Retail news

• Philip Green gave BHS assurances ‘as knight of the realm’

  21-10-2020 18:29
  Dominic Chappell, on trial for tax evasion, said retailer had pledged to resolve pension hole
  
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• Poundland acquires Fultons Foods, so what’s next for its frozen food offering?

  21-10-2020 17:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Poundland’s acquisition of frozen food specialist Fultons Foods last week came as no surprise to the retail industry, considering it has been launching everything from new price points to booze and new in-store frozen food sections over the past year.
  The discount retailer said it has been working with Fultons Foods for 12 months on the development of a chilled and frozen food range. The partnership will see Poundland offer frozen and chilled food in over 70 stores, and expand to a furthe
  
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• TM Lewin owner mulls Jaeger takeover

  21-10-2020 17:16 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // TM Lewin owner Torque Brands in line to acquire Philip Day’s Jaeger brand
  // Jaeger is owned by Edinburgh Woollen Mill, which is on the brink of collapseTM Lewin parent company Torque Brands is reportedly among the bidders for Philip Day’s Jaeger fashion brand.
  The investors who bought shirt-maker TM Lewin earlier this year are in talks to acquire Jaeger, Sky News reported.
  Torque Brands, a vehicle headed by the former Simba mattress chief executive James Cox, is one of a small nu
  
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• Morrisons extends NHS discount scheme as Covid-19 cases rise

  21-10-2020 16:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Morrisons extends its 10% discount for NHS staff
  // The discount was first introduced in April and aims to support 1.5 million NHS staffMorrisons is extending the 10 per cent discount for NHS staff when they grocery shop in an effort to thank them for their services during the pandemic.
  The discount was first introduced in April and aims to support the 1.5 million NHS staff through the winter.
  Following an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the UK, Morrisons has made the decision
  
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• UK retail health improved in Q3, but it’s not out of the woods yet

  21-10-2020 16:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Q3 saw retail health recover 6 points with a score climbing back to 67, thanks to the release of pent-up demand
  // This compares to the Q2 score of 61, the all-time low
  // Think tank predicts health will improve another point in Q4, but with a renewed disparity between food & non-food retailThe general health of the UK’s retail industry improved in the third quarter of the year as pent up consumer demand saw it bounce back from the record-low second quarter.
  According to the latest
  
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• Sky to open network of high street stores across UK

  21-10-2020 15:07
  
  ‘Social hub for shoppers’ to launch in Liverpool despite localised Covid restrictionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSky is to launch a network of high street stores across the UK, saying it wants them to become “social hubs for shoppers”, with the first one opening in Liverpool on Monday despite tier 3 coronavirus restrictions.The plan to start a network of stores, each of which will have a music venue-style “access all areas&rdquo
  
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• Amazon will now pay shoppers $10 for data on what they’re buying

  21-10-2020 15:07 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Amazon is now offering to pay customers for data on what they are purchasing outside of its online and offline stores.
  “Amazon Shopper Panel”, which launched in the US this week, is offering customers $10 towards their Amazon balance for sharing their receipts.
  Customers will be asked to take pictures of 10 paper receipts per month for purchases made anywhere other than Amazon’s own stores, including Whole Foods, Amazon Four Star, Amazon Go, Amazon Books or via its online webs
  
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• The Big Picture: the role of video, photography, and content in enhancing the digital retail experience

  21-10-2020 15:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  With the retail sector facing some of its biggest challenges ever and transitioning to even more of a digital model, customer experiences have become more important for retailers as they look to the future. As a matter of fact, according to new Nuxeo research, 54% of UK shoppers would change from a favoured retailer to a competitor if the overall digital experience did not meet their expectations.
  As all eyes focus on online retail, content such as product information, photos, videos have become
  
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• How to map out a successful Q4 in Retail during a year like this

  21-10-2020 15:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  This webinar provides a summary of the key trends and changes experienced by retailers during coronavirus-enforced lockdown – in particular, how marketing messages and business propositions evolved, and what drove conversions and attracted new customers during the crisis.
  We discussed the key ways Retail Gazette believes retailer and shopper behaviour has changed because of the coronavirus, and what is destined to stick for the remainder of the year, especially in the context of the forthc
  
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• Consumer Shopping Trends in the Age of COVID-19

  21-10-2020 15:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Preparing for Peak Season
  The effects of Covid-19 are continuing to make their mark on the retail industry. As we enter a new phase in the pandemic, it’s never been more important to understand where consumers are spending their time and money.
  Now, as the industry prepares for the festive peak season, we bring you the third instalment of our Consumer Shopping Trends in the Age of COVID-19 research where we uncover how consumers are feeling 6 months into the pandemic.
  We polled 1022 UK sho
  
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• Asda opens first sit-in Greggs café in East Midlands store

  21-10-2020 14:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Asda opens first sit-in Greggs café at its Worksop store
  // The café will offer vegan sausage rolls and other Greggs foods such as breakfast rolls, sandwiches and wraps
  // Greggs will trial shop-in-shops in five Asda stores in Boldon, Corby, Huyton, Eastlands and WiganAsda has officially opened its first sit-in Greggs café, at its new £21 million store in the East Midlands.
  The grocer first revealed plans to launch the café in February at the Worksop store.
  T
  
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• Post Offices deliver £1.1bn lifeline to struggling high streets

  21-10-2020 13:44 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Research finds visits to Post Offices help drive 400m visitors to other shops & local businesses
  // Post Offices also provided an estimated £1.1bn in additional revenue for high streets
  // 43% of small businesses say they would not be able to continue functioning without Post OfficesNew research has revealed how much of a vital role Post Offices play in high streets, providing a boost of more than £1 billion for surrounding retailers and businesses.
  The Public First research,
  
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• Royal Mail to collect parcels for delivery from your doorstep with “Parcel Collect”

  21-10-2020 12:14 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Royal Mail will now collect parcels and returns from customers’ doorsteps, meaning sellers and shoppers no longer need to leave their house to deliver goods.
  Royal Mail has launched a new “Parcel Collect” service across the UK in bid to cash in on the rapid rise of online shopping during the pandemic.
  Any customers who need to return online orders, or who have sold items via resale platforms like Ebay and Depop, can now have their items picked up by the same postal worker who d
  
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• Ebay UK creates “new wave” of millionaires amid uncertainty

  21-10-2020 10:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Ebay UK self-made millionaires rise by 35% in the last year
  // Economic uncertainty has led to a “new wave of entrepreneurs”
  // London tops the list of producing the majority of the millionairesEbay has found that the number of new, self-made millionaires on its platform has risen by 35 per cent in the last 12 months across the UK.
  The online retailer said it expects economic uncertainty and unemployment to create a “new wave of entrepreneurs”.
  The UK capitals cre
  
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• Waitrose and the Co-op lower prices in run up to Christmas

  21-10-2020 10:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Waitrose and the Co-op cut prices on hundreds of essentials this week
  // Waitrose is lowering the prices on over 200 of its basic own-label products
  // Co-op is investing £50m in lowering the prices on more than 300 branded and own-label productsWaitrose and the Co-op are reportedly slashing prices on hundreds of essentials this week in an effort to square up to supermarkets and lure customers ahead of the crucial Christmas trading period.
  Upmarket grocer Waitrose is lowering the prices
  
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• BRC launches toolkit to boost retailers’ cyber defences

  21-10-2020 09:57 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The new Cyber Resilience Toolkit for Retail from the BRC aims to counter cyber attacks in retail
  // National Cyber Security Centre also supports the toolkit
  // Last year, retailers spent £186 million on cyber securityA new cyber security toolkit for retailers has been launched, aimed at helping them take steps to reduce the threat of a successful online attack.
  As part of its strategy to increase cyber resilience amongst retailers, the BRC worked alongside experts at the National Cyber
  
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• Rise in inflation signals business rates rises of £160m next April

  21-10-2020 09:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // ONS says CPI inflation rose to 0.5% in September, up from 0.2% in August
  // The September CPI figure is used to decide the annual increase in business rates in England
  // Altus Group predicts business rates to rise by almost £160m in AprilA rise in UK inflation last month has prompted fears that business rates bills in England will rise by almost £160 million next April.
  New official figures from the ONS indicates that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rose to 0.5 per cent
  
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• Next accused of destroying documents ahead of equal pay court case

  21-10-2020 09:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Staff at Next accuse the retailer of destroying key documents ahead of an equal pay case
  // Next denies the allegations
  // The lawyers will bring up their claims at a one-day hearing at the Employment Tribunal on January 12Lawyers representing staff at Next in a claim for equal pay have accused the retailer of destroying key documents ahead of the case – something denied by the company.
  Leigh Day, the law firm representing 330 members of staff – mostly women – who say they h
  
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• Ikea seeks to disrupt itself before it is disrupted

  21-10-2020 06:00
  World’s largest furniture retailer rolls out a series of experiments that could uproot its business model
  
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• Waitrose and Co-op to cut prices of essential goods by average of 15%

  21-10-2020 01:01
  
  Move comes as supermarkets prepare to battle it out ahead of a budget Christmas season Waitrose and the Co-op are cutting prices on hundreds of essential goods this week as supermarkets prepare to battle it out for customers ahead of a budget Christmas season.On Wednesday, Waitrose is lowering the prices of more than 200 of its basic own-label products, including beef mince, tea and washing-up-liquid, by an average of more than 15%. Related: The Aldi effect: how one discount supermarket transfor
  
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• Next accused of destroying documents in equal pay claim

  21-10-2020 01:01
  
  Shop staff are seeking parity with warehouse workers who earn up to £6 more per hourNext has been accused of destroying vital documents related to an equal pay claim worth up to £200m being brought by store staff.Law firm Leigh Day, which is acting for 330 shop workers, says destruction of the paperwork is a breach of an employment tribunal order instructing Next to keep it safe. Continue reading...
  
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• The Retail Resilience Checklist – 5 steps to drive Retail Transformation & adapt to today’s volatile market

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Unprecedented market disruptions caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic have put retailers under more pressure than ever before. However, in today’s volatile market, digital innovation can... View Article
  
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• The Benefits of an End to End Payment Solution

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Guest Post: Marc Docherty Head of UK Acquiring, Ingenico Enterprise Retail Payments processing can be a minefield, especially for merchants that are new to dealing with... View Article
  
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• Survey Report: The Impact of Covid on Retailers Digital Transformation Roadmap

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Validify speak to decision makers at leading retailers and brands in our community every day. During the height of the pandemic we were encouraged to hear... View Article
  
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• Sky to open debut retail shop at Liverpool ONE

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Sky is to launch a retail shop at the Liverpool ONE shopping destination. Due to open on 26 October, the store on South John Street will... View Article
  
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• Royal Mail launches parcel pick-up service

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Royal Mail has launched a new service where postal workers will pick up parcels as part of their daily round. Called Parcel Collect, the launch marks... View Article
  
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• Ralph Lauren appoints new board member

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Ralph Lauren Corporation has appointed Valerie Jarrett to its board of directors. The move means the board now has a total of 13 directors. A senior... View Article
  
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• Q&A: Neil Pickering, Industry and Content Marketing Manager at UKG

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Neil is an IT veteran and evangelist for the performance transformation benefits delivered by workforce management and human capital management solutions. Working closely with customers across... View Article
  
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• How Ampersand transformed Secret Sales into an off-price marketplace for high street and luxury fashion

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Secret Sales’ Marketplace Transformation, a Black Friday case study. In 2018, Secret Sales had a vision to become an off-price marketplace for high street and luxury... View Article
  
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• Hobbycraft launches first ever VOD advert

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Arts and crafts retailer Hobbycraft has launched its first ever video-on-demand Christmas advert. The retailer’s Craft Together this Christmas campaign focuses on the sense of achievement... View Article
  
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• Co-op expands online home delivery in Scotland

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Co-op is expanding the roll-out of its online shop in Scotland and increasing the number of slots available for shoppers. The retailer has teamed up with... View Article
  
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• Chapelfield renamed as Chantry Place

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Norwich’s Chapelfield shopping centre has been rebranded and changed its name to Chantry Place. In addition to the new name, website and social media channels, the... View Article
  
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• Asda trials new sustainability store

  21-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Asda has opened a trial sustainability store and unveiled its new plastics reduction strategy. The supermarket has partnered with brands such as PG Tips, Vimto, Kellogg’s,... View Article
  
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