Retail news

• Retail Gazette Loves: Westfield’s social distanced outdoor bar & cinema

  07-08-2020 18:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Westfield London has launched a new outdoor entertainment space to help drive footfall and to provide space for visitors to safely socialise this summer.
  Bar W12 and the Film Club are the latest additions to Westfield London, designed and introduced with social distancing in mind and will welcome visitors until September 13.
  Bar W12 is operated by the sports and dining venue Westwood and will serve food and drinks to visitors while the brand-new outdoor cinema will screen family favourites such
  
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• Frasers Group investors brace for impact of Covid-19 on trading

  07-08-2020 17:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Frasers Group expected to unveil trading update next week on Thursday
  // Investors keen to see how it has performed amidst the coronavirus pandemic, as rivals undergo job cuts and store closuresInvestors in Frasers Group are hoping the company will have been boosted by strong online and reopening sales when it reveals the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for the first time.
  Mike Ashley’s retail empire – which owns Sports Direct, House of Fraser, Flannels, Jack Wills Evans Cycles, U
  
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• 264 jobs at risk as Baird Group launches CVA proposal

  07-08-2020 17:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // 264 redundancies & 18 store closures on the horizon as Baird Group launches CVA proposal
  // It blamed the Covid-19 lockdown, the Debenhams administration & ongoing challenges in retail
  // Baird Group is a licensee of Ben Sherman & Suit Direct, with 47 stores & 87 concessionsOne of the licensees of Ben Sherman has confirmed that it has launched a CVA proposal which entails 18 store closures and 264 job cuts.
  The Baird Group – which is also a licensee of Suit Direct &ndash
  
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• 'They wouldn't sack cleaners at head office' – workers react as Tesco cuts cleaning staff

  07-08-2020 17:29
  
  Staff don’t seem to share Tesco’s view that employees will relish cleaning Metro and Express outlets themselvesTesco has had a good crisis, with the lockdown triggering a supermarket spending spree akin to Christmas.The strong sales have been good news for shareholders. The grocer is paying out a £635m final dividend, despite accepting a business rates holiday worth £585m from the government. Departing chief executive Dave Lewis is going out on a high, although his £
  
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• Tesco fires contract cleaners and gets shop staff to do their work

  07-08-2020 17:05
  
  Employees at 1,920 Tesco Metro and Express outlets will have to clean their own storesTesco has had a good crisis, with the lockdown triggering a supermarket spending spree akin to Christmas.The strong sales have been good news for shareholders. The grocer is paying out a £635m final dividend, despite accepting a business rates holiday worth £585m from the government. Departing chief executive Dave Lewis is going out on a high, although his £6.4m pay packet for last year recent
  
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• Tough times ahead for UK retail as consumer confidence & spending intentions remain low

  07-08-2020 15:22 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // 24% of shoppers will spend less than usual over the next month compared with 11% who said they’ll spend more
  // Categories for reduced spending over the next month were fashion, electronics, large electronics, and health & beautyThe UK retail industry could be up for a longer period of recovery than expected after a new poll suggested that consumer confidence and spending intentions remain low due to the coronavirus pandemic.
  According to the BRC and Opinium’s latest cons
  
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• CBI calls for improvements in handling of local lockdowns

  07-08-2020 14:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // CBI lays out six-point plan for the government to better handle local lockdowns
  // This includes avoiding “surprise” announcements after hours, late in the eveningMinisters have been told that businesses want better communication, extra support and improved coronavirus test and trace services to help cope with the impact of local lockdowns.
  The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) called for more clarity on what will trigger a lockdown and the improvements needed for one to be
  
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• Chancellor resists calls to extend furlough scheme with targeted response

  07-08-2020 14:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Chancellor Rishi Susnak warns “there is hardship ahead for many people” & ruled out extending the furlough scheme
  // Since the start of this month, the furlough scheme is being tapered off before ending completely in October
  // Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for a targeted extension to prevent a “jobs crisis”Chancellor Rishi Sunak is resisting calls to extend the furlough scheme with targeted measures to stave off widespread job losses, saying the support ca
  
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• Etsy sells $346 million worth of face masks during record quarter

  07-08-2020 14:07 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Etsy has sold a whopping $346 million worth of masks during lockdown accounting for around 14 per cent of all sales from small sellers.
  Etsy has firmly established itself as one of the few winners of the pandemic, boosted significantly by its strategy of encouraging its sellers to create and sell masks.
  During its second quarter, the online marketplace for independent sellers saw gross merchandise sales rise 145 per cent to $2.7 billion.
  This included $2.5 billion in sales from its eponymous pla
  
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• TikTok to be banned in US allowing rivals to plunder retail ad spend

  07-08-2020 11:14 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  TikTok is set to be banned in the US creating a massive opportunity for rivals to plunder its runaway retail advertising revenues.
  TikTok has fast become the go-to platform for fashion retailers looking to target Gen Z shoppers, seeing a raft of leading brands including Dior, Gucci, Balenciaga and Balmain all turn to the platform to reach new potential customers this year.
  Despite brands flocking to the app, which has 800 million worldwide users nearly 300 million of which are under 24, TikTok i
  
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• Lakeland to “focus on new strategy” as founding family departs

  07-08-2020 11:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Lakeland founding family steps down from operating board
  // CEO Catherine Nunn take over as deputy chairLakeland has reportedly announced a restructure at its operating board after its owners the Rayner family stepped down.
  The kitchenware retailer’s owners Sam, Martin and Julian Rayner have said they will retire from the board, and chief executive Catherine Nunn take over as deputy chair, Retail Week reported.
  Commercial director Steve Knights will succeed Nunn as chief execu
  
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• Hammerson to trial new lease approach at Scottish centre

  07-08-2020 10:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Hammerson reveals new approach to UK leases
  // It will pilot its new approach at Union Square centre in AberdeenHammerson has revealed a new approach to its leases in the UK, which will see it offer shorter contracts and scrap traditional rent review systems.
  The new approach focuses on four key areas: more flexible leases; rebased rents at more affordable levels, replacing the existing rent-review system with an index and an “omnichannel top-up element”.
  The property giant will t
  
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• Asos reveals new supply chain pledge following Boohoo scandal

  07-08-2020 09:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Asos asks third-party brands to sign new commitments in wake of Boohoo’s Leicester factory scandal
  // Asos said UK suppliers would be the “initial focus area” after Leicester became the centre of a scandalAsos has unveiled new commitments for its third-party brands after Boohoo’s Leicester scandal ravaged the fashion retail sector last month.
  The fashion ecommerce has asked brands to sign the Transparency Pledge, which will require them to publicly and regularly d
  
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• Slow recovery for UK footfall as pub reopenings fail to boost trading

  07-08-2020 09:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // UK footfall drops over 40% during July
  // Reopenings of hospitality did not improve footfall as much as expected
  // The figures were an improvement from June’s decline of over 60%Footfall across the UK continued to decline during July after the reopening of hospitality failed to lure customers into stores.
  For the four weeks from July 5 to August 1, UK footfall dropped by 42.1 per cent, which was an improvement from June’s drop of 62.6 per cent.
  This remains below the three-month
  
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• Stores at risk as Jigsaw prepares to launch CVA

  07-08-2020 08:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Jigsaw prepares to launch CVA
  // KPMG advisors were hired last month to negotiate rentsJigsaw is reportedly preparing to launch a CVA next week, which could lead to the closure of a raft of stores.
  The fashion retailer, which employs around 900 people, drafted in advisors from KPMG last month to look at rent negotiations with landlords.
  Cavendish Corporate Finance was also hired to seek a new external investor or to look at a potential sale process.READ MORE:Stores at risk as Jigsaw calls in
  
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• Covid led to ‘brutal crackdown’ on garment workers' rights, says report

  07-08-2020 08:15
  
  Brands including Primark, Zara and H&M accused of failing to protect workers at factories in Asia from ‘union busting’Some of Europe’s biggest retailers, including Primark, Zara and H&M, are failing to stop Covid-19 being used as a pretext for union busting, human rights activists are warning.Millions of garment workers in some of the poorest parts of Asia have lost their jobs since coronavirus shutdowns hit the retail industry worldwide. Related: Jailed for a Facebook
  
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• Wren Kitchens opens 95th showroom

  07-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Wren Kitchens has opened its 95th UK showroom at St John’s Retail Park in Wolverhampton. Creating 20 jobs in retail, design and surveying, the store will... View Article
  
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• Retail footfall boosted by reopening of hospitality venues

  07-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  New data has shown that UK retail footfall improved to a decline of 39.4% in July as visitor numbers to shopping destinations were boosted by the reopening... View Article
  
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• New look Hollister store launches at St David’s

  07-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  A new look Hollister store has opened at the St David’s shopping destination in Cardiff. Spanning 9,559 square feet, the store on Upper Grand Arcade is a relocation from its existing... View Article
  
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• Aldi launches biggest ever Spirits Festival

  07-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Supermarket Aldi is launching a range of new alcoholic drinks as part of its biggest ever Spirits Festival. Aldi and Eden Mill have brought back their exclusive Botanical... View Article
  
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