Retail news

• Bike-to-work fee changes fail to satisfy retailers

  28-09-2020 21:17
  Shops still unhappy over ‘fundamental flaws’ and costs in Cyclescheme’s operation
  
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• Covid second wave hits recovery in UK high streets, data suggests

  28-09-2020 18:04
  
  Footfall drops back since first week of September and is a third lower than last yearCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe recovery in UK’s bricks and mortar retail sector has gone into reverse, according to new data that shows footfall has declined during September amid new pandemic restrictions and concerns about a second wave of coronavirus infections.Footfall on UK high streets and at other retail destinations was 33% lower last week compared to the same
  
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• Big Interview: Lucy Crowther, Director of Learning, BRC

  28-09-2020 17:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Lucy Crowther, the director of learning at the British Retail Consortium, leads a team of learning professionals to bring “fresh and creative” content to retail businesses large and small based on their need.
  On September 23, Crowther was part of a team that helped launch the BRC’s on-demand programme The Changing Leadership Landscape, which aims to “inspire and challenge” the retail leadership community, particularly as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to create un
  
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• Asos launches first circular fashion collection

  28-09-2020 17:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Asos launches first circular fashion collection following collaboration with Centre for Sustainable Fashion
  // It features 29 trend-led clothing & accessory items designed with sustainable, circularity principlesAsos has launched its first circular fashion collection with a 29-piece range that adheres to eight principles on sustainability.
  The new range is designed by an in-house design team, and follows Asos’ commitment at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit in 2018 to train all its
  
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• Toolkit launched to assist volunteer management in charity retail

  28-09-2020 17:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Volunteer Toolkit launched to assist volunteer management in charity retail
  // It’s designed for charity shop managers, deputy managers & lead volunteers and aims to deliver actionable insightThe Charity Retail Association has launched a brand new resource to help charity shop operators learn about and implement better management techniques.
  Known as the Volunteer Toolkit, the free resource for members combines expertise and experience to bring suggestions and ideas on how to effect
  
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• Boots/commercial property: high street, high noon

  28-09-2020 16:29
  UK lease structures need reform but hardball tactics are not the right way to achieve it
  
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• Asda edges closer to new ownership with one bidder left in pole position

  28-09-2020 16:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The billionaire Issa brothers and TDR Capital in pole position to buy Asda in £6.5bn swoop
  // However, a formal deal has not been struck as yet
  // Speculation had been rife that Walmart would choose Apollo as the preferred bidderThe process to sell off Asda to new owners has inched closer to completion with only one preferred bidder seemingly left in the race.
  According to Sky News, a consortium led by billionaire brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa and TDR Capital has moved into pole positi
  
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• British Heart Foundation is now a leading Depop seller as it is forced online during pandemic

  28-09-2020 15:26 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Depop now counts the British Heart Foundation (BHF) as one of its top sellers as the charity prepares to dramatically expand its online shop.
  BHF, the UK’s largest charity retailer, has reportedly sold nearly £10,000 worth of goods via its Depop shop since launching, and is preparing to further ramp up its online presence.
  The charity is now rolling out training to all its shop staff so they can list items directly onto the Depop app.
  “We are delighted with the popularity of ou
  
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• Asda takeover: TDR-backed EG Group in pole position for £6.5bn deal

  28-09-2020 15:16
  
  Billionaire owners of British petrol forecourts operator are Walmart’s preferred bidderThe billionaire owners of the British petrol forecourts operator EG Group have taken pole position in the £6.5bn race for control of Asda after being named the preferred bidder by the supermarket’s US owner.Mohsin and Zuber Issa, who are working with the private equity firm TDR Capital, have pushed out a rival offer from the private equity firm Apollo Global Management. Continue reading...
  
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• Petrol station tycoons are preferred bidders for Asda

  28-09-2020 14:38
  Consortium of Issa brothers and TDR beat Apollo to advanced talks for UK supermarket
  
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• Manchester Mayor calls for 9pm curfew on alcohol sales

  28-09-2020 14:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Greater Manchester mayor calls for an “urgent review” of 10pm closure times for pubs & restaurants
  // Andy Burnham says the curfew led to a rush of people at off-licences and supermarkets
  // To prevent the rush he suggested a 9pm curfew on alcohol sales in shopsGreater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has called for a 9pm ban on alcohol supermarket sales, alongside an a review of the “hard” 10pm curfew on pubs, bars and restaurants.
  Burnham said the early closing time
  
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• Boohoo’s co-founder accused of “misleading parliament” following damning report

  28-09-2020 13:20 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Boohoo’s co-founder Carol Kane has been accused of misleading Parliament after a damning report revealed the company knew about “very serious” issues with its suppliers.
  MP and former chairman of the environmental audit committee Mary Creagh demanded answers from Kane over the weekend, following the release of Boohoo’s independent investigation into working practices throughout its supply chain.
  In 2018 Kane told the environmental audit committee, then chaired by Creagh,
  
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• M&S “shwopping” clothes recycling scheme to return to stores

  28-09-2020 10:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // M&S to bring back “shwopping” clothes recycling scheme in the UK
  // The recycling scheme is an expansion of a partnership with Oxfam, which began in 2008
  // The partnership has resulted in over 35 million items being donated, worth a total of £23 millionMarks & Spencer will reportedly bring back its “shwopping” scheme in the UK this week, aimed at recycling clothes, six months after it was ditched because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
  From Thursday, cust
  
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• Burton head office up for sale as Sir Philip Green restructures Arcadia

  28-09-2020 10:22 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Sir Philip Green puts former Burton headquarter up for sale
  // Green is working with Deloitte on a fresh restructuring
  // He hired agents at BNP Paribas to help sell Corinthian House for £80mSir Philip Green has reportedly put the former London headquarter for Burton up for sale, as the Covid-19 pandemic mounts pressure on Arcadia.
  Green’s Arcadia group has been losing sales to online rivals such as Asos and Boohoo, and is said to be working with Deloitte on a fresh restructu
  
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• 14,000 shops have shut down so far in 2020, a 25% increase on 2019

  28-09-2020 10:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // 13,867 shops have pulled their shutters for the final time so far this year, according to Centre For Retail Research
  // This is a 24.8% on the same period last year
  // Non-food retailers have also lost more than £9bn  in sales this year so farNon-food retailers have lost £9 billion in sales so far this year, which could lead to one in 10 stores never being used to sell goods again, a new report has found.
  The Centre For Retail Research also found nearly 14,000 shops have perm
  
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• Aldi UK profits up sharply in 2019

  28-09-2020 09:58
  German-owned discounter reiterates target of 1,200 stores by 2025
  
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• Aldi steps up ecommerce efforts as it expands click-and-collect service

  28-09-2020 09:58
  German-owned discounter also plans more UK store openings after surge in pre-pandemic profits
  
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• Aldi to create 4,000 more UK jobs as sales surge in Covid crisis

  28-09-2020 09:39
  
  Budget supermarket chain to open 100 new stores as part of £1.3bn investmentAldi is to create another 4,000 jobs and open 100 new stores as part of a £1.3bn investment drive in the UK.The new jobs are on top of 3,000 permanent roles the discount supermarket chain has created this year after grocery sales surged during the coronavirus pandemic, while many other businesses have laid off staff. Continue reading...
  
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• Ted Baker signs Ben Sherman’s licensee as menswear licence partner

  28-09-2020 09:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Ted Baker enters into a product licence agreement with Baird Group for men’s formalwear
  // Baird will work with the creative team at Ted Baker to create and distribute men’s formalwear
  // The first collection will launch in spring 2021Ted Baker has revealed a new licence partner to help work on its men’s formalwear as part of a three-year agreement.
  The retailer has entered into a product licence agreement with Baird Group for men’s formalwear.
  Under the agreement, Bai
  
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• 4000 new jobs as Aldi plans to inject £1.3bn into upgrading stores

  28-09-2020 09:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Aldi plans to invest over £1 billion into upgraded stores and distribution centres
  // Aldi is expected to open 100 new stores across the UK throughout 2020 and 2021Aldi has committed to investing £1.3 billion into upgraded stores and distribution centres by 2022 after sales surpassed expectations last year.
  The discounter saw a 49 per cent increase in pre-tax profits to £271.5 million in the year to December 31.
  Sales also rose by 8.3 per cent to £12.3 billion thanks t
  
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• Boots under fire for “unethical” approach to rent negotiations

  28-09-2020 08:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boots accused of using the UK’s moratorium on evictions as cover for lease renegotiations
  // The majority of its 2000 stores remained open during lockdown
  // Landlords have said Boots is withholding rents and service chargesBoots has reportedly been accused of using the UK’s moratorium on evictions amid the Covid-19 pandemic as cover for ongoing lease renegotiations.
  The majority of its 2000 stores remained open during lockdown after being deemed an essential retailer, and accordi
  
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• Second Covid-19 wave could be 'knockout punch' for UK high street

  28-09-2020 01:01
  
  Survey suggests up to 12m m2 of retail space could be repurposedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritain’s high streets could suffer a “knockout punch” following a second wave of Covid-19 as landlords and developers are forced to close down as much as 12m m2 of retail space and seek alternative tenants.With many shops already boarded up and many more under threat of closure, a survey of more than 400 property development bosses by the consultanc
  
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• M&S brings back its 'shwopping' clothes recycling scheme

  28-09-2020 01:01
  
  From Thursday customers can hand over fruits of lockdown clearouts for donation to OxfamMarks & Spencer will this week bring back its popular UK “shwopping” scheme which is aimed at keeping clothing out of landfill, six months after it was mothballed because of coronavirus.Customers can from Thursday donate their unwanted clothes, shoes, bras and accessories of any brand or condition in 287 stores with clothing sections. Continue reading...
  
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• Yodel to create more than 2,900 roles in time for Christmas peak

  28-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Yodel has begun recruiting for 2,950 new positions across the UK as it gears up for what it expects to be its busiest festive period in... View Article
  
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• Q&A: Joanna Feeley, CEO, Trend Bible

  28-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Joanna Feeley is CEO of Trend Bible, which she founded in 2011 after identifying that the market for predicting the future of life at home was... View Article
  
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• More than 600 jobs saved at Gusto after successful CVA

  28-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Italian restaurant chain Gusto has secured the future of its business through the completion of a Company Voluntary Arrangement. While the move has saved more than... View Article
  
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• JYSK chooses Liverpool for biggest UK store to date

  28-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  JYSK, the Danish home furnishings retailer, is to open its biggest UK store to date in Liverpool next month. Situated at Hunts Cross Retail Park, the... View Article
  
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• John Lewis launches first ever virtual Christmas shop tour

  28-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The John Lewis department store has opened its Christmas Shop at its flagship store in London’s Oxford Street and launched a virtual tour of the shop... View Article
  
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• How to check your site, so shoppers check out

  28-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online retailers famously say, “If they can’t find it, they can’t buy it.”  Today, this motto is even more relevant. With online sales skyrocketing in B2C and... View Article
  
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• Gap Inc. launches new US loyalty scheme

  28-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Gap Inc. is launching a new loyalty programme in the US and Puerto Rico  for its Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta brands. It will... View Article
  
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• Central England Co-op trials eco-friendly within the hour delivery service

  28-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Central England Co-op has linked up with Snappy Shopper to trial a new eco-friendly service where customers can get their shopping delivered in less than an... View Article
  
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• Aldi pledges record £1.3 billion investment in UK

  28-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Aldi has committed to investing a record £1.3 billion in its UK business over the next two years. This will include the opening of  around 100... View Article
  
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