Retail news

Footfall down by more than half for UK Boxing Day sales

26-12-2020 17:55

Analysts say takings expected to fall short of forecasts in ‘disaster’ for retail sectorFootfall at the Boxing Day sales was down by more than half on last year as non-essential retail remained closed in much of the country under tightened coronavirus restrictions.While queues were seen outside shops in areas under tiers 2 and 3, high streets in the 43% of England that is under tier 4 were empty. Continue reading...

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Future shock: how will Covid change the course of business?

26-12-2020 17:00

The crisis poses a deadly threat to some sectors and creates opportunities for others. We examine how they will fare in 2021Coronavirus has changed lives and industries across the UK, accelerating fundamental shifts in behaviour and consumption that were already on their way. Debates about home working, preserving local high streets and the ethics of air travel were bubbling away before coronavirus rampaged across the world, but the consequences of the worst pandemic in more than a century have

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Months of stop-start Covid restrictions take their toll on UK retail

26-12-2020 14:56

Companies slashed prices earlier than usual to lure shoppers online or into branches that remained open
See all our coronavirus coverageIt is a festive season like no other – particularly for the nation’s beleaguered retailers. In a normal trading year, stores would have concentrated on selling as much full-price stock as possible in their peak pre-Christmas trade.Yet months of stop-start restrictions have taken their toll, leading many British retailers to slash prices earlier than

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UK shoppers to spend 27% less than last year in Boxing Day sales

26-12-2020 08:00

Covid pandemic has accelerated shift to home shopping, says Centre for Retail ResearchSee all of our coronavirus coverageShoppers are expected to spend 27% less than last year in the Boxing Day sales as many high streets around the country remain closed.A total of £3.2bn is still expected to be rung up by retailers in the UK, but more than half of that will go online, according to a report by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) compiled for Vouchercodes. Continue reading...

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Government names 72 high streets in England to share £831m recovery fund

26-12-2020 01:01

Labour says government regeneration fund is short of the £1bn offered by Boris JohnsonThe government has named 72 high streets across England that have been selected to receive £831m of investment to help fund their recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and to protect jobs.Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, said the money would “help our much-loved town centres get through this and prosper into the future”. However, the Labour party said the governm

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