Retail news

• Marks & Spencer to open 400 stores to midnight for Christmas

  19-11-2020 20:48
  
  Late hours are part of drive by retailers to recoup billions in sales lost during lockdownMarks & Spencer will keep 400 stores open until midnight in Christmas week as desperate high street retailers scramble to recoup billions of pounds of sales lost to lockdown restrictions.The UK’s biggest clothing retailer said its “longest-ever” store opening hours would kick in on Saturday 21 December, with two-thirds of its 600 shops opening until midnight for a run of three days. Un
  
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• PlayStation 5 launch in UK descends into chaos

  19-11-2020 19:24 via ft.com
  Stores quickly sell out of PS5 online and some buyers relist consoles online at inflated prices
  
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• Peacocks and Jaeger administration threatens 4,500 jobs

  19-11-2020 17:59 via ft.com
  Restructuring experts believe owner Philip Day may buy back the brands
  
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• Peacocks and Jaeger businesses collapse into administration

  19-11-2020 17:32
  
  Almost 4,800 jobs at risk after talks fail to rescue chains in Edinburgh Woollen Mill GroupThe fashion chains Peacocks, Jaeger, Austin Reed and Jacques Vert have collapsed into administration, putting nearly 4,800 jobs at risk.The retailers are all part of entrepreneur Philip Day’s Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group (EWM), which warned last month it was on the brink of collapse.What’s the problem? Continue reading...
  
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• 4700 jobs at risk as Peacocks and Jaeger fall into administration

  19-11-2020 17:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Peacocks and Jaeger collapse into administration
  // Owner Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group passed a deadline to find a buyer for the two chains
  // No redundancies or store closures have been made on appointmentPeacocks and Jaeger have gone into administration, putting over 4700 jobs at risk and a total of 500 shops at risk of permanent closure.
  The brands’ owner Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group (EWM Group), has passed a deadline to find a buyer for the two fashion chains, which between them hav
  
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• PlayStation launch in UK descends into chaos

  19-11-2020 16:31 via ft.com
  Stores quickly sell out of PS5 online as price-gougers relist on eBay
  
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• How will retailers trade through Black Friday amidst the pandemic?

  19-11-2020 16:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  There is no doubt that Black Friday is an opportunity for retailers to drive sales and acquire and retain new customers in the lead-up to the peak Christmas trading season.
  However, with the Covid-19 pandemic presenting a real challenge to the sector this year, it’s not yet certain whether or how many UK retailers are close to drawing a line through the shopping holiday event.
  On the other side of the world, China’s Singles Day has crept up to becoming one of the biggest events on t
  
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• M&S to extend opening hours until midnight in time for Christmas

  19-11-2020 14:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // From December 21 to 23, 400 M&S stores across the UK will be open until midnight
  // This is to allow customers more time to shop for Christmas
  // This marks the longest ever store opening hours that the retailer has offeredMarks & Spencer has announced that it is extending its opening hours until midnight for the final shopping days before Christmas.
  This marks the longest ever store opening hours that the retailer has offered in time for the festive period.
  From December 21 to 23, 40
  
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• Unibail replaces chief executive as activists take control

  19-11-2020 13:29 via ft.com
  Jean-Marie Tritant to replace Christophe Cuvillier in January
  
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• PlayStation 5 launch overwhelms outlets and courier firms

  19-11-2020 12:41
  
  Game, Curry’s, John Lewis and Argos all sold out of the new console early on ThursdayGames retailers have been overwhelmed with demand for PlayStation’s latest console which launched in the UK on Thursday.Web pages dedicated to the launch of the PlayStation 5 at John Lewis, Tesco and Game had all crashed on Thursday morning. Curry’s had instituted a queuing system. Continue reading...
  
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• Amazon sellers fined and forced to refund customers $23,000 after price gouging hand sanitiser

  19-11-2020 12:28 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Amazon has come under fire after three of its sellers were charged with price gouging hand sanitiser by New York’s attorney general.
  Three third-party sellers have been fined more than $52,000 in penalties and forced to refund customers nearly $23,000 after being found to have sold thousands of units of hand sanitiser at “grossly” inflated prices.
  One seller, Northwest-Lux, is understood to have sold 1168 two-litre bottles of Purell hand sanitiser, which usually retail for betw
  
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• Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group increases stake in Mulberry

  19-11-2020 12:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group increases its stake in luxury handbag retailer Mulberry from 29.7% to 36.8%
  // Challice Limited holds around 56% of Mulberry’s issued share capitalMike Ashley’s Frasers Group has increased its stake in luxury handbag retailer Mulberry from 29.7 per cent to 36.8 per cent.
  The news comes after Frasers Group bought a 12.5 per cent shareholding in the handbag and accessories brand in February, as part of a “key strategic priority” to eleva
  
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• John Lewis, Tesco, Currys and Game websites crash amid PS5 launch chaos

  19-11-2020 11:32 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  John Lewis, Game, Currys and Tesco’s websites have all crashed this morning as eager shoppers scramble to get their hands on a PlayStation 5.
  PS5 orders have once again been thrown into chaos as the country’s largest retailers’ websites struggle to handle the spike in traffic as the console officially goes on sale in the UK.
  At the time of writing John Lewis’ website, which was due to begin selling PS5 stock at 8am, is down simply displaying an error message stating &ldqu
  
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• British Land to offload £650m worth of retail assets

  19-11-2020 11:19 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // British Land targets asset sales of around £650m over the next six to 12 months
  // The company will continue offloading assets following its recent £450m disposal
  // The focus will remain on central LondonBritish Land is reportedly targeting asset sales of around £650 million over the next six to 12 months as it seeks to be “comfortable around regional economic growth”.
  The property giant’s chief executive Simon Carter said the company will continue offload
  
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• Pet adoption booming amid pandemic – but workers accuse retailers of abuses

  19-11-2020 11:00
  
  Workers say PetSmart and Petco have denied granting hazard pay, cut staffing and increased workloads for remaining employeesAs the coronavirus pandemic has led to higher demand for pets and pet supplies, workers at the two largest pet retailers in the US, PetSmart and Petco, say their companies have denied granting hazard pay throughout the pandemic, cut staffing, and increased workloads for remaining employees, while planning decisions to enrich their Wall Street investors.Demand for pet suppli
  
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• Leicester MP calls for resignation of Boohoo execs after slavery scandal

  19-11-2020 10:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boohoo has come under fresh attack by a Leicester MP
  // Liz Kendall has called for CEO John Lyttle and executive chair Mahmud Kamani to resign
  // The attack follows the modern slavery scandal earlier this yearLeicester MP Liz Kendall has launched a fresh attack on Boohoo, renewing calls for chief executive John Lyttle and executive chair Mahmud Kamani to exit the company following a modern slavery scandal.
  The MP for Leicester West said the working conditions revealed within Boohoo&
  
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• Kingfisher expects £175m profits boost from ‘temporary cost savings’

  19-11-2020 10:29 via ft.com
  Savings include government support schemes during the pandemic as DIY chain reports strong sales growth
  
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• Debenhams adds further delivery options in time for Black Friday

  19-11-2020 09:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Debenhams continues to trade online during lockdown
  // Debenhams is offering online customers collection from their local convenience storeDebenhams has added more delivery options for Black Friday orders as it is fully set up to trade through the shopping holiday as part of a largely virtual event this year.
  The department store chain said customers need not be worried that their local store may be closed due to lockdown as it continues to trade online.
  As well as normal home delivery choice
  
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• Wildfires pose threat to industry, warns Naked Wines

  19-11-2020 09:35 via ft.com
  UK retailer tests grapes for “smoke taint” as the industry adapts to outbreaks of fires in the US and Australia
  
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• Naked Wines faces threat from growing wildfires in Australia and US

  19-11-2020 09:35 via ft.com
  Retailer’s sales rose 80% in six months to September as lockdowns boost online orders
  
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• Naked Wines boosted by online sales in lockdown

  19-11-2020 09:35 via ft.com
  Retailer’s sales grew 80% in the 6 months to September
  
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• Naked Wines H1 revenue up 80%

  19-11-2020 08:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Naked Wines sees revenue rocket 80% for first half
  // CEO says “last six months have been a critical period in the development of the company”
  // Shawn Tabak will join the company on December 7 as new chief financial officerNaked Wines on Thursday posted an 80 per cent rise in revenue for its first half, as customers stayed home and ordered wine for delivery in the wake of coronavirus lockdowns.
  The online wine retailer achieved revenue of £157.1 million in the 26 weeks to S
  
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• B&Q owner Kingfisher posts 17.6% rise in sales for Q3

  19-11-2020 08:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Kingfisher touts 17.6% rise in Q3 sales
  // B&Q like-for-like sales up almost 20% for the quarter
  // Online sales rose 153% as many of Kingfisher’s markets remained in lockdownKingfisher plc on Thursday announced a 17.6 per cent rise in sales to £3.5 billion for its third quarter to October 31.
  The  B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt and Screwfix owner saw strong performance across all of its retail brand and categories, with footfall and
  
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• Westfield owner appoints new group chief executive

  19-11-2020 08:16 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Unibail-Radamco-Westfield announces Jean-Marie Tritant as group chief executive
  // Tritant will replace Christophe Cuvillier who will leave business on January 1
  // Appointment comes days after URW announced new chairman of the board Léon BresslerShopping centre operator Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has appointed Jean-Marie Tritant as chairman of the Unibail management board and group chief executive.
  Tritant will replace Christophe Cuvillier who will leave the business on January 1
  
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• ‘Why did Sainsbury’s cancel my grocery delivery?’

  19-11-2020 06:00 via ft.com
  Supermarket claimed fraudulent activity on customer accounts
  
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• Supermarkets seek exemption on N Ireland health checks

  19-11-2020 05:00 via ft.com
  Food shortages fear as export certificates come into force after transition period
  
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• Budget mince pies from Asda and Iceland top Which? taste test

  19-11-2020 01:01
  
  Asda pies praised for ‘crisp and buttery’ pastry, while Iceland’s taste ‘like a more expensive product’Budget-priced mince pies from Asda and Iceland have come top of a festive food taste test, while a “claggy” effort from Sainsbury’s languishes at the bottom of the poll.Consumer group Which? said that ranges from Asda and frozen food specialist Iceland had both scored 73% in the exercise, landing its ‘Best Buy accolade. Continue reading...
  
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• Watch: what’s next for retail customer engagement

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Delegates at our Future of Retail Customer Engagement webinar this week were treated to some fantastic talks on how to grow loyalty by keeping shoppers engaged,... View Article
  
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• Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield appoints new chief executive

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Shopping centre operator Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has appointed Jean-Marie Tritant as chairman of the Unibail management board and group chief executive. He will replace Christophe Cuvillier who will... View Article
  
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• The Very Group appoints former BBC tech director as chief information officer

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Very Group has appointed Matt Grest as its chief information officer. As part of the group’s executive board, he will report directly to Henry Birch,... View Article
  
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• Superdrug launches Superdrug TV

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Superdrug has launched a new campaign on Youtube called Superdrug TV is it continues to move more of its marketing to online platforms. Freely available, the... View Article
  
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• Sainsbury’s launches new ‘Fresh Food Market’ format

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Sainsbury’s has launched a pilot ‘Fresh Food Market’ format at its store in Hempstead Valley. The format is based on a market-style presentation of fresh fruit... View Article
  
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• Q&A: Rebecca Saunders, Founder + CEO, Seekology

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Rebecca is the Founder and CEO of Seekology, a destination to shop independent beauty + wellbeing brands. Can you tell us a bit about your background?... View Article
  
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• Q&A: Nicolas Hammer, Co-founder and CEO, Critizr

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Nicolas had the idea for Critizr (along with CTO and co-founder Thibault Carlier) as a student at Kedge Business School in Bordeaux and later at the... View Article
  
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• Q&A: Nicholas Hammer, Co-founder and CEO, Critizr

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Nicholas had the idea for Critizr (along with CTO and co-founder Thibault Carlier) as a student at Kedge Business School in Bordeaux and later at the... View Article
  
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• Naked Wines posts 80% increase in first half revenue

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Naked Wines has seen its first half revenue climb by 80% to £157.1 million after it benefited from more people buying wine online during Covid-19 lockdowns.... View Article
  
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• M&S Food to launch specialist innovation team

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  M&S Food is launching a new specialist team that will tasked with driving disruptive innovation. Due to launch in January, the Innovation Hub will support M&S... View Article
  
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• Kingfisher reports surge in third quarter sales

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  B&Q owner Kingfisher grew its third quarter group like-for-like sales by 17.4% after trade was boosted by more people staying at home and carrying out DIY... View Article
  
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• Infinity launches EMEA call tracking integration for Facebook & Instagram

  19-11-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  EMEA social media marketers can now easily track high value calls back to specific social media campaigns. Infinity, the market leading call tracking provider, has today... View Article
  
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