Retail news

• Multiple Boohoo inspections find no modern slavery offences

  08-07-2020 20:04 via ft.com
  Lack of enforcement shows challenge in tackling allegations of supply chain issues
  
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• Uber Eats teams up with Asda for fast-track grocery deliveries in UK

  08-07-2020 19:29
  
  Service being trialled from two stores as shoppers switch to buying groceries onlineUber Eats has joined up with Asda in the US tech firm’s first step into fast-track grocery delivery in the UK.The supermarket chain, which has previously tested takeaway and limited grocery deliveries via the Just Eat app in a handful of stores, said the new service would start in two outlets and could be extended to more if successful. Continue reading...
  
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• Boohoo to launch independent review of UK supply chain

  08-07-2020 19:01
  
  Move follows allegations about pay and conditions at Leicester factories selling clothes to firmThe online fashion retailer Boohoois launching an independent review of its UK supply chain after allegations that some factories in Leicester that sell clothes to Boohoo paid workers below the minimum wage and failed to protect them from the coronavirus outbreak.Boohoo’s share price took another hammering on Wednesday, closing down 14% at 224p, despite the announcement of the review, meaning al
  
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• Boohoo must take fashion more seriously after factory scandal

  08-07-2020 18:19
  
  Retailer needs to scrutinise its board and policies to avoid being a symbol of UK’s low-pay cultureThe fashion retailer Boohoo says on its website: “Our philosophy’s pretty simple: we don’t take life, or fashion, too seriously.”The company will be taking life and fashion much more seriously after its share price fell by a third over the first two days of the week and by another 15% on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...
  
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• Harveys: What went wrong?

  08-07-2020 18:12 via retailgazette.co.uk
  A BRIEF TIMELINE
  1966: Harveys opened its first store on London’s Mare Street, selling living room and dining room furniture, textiles and home furnishings. It began as a private company.
  2003: Harveys made the decision to move to a furniture-only business, removing all textiles from its product range.
  2004: Harveys launched its bedroom furniture range.
  2005: In October, the company was acquired by South African retail conglomerate Steinhoff International.
  2010: In May, Harveys removed its
  
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• OnBuy to go global after securing £5m cash injection

  08-07-2020 17:37 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // OnBuy secures £5m from investors to help it expand globally to 140 new territories
  // To help with the expansion, the online marketplace has also tripled its workforceBritish online marketplace OnBuy is set to launch globally this summer after securing a £5 million cash injection from investors.
  The retailer said it recorded a whopping 1100 per cent sales increase in the past year, prompting chief executive Cas Paton to project a turnover of more than £2 billion by 2024.
  Wit
  
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• Social distancing forces more retailers to embrace digital transformation

  08-07-2020 17:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Retailers are rapidly embracing digital technologies to address gaps from social distancing, says GlobalData
  // The need to build digital capabilities was a case of “now or never” for physical retail stores, it addsThe coronavirus pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in retail, a new report from GlobalData suggests.
  As the world scrambles to come back to normalcy under pandemic-induced social distancing guidelines, GlobalData said more and more bricks-and-mortar retaile
  
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• Boohoo: the crying game

  08-07-2020 16:24 via ft.com
  Retailer’s strong margins now look like a weakness rather than a strength
  
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• Brooks Brothers files for bankruptcy in work from home era

  08-07-2020 15:56 via ft.com
  Two-centuries-old retailer of business wear struggles for survival
  
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• Retailers in line for £1000 bonus for each employee brought back from furlough

  08-07-2020 14:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Chancellor says companies – including retailers – will be given £1000 for each furloughed staff member they take back
  // The jobs retention bonus will be paid to companies if they keep the employee in work until January
  // The new scheme will cost the UK Government up to £9 billionChancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a new scheme that could cost up to £9 billion to encourage employers to bring back the workers they furloughed.
  Sunak said the furlough scheme canno
  
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• The Entertainer invests £1m to create new flagship at Bullring

  08-07-2020 14:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The Entertainer invests £1m to revamp its Birmingham Bulling regional flagship
  // The 9000sq ft store features new flooring, lighting, interactive areas and a shop-in-shopThe Entertainer has invested £1 million to refresh its regional flagship store in the Bullring, Birmingham.
  The toy retailer’s 9000sq ft store, which reopened after lockdown on June 15, features new flooring, lighting and other refurbishments works, such as interactive areas and “immersive spaces&rdqu
  
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• Tati, much-loved French retailer, shuts up shop in Paris after 70 years

  08-07-2020 14:27
  
  Cut-price clothing chain falls victim to changing shopping habits and the Covid-19 lockdownTati, the much-loved cut-price clothing chain that has been a French retail institution for more than 70 years, is to close its original – and last – Paris store, after public transport strikes and the coronavirus crisis sent sales plunging by more than 60%.Founded by a Tunisian immigrant at the end of the second world war in the mainly west African Barbès district at the foot of Montmar
  
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• Ralph Lauren quietly pulls Facebook advertising as #StopHateForProfit boycott fails to turn Zuckerberg

  08-07-2020 14:24 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Ralph Lauren and Carolina Herrera have quietly stopped advertising on Facebook as the widespread boycott continues to gather pace.
  Luxury giant Ralph Lauren pulled advertising on Facebook and Instagram last week while in order to “reassess our principles for media buying to ensure we appear in channels and on platforms that share our values”, according to Vogue Business.
  Despite this action, the brand does not appear on the public list of companies taking part in the boycott, wh
  
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• US retail rebound falters as virus infections surge

  08-07-2020 11:36 via ft.com
  Figures spur concerns that consumer spending will remain weak for a long period
  
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• US retail rebound falters as virus infections jump

  08-07-2020 11:36 via ft.com
  Figures point to renewed weakness in sales as concerns grow over pandemic’s spread
  
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• The battle for designer face masks heats up as more brands release high-tech offerings

  08-07-2020 11:31 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  The battle of the designer face masks is heating up as a raft of brands follow Uniqlo and Under Armour’s lead in creating high-tech fashionable PPE.
  Last month Uniqlo launched their Airism face mask, made from its breathable high-tech fabric usually reserved for its underwear range, to such high demand that its website crashed.
  The staggering demand for its face masks, which remained sold out in Japan for weeks after launch, demonstrated to other retailers how lucrative branded fashionable
  
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• Government to “tackle” crime against shopworkers

  08-07-2020 10:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The government said it will work with the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) to protect shopworkers against crime
  // The government announcement comes more than 12 months after it initially opened a call for evidence into the issueThe government has responded to calls to crack down on abuse and violence against shopworkers.
  In a statement on Tuesday, the Home Office said it would work with the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) on a “best practice guide to support st
  
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• John Lewis tops customer satisfaction index as Debenhams tumbles

  08-07-2020 10:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // John Lewis retains top spot in the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index
  // M&S and Aldi storm up the charts, Amazon drops down one rank
  // Debenhams drops out of the top 10 after topping it this time last yearJohn Lewis has held onto its crown at the top of a customer satisfaction index while its rival Debenhams dropped out of the top 10 all together.
  John Lewis, which scored 85.3 out of 100, also topped the UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) back in January.
  The index, published eve
  
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• 350 redundancies loom at Boxfresh owner Pentland Brands

  08-07-2020 09:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Pentland Brands warned of 350 job cuts as part of strategic review
  // The review is part of an effort to concentrate on a more focused brand portfolioPentland Brands has said at least 350 redundancies are likely to happen as part of a global strategic review which will also see it “hibernate” its Boxfresh brand.
  The review is part of an effort to concentrate on a more focused brand portfolio with a reduced licensed footwear business.
  Pentland Brands has shared this with its employ
  
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• JD Sports boss Peter Cowgill warns of more administrations post-Covid

  08-07-2020 09:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // JD Sports’ Peter Cowgill warns that retail pre-pack administrations and CVAS will increase post pandemic
  // The sports goods retailer recently launched a pre-pack administration for its subsidiary Go OutdoorsJD Sports executive chair Peter Cowgill has reportedly said the rate of retail pre-pack administrations and CVAS will increase post pandemic.
  The sports goods retailer recently launched a pre-pack administration for its subsidiary Go Outdoors in an effort to secure more competitive
  
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• Next and Asos drop Boohoo from websites after slavery claims

  08-07-2020 09:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boohoo’s items have been temporarily dropped from the platforms of Asos, Next, Very and Zalando following modern slavery claims
  // The fast fashion giant said it will end relationships with any supplier it finds to have broken its code of conductNext and Asos have dropped Boohoo from their websites after claims that the fast fashion retailer was “forcing” Covid-19 positive workers to attend its factory in Leicester, and were still paid less than the minimum wage.
  Boohoo has
  
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• Next & Asos drop Boohoo from websites after slavery allegations

  08-07-2020 09:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boohoo’s items dropped from Asos, Next, Very and Zalando websites following modern slavery allegations
  // The fast fashion giant said it will end relationships with any supplier it finds to have broken its code of conduct
  // Boohoo also launches an immediate independent review of its UK supply chainNext and Asos have dropped Boohoo from their websites amid allegations the fast fashion retailer was “forcing” Covid-19 positive workers to attend its factory in Leicester, and we
  
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• Boohoo launches independent investigation into supply chain

  08-07-2020 08:36 via ft.com
  Shares in online fashion retailer have tumbled over concerns about its supply chain
  
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• Boohoo to launch independent review of supply chain

  08-07-2020 08:33
  
  Move follows allegations about pay and conditions at Leicester factories selling clothes to firmCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe online fashion retailer Boohoo has announced it will launch an independent review of its UK supply chain after recent allegations that some factories in Leicester that sell clothes to Boohoo pay workers below the minimum wage and failed to protect them from coronavirus.Boohoo, which owns brands including Pretty Little Thing and Nast
  
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• Chancellor urged to “protect thousands of retailers” post-Covid

  08-07-2020 08:29 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The BRC calls on the Chancellor to take “swift action” to help rebuild the retail industry
  // It has introduced a number of measures ahead of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Summer Economic UpdateThe Chancellor has been called to help rebuild the retail industry and the wider economy. in an effort to “boost consumer spending and protect thousands of retail businesses”.
  The BRC has introduced a number of measures ahead of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s
  
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• Summer statement: the UK's Covid-19 economic crisis in five key charts

  08-07-2020 07:00
  
  Ahead of Rishi Sunak’s statement we look at public finances, economic growth, jobs, retail and the housing market Rishi Sunak is preparing to deliver his set-piece tax and spending update on Wednesday against the backdrop of a deep recession and the threat of a sharp rise in unemployment.Here are five key charts that will underpin the policymaking behind the chancellor’s announcement. Continue reading...
  
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• How to protect company reputations during a pandemic

  08-07-2020 05:00 via ft.com
  
  Customers and investors value care for staff and suppliers — but beware unintended effects
  
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• Whitepaper: Marketing in a post-Covid world

  08-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Adapt your strategy for the new marketing landscape. The global pandemic has dramatically changed consumer behaviour and business outlooks. Now, 90% of consumers buy online as... View Article
  
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• The Entertainer invests £1m in new flagship at Bullring

  08-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Entertainer has officially reopened its shop in Birmingham’s  Bullring following an extensive refit to create a new regional flagship. The toy retailer has invested £1 million in the... View Article
  
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• Logile releases cutting-edge touch-free health and temperature scanning solution during COVID-19 crisis

  08-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  New solution uniquely integrates proven commercial-quality hardware with highly configurable enterprise software to help protect public safety wherever people congregate. Logile, Inc., the leading retail store... View Article
  
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• Carnaby celebrates biodiversity with Nature in the City campaign

  08-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  London’s Carnaby shopping district has launched a campaign to highlight the area’s increasing number of wildlife and green projects. Called Nature in the City, it also includes... View Article
  
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• Brooks Brothers files for bankruptcy protection

  08-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Brooks Brothers has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US following an earlier announcement that it will close 51 stores. The 200 year-old businesswear retailer has... View Article
  
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• Boohoo launches independent review of supply chain

  08-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Boohoo has launched an independent review of its UK supply chain following the allegations of low pay and unsafe conditions at suppliers’ factories. Next, Asos and Zalando all stopped... View Article
  
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• Boohoo launches immediate independent review of supply chain

  08-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Boohoo has launched an independent review of its UK supply chain following the allegations of low pay and unsafe conditions at suppliers’ factories. Next, Asos and Zalando all stopped... View Article
  
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• Aldi pledges not to sell chlorinated chicken

  08-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Aldi’s UK supermarket chain has ruled out selling chlorinated chicken or hormone treated beef, regardless of any future trade deals that the UK may secure. It... View Article
  
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• Under Armour faces off with Uniqlo in activewear masks

  08-07-2020 00:00 via ft.com
  Battle of brands heats up as wearers look beyond disposable coverings
  
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