Retail news

• Watches of Switzerland increases revenue and profits forecast again

  17-12-2020 19:45
  
  UK’s bigger seller of Rolex and Omega watches to repay £3.3m in furlough money but retain rates relief The UK’s biggest seller of Rolex and Omega watches has increased its profits forecast again as the clamour for high-end timepieces shows no sign of abating.Watches of Switzerland said that, given its recent strong performance, it planned to repay the £3.3m of furlough support money it had received during the original UK-wide lockdown. Continue reading...
  
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• Mulberry shares tumble after Mike Ashley declines to make offer

  17-12-2020 19:10
  
  Billionaire’s Frasers Group confirms it will not make formal bid for luxury brandMore than £15m has been wiped off the value of Mulberry after Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group confirmed it would not make a bid for the luxury British brand.Frasers, which is also considering bids for ailing the department store chain Debenhams and parts of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group, which owns Topshop, said it would not make an offer for Mulberry within six months unless there was a &ldqu
  
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• 2020: The (unforgiving) year that was

  17-12-2020 14:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  This year will perhaps go down as one of the most turbulent in the history of UK retail.
  The challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic dominated the news cycle as the nation faced several lockdowns, the start of a recession and business restructures that led to permanent store closures and thousands of job losses.
  The UK – and the world – simultaneously witnessed a rise of significant social movements such as the resurgence of Black Lives Matter, heightened support for the LGBTQ+ communit
  
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• Alibaba’s facial recognition tech could be being used to identify Uighurs

  17-12-2020 14:43 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Alibaba’s facial recognition technology can reportedly be used to identify members of China’s Uighur Muslim minority.
  A new report from surveillance industry researcher IPVM says that Alibaba’s Cloud Shield software could be being used to specifically identify Uighurs, Reuters reported.
  According to new research seen by the BBC, China is forcing thousands of Uighurs into hard manual labour in its cotton fields in Xinjiang, and is thought to have placed more than
  
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• Smart farming: low-hanging fruit

  17-12-2020 14:19
  Tech transformation proves lucrative for Asian retailers
  
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• Fashion retailers must prove products have no Uighur slave labour involvement, says MP

  17-12-2020 13:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // MP Layla Moran says government should consider “a total ban” on products linked to human rights abuses
  // MP Sir Edward Leigh called on Foreign Office to “summon in” fashion bosses to ensure Uighur slave labour was not used to pick cotton
  // A think tank report found at least half a million Uighurs have been forced to pick cotton amid anti-Muslim crackdown from BeijingThe government should ban UK fashion brands and retailers from importing from China if they cannot pro
  
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• John Lewis Partnership appoints Rita Clifton as deputy chair

  17-12-2020 12:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // John Lewis Partnership says Rita Clifton will become its next deputy chair
  // She replaces Keith Williams who stepped down in April after six years
  // The partnership board is a mix of 3 external appointments, 2 executive team members & 3 staff elected by colleaguesThe John Lewis Partnership has announced the appointment of Rita Clifton as its next deputy chair.
  Clifton, who will join the partnership board in February, will replace Keith Williams who stepped down from the board in April a
  
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• Paperchase removes card with orphan joke after protest from Lemn Sissay

  17-12-2020 12:20
  
  After the poet joined others voicing dismay at Christmas card ‘punching down’ at children in care, the stationery chain has apologised and withdrawn it
  Paperchase has removed a card that mocked foster children from sale after the award-winning poet Lemn Sissay accused the chain of “punching down” and treating children in care as the butt of a joke.The card, which depicts a mother on the phone near a child who has spilt some milk, saying “Is this the orphanage? Right
  
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• Walmart blocked 20 million PS5 bots in 30 minutes as it calls on retailers to “join us” and fight scalpers

  17-12-2020 11:39 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Walmart says it blocked more than 20 million bots from buying a PlayStation 5 in just 30 minutes as it calls on other retailers to help stamp out the problem.
  The US’ largest retailer has called on “others across the retail industry” to join it and force the hand of lawmakers to make the use of bots illegal on retail sites “so customers have equal access to the products they want”.
  Jerry Geisler, Walmart’s chief information security officer, stated in a blog p
  
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• Matchesfashion hires first ever global fashion officer

  17-12-2020 11:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Matchesfashion hires Natalie Kingham as first ever global fashion officer
  // The appointment will help build “deeper relationships with the world’s most discerning luxury customers”
  // Kingham will report to chief commercial officer Elizabeth von der GoltzMatchesfashion has promoted its fashion & buying director Natalie Kingham to the newly created role of global fashion officer.
  The fashion retailer said the new appointment will help build “deeper relationships wi
  
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• Sainsbury’s hires N Brown director as chair of banking arm

  17-12-2020 10:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Sainsbury’s bank hires Lesley Jones as the new chair
  // She is currently a non-executive director of N Brown
  // Jones has more than 35 years’ experience in bankingSainsbury’s has appointed Lesley Jones as the new chair of its bank division after outgoing chair Roger Davis announced his resignation in February.
  Jones will join office from January 30, 2021.
  She is currently a non-executive director of N Brown and an independent member of Moody’s Investor Services.READ MO
  
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• Boohoo chair Mahmud Kamani vows to fix Leicester supply chain failings

  17-12-2020 10:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boohoo co-founder Mahmud Kamani pledges to fix the online retail giant’s supply chain failings
  // He said he was “shocked and appalled” by the modern slavery allegations linked with Boohoo’s Leicester supply chain
  // Boohoo ended relationships with 64 suppliers & factories in Leicester for violating its code of conductBoohoo co-founder and executive chairman Mahmud Kamani has given MPs a pledge that he would fix the online retail giant’s supply chain fai
  
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• Watches of Switzerland profits rise as Covid-19 boosts online demand

  17-12-2020 09:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Watches of Switzerland half-year profits increase due to online shopping
  // The retailer saw a 26.5% rise in adjusted EBITDA to £52.2m in the 26 weeks to October 25
  // It recorded a profit of £36.2m compared to a £9m loss during the first half of last yearWatches of Switzerland has reported a rise in its half-year profits after online demand increased during the Covid-19 crisis.
  The luxury watch retailer posted a 26.5 per cent uplift in adjusted EBITDA to £52.2 million
  
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• Avoid Boxing Day sales crowds, says PM

  17-12-2020 09:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boris Johnson urges shoppers to avoid Boxing Day crowds as daily new cases of Covid-19 remains high
  // Some retailers say December 26 sales will be spread over multiple days, therefore overcrowding can be avoidedPrime Minister Boris Johnson has urged shoppers to avoid Boxing Day crowds as daily new cases of Covid-19 remains high.
  The PM warned bargain-hunters to “think carefully” before finding themselves among big crowds on what is traditionally one of the busiest shopping days o
  
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• Retailers demand inquiry into Christmas & Brexit transition ports chaos

  17-12-2020 09:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // The BRC and Food and Drink Federation call on MPs to probe congestion at container ports
  // They say they face “major challenges” in building up stock for Christmas & the end of the Brexit transition period
  // A government spokeswoman says “this is not a problem unique to the UK”Retailers and food manufacturers have called on MPs to investigate congestion at container ports.
  The BRC and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) say they face “major challenges&rdquo
  
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• Online sales boost Watches of Switzerland

  17-12-2020 08:58
  Retailer increases its full year profit forecasts
  
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• Sherry sellers toast surge in UK sales during lockdown

  17-12-2020 01:01
  
  Retailers predict festive boost as Covid closures fuel rise in homemade cocktailsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSales of sherry in the UK have soared during lockdown and could smash all records over Christmas, thanks to its appeal to a new generation for its versatility – as an early evening “snifter” or a base for homemade cocktails.Retailers are predicting “the biggest year ever” for sherry this festive season, after a long-term
  
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• Watches of Switzerland Group announces board changes

  17-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Watches of Switzerland Group has announced that Fabrice Nottin and Michele Rabà have decided to step down from their roles as non-executive director and board observer... View Article
  
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• Royal Mail partners with consortium to use drone to deliver a parcel

  17-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Royal Mail has joined forces with a consortium of  UK drone companies to enable it to become the first nationwide UK parcel carrier to transport a... View Article
  
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• Paul seeks UK franchise partners

  17-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  French artisan bakery Paul is entering the franchise market as it looks to roll out its premium bakery brand nationally. The company is now seeking “like-minded”... View Article
  
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• John Lewis Partnership appoints Rita Clifton as deputy chairman

  17-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The John Lewis Partnership has hired Rita Clifton CBE as its next deputy chairman. Due to join the John Lewis partnership board in February, she will... View Article
  
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• DOWNLOADS: Acquire more loyal customers in 2021

  17-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Whether you want to increase repeat purchases, acquire new customers, boost AOV (or all three) in 2021, your existing customers can help achieve it. Our friends... View Article
  
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• Coal Drops Yard expands line-up of independent brands

  17-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The King’s Cross district of London has seen four new independent lifestyle brands join the line-up at Coal Drops Yard. These include book and art store... View Article
  
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• Benetton Group appoints commercial and sales director

  17-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Benetton has appointed Martino Boselli as head of its new commercial and sales department of United Colors of Benetton. Reporting directly to Massimo Renon, chief executive... View Article
  
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• Acquire more loyal customers in 2021

  17-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Whether you want to increase repeat purchases, acquire new customers, boost AOV (or all three) in 2021, your existing customers can help achieve it. Our friends... View Article
  
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