  
  The TV I bought had a five-year guarantee, but when it broke, they told me I was to blameI feel badly treated by John Lewis and want to warn others that its guarantees are not being honoured.I purchased a Toshiba TV from the Birmingham store two years ago for £379. It came with a five-year guarantee. Recently, a problem arose with the picture – horizontal lines appeared on the screen, which subsequently got worse. Continue reading...
  
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• WEBINAR: Using payments to enhance the shopping experience for everyone

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Ingenico Enterprise Retail is pleased to announce its latest webinar on how payments can enhance the shopping experience for both the consumer and the retailer. Taking... View Article
  
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• Webinar: Retail Customer Marketing 2020 – register for next week

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  July 15 & 16 10am: As we head into a new functioning normal, this series of webinars will help you create and retain engaged, connected and... View Article
  
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• Webinar: Retail Customer Marketing 2020 – next week

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  July 15 & 16 10am: As we head into a new functioning normal, this series of webinars will help you create and retain engaged, connected and... View Article
  
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• Webinar: Retail Customer Marketing 2020

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  :: 10am July 15 & 10am July 16 2020 :: As we head into a new functioning normal, this series of webinars will help you create... View Article
  
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• Superior data quality enables L’Occitane to build more personalized customer relationships

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Improvement in data quality enables L’Occitane to start building a relationship with a customer from the moment they click the subscribe button. L’Occitane is a global... View Article
  
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• Shoe Zone swings to first half loss

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Footwear retailer Shoe Zone has swung to a loss of £2.5 million in its first half from a profit of £1 million in the same period last... View Article
  
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• Pepco Group profit impacted by Covid-19

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Poundland owner Pepco Group saw its revenue increase by 9.7% in the six months to the end of March, although pre-tax profit was down 16.3% to... View Article
  
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• Mothercare to move to smaller head office

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Mothercare has unveiled plans to move its head office to a smaller and more cost effective site in early August. The retailer has also agreed terms for a... View Article
  
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• How Do You Measure and Maximize a High-Potential Schedule?

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Guest Post: Julie Bushee, Retail Labor Manager. How does a retailer know if its schedules will be operative or predictable? Can it measure them based on... View Article
  
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• Hotter Shoes to restructure via CVA

  23-06-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The owner of Hotter Shoes has announced that the footwear retailer is to restructure through a company voluntary arrangement process. In a statement, Electra Private Equity... View Article
  
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