Retail news

• Silence is a bizarre position for Boohoo's chairman to adopt | Nils Pratley

  30-09-2020 19:40
  
  Firm has accepted conclusions of Alison Levitt’s report, but Mahmud Kamani has said nothing
  “If he chooses to do so, the chairman could become an icon in the industry and the company he created will go from strength to strength,” said Alison Levitt QC in her report last week, prodding Boohoo to tackle its supply chain failures.As a company, Boohoo has accepted Levitt’s recommendations, of course. But does Mahmud Kamani, the chairman, feel embarrassed or shamed by the repo
  
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• Ikea to end sale of all single-use alkaline batteries globally by 2021

  30-09-2020 18:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Ikea to end the sale of single-use alkaline batteries by October next year
  // It will pledge to sell rechargeable batteries, alongside lithium ion button cell batteries for products requiring themThis winter will be the last festive season shoppers can buy non-rechargeable batteries from Ikea for the of toys, games and devices expected to be littered throughout homes.
  The furniture retailer said it would only sell rechargeable batteries and end the sale of single-use alkaline batteries by Oct
  
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• Ocado steals Tesco crown as UK’s most valuable food retailer

  30-09-2020 15:57 via ft.com
  Online group is worth £21.7bn compared with rival’s £21.1bn after pandemic boosts shares
  
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• 900 high street jobs in the firing line as TSB shuts down 124 branches

  30-09-2020 15:19 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // TSB to cut 900 high street jobs through the closure of 164 branches
  // TSB will be left with 290 branches around the UK after the latest cuts
  // TSB has halved its high street branch network over the last seven yearsTSB has revealed plans to axe around 900 high street jobs and close 164 of its branches, delivering the latest blow to UK high streets since the Covid-19 pandemic started.
  The Spanish-owned bank said the cuts were driven by a “significant shift in customer behaviour”,
  
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• M&S cuts soya from production of milk to curb deforestation

  30-09-2020 14:24
  
  UK retailer worked with dairy farms to end use of destructive cattle feed, but critics say move could ‘shift problem elsewhere’UK retailer Marks & Spencer has eliminated soya from the production of all its milk as part of its commitment to end deforestation in its supply chain.The high street chain says it has worked with the 44 British farmers producing M&S RSPCA Assured milk to replace soya feed with alternatives such as rapeseed oil and sugar beet – avoiding the use
  
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• 14,000 “serious injuries” reported at Amazon fulfilment centres last year marking 33% rise

  30-09-2020 14:22 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Amazon workers suffered more than 14,000 serious injuries last year as the ecommerce giant’s investments in automation and safety fail protect its employees.
  A new damning report published by Reveal from the Centre of Investigative Reporting found that for every 100 employees Amazon staff experienced 7.7 serious injuries, double the most recent industry standard.
  It also represented a 33 per cent rise in injuries compared to four years earlier, despite Amazon investing tens of mi
  
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• M&S pledges soya-free dairy animal feed to tackle deforestation

  30-09-2020 13:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // M&S commits to removing soya from all animal feed in milk supply chain
  // It has replaced soya with rapeseed oil and sugar beet
  // The production of soya for animal feed has been linked to deforestation, especially in the AmazonMarks & Spencer has announced a more sustainable feed scheme in its milk supply chain as part of its pledge to tackle deforestation.
  From tomorrow, M&S Food said it would have completely eliminated soya feed from the production of all its milk, replacing it
  
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• Studio Retail half-year sales surges 39%

  30-09-2020 13:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Studio half-year sales rises 39%
  // In the last six weeks of the first half, sales grew 30% despite lockdown now being overStudio is the latest ecommerce retailer to have reaped the rewards of a dramatic shift in online shopping over the lockdown period, after recording a surge in half-year sales.
  In the last six weeks since the company’s last trading update in late August, Studio – formerly known as Findel – said product sales grew 30 per cent against the equivalent period
  
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• Morrisons is hiring 1000 new staff to fulfil Amazon Prime Now orders as demand skyrockets

  30-09-2020 11:26 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Morrisons is hiring more than 1000 new permanent staff to help it meet skyrocketing demand for online orders through Amazon Prime Now.
  After dramatically expanding its partnership with Amazon in August, seeing its entire range of goods sold via the ecommerce giant’s website for the first time, Morrisons is now embarking on a recruitment frenzy to meet demand.
  The grocer is recruiting over 1000 new permanent ‘Customer Assistant – Pick and Pack’ staff in 50 stores across th
  
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• Boohoo reports sales surge despite Leicester supplier scandal

  30-09-2020 11:13
  
  Jogging bottoms and T-shirts sell well but Covid means Christmas dress stocks cut Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA wave of negative publicity about working conditions at Boohoo’s Leicester suppliers has not dented demand at the online fashion retailer as sales rose by 45% during the coronavirus pandemic.Pre-tax profits at the group, which owns Oasis, Warehouse, Pretty Little Thing, Nasty Gal and Karen Millen, jumped 51% to £68.1m as sales rose to &p
  
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• Retail rent arrears “to exceed £2bn” as landlords warn on lower payments

  30-09-2020 10:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Retail rent arrears are set to exceed £2bn
  // Landlords anticipate receiving less than half of due payments for the third quarter of 2020
  // Landlords saw around £1.5bn of rent payments go unpaid during Q1 and Q2 this yearRetail rent arrears are set to exceed £2 billion as landlords anticipate receiving less than half of due payments for the third quarter of 2020, an industry body has warned.
  Revo said landlords are expecting another set of low payment figures after Tuesday&
  
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• Topps Tiles warns of sales drop despite “robustly positive” fourth quarter

  30-09-2020 10:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Topps Tiles said for the 52 week period to September 26, trading “remained robustly positive”
  // Like-for-like sales were up 16.5% in the 13 weeks to September 26, 2020
  // All of its stores were now open with “social distancing and hygiene protocols in place”Topps Tiles has reported a “robustly positive” fourth quarter of trading and now expects a “modest level of adjusted profit before tax” for the end of its financial year.
  For the 52 wee
  
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• N Brown sales recover thanks to rising demand in homeware

  30-09-2020 09:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // N Brown said product revenue losses stabilised to 20.5% during first half of the year
  // Group revenues recovered to be down 17.6%, from a 22% drop in the first quarter of the yearN Brown has reported a recovery in first quarter sales thanks to a rise in demand for its new homeware range.
  The group, which owns Jacamo, JD Williams and Simply Be, said that product revenue losses had stabilised to 20.5 per cent during the first half of the year.
  For the six months to August 29, N Brown said
  
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• Hammerson hires Canadian real estate boss as new CEO

  30-09-2020 09:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Hammerson drafts in Rita-Rose Gagné as its new chief executive
  // Gagné was previously the president of growth markets at Ivanhoé CambridgeHammerson has appointed the former Canadian president of growth markets at a real estate firm, Rita-Rose Gagné as its new chief executive.
  Gagné was previously the president of growth markets at Ivanhoé Cambridge where she oversaw real estate assets across Asia Pacific and Latin America.
  Prior to joining Ivanh
  
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• Boohoo lifts full-year profits forecast after first-half boost

  30-09-2020 09:23 via ft.com
  Online fashion group’s move comes just days after a critical review of its supply chain oversight
  
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• Boohoo lifts forecast after first-half boost

  30-09-2020 09:23 via ft.com
  Online fashion group’s move comes just days after critical review of its supply chain
  
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• Boohoo Group profits surge despite “most challenging time”

  30-09-2020 09:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boohoo Group reports rise in profits despite its “most challenging time”
  // Profit before tax for the group rose 51% year on year to £68.1m in the 6 months to August 31
  // Adjusted EBITDA increased 48% to £89.8m during the periodBoohoo Group, which owns Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing, and Oasis and Warehouse among others, has reported a rise in profits despite a “challenging” time.
  Profit before tax for the group rose 51 per cent year on year to £68.1
  
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• Shop prices fall in September but no-deal Brexit may impact retail, BRC says

  30-09-2020 08:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Shop prices dropped in September as retailers cut prices to encourage spending
  // Shop prices fell 1.6% in September compared to AugustShop prices have continued to drop in September as retailers cut prices in order to encourage further spending, but a no-deal Brexit may come at a cost.
  Shop prices fell 1.6 per cent in September compared to August, according to the latest BRC Nielsen Shop Price Index.
  This is below the 12 month average price decrease of 1.1 per cent, but above the six month a
  
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• Petrol station billionaires go shopping for Asda

  30-09-2020 06:00 via ft.com
  EG Group founders the Issa brothers are preferred bidders for UK supermarket
  
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• The Hut Group acquires Perricone MD

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Retail and technology company The Hut Group has acquired US premium skincare brand Perricone MD for $60 million. Founded in 1997, Perricone MD offers a range... View Article
  
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• Studio reports strong autumn trading

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Studio Retail Group has reported strong retail trading at its Studio business in the early weeks of its new autumn/winter season, with the childrenswear, gifting and... View Article
  
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• Reputation.com reveals speakers for Virtual Transform‘20 Europe

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Free Online Event to Feature Expert Perspectives and Replicable Best Practices; Speakers Span Automotive, Food & Beverage and Cross Industry Experts. Reputation.com, provider of the first... View Article
  
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• Q&A: Leanne Oddy, Ann Summers

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Leanne Oddy is one of the delegates on this year’s Retail Mentoring Programme, run by Festival of Licensing, the month long virtual celebration of the global... View Article
  
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• Kenji opens concept store at Liverpool ONE

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Japanese inspired lifestyle brand Kenji has opened a new concept store at Liverpool ONE. Situated at 45 South John Street, the 1,500 square foot shop is... View Article
  
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• Ideal Shopping Direct exceeds profit expectations

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Ideal Shopping Direct, the UK multichannel home shopping retailer, has achieved a significant turnaround of its business in the past 12 months with a profit of... View Article
  
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• How to connect with your customers in a pandemic

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Research indicates that 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they love after just one bad experience, with 92% completely abandoning it after just a... View Article
  
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• Hammerson hires new chief executive

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Shopping centre owner Hammerson has appointed Rita-Rose Gagné as its new chief executive.  Gagné was previously president of growth markets at Ivanhoé Cambridge where she oversaw... View Article
  
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• eBook: How to connect with your customers in a pandemic

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Research indicates that 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they love after just one bad experience, with 92% completely abandoning it after just a... View Article
  
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• Boohoo reports strong first half sales and profit increase

  30-09-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online fashion retailer Boohoo has grown its first half sales and profits after it benefited an increase in basket size and from customers returning fewer items... View Article
  
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