Retail news

• UK supermarkets predict shortage of lettuce, broccoli and citrus fruit

  21-12-2020 20:16
  
  Unless the situation changes, France’s ban on hauliers crossing the Channel will be felt in the run-up to ChristmasCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage Supermarkets and wholesalers are warning shoppers of shortages of lettuce, broccoli and citrus fruit around Christmas after France banned hauliers carrying freight across the Channel in an effort to contain the spread of the new coronavirus strain.The environment secretary, George Eustice, held an emergency cal
  
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• UK retailers urge restraint as border closure risks fresh vegetables shortage

  21-12-2020 20:09 via ft.com
  Supermarkets say all the key supplies for Christmas are already in the country
  
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• Boohoo hires new auditor after PwC quit amid governance allegations

  21-12-2020 19:31
  
  Online fashion retailer appoints small firm PKF Littlejohn to concern of some analystsThe online fashion retailer Boohoo has hired a new auditor after the resignation of the “big four” accountancy firm PwC amid accusations that workers’ health and rights had been put at risk and some were underpaid.Boohoo, which is controlled by its billionaire co-founder Mahmud Kamani, announced on Monday that it had appointed PKF Littlejohn, a small UK accountancy firm, as its auditor with im
  
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• Deliveroo’s losses soared before its pandemic recovery

  21-12-2020 19:13 via ft.com
  Food-delivery company lost £317.7m in 2019, up by a third on the previous year
  
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• Market Snapshot: United Arab Emirates

  21-12-2020 16:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates, namely Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al-Khaimah, Umm Al-Quwain and Ajman, and each have their own rules and regulations.
  The UAE’s retail market was valued at $55 billion (£41 billion) in 2019, according to market reports site Report Linker.
  Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gulf state was witnessing rising per capita income, growing tourism industry, an increasing population of foreign workers, and a rising nu
  
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• Matalan sells head office to founder John Hargreaves for £25m

  21-12-2020 15:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Matalan completes £25m sale of Liverpool HQ
  // The retailer’s HQ is located in Knowsley
  // The sale was planned back in June, and follows significant disruption to the businessMatalan has finalised the £25 million sale and leaseback of its Liverpool head office to a company already owned by founder John Hargreaves.
  The building is located in Knowsley, is Jonmar Limited’s sole asset – which is the company in the Matalan group that owns the head office.
  Jonmar Limi
  
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• Evans saved but closure of all stores risks hundreds of jobs

  21-12-2020 15:29
  
  Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia sells plus-size brand to Australia’s City Chic Collective for £23mThe plus-size clothing brand Evans has been bought out of administration in a £23m deal but will close all its stores and concessions with the potential loss of hundreds of jobs .The brand is the first part of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group to be sold off, marking the beginning of the breakup of his fashion empire, which also includes Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Burton and M
  
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• Ocado names Mastercard chairman as Stuart Rose replacement

  21-12-2020 15:00 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Ocado Group has appointed Rick Haythornthwaite as a new independent non-executive chairman to replace Stuart Rose next year.
  Haythornthwaite is the current chairman of Mastercard, a position he will retire from at the end of 2020.
  In a statement on Friday, Ocado said Haythornthwaite is also the chairman and co-founder of QiO Technologies, an advanced analytics and AI software company, and previously served as chief executive of listed companies Invensys and Blue Circle Industries.
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• Waitrose hires ex-Sainsbury’s director as head of trading

  21-12-2020 14:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Waitrose appoints new trading director and online director
  // Leon CCO Charlotte di Cello has been appointed as trading director for Waitrose
  // Waitrose partner Laura Burbedge has been promoted to permanent role of online directorWaitrose has appointed a new trading director and online director following an external recruitment process.
  Leon’s chief commercial officer Charlotte di Cello has been appointed as trading director for Waitrose, whilst existing Waitrose partner Laura Burbedge
  
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• M&S launches on-the-spot payment solution to speed up Christmas shopping

  21-12-2020 14:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Marks & Spencer introduces on-the-spot digital payment solution – Pay With Me
  // Pay With Me allows staff to pick out customers waiting in line to pay for just a few items
  // Pay With Me is now available at M&S 200 stores, and an additional 1000 additional self-service tills have been installedMarks & Spencer has launched an on-the-spot digital payment solution – Pay With Me – to speed up the shopping process for customers in the run up to Christmas.
  Pay With Me
  
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• Evans saved from Arcadia collapse but five stores will close

  21-12-2020 13:43
  
  Sir Philip Green’s group sells plus-size brand to Australia’s City Chic Collective for £23mThe plus-size clothing brand Evans has been bought out of administration in a £23m deal but will close all five standalone stores with the loss of 25 jobs.The brand is the first part of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group to be sold off, marking the beginning of the breakup of his fashion empire, which also includes Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Miss Selfridge. Continue re
  
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• Sainsbury’s warns of food shortages following France ban

  21-12-2020 12:44 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Sainsbury’s warns of food shortages if freight chaos is not solved within days
  // The grocer said there would be shortages on products including lettuce, salad leaves and cauliflowers
  // France has not banned lorries from travelling to UK but concerns are that hauliers won’t enter UK if they cannot return homeSainsbury’s has warned that food may begin to disappear from its shelves within days after France’s ban on freight from the UK.
  The grocer said there would be sho
  
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• Sainsbury's says France ban could lead to UK food shortages

  21-12-2020 12:18
  
  Covid travel curbs may cause items such as lettuce and citrus fruit to be missing from shelvesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage Sainsbury’s has warned shoppers of shortages of lettuce, broccoli and citrus fruit in the run-up to Christmas, after France banned hauliers carrying freight across the Channel amid fears over the new coronavirus strain.The supermarket said the ingredients for a traditional Christmas lunch were already in the country and available,
  
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• Usdaw welcomes government inquiry into shopworker violence after incidents double in 2020

  21-12-2020 11:48 via chargedretail.co.uk
  
  Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed a new inquiry into the rise of violence and abuse towards retail workers.
  On Friday the union announced it had secured the necessary 100,000 signatures required to trigger a parliamentary debate.
  The petition calls for better protection for shopworkers, and was launched by Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis.
  READ MORE: Superdrug to issue body cameras as it prepares for “even bigger spike” in violence this Christmas
  It asks for new legislat
  
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• Sainsbury's says port restrictions may lead to missing products on UK shelves

  21-12-2020 11:18
  
  Supermarket says items including salad leaves, citrus fruit and broccoli were subject to shortages Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage Sainsbury’s has said some products could be missing from shelves because of restrictions at ports, but that food for a traditional Christmas lunch is available and already in the UK. Related: France's ban on UK transport came as surprise, says Grant ShappsContinue reading...
  
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• Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group issues profit warning following Tier 4 restrictions

  21-12-2020 10:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Frasers Group has issued a profit warning after saying its guidance of a 20% to 30% rise in profits could not be met this year
  // Tier 4 restrictions – which affect London and southeast of England – will impact the business
  // Staff in stores are still expected to go in to fulfil click-and-collect ordersMike Ashley’s Frasers Group has issued a profit warning after scrapping its guidance of a 20 per cent to 30 per cent rise in profits this year.
  The retailer, which includes h
  
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• Australian retailer sued over claims its underwear protects users against Covid

  21-12-2020 10:29 via ft.com
  Watchdog takes legal action against Lorna Jane relating to its 'anti-virus activewear'
  
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• Australia watchdog sues retailer over ‘anti-virus activewear’

  21-12-2020 10:29 via ft.com
  Legal action against Lorna Jane relates to claims that its technology protects wearers against Covid
  
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• Boohoo appoints new auditors PKF to replace PwC

  21-12-2020 09:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Boohoo appoints new auditor after PwC resignation
  // PKF will become Boohoo’s new group auditor as co-founder Mahmud Kamani pledges to fix retailer’s supply chain failingsBoohoo on Monday announced that it has appointed PKF Littlejohn LLP as the group’s new auditor, with immediate effect.
  PFK will replace PricewaterhouseCoopers, who resigned from its role as auditor at Boohoo in October.
  PwC had worked as the online fast fashion specialist’s auditor since Boohoo went p
  
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• Boohoo appoints PKF Littlejohn to replace PwC as auditor

  21-12-2020 09:17 via ft.com
  The online fashion company has been under pressure over its workforce
  
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• UK fashion retailers pushed deeper into crisis by tighter Covid curbs

  21-12-2020 08:53 via ft.com
  Stock prices slide as Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group pulls recent guidance
  
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• UK fashion retailers hit in sell-off over new Covid strain

  21-12-2020 08:53 via ft.com
  Stock prices slide while Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group pulls recent guidance
  
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• Mike Ashley’s Frasers withdraws guidance after latest lockdown

  21-12-2020 08:53 via ft.com
  UK retailer can no longer commit to hitting up to 30% improvement in profit as lockdown closes stores
  
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• Frasers retail group withdraws profit guidance after new lockdown

  21-12-2020 08:53 via ft.com
  Mike Ashley’s UK retailer can no longer commit to hitting up to 30% improvement in profit as lockdown closes stores
  
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• Arcadia’s Evans brand sold to Australia’s City Chic Collective for £23m

  21-12-2020 08:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // City Chic Collective to acquire Evans’ brand, commerce and wholesale business
  // Evans’ stores are not included in the sale and will continue to trade for time being
  // Deloitte says it has received “significant expressions of interest” for Arcadia brandsArcadia’s administrators on Monday announced the sale of Evans’ brand, commerce and wholesale business to City Chic Collective for £23 million.
  City Chic will acquire Evans’ brand and intellectu
  
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• Arcadia brand Evans sold to Australia’s City Chic Collective for £23m

  21-12-2020 08:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // City Chic Collective to acquire Evans’ brand, commerce and wholesale business
  // Evans’ stores are not included in the sale and will continue to trade for time being
  // Deloitte says it has received “significant expressions of interest” for Arcadia brandsArcadia’s administrators on Monday announced the sale of Evans’ brand, commerce and wholesale business to City Chic Collective for £23 million.
  City Chic will acquire Evans’ brand and intellectu
  
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• Arcadia’s Evans brand sold to Australian retailer

  21-12-2020 08:47 via ft.com
  Deal signals start of break-up of fashion group that went into administration last month
  
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• Arcadia’s Evans brand sold for £23m to Australian retailer

  21-12-2020 08:47 via ft.com
  City Chic deal signals the start of the break-up of fashion empire that went into administration last month
  
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• Debenhams gift cards expire as Mike Ashley considers empty stores

  21-12-2020 08:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Debenhams gift cards expired on Sunday December 20
  // Mike Ashley reported to be considering acquiring empty Debenhams stores alongside online division
  // Questions over the historic department store’s 124 UK store portfolio remain as closing down sale continuesDebenhams stopped accepting gift cards on Sunday night after the store confirmed it will no longer be accepting them after December 20.
  “From midnight Sunday 20th December 2020, Debenhams will no longer be accepting Debenha
  
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• UK video game industry thrives amid lockdowns and US bidding wars

  21-12-2020 07:00
  
  Sector grows as developers continue to work and consumers search for Covid boredom reliefThe lockdown boom in video games has put the spotlight on the global success of British game makers, attracting the attention of deep-pocketed US giants looking to snap up valuable pandemic-proof businesses.Electronic Arts, the California-based global gaming giant, announced a surprise £945m bid for Codemasters, the maker of Formula One racing games.Industry veterans are not surprised by the latest boo
  
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• Courier companies deliver as they take up Christmas challenge

  21-12-2020 05:00 via ft.com
  Vast hiring spree and deployment of thousands of extra vans have helped groups cope with flood of online orders
  
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• Trust is the foundational imperative of 2021: Global research by The Workforce Institute at UKG explores why trust is hard to find at work

  21-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  As the world prepares to close the book on the unprecedented events of 2020 and looks ahead to 2021 with renewed hope and optimism, global research... View Article
  
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• Q&A: Callum Campbell, CEO, Linnworks

  21-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Callum Campbell is the CEO of Linnworks, a leading SaaS commerce platform that works with brands like Ford, Casio, Belkin and Ten Thousand. As CEO, Callum... View Article
  
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• Frasers Group unveils plans for new Flannels stores

  21-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Frasers Group has unveiled plans to open three new Flannels flagship stores next year. The openings  will include a seven floor, 120,000 square foot shop in... View Article
  
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• Evans to be sold to City Chic Collective

  21-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Administrators to Arcadia Group have announced that the Evans plus size fashion brand is to be sold to City Chic Collective for around £23 million. Listed... View Article
  
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• Esprit chief executive to step down

  21-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Esprit Group has announced that Anders Christian Kristiansen has resigned as chief executive and an executive director due to “his pursuit of other business commitments” He... View Article
  
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• BRC responds to closure of French border

  21-12-2020 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The British Retail Consortium has called on the government to work with the EU to find a solution to the ban on UK freight entering France... View Article
  
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