Retail news

• The Guardian view on cinema closures: the importance of going out | Editorial

  06-10-2020 20:08
  
  The pandemic has worsened the already precarious position of town centres – with awful consequences for people who work in them and for the rest of us Will there be a moment when we emerge, blinking, from the shadow thrown over all our lives by the coronavirus, to see how it has altered the places we live and work in? Given the variegated nature of the pandemic’s effects, and the fact that its ending will probably be gradual rather than sudden, it is more likely that the impact will
  
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• Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group mulls legal action against Bangladesh-based organisation

  06-10-2020 17:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group considers filing legal action against a trade organisation representing Bangladeshi garment workers
  // The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association accused the group of owing manufacturers £27m in unpaid billsEdinburgh Woollen Mill Group is considering filing a lawsuit against the trade organisation representing Bangladeshi garment workers after it was accused of owing manufacturers £27 million in unpaid bills.
  The retail group, which
  
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• Kering/Puma: clawback

  06-10-2020 17:13
  Sports brand proved too difficult a beast for Gucci owner to tame
  
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• Now that it’s returned to British ownership, what’s next for Asda?

  06-10-2020 16:42 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Asda has officially become a British-owned retailer again – the first time in 21 years.
  Last Friday, US retail behemoth Walmart agreed terms for a £6.8 billion sale of a majority stake in the Big 4 grocer to the billionaire Issa brothers, along with partners at private equity firm TDR Capital. Walmart had accepted a bid from a consortium led by Mohsin and Zuber Issa – the Lancashire-based owners of petrol forecourt firm EG Group – following a lengthy auction process.
  Wal
  
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• Levi’s launches resale platform offering users $25 for their old jeans

  06-10-2020 16:04 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Levi’s has become the latest fashion retailer to launch its own resale platform allowing customers to sell their old jeans back to the brand.
  Levi’s Secondhand launched this week, offering resellers between $15 and $25 in store credit for their old Levi’s jeans depending on quality.
  For jeans that are too well-worn to be resold, Levi’s will still offer $5 in credit and recycle the garments with partner Renewcell. 
  The platform will then relist the garments for betwee
  
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• MPs to revisit 2018 inquiry into sustainability of fashion retail

  06-10-2020 15:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Environmental Audit Committee to revisit 2018 inquiry into sustainability of the fashion retail industry
  // It will revisit the issue to monitor progress after increased concerns over the environmental impact of fashion retailThe Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has proposed plans to follow up on its 2018 inquiry into sustainability of the fashion retail industry.
  The EAC will go over the issue to monitor progress after increased concerns over the environmental impact of fashion retail, as
  
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• Mike Ashley faces showdown over re-election as Frasers chief

  06-10-2020 15:20
  
  Potential rebellion as advisers tell investors to block or abstain in vote on appointmentMike Ashley faces another showdown with investors at Frasers Group’s annual meeting on Wednesday after one advisory group said shareholders should block his re-election as chief executive and another advised them to abstain.In a report to clients, Pensions and Investment Research Consultants (Pirc) said shareholders of the group, which owns Sports Direct, House of Fraser and Flannels, should rebel agai
  
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• Mike Ashley faces battle over re-election as Frasers chief

  06-10-2020 15:20
  
  Potential rebellion as advisers tell investors to block or abstain in vote on appointmentMike Ashley faces another showdown with investors at Frasers Group’s annual meeting on Wednesday after one advisory group said shareholders should block his re-election as chief executive and another advised them to abstain.In a report to clients, Pensions and Investment Research Consultants (Pirc) said shareholders of the group, which owns Sports Direct, House of Fraser and Flannels, should rebel agai
  
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• Ikea to open record number of stores this year despite online shift

  06-10-2020 14:00
  Swedish group will focus openings on smaller formats and in city centres
  
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• Chanel acquires London flagship for £310m following sales process

  06-10-2020 14:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Chanel snaps up London Bond Street store following lengthy sales process
  // The deal was agreed last week despite a decline in sales and shopper numbers in the areaChanel has reportedly bought its London flagship store for £310 million despite weak footfall levels in the West End district.
  The Bond Street store has been snapped up for £70 million more than the initial £240 million asking price, The Times reported.
  The deal was agreed last week despite a decline in sales and
  
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• Decathlon books sales uptick in the UK amid expansion scheme

  06-10-2020 13:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Decathlon UK sales rise 10.3% as it continues with expansion & investment scheme
  // Gross sales for the year came in at £277.6m and net sales was £236.5m
  // Decathlon expects a loss before tax of £7.5m but attributed this to a £4.3m investment & expansion schemeDecathlon has revealed strong growth in the UK and an increase in its investments to further deliver its expansion scheme amid rising demand.
  In its annual trading update, the French sports and outdoor l
  
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• Macy’s takes stake in Klarna as part of payment partnership

  06-10-2020 13:19
  Deal will allow customers of US department store chain to split up online purchases
  
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• Homebase launches UK’s first “green aisle”

  06-10-2020 12:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Homebase launches UK’s first “green aisle” to help shoppers make sustainable purchases
  // The aisles will initially be rolled out in five Homebase stores with 132 others featuring the “Green Areas” until the end of Oct
  // Products featured in The Green Aisle include energy-saving, environmentally-friendly & sustainable items for the home & gardenHomebase has launched of the UK’s first “green aisle” to showcase a range of energy efficient
  
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• Amazon employee stole $96,000 by issuing refunds to himself and friends

  06-10-2020 12:28 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Amazon has reported a former employee to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for illegally issuing $96,500 in refunds to himself and friends via sellers’ accounts.
  Amazon says that Vu Anh Nguyen, a former Selling Support Associate, has now been arrested for charges including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft by the FBI, after first being reported in July.
  As a Selling Support Associate, Nguyen was tasked with helping third party retailers create and manage their listings, givi
  
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• AO to create over 100 jobs with new warehouse launch

  06-10-2020 12:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // AO to create 120 new jobs this week
  // The online electricals retailer is opening its third distribution warehouseAO has begun a hiring spree to coincide with the opening of its third distribution warehouse in four months as it continues to expand its logistics network.
  The new site is AO’s largest warehouse to date, adding over 275,000sq ft of distribution space to its portfolio with the premises at G-Park in Stoke-on-Trent.
  The online electricals retailer will create 120 new jobs in a
  
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• High Streets Task Force appoints 150+ experts to advise England’s councils

  06-10-2020 10:16 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // High Street Task Force appoints more than 150 experts to help England councils deliver high street evolution
  // The experts will work with local authorities in England over the next 4 years to support their transformation efforts
  // The authorities will receive free expert advice, mentoring and other help  to evolve town centres, progress plans, respond to Covid-19 and moreThe government-backed High Streets Task Force has appointed more than 150 experts to advise councils across England
  
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• London council warns retailers after staff fail to enforce mask-wearing

  06-10-2020 10:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Ministers have been warned for putting the high street above public health
  // Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Morrisons and B&M were handed warning notices by Barking and Dagenham council
  // Staff had failed to enforce mask-wearing and reminding customers to social distanceMinisters have reportedly been criticised for putting the high street above public health after the business department issued council leaders enforcement notices on face masks in supermarkets.
  Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Morriso
  
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• Watches of Switzerland Q2 sales surge 20%

  06-10-2020 09:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Watches of Switzerland increases guidance amid Q2 sales increase
  // In the quarter to date, overall revenue has shot up 20.2% to £202.7m
  // UK quarterly sales to date are up 12.6% to £145.1m, boosted by a 49.9% in ecommerce salesWatches of Switzerland has enjoyed bumper trading throughout the coronavirus pandemic, with a strong second quarter update prompting it to raise its full year sales forecast.
  The first 10 weeks of the current quarter, which ends on October 25, the retailer
  
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• Ann Summers lurches towards CVA

  06-10-2020 09:18 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Ann Summers says a CVA is now likely but not certain as landlords continue to not budge on rental agreements
  // If a CVA did go ahead, it would only apply it to stores where landlords have not agreed to turnover-based rents
  // Ann Summers started talks with the British Property Federation, a move that would likely lead to the launch of a CVAAnn Summers has said that it is now likely to launch a CVA after it failed to negotiate better rental terms with some landlords.
  The lingerie retailer has
  
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• The hedge fund that took on Wall Street’s powerful machinery

  06-10-2020 06:00
  Marble Ridge Capital’s mis-steps cost it rare chance to savour a triumph in Neiman Marcus battle
  
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• Sam Hines: the postboy who delivered Sotheby’s to the top of the pile

  06-10-2020 02:00
  
  Watches chief expects auctions will become marquee events for just exceptional lots, with the rest sold online or privately
  
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• Your customers are going cashless. It’s time for your staff to as well. Forget petty cash – it’s a thing of the past.

  06-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  What does the rise of cashless payments mean for petty cash we usually give to staff for day-to-day supplies? Retailers like Matalan and London Grace are reassessing the... View Article
  
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• Watches of Switzerland second quarter trading better than expected

  06-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Watches of Swizerland Group has said trading has been better than expected in its second quarter with revenue in the first ten weeks of the period... View Article
  
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• Sainsbury’s opens new store at London City Island

  06-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Sainsbury’s has become the only supermarket brand to open a store at London City Island. The convenience store sits in the heart of a new residential... View Article
  
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• Retail Tokenisation Webinar 2020 – 20 OCTOBER

  06-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Join Guillaume Arnal from Ingenico as we explore how tokenisation can solve retailers multi platform payment challenges. We will delve into case studies, discuss latest security issues... View Article
  
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• John Lewis launches new “All Things Baby” nursery services

  06-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The John Lewis department store chain has launched a new range of free-of-charge nursery advisory services. Called ‘All Things Baby’, the services aim to provide parents-to-be... View Article
  
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• H&M to launch collection with The Vampire’s Wife

  06-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  H&M has collaborated with cult fashion brand The Vampire’s Wife on a new collection. The brainchild of designer and model Susie Cave, the brand is known... View Article
  
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• Footfall impacted by wet weather and 10pm curfew

  06-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  New data has shown that UK retail footfall dropped by 3.5% last week from the previous seven days. Retail specialist Springboard found that footfall declined by... View Article
  
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• Dunnes Stores to offer same-day delivery service through new partnership

  06-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Dunnes Stores and Buymie have teamed up to enable the Irish grocery chain’s customers to order shopping from 24 stores in the greater Dublin area and... View Article
  
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• AO opens new warehouse in Stoke-on-Trent

  06-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online electricals retailer AO is opening its third distribution warehouse in four months this week as part of plans to expand its logistics network. Spanning over... View Article
  
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