Retail news

• Iceland creates 3,000 new jobs to cope with online grocery demand

  08-09-2020 21:43
  
  New positions will help supermarket deal with 300% increase in online orders since lockdownSupermarket Iceland has created 3,000 new jobs to cope with the huge extra demand for online groceries since the lockdown in March, the company said.Online orders surged by more than 300% since April as shoppers rushed to book delivery slots and as all non-essential retailers were forced to shut their doors. Continue reading...
  
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• Electric bike and scooter sales boom spurs Halfords back to growth

  08-09-2020 18:51
  
  Sales more than triple on e-bikes and scooters as commuters avoid public transportSales of electric bikes and scooters have more than tripled over the summer months, according to Halfords as the health crisis has prompted people to steer clear of public transport.While many retailers are struggling due to the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the car and bicycle parts company is enjoying a purple patch as shoppers invest in new wheels as well as sprucing up old bikes left lan
  
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• Electric bike and scooter sales boom spurs Halford back to growth

  08-09-2020 18:51
  
  Sales more than triple on e-bikes and scooters as commuters steer clear of public transport amid Covid-19 crisisSales of electric bikes and scooters have more than tripled over the summer months, according to Halfords as the health crisis has prompted people to steer clear of public transport.While many retailers are struggling due to the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the car and bicycle parts company is enjoying a purple patch as shoppers invest in new wheels as well as
  
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• Jigsaw: What went wrong?

  08-09-2020 17:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  A BRIEF TIMELINE
  1970: John Robinson founded Jigsaw in 1970. The first store opened in Brighton, England.
  1972: Jigsaw opened its second store in Hampstead, London.
  1989: Jigsaw won the British Fashion Council Award for Contemporary Design of the Year.
  1994: Jigsaw launched its menswear range.
  1996: Jigsaw Junior was launched, initially consisting only of girls clothing. Jigsaw opened a store on London’s Bond Street as well as stores in Japan and Denmark.
  Jigsaw launched its first sto
  
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• Travis Perkins on road to recovery after profits drop 81%

  08-09-2020 16:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Travis Perkins posts decline after lockdown affected sales
  // The Wickes owner now expects a recovery
  // It undertook a full restructuring of the business in JuneTravis Perkins has recorded a decline in profits and revenues as the Covid-19 lockdown forced the closure of 165 stores back in June.
  The building supplies retailer, which owns Wickes, recorded an 81 per cent decline in profits year-on-year in the first half to £42 million.
  Revenues declined by 20 per cent to £2.79 b
  
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• You can always get what you want: Rolling Stones open London shop

  08-09-2020 16:54
  
  Flagship Carnaby Street store features items from plectrums to artwork by the creator of the band’s logo John PascheIt will be a place where the committed fan can consider spending £535 on a Rolling Stones-themed crystal decanter, £110 on a “Stones red” bomber jacket or £15 on a face mask made from cotton or, for £10 more, silk. Big tongues are everywhere, mostly red, occasionally leopard print.The venue is the world’s first permanent Rolling Stone
  
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• PayPal rival Mollie raises €90m in funding on back of coronavirus shopping boom

  08-09-2020 16:00 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Payment startup Mollie this week revealed it raised €90 million in a round of funding led by a Silicon Valley-based investment company TCV.
  The Series B funding brings the total raised by Mollie to €115 million and raises the startup’s valuation to over $1 billion, founder and chief executive Adriaan Mol confirmed in an interview with TechCrunch.
  READ MORE: PayPal launches ‘buy now, pay later’ scheme in major challenge to Klarna
  Launched in 2004, this is onl
  
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• Treasury calls for councils to return over £1bn in unspent coronavirus support

  08-09-2020 15:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // England councils to return £1.3bn in unspent coronavirus support
  // Almost 900,000 business properties have received government grants
  // The government confirmed a cut off date of August 28, 2020New research has found that councils across England are expected to return over £1 billion in unspent coronavirus support from the government, representing 11 per cent of the overall £12.33 billion funding pot for the country.
  Almost 900,000 business properties have received governm
  
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• The State of Commerce Experience report

  08-09-2020 15:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The State of Commerce Experience analyses the digital commerce landscape before and during the COVID-19 crisis. This comprehensive study, conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bloomreach, lands as businesses decide what to prioritise in the new normal.
  The report gives insights into online buying behaviour, and offers data-driven recommendations for business leaders setting strategic priorities.
  Some key stats from the study:Only 14% of B2C customers stated that their most recent o
  
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• Six arrested during Debenhams workers protest in Dublin

  08-09-2020 13:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Six people arrested as Debenhams workers protest in Dublin, Ireland
  // Former Irish Debenhams staff have been holding sit-ins in a dispute over redundancy terms
  // The Irish arm of Debenhams, which operated 11 stores, was placed into liquidation in AprilSix people have been arrested during a protest by Debenhams workers in Dublin, Ireland’s national police service said.
  Former Debenhams staff have been holding sit-ins at the retailer’s Irish stores since April in a dispute with th
  
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• Co-op unveils new initiative to save tonnes of “scrunchable” plastic

  08-09-2020 12:57 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // In-store collection points set up in 50 Co-op stores to encourage shoppers to recycle flimsy plastic items
  // Initiative designed to save tonnes of “scrunchable” plastic, like carrier bags, ready meal lids & biscuit wrappers
  // If successful, it will be rolled out across the rest of the Co-op’s store estate early next yearA new initiative designed to save tonnes of “scrunchable” plastic – including carrier bags, ready meal lids and biscuit wrappers &nda
  
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• JD Sports: young people eager to spend despite Covid crisis

  08-09-2020 12:27
  
  Group, which includes Blacks, Millets and Go Outdoors, says shoppers were keen to socialiseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageJD Sports has credited the hunger of its younger customers to “get out and socialise” for stronger than expected sales during the pandemic.The casualwear retail group, which also owns Size?, Blacks Leisure, Millets and Go Outdoors as well as Finish Line in the US, said sales slid by just 6.5% to £2.5bn in the six months to
  
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• How the Race to Connected Retail is Heating Up

  08-09-2020 12:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Why the coronavirus showed the importance of connected retail experiences, and what it means for 2020 peak trading.
  The webinar provides a summary of the key trends and changes experienced by retailers during coronavirus-enforced lockdown, particularly focusing on the ways retailers ensured stores and online worked in harmony for the good of customers and their internal business operations.
  Using examples from retailer stories during the pandemic, the webinar will look at how the crisis fast-tra
  
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• Surge in online shopping over lockdown thanks to 102% rise in online supermarket shops

  08-09-2020 11:41 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Consumer spending grew 0.2 per cent year-on-year in the month of August, thanks to a 102.7 per cent year-on-year rise in online supermarket shops.
  New data from Barclaycard found consumer spending in Britain enjoyed its first uplift since February 2020.
  READ MORE: Online grocery sales jump 117% in “the most dramatic change of shopping behaviour we’ve ever seen”
  Year-on-year, the nation spent 5.1 per cent more on essential items,  largely driven by supermarket sho
  
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• “Pent-up demand” leads to additional sales of £19m at ScS

  08-09-2020 11:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // ScS records like-for-like order intake growth of 51% for the 6 weeks to September 5
  // The furniture retailer said pent-up demand in homewares drove additional sales of £19mScS has reported that “pent-up demand” from customers spending on their homes during the Covid-19 lockdown led to additional sales of £19 million.
  Shares at the furniture firm, which employs 1700 people and has 100 stores across the UK, rose in early trading after announcing strong trading.
  Post-loc
  
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• Halfords warns second-half profits likely to be lower as bike demand wanes

  08-09-2020 10:55
  UK chain benefited from cycling boom during lockdown but expects this to taper during winter
  
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• Halfords warns profits may fall over winter as bike demand wanes

  08-09-2020 10:55
  UK chain benefited from cycling boom during lockdown but expects this to taper in second half of year
  
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• Halfords sales rise but remains cautions due to “Covid-19 uncertainty”

  08-09-2020 10:50 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Halfords sales rise 5% across its portfolio
  // Cycling revenue up by over 59% as Brits commuted by bike during height of pandemic
  // Online sales rise 160%Halfords has seen its sales rise as the Covid-19 pandemic created a surge in demand for its cycling and motoring offers.
  The retailer recorded a five per cent increase in like-for-like sales across its portfolio in the 20 weeks to August 21, driven by a 160 per cent rise in online sales.
  Cycling revenue rose by 59.1 per cent on a like-
  
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• US stimulus measures help drive sales recovery at JD Sports

  08-09-2020 10:22
  UK athleisure retailer expects full-year profits to be well ahead of forecasts
  
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• New Look on edge as it seeks large landlords’ support on CVA proposals

  08-09-2020 10:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // New Look will need to convince at least 10 landlord creditors to support its CVA
  // The CVA vote deadline is set for September 15New Look is reportedly seeking to persuade at least 10 of its 20 largest landlord creditors to support its CVA.
  The fast fashion retailer will need to convince half of the largest institutional landlords and shopping centre operators to back the proposals, or it risks collapse, Retail Week reported.
  British Land, M&G, The Crown Estate, Hammerson, Aberdeen Standa
  
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• Cash use making a comeback following lockdown dip

  08-09-2020 09:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Business customers deposited £831m in August, up by 3.% compared with July and compared to £313m in April
  // £945m was deposited in cash by personal customers at Post Office counters – a 16.3% increase compared with last yearSigns of a return to cash use by shoppers and businesses were seen in August as people ventured out to local high streets and back to work, according to the Post Office.
  Business customers deposited £831 million, up by 3.1 per cent compared w
  
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• JD Sports half-year profits slide amid “weak” store footfall

  08-09-2020 09:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // JD Sports half-year pre-tax profits plunges by 68% year-on-year to £41.5m
  // It also posted revenues of £2.54bn, down from £2.71bn for the same half-year period last year
  // JD Sports encouraged by trading since stores exited lockdown but footfall remains “weak”JD Sports has warned that retail footfall remains “weak” as cost rises caused by higher online sales weighed down on half-year profits.
  The sportswear retailer said its pre-tax profits for the
  
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• Retail sales jump in August as online boom offsets struggling high streets

  08-09-2020 09:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Total UK retail sales in August increased by 4.7% on a like-for-like basis and 3.9% on a total basis
  // In-store sales of non-food items slid by 17.8% while on a like-for-like basis they dropped 8.5%
  // Total non-food retail sales increased 7.7% like-for-like basis & 1.4% total basis, boosted by 42.4% online jumpRetail sales jumped higher last month as shoppers spent more money online – but city centre shops have seen their struggles continue, according to new figures.
  The latest BR
  
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• Christmas set to come early for US shoppers as Covid-19 forces rethink

  08-09-2020 05:00
  Retailers raise prospect that holiday season promotions will start before Halloween
  
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• UK consumer spending exceeds last year’s level for first time since lockdown

  08-09-2020 01:01
  Pubs and bars enjoy rebound but shops still struggle as the public switch to online purchases
  
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• Return to work is too late to save city centres, says British Retail Consortium

  08-09-2020 01:01
  
  With September rents fast approaching, ‘many retailers are hanging on by a thread’The slow return of UK workers to their normal place of work will come too late to save hard-pressed city centre stores from going under, the body that represents retailers has said.Despite a pick-up in spending in August, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said sales were still below their pre-pandemic level and the lack of people was having a devastating impact on shops operating in places once throng
  
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• Return to work is too late to save city centre stores, warn retailers

  08-09-2020 01:01
  
  Many hanging on by a thread as September rents approach, says British Retail Consortium
  The slow return of UK workers to their normal place of work will come too late to save hard-pressed city centre stores from going under, the body that represents retailers has said.Despite a pick-up in spending in August, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said sales were still below their pre-pandemic level and the lack of people was having a devastating impact on shops operating in places once thronged wit
  
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• Tokenisation: A secure and seamless payment experience

  08-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Guest post: Frederic Frizzarin, Ingenico. Increasingly, as the consumer experience moves online, convenience is becoming the number one priority. Not only can consumers shop from the... View Article
  
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• Sainsbury’s and Nectar offer bonus points on fruit and veg

  08-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Over the next four weeks, Sainsbury’s and Nectar will be offering customers bonus points when they buy fruit and vegetables. Running from 7  September to 4 October,... View Article
  
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• Pentland Brands announces changes to executive team

  08-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Pentland Brands has promoted Chirag Patel to the position of chief executive and announced a series of new appointments across its executive team. He has succeeded Andy Long... View Article
  
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• JD Sports posts drop in first half profit

  08-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  JD Sports has posted a drop in first half pre-tax profit after the retailer incurred increased costs due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the six months... View Article
  
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• Halfords boosted by staycations and cycling boom

  08-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Halfords has posted a 5% uplift in like-for-like sales in the 20 weeks to 21 August after it benefited from a new web platform, staycations and more... View Article
  
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• Amazon to create new UK team for its fledgling autonomous delivery technology

  08-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Amazon is to create a new team of engineers at its Cambridge development centre as part of plans to expand research and development for its Amazon... View Article
  
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