Retail news

• UK economy springs back on summer of spending

  21-08-2020 20:19
  Purchasing managers’ index at 7-year high while shopping levels move above pre-coronavirus levels
  
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• Trusted Bezos lieutenant says ‘it’s just time’ to leave Amazon

  21-08-2020 20:03
  Jeff Wilke cites ‘personal interests’ for departure after building core operations of ecommerce group
  
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• Pinduoduo shares tumble as order volumes sag

  21-08-2020 17:48
  China’s second-largest ecommerce group posts jump in revenues in second quarter
  
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• How to cultivate a connection with UK shoppers

  21-08-2020 17:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  A new report commissioned by Magento, an Adobe company, reveals how consumers are reshaping retail’s next normal, with coronavirus concerns helping to accelerate consumers’ evolving behaviours and loyalty.
  The UK Consumer Preferences Report, recently published by Magento, offers invaluable insight into the habits and preferences of UK consumers, a market that represents an important niche for all digital commerce vendors and market participants.
  After conducting a survey with over 21
  
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• Retail Gazette Loves: Skopes’ suits made from plastic bottles

  21-08-2020 17:19 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Leeds-based menwear retailer Skopes has launched its first sustainably-sourced suit collections made from recycled plastic bottles.
  Each suit in the range is made from at least 45 recycled plastic bottles that would otherwise go to landfill.
  The collections have been produced in partnership with the ethical UK-based sustainable clothing manufacturer Lyfcycle.
  The QR code lets shoppers see how & where the suits were made.Other eco features in the suits include linings and woven labels made f
  
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• John Lewis launches Peloton fitness concession partnership

  21-08-2020 17:12 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // John Lewis launches retail partnership with US fitness brand Peloton
  // It will be rolled out across 9 John Lewis stores, with the first opening up at the John Lewis Oxford Street flagship in London
  // Peloton launched its first range of home exercise bikes in the US in 2014 before expandingJohn Lewis has announced a new retail partnership to open Peloton concessions in nine of its stores across the UK.
  The department store chain said the concessions will be the first of their kind in the UK.
  
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• M&S’s Northampton sandwich supplier shuts down amid Covid outbreak

  21-08-2020 16:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Greencore shuts down its Northampton factory after a surge in Covid-19 cases last week
  // The factory supplies M&S with its ready-to-eat sandwichesOne of Marks & Spencer’s suppliers has been forced to temporarily shut down after a surge in Covid-19 cases among staff.
  The Greencore’s Northampton-based factory, which supplies the retail giant with ready-to-eat sandwiches, said it would cease production for at least 14 days from today.
  The factory, which employs around 2100 p
  
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• Online groceries: shop smart

  21-08-2020 16:36
  The trouble for food retailers is that doing and delivering customers’ shopping is mostly unprofitable
  
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• M&S chair Archie Norman urges businesses to return to offices

  21-08-2020 15:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // M&S chair Archie Norman urges businesses to return to their offices to boost footfall in city centres
  // Many offices are still empty as workers continue to work remotely, despite guidance being relaxed this monthMarks & Spencer chairman Archie Norman has reportedly urged businesses to bring staff back to offices to help give retailers a boost as city centres suffer from footfall declines.
  Speaking to Retail Week, Norman said it was the responsibility of retailers to encourage staff b
  
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• Liberty begins voluntary redundancy scheme

  21-08-2020 14:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Redundancies loom at luxury London department store Liberty
  // The job cuts, in the form of a voluntary redundancy package, affect shop floor and head office staff
  // Liberty reportedly wants to avoid compulsory redundanciesLiberty has reportedly kicked off a voluntary redundancy programme as it grapples with decline in footfall as its famous London flagship.
  According to Drapers, the luxury London department store is offering the voluntary scheme with an enhanced package to give shop floor a
  
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• AO.com hires more staff on back of Covid home shopping surge

  21-08-2020 13:26
  
  Online electrical goods retailer eager to be ‘a habit that lasts for our new customers’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe online electrical goods retailer AO.com is hiring 650 staff as it anticipates “significant growth” after a surge in home shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.The company said it was recruiting for a variety of roles from software developers and a TikTok specialist to gas engineers, delivery drivers and a fridge re
  
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• Burberry becomes first luxury brand to launch £90 designer face masks

  21-08-2020 13:06 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Burberry has become the first luxury fashion brand to launch a range of designer face masks, costing £90.
  The high-end face masks will be made from excess fabric “enhanced with antimicrobial technology”, clad in the brands signature check.
  Burberry says that it will donate 20 per cent of selling price of each face mask to its Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund, which helps health care workers and others severely impacted by the pandemic.
  While the masks have been liste
  
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• Beat the pandemic to the punch: how to manage operations when guidelines are constantly changing

  21-08-2020 12:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  It’s no secret by now that Covid-19 has delivered a whirlwind of new challenges for businesses across the globe. The crisis changed the way retailers operate overnight.
  Yet, as businesses worldwide grapple with ever-evolving Covid-19 regulations and work environments, there are a range of technologies available that can support retailers to get safely back to business.
  For footwear and apparel retailer Footasylum, Covid-19 was a shock to the system. Liz Edden, Head of Internet Operations a
  
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• Retail sales and business activity data point to strong UK rebound

  21-08-2020 12:05
  Purchasing managers’ index at 7-year high while shopping levels move above pre-coronavirus levels
  
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• Adidas and Deliveroo launch limited-edition “edible life-size cake version” of its new Boost trainers

  21-08-2020 11:38 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Adidas has partnered with Deliveroo for a unique product drop, offering Londoners the chance to win a free pair of trainers… which they can eat.
  Deliveroo customers in Whitechapel can visit the app from midday on Wednesday August 26 to be in with a chance of winning a free pair of edible trainers, with winners selected on a first come, first serve basis. 
  Adidas’ limited-edition edible trainers are a life-like recreation of its newly launched ZX 2K Boost trainers, a pair of whi
  
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• Estée Lauder to reduce store presence as 2000 jobs are axed

  21-08-2020 11:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Estée Lauder cuts 2000 jobs as it reduces store estate
  // It plans to save over £300m a year
  // The beauty brand has concessions within department stores such as John Lewis, House of Fraser and DebenhamsEstée Lauder is axing 2000 jobs worldwide as it plans to close stores and department store beauty counters to save as much as $400 million (£302 million) a year.
  The US cosmetics giant, which owns Mac, Joe Malone and Clinique, said it will shutter between 10 per cent
  
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• UK retail sales rise above pre-Covid levels as lockdown eases

  21-08-2020 10:37
  
  Reopening of high street stores resulted in dip in online shopping in JulyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRetail sales rose above pre-pandemic levels in July, the first full month non-essential shops were allowed to reopen, officials figures showed.Indicating an increased appetite since the easing of the lockdown in May to travel to work and shop on the high street, sales increased to higher levels than in February. Continue reading...
  
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• LK Bennett cuts further jobs as it restructures store teams

  21-08-2020 10:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // LK Bennett to restructure its store teams
  // 19 jobs will go as a result of the new restructure
  // The majority of the roles affected are store manager and staff positionsLK Bennett has reportedly said it will restructure its store teams to introduce new “cluster managers”, who will be responsible for more than one location.
  The premium womenswear retailer said the restructure will lead to 19 redundancies.
  The majority of the roles affected are store manager and staff positions an
  
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• Retail sales return to pre-pandemic levels, except for high street fashion

  21-08-2020 10:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // ONS says total retail sales volumes in July rose 3.6% compared with June
  // This is 3% above pre-pandemic levels
  // However, fashion and household sales were stugglingShoppers returned to high streets in increasing numbers last month but business at clothes and household goods stores remains below pre-pandemic levels, official figures show.
  The ONS said total retail sales volumes in July rose 3.6 per cent compared with June and are now three per cent above pre-pandemic levels.
  However, it sai
  
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• Consumer confidence takes a hit as redundancies taint high street

  21-08-2020 09:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Consumer confidence has remained unchanged for the second month running
  // Concerns over personal financial situation over the past year dropped to a mere -5New research has found that consumer confidence has remained unchanged for the second month running, suggesting that consumers have growing concerns over the UK’s economy.
  Shopper confidence at -27 in August, according to the GfK Consumer Confidence Index, down from -14 in the same month in 2019.
  Concerns over personal fin
  
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• Frasers Group seeks to open high-end stores in shopping centres

  21-08-2020 09:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Frasers Group to invest £100m on online expansion
  // The retail empire will open stores in shopping centresMike Ashley’s Frasers Group is reportedly set to invest £100 million on online expansion and open stores in shopping centres as its high street rivals continue to struggle amid the Covid-19 crisis.
  The retail empire – which owns businesses including Sports Direct, House of Fraser and Flannels – aims to bolster online sales and acquire property for high-end s
  
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• Debenhams & Asda ex-CEOs lining up £6.5bn private equity bids for Asda

  21-08-2020 08:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Ex-Debenhams CEO and ex-Asda CEO are working with private equity groups on a £6.5bn bid for Asda
  // Formal takeover bids are expected to be tabled early next monthFormer Debenhams chief executive Rob Templeman and former Asda chief executive Paul Mason are reportedly working with private equity groups on a £6.5 billion bid for Asda.
  Templeman previously ran Debenhams as a private and publicly listed business and is on board with Apollo Global Management while Lone Star Funds is wo
  
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• M&S puts all its eggs in Ocado’s basket

  21-08-2020 06:00
  As Covid-19 batters its clothing business, retailer hopes to profit from online grocer tie-up
  
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• ‘DO NOT SEND IN A BID’

  21-08-2020 06:00
  The hedge fund manager and allegations of wrongdoing over Neiman Marcus message
  
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• Sainsbury’s opens new convenience store in Swindon

  21-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Sainsbury’s has opened a new Sainsbury’s Local store in Swindon. Situated in the new Tadpole Garden Village development, the shop was officially opened by local MP Justin Tomlinson. The... View Article
  
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• Morrisons launches full range of groceries on Amazon

  21-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Morrisons has announced that its customers can now do their entire Morrisons food shop on Amazon and get free same-day delivery on orders over £40 as part... View Article
  
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• Hugo Boss to introduce flexible working model

  21-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Hugo Boss is to implement a new work model where employees will be offered a mix of office-based and mobile working. Due to launch in October, the... View Article
  
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• Frasers Group may close more House of Fraser stores

  21-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Frasers Group has warned that it may be closing a further raft of House of Fraser department stores as it reported that its full year group pre-tax profit... View Article
  
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• Estee Lauder to cut up to 2,000 jobs

  21-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Estee Lauder Companies has announced plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs after sales fell by 4% to $14.29 billion in the year to 30 June. Excluding... View Article
  
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• AO to recruit for 650 new roles

  21-08-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online electricals retailer AO is to create 650 new jobs across its retail, mobile, tech, financial services and logistics divisions. The retailer said its needs the new recruits to drive growth... View Article
  
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