Retail news

• Rio Tinto chair may want to rethink position over heritage site destruction | Nils Pratley

  10-09-2020 21:22
  
  Not only mining group’s CEO Jean-Sébastien Jacques should fear for job when board rethinks responseHere’s a rule of thumb for boards in a crisis: if your company’s reputation is still being shredded three weeks after you tried to put a lid on events, you probably got your response wrong.Rio Tinto’s board did. Having confessed in an internal report that “systemic failures” lay behind the blowing up of two 46,000-year-old Indigenous Australians rock shelt
  
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• Anne Mohyuddin obituary

  10-09-2020 19:31
  
  My mother, Anne Mohyuddin, who has died aged 87, was a stalwart of health-food retailing in the north-west of England. Her business, the Health Food Centre, was a successful one, with many loyal customers making special visits to her shops to find products that were not widely available.Born in Gosforth, Cumbria, the eldest child of Jessie (nee Nicholas), a domestic servant, and Isaac Wilson, a carpenter and wheelwright who with his brothers owned a sawmill, Anne attended Whitehaven grammar scho
  
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• Tesco will trial drone deliveries from October

  10-09-2020 18:45 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  The UK’s biggest retailer on Wednesday said it would start trialing grocery home deliveries with drones from October.
  As part of a virtual event on Wednesday, Tesco’s chief executive Dave Lewis said the business was considering new ways to reach customers, and that it will launch the trial in Ireland, where partner Manna already has a licence to operate.
  READ MORE: Tesco to convert surplus food into renewable energy and power 6 stores
  “They (Manna) have already proven the
  
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• Chris Grigg’s exit from British Land is a sign of the cycle change

  10-09-2020 18:10
  BL boss to bow out after almost 12 years; Morrisons reaps both benefits and drawbacks during coronavirus crisis
  
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• Games Workshop beats expectations as shares rise 19%

  10-09-2020 17:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Games Workshop shares rise 19%
  // The gaming retailer said trading for the 3 months to August 30 was ahead of expectationsGames Workshop has seen its shares rise by 19 per cent after the retailer recorded an uptick in sales in its most recent quarter.
  The Warhammer fantasy figurines retailer said trading for the three months to August 30 was ahead of the board’s expectations.
  It recorded sales of around £90 million compared to £78 million for the same period last year.READ M
  
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• Market Snapshot: India

  10-09-2020 17:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  With a population of 1.3 billion, India’s retail market is without doubt one of the biggest in the world.
  According to PwC’s The Promise of Indian Retail 2017 report – the world’s most populous democracy possesses one of the fastest-growing economies. Meanwhile, McKinsey & Company’s State of Fashion report suggests that India’s retail industry will grow by nearly 11 per cent to reach $85 billion (£63 billion) by 2021.
  Some of India’s larg
  
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• The Hut Group announces share price ahead of IPO London listing

  10-09-2020 16:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The Hut Group reveals it will set its IPO price a £5 per share, giving it a market cap of £4.5bn
  // It will sell 374m shares, equating to around 35% of the company and worth approximately £1.87bn
  // This is comprised of around 184m new shares to raise £920m & 190m existing shares to bring in additional £950mThe Hut Group has revealed further details about its impending stock market flotation, including the pricing of its shares to mark the biggest listing of
  
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• Dufry/airport retail: hard case

  10-09-2020 16:24
  The duty free operator’s promise of a bargain offers little reason for good cheer
  
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• B&Q launches “Build a Life” campaign

  10-09-2020 13:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // B&Q launches new brand campaign rooted in the sentiment that “you don’t buy a life. you build one”
  // The campaign, created with Uncommon Creative Studio, will be rolled out this monthB&Q has launched a new brand “Build a Life” campaign which aims to celebrate the belief that anyone can change their home to make life better.
  The new strategy represents a reinvigorated marketing direction for B&Q and is the first in a series of campaigns, created by Un
  
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• The Hut Group aims to raise up to £1.9bn through IPO

  10-09-2020 13:03
  Existing investors to sell £950m of stock in online retailer as part of London’s biggest listing since 2017
  
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• Burberry launches sustainability-labelled bond for first time

  10-09-2020 11:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Burberry is raising new funds to boost its sustainability drive
  // Burberry has placed a strong focus on ethics and sustainability since it was embroiled in a 2018 scandalBurberry has tapped debt markets for the first time in its history by launching a sustainable bond to help its liquidity.
  However, the luxury retailer said that the money will be ring-fenced to be used to boost its eco drive.
  Burberry has placed a strong focus on ethics and sustainability since it was embroiled in a sca
  
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• Digital Commerce doesn’t have to be complex

  10-09-2020 11:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Don’t get lost in the noise. With more demands on workflow processes and the necessity to strengthen a brand’s digital offering, OMIO PIM is not a PIM of all trades. Built for retail and powered by Retail Assist’s retail pedigree, it’s a complete, end-to-end, retail-focused PIM. Join brands such as Whistles and Mint Velvet to enjoy its many retail-specific benefits.
  Laura Boyd, Mint Velvet’s Trading Director, said: “We are delighted to have assessed the market
  
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• Businesses affected by local lockdowns can claim £1500 every 3 weeks

  10-09-2020 10:45 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Businesses in England can claim £1500 from the government for every 3-week period of lost trade due to Covid-19
  // Chief secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Barclay said these grants provide businesses with “a safety net”Businesses across England that have been forced to close their doors due to Covid-19 restrictions will be able to claim £1500 from the government for every three-week period of lost trade.
  Smaller businesses that have an annual rent or mortgage bil
  
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• No-deal Brexit means food price rises, warns Morrisons

  10-09-2020 10:28
  
  Fruit and vegetables most at risk of price hikes due to storage issues as supermarket unveils big drop in profitsSupermarket prices will go up unless the UK government negotiates a tariff-free Brexit deal with Europe, the boss of Morrisons, Britain’s fourth-largest grocery chain, has warned.“From our point of view representing British consumers we would like the government and the leaders of the country to negotiate a deal that includes no tariffs UK to Europe or Europe to the UK bec
  
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• Emarsys Digital Festival – Retail Renaissance

  10-09-2020 10:25 via retailgazette.co.uk
  5 Themes. 3 Days. 1x Action-Packed Festival.
  We have re-imagined the conventional conference, creating a digital-first festival to help marketers, eCommerce and digital leaders in retail across the globe learn from their peers, engage with the wider community and contribute across a 3 day, timezone busting, global agenda.Once registered you will gain access to over 40+ sessions in many formats and some amazing digital experiences for FREE.
  Dates: September 15th to 17th
  Location: Digital-Only
  Web
  
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• Dunelm suffers profit decline as impact of Covid-19 lockdown becomes clear

  10-09-2020 09:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Dunelm posts full-year profit decline due to the Covid-19 lockdown
  // The homewares retailer suffered a 13.3% drop in pre-tax profit to £109.1mDunelm has witnessed a drop in full-year profits after the Covid-19 lockdown forced store closures and led to dented sales.
  The homewares retailer recorded a 13.3 per cent drop in pre-tax profit to £109.1 million in the 52 weeks to June 27.
  Sales fell 3.9 per cent year-on-year to £1 billion, despite a 6.8 per cent rise in sales in the
  
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• Morrisons’ half-year profits dented by £155m Covid costs

  10-09-2020 09:45 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Morrisons’ half-year like-for-like sales increases 8.7%, buoyed by rapid online growth
  // However, it posted lower profits after booking £155m in costs related to the Covid-19 crisis
  // Pre-tax profits drops 25.3% to £148m in the six months to August 2Morrisons has seen grocery sales surge after the pandemic drove demand, but posted lower profits after booking £155 million in costs related to the Covid-19 crisis.
  The Big 4 grocer said pre-tax profits slipped by 25.3 pe
  
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• Lockdown prompts Dixons Carphone’s online sales to surge 124%

  10-09-2020 09:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Dixons Carphone overall online sales skyrockets by 124% in Q1, with like-for-likes up 12%
  // During first half of Q1, online sales more than tripled amid the lockdown & rose 122% in the latter half
  // When stores reopened in the latter half of Q1, Dixons Carphone’s sales were up 20%Dixons Carphone has said that online sales in the UK and Ireland have massively outperformed its markets in mainland Europe, as British stores were forced to close during lockdown.
  For the quarter ending
  
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• Tesco to trial home delivery service by drone

  10-09-2020 09:22
  
  Supermarket giant has linked up with Manna to conduct the pilot next month in Co Galway
  Tesco is to trial home deliveries by drone in a move that could allow small items to be despatched to customers within 30 minutes to an hour of ordering.Britain’s biggest retailer has teamed up with the drone delivery company Manna and will conduct the trial next month in Co Galway, Ireland, where Manna has a licence to operate. Continue reading...
  
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• Calls to extend Sunday trading in central London to boost Covid economy

  10-09-2020 09:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Nickie Aiken, MP for Cities of London and Westminster, calls for extending Sunday trading in central London by 2 hours
  // She says it will “provide a major boost to the economy” amid the coronavirus pandemic
  // Aiken would welcome the current business rate freeze being extended for another 12 monthsExtending Sunday trading in parts of London by two hours would “provide a major boost to the economy” amid the coronavirus pandemic, a Tory MP has said.
  Nickie Aiken, M
  
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• Morrisons profits fall 25% on Covid costs

  10-09-2020 08:57
  Bradford-based group raises interim dividend as trading recovers
  
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• Morrisons profits fall 25% on coronavirus pandemic costs

  10-09-2020 08:57
  Business rates relief partly offsets additional costs at supermarket chain
  
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• Ocado appoints tech expert to the board

  10-09-2020 07:47 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Ocado Group has appointed Michael Sherman as an independent non-executive director to its board.
  Sherman also currently works as chief strategy and transformation officer at BT Group.
  Previously he led the technology, media and telecommunications practice as partner and managing director at Boston Consulting Group, where he worked for 11 years.
  READ MORE: Ocado stops all deliveries to staff after it “underestimated the demand for M&S food orders”
  “I am delighted to wel
  
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• No rise in workers in UK city centres despite back-to-office plea

  10-09-2020 01:01
  
  Worker footfall was at 17% of pre-lockdown levels at end of August, unchanged from JuneCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe number of people going back to work in offices has flatlined in the past two months despite the government push to get more workers into cities to protect Britain’s biggest urban economies from collapse.According to analysis of mobile phone tracking data by the Centre for Cities thinktank, worker footfall across 63 of the UK’s la
  
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• Selfridges group MD wins top business woman award

  10-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The group managing director of Selfridges has been announced as the winner of the 2020 Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot. The 48th woman to be honoured with... View Article
  
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• Rimmers Music sales boosted by lockdown

  10-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Rimmers Music has revealed that its musical instruments sales doubled during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the company found that the number of UK consumers googling “learn guitar” quadrupled at... View Article
  
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• Quiz makes progress on the renegotiation of store leases

  10-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Fashion retailer QUIZ has given an update on its efforts to renegotiate leases on its standalone stores. The new follows the retailer’s announcement in June that it would be restructuring its... View Article
  
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• PAUL launches ‘PAUL at Home’ for nationwide delivery

  10-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  PAUL, the artisan bakery and patisserie group, is launching a range of bread baking kits and product bundles for nationwide delivery this week. Called ‘PAUL at... View Article
  
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• Morrisons profits impacted by Covid costs

  10-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Morrisons supermarket chain has reported a drop in first half profit after it was hit by £155 million worth of costs relating to Covid-19 pandemic.  In the six... View Article
  
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• Dunelm full year profit hit by lockdown

  10-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Homewares retailer Dunelm has seen it full year pre-tax profit decline by 13.3% to £109.1 million after trading was impacted by store closures during the Covid-19 lockdown.... View Article
  
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• & Other Stories launches in-store beauty products vending machine

  10-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Fashion and beauty retailer & Other Stories has begun selling bath and body products via a vending machine as a part of efforts to find new ways to connect with... View Article
  
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