Retail news

• [Interactive Webinar] Winter is Coming: It’s Time to Prepare

  14-07-2020 18:45 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The first winter post-COVID has some unique problems to solve…
  Your business has reopened, you are operating as safely as possible, so customers are returning, and the corona crisis is passing behind you. Right?
  Not quite… Winter Is Coming, and this winter (the first post-COVID winter!) is predicted to present some very unique challenges, specifically a confluence of virus both old (common flu, as per usual) and new (the possible return of COVID given the latest news
  
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• Boohoo shares continue to drop following Leicester scandal

  14-07-2020 17:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boohoo share price continues to decline following Leicester scandal
  // Boohoo’s current valuation is at £2.74bn, which is not close to reaching its £7.55bn target in 3 years timeBoohoo shares are under pressure as they continued to drop by 18 per cent on Monday and six per cent on Tuesday.
  It means the online company’s shares are trading at time of writing at around 217p each, well down from the 415p each they reached only a month ago.
  That puts the retailer’s cu
  
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• Kurt Geiger-owned Shoeaholics to launch stores after online success

  14-07-2020 17:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Shoeaholics will open 6 pop-up stores across the UK after rise in online sales during lockdown
  // The online footwear retailer is owned by Kurt GeigerShoeaholics will open its first stores on the UK’s high streets later this month after experiencing a surge in sales during the coronavirus lockdown.
  The online footwear retailer, which is owned by footwear giant Kurt Geiger, was established in 2014.
  One pop-up store has already launched in Cheshire Oaks, while five others will be launchin
  
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• Walmart leads $1.2bn investment into India’s Flipkart

  14-07-2020 16:28
  Online retailer is facing challenges from coronavirus and rivals
  
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• Why is Primark resisting the shift to online?

  14-07-2020 16:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  A wave of shopping trips were unleashed when non-essential retailers in England were able to reopen their stores on June 15 as lockdown measures were eased.
  Long queues were reported, especially at Primark, reflecting a level of pent-up demand for fast fashion that needed to be satisfied. It also marked the first time shoppers could get their hands on Primark’s products – especially since it’s notorious for not have any ecommerce channels whatsoever.
  In fact, Primark has made a
  
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• Face masks to be mandatory in shops in England, says Hancock – video

  14-07-2020 15:54
  
  Face coverings protect workers and give the public greater confidence to shop, Matt Hancock has said. The health secretary confirmed in a statement to the House of Commons that shoppers would be required to wear masks while in shops and supermarkets. Those who do not will face fines of up to £100UK coronavirus live: Hancock confirms masks to be compulsory in shops and supermarkets in EnglandCoronavirus: shoppers in England must wear face masks from 24 July Continue reading...
  
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• English mask plan will help tackle high Covid death rate for shop staff – Matt Hancock

  14-07-2020 15:45
  
  Retail workers up to 75% more likely to die from virus than rest of population, says health secretaryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMandatory mask-wearing will protect shop assistants who can be up to 75% more likely to die of coronavirus than the general population, Matt Hancock has said.The health secretary said the move to make face coverings mandatory for shoppers in England from 24 July would protect shopkeepers and reassure people when they are visiting t
  
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• 75% of retail workers have feared for their safety at work

  14-07-2020 15:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // 75% of UK retail workers have experienced a situation where they felt their physical safety was at risk
  // 89% regularly feel concerned for the safety of themselves and their colleagues
  // Only 32% would call for help if worried for their safety and 43% would report the issue to a managerThree quarters of UK retail workers have experienced a situation where they felt their physical safety was at risk at work, according to a new survey.
  The new Empowering the Forgotten Frontline report, carrie
  
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• Ocado: show me the money

  14-07-2020 15:34
  A decade later and Webvan’s second coming is still no closer to generating positive free cash flow.
  
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• Face masks 'will deter young shoppers' says JD Sports chairman

  14-07-2020 14:53
  
  Government’s inconsistency on compulsory coverings for shops in England ‘already a blow to consumer confidence’ Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOne of the UK’s biggest retailers has said that making face masks compulsory in shops in England could deter shoppers from visiting stores.Peter Cowgill, executive chair of the FTSE 100 company JD Sports, said the government’s rule that face coverings should be worn in shops from 24 July wou
  
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• Aldi more than doubles stores offering home delivery

  14-07-2020 14:33 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Aldi is doubling the size of its partnership with Deliveroo expanding its rapid home delivery capabilities to thousands more shoppers.
  Aldi allowed shoppers to purchase food online in the UK for the first time in its history in May, partnering with Deliveroo to offer 30-minute delivery from eight stores in the Midlands.
  Following massive popularity of the service, the German discounter then expanded this partnership to London in June enabling 100,000 Londoners to access the service and choose fr
  
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• Ocado has waiting list of 1 million customers wanting to sign up

  14-07-2020 14:13
  
  ‘We’re running a bit like a club,’ says chief executive, as grocery firm sales rise 40% in MayOcado has 1 million customers waiting to join its online grocery service after struggling to cope with a surge in demand during the coronavirus pandemic.Tim Steiner, its chief executive, said Ocado, which has about 800,000 customers, could have increased sales more than five times over, given the level of demand during the pandemic, but had been held back by the limits of its warehouse
  
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• House of Fraser store to be converted into multi-million-pound retail centre

  14-07-2020 14:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // House of Fraser site in Richmond to be redeveloped into a multi-million-pound retail & leisure centre
  // The proposals amount to a sizeable new project, described in the brief as a “mixed-use redevelopment”The former House of Fraser department store in Richmond upon Thames is due to be converted into a multi-million-pound retail and leisure destination.
  Investors Canadian and Arcadia have submitted planning proposals for the redevelopment to Richmond Borough Council (RBC).
  The
  
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• Coronavirus: what are the rules over face masks in English shops?

  14-07-2020 13:23
  
  Exemptions, enforcement and business reaction to the news that coverings will be compulsory from 24 JulyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWith the government set to announce that wearing a face covering in shops and supermarkets will be mandatory in England from 24 July, here’s what you need to know about the new rules: Continue reading...
  
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• What are the rules over face masks in English shops?

  14-07-2020 12:44
  
  Exemptions, enforcement and business reaction to the news that coverings will be compulsory from 24 JulyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWith the government set to announce that wearing a face covering in shops and supermarkets will be mandatory in England from 24 July, here’s what you need to know about the new rules: Continue reading...
  
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• Shops and police must help enforce English face mask rules, says minister

  14-07-2020 11:37
  
  Officers have warned law to make coverings compulsory in stores will be unenforceableCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRetailers and police must both play a role in enforcing the use of face coverings by shoppers in England, a Cabinet minister has said after officers warned the law would be unenforceable.The environment secretary, George Eustice, also defended the government’s U-turn on making face coverings compulsory, saying its approach had been “ev
  
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• Amazon unveils high-tech ‘Dash Cart’ which charges customers as they shop

  14-07-2020 11:26 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Amazon has unveiled its new automated “Dash Carts” which use computer vision and inbuilt scales to identify items and charge customers without them having to visit a cashier.
  Dash Carts are set to be introduced at Amazon’s upcoming grocery store in Los Angeles, bringing its high-tech cashierless Go technology to its new larger grocery format.
  Just like in Amazon Go convenience stores, customers will need an Amazon account to use the carts, scanning a QR code with the Amazon app
  
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• AO.com must “cement the change” in shopping habits, CEO says

  14-07-2020 11:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // AO.com full-year profits and sales increase
  // Profits rose 54% to £19.6m to the year ending March 31
  // Sales grew 16% to £1.04bnAO.com has seen a strong increase in its full-year profits and sales, though chief executive John Roberts said it “must cement that change” accelerated by online shopping habits amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
  The electrical retailer’s full-year profits rose by 54 per cent to £19.6 million to the year ending March 31, as Brits s
  
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• Wilko hires ex-Specsavers finance boss as new CFO

  14-07-2020 10:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Wilko has hired Karen Mackay as its new CFO
  // She will join office in September to oversee the retailer’s finance, IT, and corporate servicesWilko has reportedly appointed the former Specsavers finance director Karen Mackay as its new chief financial officer.
  Mackay will join office in September, and will be responsible for the retailer’s finance, IT, corporate services, health and safety, and loss prevention functions, Retail Week reported.
  She will replace Alex Russo, who jumpe
  
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• DFS to cut jobs as it swings to full-year loss

  14-07-2020 10:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // DFS records full year revenues of £725m, down by £271m year-on-year
  // Pre-tax loss expected to be in the range of a £56m-£58m, subject to audit
  // DFS is also cutting jobs at its Dwell and Sofa Workshop fasciasDFS has announced it would be cutting jobs as it restructures following lockdown, as its full year results reveal a swing to a loss and a dramatic plunge in sales.
  The furniture retailer, which owns Sofa Workshop, Dwell, Sofology and of course DFS, has confirmed
  
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• Lidl to open 1 new store per week & create 1000 new jobs before Xmas

  14-07-2020 09:22 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Lidl plans to open over 25 stores in the UK over the next six months, amounting to one per week
  // The ambitious expansion will create up to 1000 jobs by the end of 2020
  // An additional 100 stores will open across 2021 and 2022, creating around 4000 new jobsLidl has revealed ambitious plans to open 25 new stores in the next six months, equating to one store per week, creating up to 1000 new jobs in Great Britain by the end of 2020.
  The German discounter said its £1.3 billion investment
  
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• Ocado retail profit doubles as grocery delivery soars

  14-07-2020 09:19
  Coronavirus-related lockdown boosts demand yet first-half sales rise less than at rivals
  
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• Face coverings to become mandatory in shops from July 24

  14-07-2020 09:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // It is now compulsory to wear coverings inside shops from June 24
  // Shoppers face fines up £100 if they are caught inside a shop without one
  // Retailers and businesses will not be expected to enforce the rules, but police willWearing a face covering in shops and supermarkets is to be made mandatory in England in a fresh move to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the UK Government has announced.
  In a statement this morning, Health Secretary Matt Hancock will say anyone failing to compl
  
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• UK coronavirus live: Johnson U-turns on masks as experts fear up to 120,000 Covid-19 winter deaths

  14-07-2020 08:56
  
  Boris Johnson announces face coverings are to be mandatory in shops from 24 July with £100 fines for non-compliance7.56am BST The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has welcomed government’s U-turn on making face coverings mandatory in shops in England.Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said the evidence from experts was the measure could make a “massive difference” in helping to tackle coronavirus.
  He said: The advice is, where it’s not possible to keep
  
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• Retail sales jumps in June amid lockdown exit

  14-07-2020 08:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Retail sales in June jumps 3.4%, the highest increase since May 2018
  // The growth also outstrips an average decline of 6.4% over the previous three months
  // Experts warn that the troubled sector was “not out of the woods yet”UK retailers have said they saw the biggest monthly sales jump in more than two years in June after swathes of high street stores reopened.
  However, experts have warned that the troubled sector was “not out of the woods yet” and the coronavirus c
  
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• Retail sales jump in June amid lockdown exit

  14-07-2020 08:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Retail sales in June jumps 3.4%, the highest increase since May 2018
  // The growth also outstrips an average decline of 6.4% over the previous three months
  // Experts warn that the troubled sector was “not out of the woods yet”UK retailers have said they saw the biggest monthly sales jump in more than two years in June after swathes of high street stores reopened.
  However, experts have warned that the troubled sector was “not out of the woods yet” and the coronavirus c
  
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• UK retail sales in June show signs of recovery after covid lockdown

  14-07-2020 08:00
  
  Significant pressure on high street outlets as consumers remain wary of health risksCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRetail sales in Britain rebounded in June as warmer weather and the easing of lockdown measures encouraged shoppers back to the high street.Total sales increased 3.4% on the same month last year as non-essential high street shops started to reopen after almost three months of enforced closure. Continue reading...
  
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• Brussels demands EssilorLuxottica sell stores to secure €7.2bn deal

  14-07-2020 06:00
  Ray-Ban maker told concessions are needed for GrandVision acquisition to be approved
  
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• UK retail sales return to growth in June

  14-07-2020 01:07
  Pent-up demand from Covid-19 lockdown expected to help struggling stores as they reopen
  
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• Ten million Britons unable to attend funerals in lockdown

  14-07-2020 01:01
  
  Two-thirds of bereaved UK adults had nothing to help them grieve, says studyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNearly 10 million people were unable to attend the funeral of someone they knew during lockdown, according to a new study from the UK’s largest undertaker, which warned that the nation is heading towards a national grief “pandemic”.In its report, Co-op Funeralcare found Covid-19 restrictions meant that 9.7 million mourners had to stay awa
  
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• Wilko appoints Karen Mackay as group chief financial officer

  14-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Wilko has appointed financial transformation specialist Karen Mackay as its group chief financial officer. Also due to become an executive board director, Mackay will lead the... View Article
  
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• The Original Factory Shop appoints Matt Williams as chairman

  14-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Original Factory Shop has appointed Matt Williams as its new executive chairman. A former chief executive of Topps Tiles, Williams has been a non-executive director of the... View Article
  
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• Richmond House of Fraser store approved for mixed-use scheme

  14-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Planning approval has been granted for a multi-million pound investment in the House of Fraser department store site in Richmond. The mixed-use redevelopment at 80 George Street will include 22,000... View Article
  
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• Organix launches own ecommerce site

  14-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Organix, the baby food and toddler snacking brand, has launched its own online shop to enable shoppers to buy its products direct. The new ecommerce site will... View Article
  
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• New TAG Heuer store opens in Watford

  14-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Watches of Switzerland Group has opened a new TAG Heuer store at  Intu’s The Harlequin Centre in Watford. Spanning 37 square metres, the boutique style shop... View Article
  
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• Lidl to create 1,000 new jobs by Christmas

  14-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Lidl has unveiled plans to create 1,000 new jobs in the UK by Christmas through the opening one store per week in the next six months. The... View Article
  
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• AO benefits from strong demand for online shopping

  14-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Appliance retailer AO World has said it has benefited from a significant uplift in demand for online shopping from the start of the Covid-19 UK lockdown, although the... View Article
  
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• Aldi doubles size of Deliveroo trial

  14-07-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Aldi is extending its trial of a grocery delivery service with Deliveroo into 11 further stores. This includes five more shops in London and some stores in Greater... View Article
  
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