Retail news

• Boohoo directors buy in after audit woes flatten shares

  23-10-2020 19:00
  Online fashion retailer parts company with PwC
  
  Read more

• Treasury confirms it is to end VAT waiver on PPE in UK

  23-10-2020 18:40
  
  Items such as protective face masks and gloves will no longer be exempt from 20% sales taxCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFace masks and gloves will cost more from the end of this month after the government said a temporary waiver of VAT on personal protective equipment (PPE) would not be extended, the Guardian has learned.The Treasury confirmed that the 20% sales tax would once more apply to protective equipment bought by firms and consumers from November, afte
  
  Read more

• Edinburgh Woollen Mill granted more time to find buyer

  23-10-2020 18:26
  Philip Day’s retail business set for administration if no bidders emerge for brands including Peacocks and Jaeger
  
  Read more

• Is a pumpkin an essential item in the Welsh Covid firebreak?

  23-10-2020 18:23
  
  Supermarkets scramble to interpret ban on sales of non-essential items in lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe question of what constitutes an essential item has become a vexed and politically charged one in Wales as the country heads into a 17-day “firebreak” lockdown.With most high-street shops forced to close, the Welsh government has said it is only fair that supermarkets are not allowed to sell non-essential items either. Related: ‘
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• UK economy slows as Covid-19 restrictions hit growth, but US speeds up - as it happened

  23-10-2020 17:47
  
  The coronavirus pandemic is hitting growth in UK and pulling the eurozone towards a double-dip recession, but the US looks strongerLatest: US PMI hits 20-month highGrowth across UK firms has slowed this monthMarkit’s PMI shows slowest growth since JuneUK firms kept cutting jobsEurozone companies are shrinking againEarlier:UK consumer confidence weakensRecord rebound in retail sales since lockdown eased 4.44pm BST And finally, after a choppy week, Europe’s stock markets have closed wi
  
  Read more

• 10 British department stores that have come & gone over the years

  23-10-2020 17:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  BHSBHS made a dramatic exit from British high streets in mid-2016, after failing to secure a rescue deal during its administration.
  The retailer had been struggling with debts of more than £1.3 billion, including a pensions deficit of £571 million – which in turn became corporate scandal that plagued its most recent owner, Dominic Chappell, and its previous owner, retail mogul Sir Philip Green.
  After an 92-year stint on the high street, BHS closed for the final time in August 2
  
  Read more

• UK economy slows as Covid-19 restrictions hit growth, but US speeds up - business live

  23-10-2020 16:40
  
  The coronavirus pandemic is hitting growth in UK, and threatening to pull the eurozone into a double-dip recessionLatest: US PMI hits 20-month highLatest: growth across UK firms has slowed this monthMarkit’s PMI shows slowest growth since JuneUK firms kept cutting jobsEurozone companies are shrinking againEarlier:UK consumer confidence weakensRecord rebound in retail sales since lockdown eased 3.40pm BST The US PMI report also shows that American business confidence is at its highest in ne
  
  Read more

• Co-op calls for moratorium on oxo-degradable plastics

  23-10-2020 15:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Co-op calls on government for a moratorium on oxo-degradable plastics
  // Similar plastics are set to be allowed in the UK despite health and environmental implications being as yet unknownCo-op has called for a moratorium on oxo-degradable plastics, despite the health and environment impacts remaining unknown.
  The convenience retailer’s call comes after the British Standards Institution (BSI) published a new specification which support the sale in UK markets of plastic materials that us
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• UK retailers’ rents could soon be based on online sales

  23-10-2020 15:21 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Retailers which have seen their online revenues skyrocket during the pandemic could see their rents shoot up under a progressive new leasing model.
  Under the newly proposed model, which is being explored around 50 major retail landlords, retailers’ rents would be based on in-store sales, footfall, and online sales for the first time.
  According to the CACI, which devised the new model, rents would take into account footfall, boosts to online sales after a store opens, the value of items bou
  
  Read more

• Non-essential retail in Scotland to go back in lockdown if top-tier restrictions implemented

  23-10-2020 14:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Scotland FM Nicola Sturgeon outlines 5-tier plan for dealing with the second wave of Covid
  // Levels range from 0 to 4, with 4 seeing non-essential shops obligated to temporarily close downNon-essential retail in Scotland would be forced to temporarily shut if a proposal featuring localised top-tier restrictions were to be approved and implemented amid the pandemic.
  Earlier today, Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon outlined a five-tier plan of measures for dealing with the second wave of
  
  Read more

• The Hut Group to create 500 jobs in run up to Christmas

  23-10-2020 14:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The Hut Group said it will create 500 jobs across a range of roles
  // The ecommerce platform has already added 2000 jobs in the last year
  // The majority of positions will be in the group’s technology services divisionThe Hut Group has announced it is creating 500 jobs between now and the end of the year despite the ongoing pandemic.
  The jobs will range across its business in the North West of England, as it approaches its peak trading period.
  The company, which recently listed on the L
  
  Read more

• American Apparel 'used fake comments to fuel founder's bad boy image'

  23-10-2020 14:19
  
  Ex-worker tells documentary series staff would post on articles about Dov CharneyA documentary series has revealed how American Apparel helped fuel its founder’s bad boy mythology in order to bolster interest in the clothing company online.In the nine-part Big Rad Wolf, a former employee reveals she would leave approved fake comments under salacious articles about Dov Charney on celebrity media blogs such as Gawker and Jezebel, in order to manufacture his reputation as predatory. Continue
  
  Read more

• Sadiq Khan: Tourist spending to fall £10bn in London this year

  23-10-2020 12:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Tourist spending in London expected to fall by £10.9bn this year due to Covid, London mayor Sadiq Khan says
  // He also warns collapse of tourism could leave retail businesses without hope of returning to normal for “many months to come”Tourist spending in central London is set to fall by £10.9 billion this year due to the Covid pandemic, according to an analysis published by mayor Sadiq Khan.
  The figure represents a far lower total than the amount of spending lost due
  
  Read more

• Your polyester sweater is destroying the environment. Here's why | Adrienne Matei

  23-10-2020 12:22
  
  Boycotting polyester would reduce microfiber pollution. But the larger problem is the sheer volume of clothing we buy and discard
  Last week, an exclusive Guardian report revealed that a mind-boggling 13.3 quadrillion microfibers (infinitesimal strands of fabric) were released into the California environment in 2019. Related: Bottle-fed babies swallow millions of microplastics a day, study finds Fashion corporations must be held accountable for implementing sustainable practices across their supp
  
  Read more

• 40,000 people have fallen victim to online shopping fraud this year

  23-10-2020 11:37 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Online shopping fraud has skyrocketed during the pandemic as more than 40,000 people fell victim within the first half of 2020.
  According to new data from Finder.com online shopping and auction fraud jumped 37 per cent between January and June, seeing more than £29.7 million lost to scammers.
  Around 40,900 cases of online fraud, which involves customers purchasing items online which they never receive, were reported to Action Fraud representing 65 per cent of all reported consumer fraud ca
  
  Read more

• UK retail sales rise for fifth straight month as shoppers focus on DIY

  23-10-2020 11:21
  
  Total retail sales in September 5.5% higher than pre-Covid levels in FebruaryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUK retail sales increased for the fifth consecutive month in September on the back of a rise in spending on DIY and household goods, according to official figures.The Office for National Statistics said the volume of retail sales rose by 1.5% between August and September, continuing a recovery in consumer spending from the biggest slump on record during t
  
  Read more

• Christmas-related searches online up 80%, M&S says

  23-10-2020 11:12 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Marks & Spencer Christmas-related searches on its website up 80%
  // The top five searches last week were for slippers, Harry Potter, bras, Christmas pyjamas and ginMarks & Spencer has said that searches for Christmas products on its website have skyrocketed as shoppers seek to spend early this festive period.
  The retailer found that Christmas-related searches are up 80 per cent year on year.
  M&S said the top five searches last week were for slippers, Harry Potter, bras, Chris
  
  Read more

• UK economy slows as Covid-19 restrictions hit growth - business live

  23-10-2020 10:55
  
  Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as the coronavirus pandemic hits growth in UK and eurozoneLatest: growth across UK firms has slowed this monthMarkit’s PMI shows slowest growth since JuneEurozone companies are shrinking againService sector hit by Covid-19 restrictionsEarlier:UK consumer confidence weakensRecord rebound in retail sales since lockdown eased 9.46am BST Newsflash: the UK economy is slowing this month, as tighter Covid-19 restrictions hit travel, leis
  
  Read more

• Calvin Klein hires former Starbucks president as chief marketing officer

  23-10-2020 10:42 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Calvin Klein hires new global chief marketing officer
  // Linh Peters will oversee all aspects of Calvin Klein’s consumer marketing organisation
  // Peters joins from Starbucks, where she was vice president of loyalty and partnershipsCalvin Klein has hired a new global chief marketing officer to drive brand experience, product marketing and data-driven marketing innovation.
  Linh Peters will join office on November 2, and will also oversee all aspects of Calvin Klein’s consumer marke
  
  Read more

• Eurozone faces double-dip downturn as business activity contracts - business live

  23-10-2020 10:25
  
  Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsLatest: Eurozone companies are shrinking againService sector hit by Covid-19 restrictionsEarlier:UK consumer confidence weakensRecord rebound in retail sales since lockdown easedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 9.24am BST The downturn at Eurozone companies this month risks dragging the region back into recession, data firm IHS Markit fears.Chris Williamson, their chief business economist, says the restric
  
  Read more

• Gap mulls closure of entire store estate in Europe

  23-10-2020 10:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Gap considers closing entire European store estate next year
  // The company has more than 70 stores in the UK and four in Ireland
  // Sales fell 18% in the three months to the end of AugustGap is mulling the closure of its entire European store estate next year, placing hundreds of jobs at risk.
  The company, which has more than 70 stores in the UK and four in Ireland, said it wanted to operate in Europe through “partnerships”, both online and in stores.
  Gap has 158 franchise stores
  
  Read more

• Grocers in Wales told to only sell “essential” items as it enters 2nd lockdown

  23-10-2020 09:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Welsh grocers not allowed to sell anything other than food items as it enters firebreak lockdown
  // This means supermarkets that stock clothing & hardware must cease that service to create “level playing field”
  // From 6pm tonight, all leisure and non-essential retail across Wales will be closed for 17 daysSupermarkets in Wales will not be allowed to sell items such as clothing and hardware during the Covid-19 firebreak lockdown, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.
  Drakefo
  
  Read more

• Retail sales rise for 5th month in a row

  23-10-2020 09:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Overall growth in sales volumes up 5.5% in Sept compared with Feb’s pre-pandemic level
  // In the 3 months to Sept, overall retail sales volumes increased by 17.4% – the biggest quarterly increase on recordShoppers have continued to increase their spending, with the amount of products bought increasing for the fifth consecutive month in September, according to the ONS.
  Overall growth in sales volumes – rather the amount spent – was up 5.5 per cent last month compared wi
  
  Read more

• UK shoppers give retail sales another boost in September

  23-10-2020 09:12
  Spending comes in nearly 5% above level in same month last year
  
  Read more

• “Double dip” threat for consumer confidence as concerns about finances worsen

  23-10-2020 09:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Overall consumer confidence declines to -31 in October, compared to -25 in September
  // There are concerns about personal finances & the wider economy worsening amid the second waveConsumer confidence is heading for a double dip as concerns about personal finances and the wider economy in the coming months deepen amid the second wave of Covid-19.
  According to the latest consumer confidence index compiled by GfK, perceptions about personal finances both in the past year and the 12 months a
  
  Read more

• UK consumer confidence tumbles but retail sales keep recovering – business live

  23-10-2020 08:35
  
  Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsUK consumer confidence weakensRecord rebound in retail sales since lockdown easedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 7.25am BST Despite the slide in consumer confidence, UK retail sales continue to recover from their slump earlier this year.The Office for National Statistics reports that sales volumes swelled by 1.5% last month, compared to August, and were 4.7% higher than a year ago. Retail sales increased
  
  Read more

• Final US presidential debate, remdesivir approval, Intel data

  23-10-2020 06:00
  
  Donald Trump and Joe Biden clash over issues from the pandemic to foreign policy in their final presidential election debate
  
  Read more

• Buying Asda: how petrol station billionaires plan to pull off the deal

  23-10-2020 06:00
  Issa brothers and TDR must win over investors for £6.8bn grocery takeover after auditor resigned
  
  Read more

• Boohoo’s biggest outside investor rejects call for leadership change

  23-10-2020 06:00
  Jupiter tells MP it has ‘significantly escalated’ its engagement with fashion group’s board
  
  Read more

• Asda takeover marks biggest test for EG’s debt-fuelled dealmakers

  23-10-2020 06:00
  Issas and TDR must win over investors for £6.8bn grocery deal after auditor resigned
  
  Read more

• Vivino hires former Majestic MD

  23-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online wine marketplace Vivino has appointed Joshua Lincoln as its first UK managing director. The move follows the company’s hiring of Paul Jones as UK director... View Article
  
  Read more

• Travis Perkins benefits from strong third quarter performance at Wickes

  23-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Travis Perkins has reported that like-for-like sales at its Wickes DIY chain climbed by 18.3% in its third quarter. Trading was also strong at its Toolstation... View Article
  
  Read more

• Skin Laundry opens first UK standalone store

  23-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Skin Laundry, the US skincare brand and facial clinic, has expanded its international footprint with the opening of its first physical store in the UK. The... View Article
  
  Read more

• Q&A: Ephraim Rinsky, Product Marketing Manager, Riskified

  23-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Ephraim Rinsky is a Product Marketing Manager at Riskified, working in the Customer Trust domain. He works with some of the world’s largest online merchants to... View Article
  
  Read more

• Dobbies to launch new small store format

  23-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Garden centre retailer Dobbies is developing a new small store format called Little Dobbies. The first Little Dobbies store will open in Edinburgh’s Raeburn Place in... View Article
  
  Read more

• Deliveroo appoints chief business officer for the UK and Ireland

  23-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Deliveroo has appointed Carlo Mocci as its chief business officer for the UK and Ireland. Reporting directly to the company’s chief executive Will Shu, Mocci will... View Article
  
  Read more

• Consumer confidence tumbles this month

  23-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  New figures have shown that consumer confidence tumbled this month as the continuing impact of Covid-19 led more people to worry about their personal finances, rising... View Article
  
  Read more

• Aldi opens 900th UK store

  23-10-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Aldi supermarket chain has opened its 900th UK store in Sandhurst in Berkshire. The milestone opening is a result of Aldi’s pledge to invest £1.3 billion... View Article
  
  Read more

• Mattel sales soar as pandemic spurs demand for toys

  23-10-2020 00:07
  Shares in Barbie doll maker gain 7 per cent in after-hours trading
  
  Read more

Follow @retailuknws on Twitter!