Retail news

• 'Alarming': Covid-hit retail industry fears loss of Boxing Day sales

  18-12-2020 20:04
  
  Visitor numbers to UK stores a third less than 2019 and it is unclear Christmas holidays will bring boostCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTougher coronavirus restrictions have dealt a fresh setback to struggling city centres, with Christmas shoppers staying away as doubts increase about whether the Boxing Day sales – the next big event in the retail calendar – will be allowed to go ahead.The prime minister this week urged shoppers to “think care
  
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• Consumers splash the cash ahead of holidays

  18-12-2020 20:01
  Data show signs of renewed economic activity in several countries
  
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• Arcadia group may be bought by Next with Davidson Kempner

  18-12-2020 18:40
  
  Philip Green’s Arcadia group set to draw a flurry of bids if Next teams up with the finance houseFashion and homewares chain Next is considering teaming up with the US owner of Oak Furnitureland to buy the parent company of Topshop.Davidson Kempner Capital Management has held detailed talks with Next about a potential bid for Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia group which fell into administration last month putting 13,000 jobs at risk. Related: Timeline: the rise and fall of Philip GreenCont
  
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• Next weighs bid for Philip Green’s Topshop

  18-12-2020 18:10
  Any deal would be part-financed by an investment partner
  
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• Cyberpunk 2077: how 2020's biggest video game launch turned into a shambles

  18-12-2020 17:27
  
  Starring Keanu Reeves and hyped to the heavens, Projekt Red’s dystopian but glitchy romp has been pulled from sale. What went wrong? Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most-anticipated video games of the year was released last week. A dystopian romp around a Blade Runner-inspired city, it had all the ingredients for a perfect storm of hype: it’s been nearly a decade in the making; its creator, Warsaw’s CD Projekt Red, was behind one of the greatest games of the last decade (The Witcher
  
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• Christmas makeup: how selfie tech could help you try before you buy from home

  18-12-2020 17:04
  
  There might not be much cause to celebrate but a splash of lockdown lippy could make you feel back in the gameSleeping beauty halls: how Covid-19 hit cosmetic sales hardWomen may be wearing less lipstick in the age of the face covering, but during boring weeks stuck indoors, a splash of bold colour is cheering and helps many of us feel temporarily back in the game. Finding the right classic red, wintery berry tone or 90s chocolate brown (a huge trend online) can be risky without testers, so make
  
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• Sleeping beauty halls: how Covid-19 upended the 'lipstick index'

  18-12-2020 16:34
  
  Pandemic has hit cosmetic sales hard, with dramatic shift away from makeup and towards skincareCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWith its army of perfectly groomed and manicured shop assistants the department store beauty hall has traditionally been the backbone of a £2.5bn trade in expensive lipsticks, face creams or perfumes.But cosmetics sales have plummeted this year as high street shutdowns, coupled with the shift to home-working, has prompted many peop
  
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• Investors cautious as no deal Brexit threat looms; retail sales tumble – as it happened

  18-12-2020 16:04
  
  Rolling coverage of the latest business and markets news, as Brexit jitters and retail data put investors on edgeBrexit: Boris Johnson says talks in ‘serious situation’ after call with EU chiefUK retail sales dip in November as lockdown batters high street 3.04pm GMT2.33pm GMT Wall Street is open for trading and already the main indexes are hitting record highs 2.29pm GMT Oil prices are expected to log their seventh straight week of gains today as the Covid vaccine rollout raised hop
  
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• Christmas trees: needle match

  18-12-2020 16:00
  Behind the tinsel and baubles are economics that could spell ‘bah humbug’ for penny-counting Scrooges
  
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• Next in takeover talks with Arcadia Group

  18-12-2020 15:22 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Next in advanced discussions with Arcadia Group about a takeover
  // Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia fell into administration last month
  // Green appointed administrators from Deloitte after talks with lenders about an emergency £30m loan fell throughNext is reportedly in advanced discussions with Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group about a takeover deal.
  The fashion retailer, along with US investment firm Davidson Kempner are both in talks about a potential joint bid.
  The two compan
  
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• Brexit and Covid help drive surge in sales of British Christmas trees

  18-12-2020 15:05
  ‘Great year’ for domestic growers as first-time buyers boost 15% rise in sales
  
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• Frasers Group reveals expansion plans for Flannels

  18-12-2020 14:42 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Flannels reveals expansion plans for UK store estate
  // It will launch 3 new flagship stores next year in Sheffield, Leicester and LiverpoolFrasers Group has revealed plans to open 15 new Flannels stores over the next five years, spearheaded by the fashion group’s head of elevation Michael Murray.
  Flannels will launch three new flagship stores next year in Sheffield, Leicester and Liverpool.
  The upcoming Liverpool store is set to open in autumn next year which will span 120,000sq f
  
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• John Lewis and Waitrose to launch free Covid tests for staff

  18-12-2020 14:37
  
  Collaboration with NHS will be trialled at 40 sites including factories and storesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageJohn Lewis is working with the NHS to organise free Covid-19 testing for staff at 40 of its sites – including warehouses and stores – in a pilot scheme that could be taken up by other firms and schools.The business, which also owns Waitrose supermarkets, has been testing lateral flow tests at its Magna Park distribution centre in Milton K
  
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• Retail Gazette Loves: Ikea hiring a child to test new toys before they launch

  18-12-2020 14:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  As part of its mission to encourage play and creativity in the home, Ikea is scouting for a Chief Play Officer to join its ranks.
  Posting the job description on LinkedIn, the furniture retailer said the role is strictly open to children aged 4-12 only.
  In other words, no adults will be allowed to take on the role of Chief Play Officer.
  For one whole year, the successful candidate will be in charge of testing new toys before they launch in Ikea stores across the UK and Ireland.
  “Play is an
  
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• BarkBox: not so fetching

  18-12-2020 14:00
  Selling monthly box subscriptions is a notoriously fickle business model
  
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• 5 minutes with Tamra Booth, Managing Director, Sorbon Estates

  18-12-2020 14:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Tell me a bit about the Sorbon Estates story.
  Sorbon Estates was founded by my dad, Michael Shanly, in 1974 – the year I was born. Our vision is to create communities and improve the environment of the towns in which we work.
  Dad started his property development business Shanly Homes in 1969, and in 1974 the UK was in the middle of a financial crisis. He was building an apartment scheme on the river in Maidenhead and the site had an existing house on it that Dad had converted and let out
  
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• Morrisons extends discount scheme for key workers

  18-12-2020 12:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Morrisons extends its ‘Thank you’ discount to thank key workers
  // The grocer said it made it easier and quicker for NHS staff and teachers to redeem the discount
  // Morrisons introduced the first ‘Thank you’ discount in April to NHS staffMorrisons has extended its discount scheme for NHS staff, teachers and Blue Light Card holders in an effort to thank them during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  The 10 per cent discount means key workers can use it throughout the festive
  
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• Amazon parcels could soon be handled by the Post Office as it ends exclusivity deal with Royal Mail

  18-12-2020 12:43 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  The Post Office could soon handle packages for Amazon as its historic exclusivity deal with Royal Mail comes to an end.
  Royal Mail, the UK’s largest parcel delivery company which handles over a billion packages every year, yesterday announced that it had signed its first ever “non-exclusivity” deal with the Post Office.
  According to the Post Office, which is still state-owned, this new agreement “allows us to work with other third parties, marking an important milestone.&
  
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• Northern Ireland Covid lockdown ‘will devastate businesses’

  18-12-2020 12:33
  
  Industry leaders fear six-week closures will cause mass job losses and bankruptcies Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNorthern Ireland’s sweeping six-week lockdown will inflict significant job losses and a “tsunami” of bankruptcies, business leaders have warned.Representatives of retail, hospitality and other sectors accused the Stormont executive of mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic and said the restrictions, which start on Boxing Day, will deva
  
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• John Lewis Partnership completes roll-out of Covid-19 testing

  18-12-2020 12:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // John Lewis becomes one of first UK businesses to pilot and roll-out NHS Test and Trace lateral flow Covid-19 testing
  // Testing will now be available at 40 John Lewis and Waitrose locations in England
  // Covid-19 testing was initially launched to the national John Lewis distribution centre at Magna Park, Milton Keynes in NovemberJohn Lewis Partnership has completed the roll out of its NHS Test and Trace Covid-19 testing thanks to a partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care.
  Du
  
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• Gucci targets China’s post-Covid luxury surge with Alibaba tie-up

  18-12-2020 12:15
  Luxury brand previously said it would not work with country’s ecommerce groups because of fakes
  
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• London’s Camden Passage: 60 years of antiques trading

  18-12-2020 11:42
  Meet the dealers who recall its pre-gentrified heyday of mods, rockers and famous clients
  
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• Sony pulls Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store and offers full refunds to all customers

  18-12-2020 11:10 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Sony Interactive Entertainment (SEI) has pulled Cyberpunk 2077 from its PlayStation online store and will offer full refunds to all players who purchased the game.
  The Japanese tech giant’s decision will mark the first time a ‘triple-A’ title has ever been removed from the PlayStation Store and is the “worst-case scenario” for the game’s Polish developer CD Projekt Red, which saw stocks plummet 20 per cent this morning.
  “SIE strives t
  
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• Gap to close Oxford Street store

  18-12-2020 10:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Gap is closing one of its Oxford Street stores
  // Move comes as fashion retailer was reportedly considering closing all European storesUS fashion giant Gap will close one of its two stores on Oxford Street in central London.
  Signs in the window of the store at 223-235 Oxford Street state that items are for sale with a 30 or 60 per cent discount, noting that the store will soon close.
  While Gap still operates a large flagship further down the famous shopping street opposite Bond Street undergr
  
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• Lidl to increase value of Healthy Start Vouchers

  18-12-2020 09:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Lidl plans to increase the value of Healthy Start Vouchers issued to parents
  // The initiative is supported by Marcus Rashford’s Child Poverty Task Force
  // From January 4 until the end of March 2021, Lidl will top up the value of the vouchersLidl has announced plans to increase the value of Healthy Start Vouchers issued to parents in England and Wales from £3.10 to £4.25.
  The retailer’s investment is supported by the Child Poverty Task Force, formed and spearheaded by
  
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• Frasers Group announces it will not make Mulberry offer

  18-12-2020 09:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group will not make an offer for Mulberry
  // Shares in Mulberry fell 11% following announcementMike Ashley’s Frasers Group on Thursday announced it has not intended to make an offer for Mulberry.
  The luxury accessories and fashion retailer was placed into an offer period after Frasers Group raised its stake to 36.8 per cent of the business in late November.
  In a deal believed to be worth £6.45 million Frasers Group acquired 4.3 million shares in Mulberr
  
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• Investors cautious as no deal Brexit threat looms; retail sales tumble – business live

  18-12-2020 09:27
  
  Rolling coverage of the latest business and markets news, as Brexit jitters and retail data put investors on edgeBrexit: Boris Johnson says talks in ‘serious situation’ after call with EU chief 8.26am GMT And could it actually be...the final countdown?BREXIT: EU'S BARNIER SAYS VERY LITTLE TIME LEFT, FEW HOURS pic.twitter.com/JyUPcLPBws 8.26am GMT Sterling is taking a hit this morning, down nearly 0.5% against the US dollar at 1.3517 as Brexit jitters continue to weigh on the pound.8.
  
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• UK retail sales dip in November as lockdown batters high street

  18-12-2020 09:25
  
  Coronavirus curbs across country end six-month run of rising salesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRetail sales fell by 3.8% in November on the previous month as the coronavirus lockdown in England and restrictions elsewhere in the UK shut much of the high street.Ending a six-month run of rising sales, the figures revealed the impact of the pandemic on the sector as the infection rate increased across the country. Continue reading...
  
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• Retail sales down 3.8% for November

  18-12-2020 09:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Retail sales volumes impacted by second national lockdown
  // Clothing sector is hardest-hit with 19% fall in sales month-on-month
  // Shoppers thought to have brought Christmas spending forward to November after 2.4% rise in year-on-year salesThe latest figures from The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found retail sales volumes fell 3.8 per cent in November compared to October.
  The loss came as many stores ceased trading after a second national lockdown for England forced the closure of n
  
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• UK retail sales resilient in second lockdown

  18-12-2020 08:53
  Sector copes better than it did in the spring
  
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• UK retail sales resilient during second lockdown

  18-12-2020 08:53
  Volumes fell almost 4% last month but sector is coping better than in the spring
  
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• M&S CEO reiterates refusal to pay back business rates relief

  18-12-2020 08:42 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // M&S CEO says business rates relief was “used it in the right way” and won’t be returned
  // Steve Rowe calls on government for clarity as end of Brexit transition approaches: “detail of how we are going to move goods about needs to be finalised urgently”Marks & Spencer chief executive Steve Rowe has stated the business does not intend to pay back the £80 million in business rates relief it received from the government during the pandemic, according t
  
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• FedEx results show scale of online shopping boom

  18-12-2020 02:04
  Logistics group reports record quarterly sales amid pandemic in lead-up to holiday season
  
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• Lockdown drives up lager sales but wipes £180m off makeup

  18-12-2020 01:01
  
  Supermarket figures capture the way Covid has changed our habits – and Corona lager has been very popularSupermarket sales figures have captured the way Covid has caused big changes in the way we live, from lager-fuelled barbecues and home-cooked roasts replacing nights in the pub and ready meals, to lower sales of makeup, deodorant and even toothbrushes pointing to people letting themselves go a bit.With coronavirus restrictions often forbidding meals and nights out with friends, Britons
  
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• Waitrose rolls out bookable shopping slots

  18-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Following a trial of bookable shopping slots over the summer, Waitrose has extended the service to more than 110 stores. Free of charge, the service allows... View Article
  
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• Trust Issues: It’s the most challenging time of the year

  18-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Guest Comment: Chris Brook-Carter, CEO, retailTRUST Traditionally, Christmas is such a magical time for retail. It’s not called the Golden Quarter for nothing. The sight of... View Article
  
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• Matchesfashion appoints global fashion officer

  18-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Matchesfashion has appointed Natalie Kingham to the newly created position of global fashion officer. Kingham has worked with the retailer for the last ten years, most... View Article
  
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• John Lewis Partnership rolls out NHS Test & Trace rapid Covid-19 testing

  18-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The John Lewis Partnership has become one of the first UK businesses to pilot and roll out NHS Test and Trace lateral flow Covid-19 testing in... View Article
  
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• Frasers Group will not make formal bid for Mulberry

  18-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has issued a statement saying that it will not make a formal bid for luxury accessories brand Mulberry. Frasers already has a... View Article
  
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• Consumer confidence climbs this month

  18-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  New figures have shown that UK consumer confidence has risen this month as the Covid-19 vaccination programme begins across the country. According to GfK’s long-running Consumer... View Article
  
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• Chemist Warehouse opens first European store

  18-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Discount pharmacy retailer Chemist Warehouse has opened its first European store in Dublin’s Westend Shopping Park. A market leader in Australia, the retailer has taken 5,000... View Article
  
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• Astrid & Miyu recognised for growth and innovation

  18-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Contemporary jewellery brand Astrid & Miyu has been placed ninth in the latest Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 listing. The company was recognised for its... View Article
  
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• [ REPORT ] Our retail future: A data-driven landscape on and offline

  18-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Over two decades digital transformation has completely evolved the way brands engage with consumers – driving greater awareness of activity, attribution, and attraction across multiple touchpoints. But,... View Article
  
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