Retail news

• Alibaba enlists academics in lobbying effort to restore reputation

  13-01-2023 23:00
  Push comes as group tries to recover from regulatory assault that wiped billions off its market value
  
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• Christmas 2022 trading tracker: how the big retailers fared

  13-01-2023 19:29 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // We track the big retailers’ sales performance over Christmas 2021
  // Discounters Aldi and Lidl and were among the big festive winners while beauty retailers Boots and Lush also fared wellRetail giants including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Next and Asos have unveiled their Christmas trading results.
  Despite the cost-of-living crisis looming large, the sector performed better than expected during the festive period with very few posting sales declines.
  Retail Gazette keeps track of
  
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• Investors’ Chronicle: Tesco, J Sainsbury, Marks and Spencer

  13-01-2023 19:00
  Companies analysis from our sister publication
  
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• Iceland MD Richard Walker named executive chairman as Malcolm Walker steps down

  13-01-2023 16:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Iceland MD Richard Walker is taking over his father’s role of executive chairman at the business
  // Malcolm Walker will stay on the board as founderRichard Walker has been appointed executive chairman of Iceland Foods, taking over from his father Malcolm Walker, who is stepping down from the role, The Grocer has reported.
  Malcolm will remain on the board as founder after launching the family-owned frozen food retailer back in 1970.
  Richard, who has been MD since 2018, running the b
  
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• Harrods trials in-store cosmetics recycling at H Beauty

  13-01-2023 16:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Harrods will trial in-store recycling at its Milton Keynes H Beauty store
  // The scheme is linked to its MyBeauty rewards programme, where customers will be able to receive rewards for recycling used cosmeticsHarrods is to trial an in-store cosmetics recycling scheme at one of its H Beauty stores as part of the retailer‘s sustainability strategy to reduce waste and increase circulatory across the business.
  The scheme, in partnership with MyGroup, will be tested at its Milton Keynes
  
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• Sainsbury’s spotlights the UK’s unusual 2022 shopping habits with #CheckYouOut campaign

  13-01-2023 16:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Sainsbury’s #CheckYouOut campaign spotlights Britain’s most unusual shopping habits
  // The nationwide snapshot will roll out acros geo-targeted digital-out-of-home, social and emailSainsbury’s has unveiled a new nationwide campaign spotlighting Britain’s most unusual shopping habits from 2022.
  Created by marketing agency Ogilvy UK, #CheckYouOut is a nationwide data playback scheme that analyses data from the millions of Nectar customers to reveal regional highlights, a
  
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• Waitrose on Dry January: Why demand for low and no alcohol is ‘at an all-time high’

  13-01-2023 15:43 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // READ MORE ON GROCERY GAZETTEJanuary is traditionally a month for putting resolutions to work and with the tenth ‘Dry January’ now in full swing, customer demand for no and low alcohol options are at an “all-time high”, according to Waitrose buyer for the category, Sarah Holland.
  Sober curiosity is so high in fact, that upmarket retailer Waitrose saw a surge in demand for alcohol-free alternatives even before January officially began, leading it to predict tha
  
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• Five things we learned from Britons’ Christmas shopping

  13-01-2023 14:14
  Online specialists took a hit, inflation is good and bad, and not everyone is skint – but they are nervousOnline specialists were hit the hardest at Christmas as the postal strikes and shortages of van drivers led to delivery problems across the market. Asos and Virgin Wines said they lost out on sales after having to bring forward final order deadlines for fear of disappointing people. Continue reading...
  
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• Ikea expands in-store restaurant menu with new plant-based foods

  13-01-2023 13:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Ikea expands in-store restaurant menu to celebrate Veganuary
  // The retailer has launched a new plant-based chestnut and thyme pie and chocolate clementine bombIkea has expanded its in-store restaurant menu with a new plant-based product, encouraging customers to choose meat-free options.
  The retailer has launched a new plant-based chestnut and thyme pie as it celebrates Veganuary.
  Ikea said it is offering the chestnut and thyme pie with sides of roast potatoes, peas, and gravy for just &poun
  
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• Evri rebrand: a success or “putting lipstick on a pig?”

  13-01-2023 12:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Back in March 2022, embattled parcel courier Hermes revealed it was rebranding as ‘Evri’ with a shiny new logo and brand identity.
  //  It was out with the old and in with the new as the company strived to leave behind its poor public image and start afresh. But has the rebrand worked?Read the full feature at Charged Retail
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• Adidas loses three-stripe trademark case against Thom Browne

  13-01-2023 12:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Adidas loses its trademark infringement case against luxury menswear designer Thom Browne
  // The sportswear retailer alleged the designer’s four-strip patten violated its three-strip logo trademarkAdidas has lost its trademark infringement case against menswear designer Thom Browne over the label’s use of stripes.
  Jurors ruled on Thursday that the designer’s use of parallel lines on its designs did not infringe on Adidas’ three-stripe trademark or cause confusion
  
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• John Lewis haberdashery sales skyrocket 61% as shoppers ‘make do and mend’

  13-01-2023 12:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // John Lewis haberdashery sales skyrocket 61% as shoppers ‘make do and mend’ to save money amid the rising cost of living
  // Dressmaking accessories, repair kits and clothing dye are among its top sellers.John Lewis haberdashery sales have skyrocketed as shoppers look to save money by giving their clothes a new lease of life amid the rising cost-of-living.
  The department store retailer reported sales of craft and repair products – including patches and repair tape – have
  
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• Aldi creates new ‘Amazing Savings’ page to support cash-strapped Brits

  13-01-2023 12:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Aldi develops new Amazing Savings page to offer customers hints, tips and hacks on how to reduce costs
  // It covers everything from £1 meal ideas to grocery offersAldi has created a new ‘budgeting advice hub’ to support cost-conscious customers amid rising inflation.
  The discounter’s new Amazing Savings page offers customers access to a wide range of hints, tips and hacks, as well as budget-friendly recipes.
  It covers everything from £1 meal ideas to grocery offe
  
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• Joe Browns to invest £2m in warehouse upgrade

  13-01-2023 11:12 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Joe Browns to invest £2m in warehouse upgrade to support its fashion offering
  // The new upgrade comes after a “continuing healthy sales growth” for the retailerJoe Browns will invest £2 million in a warehouse upgrade in an effort to support both its growth ambitions and increase pick face efficiency even further.
  The retailer said its existing warehouse, that forms part of its head office building in Holbeck, Leeds, was extended in November 2020 at a cost of £1.
  
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• Pandora names Byron Clayton as chief HR officer

  13-01-2023 11:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Pandora has appointed Byron Clayton as its new chief HR officer
  // He will report to CEO Alexander Lacik and serve on the executive leadership teamPandora has appointed Byron Clayton as its new chief HR officer.
  He is set to take up his role on 1 February and joins the jewellery retailer from Ikea where he has held the position of deputy chief people officer.
  Prior to this, he worked in HR leadership positions at Nokia, Microsoft, Maersk, AstraZeneca, and Mercer.
  In his new position, he will
  
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• Rent the Runway to sell pre-loved designer clothing on Amazon

  13-01-2023 10:44 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Rent the Runway will be opening a storefront on Amazon full of pre-loved designer items
  // The platform will also introduce an exclusive range of items from its Design Collective – which will only be available through Amazon Fashion and Rent the Runway online.Rent the Runway is set to launch an online storefront with Amazon as the rental fashion platform looks to reach beyond the subscription business model.
  The American company, which was founded in 2009 lets customers rent clothe
  
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• 6 big Christmas trading trends from M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asos

  13-01-2023 09:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  With January now in full swing, retail giants such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s M&S and Next have unveiled their trading results for the crucial Christmas period.
  Despite inflation soaring and concerns about waning consumer demand, shoppers splashed out over the festive period.
  M&S Stuart Machin said: “Customers wanted to celebrate the best they could over the Christmas period.”
  There were positive performance across the sector with a slew of profit upgrades as total sales acr
  
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• DFS reiterates profit guidance as consumer demand improves

  13-01-2023 08:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // DFS reiterates profit guidance despite struggling with low customer demand
  // It reiterated its profit guidance of £36 million for the full yearDFS has reiterated its profit guidance of £36 million for the full year despite previously struggling with low customer demand.
  The sofa retailer said consumer demand was currently strong and had improved since the first half of the year thanks to a strong winter sale trading period.
  It has reiterated its profit guidance of £36
  
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• Card Factory hires former Costcutter CFO as new finance chief

  13-01-2023 08:42 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Card Factory hires new finance boss from Costcutter
  // Matthias Seeger will replace Kris Lee who will leave the company on 31 JanuaryCard Factory has appointed former Costcutter finance chief Matthias Seeger as its new chief financial officer.
  Seeger will replace Kris Lee who will leave the greeting cards retailer on 31 January.
  Group financial controller, Simon Comer will join as chief financial officer in the interim, but will not be appointed as a director of the company.
  Seeger is expecte
  
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• UK economy grew by only 0.1% in November

  13-01-2023 08:34
  Figure comes as people began Christmas shopping, while World Cup gave pubs and bars a boostUK may avoid recession but it won’t feel like it for manyBusiness live updates: UK may avoid 2022 recessionThe UK economy unexpectedly grew by 0.1% in November as consumers headed to the shops in the run-up to Christmas and pubs and bars enjoyed a boost from the men’s World Cup.Raising the government’s chances of avoiding a long recession, City economists said hard-pressed consumers had p
  
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• UK’s leading ethical flower business, Arena, acquires Patch Plants

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Ethical flower business Arena Online has acquired UK plant delivery retailer Patch Plants. The acquisition adds one of the UK’s leading direct-to-consumer brands to Arena’s portfolio,... View Article
  
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• Portmeirion Group says Christmas trading was ahead of expectations

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Portmeirion Group, the owner of the Portmeirion, Spode, Royal Worcester, Pimpernel, Wax Lyrical and Nambé brands, has reported strong Christmas trading that was ahead of expectations.... View Article
  
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• Policing minister urged to tackle retail crime

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  The leader of the trade organisation representing thousands of independent retailers has appealed to the Minister of State for Policing to do more to clamp down... View Article
  
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• Pandora names new chief HR officer

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Jewellery brand Pandora has appointed Byron Clayton as its new chief HR officer. Due to take up his role on 1 February, Clayton will join the... View Article
  
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• N Brown posts drop in third quarter sales

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  N Brown, the owner of Simply Be, JD Williams and Jacamo, has seen its third quarter sales slip by 7.6% to £249.2 million. In the 18... View Article
  
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• Joe Browns embarks on £2 million warehouse upgrade

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Joe Browns is investing £2 million in a warehouse upgrade to support its growth ambitions and improve pick face efficiency. Part of the fashion and lifestyle... View Article
  
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• Estee Lauder launches make-up app for the visually impaired

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  The Estée Lauder Companies has launched a voice enabled app to help the visually impaired to easily apply make-up. Developed using machine learning, the Voice-Enabled Makeup... View Article
  
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• DFS reiterates full year profit guidance following rise in demand

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Furniture retailer DFS has reiterated its full year profit guidance after seeing orders improve in its second quarter. In a trading statement for the 26 weeks... View Article
  
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• Card Factory appoints new chief financial officer

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Greeting cards retailer Card Factory has appointed Matthias Seeger as chief financial officer. Seeger has been working in the same position at Ambassador Cruise Line since... View Article
  
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• Asda reduces gender pay gap

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Asda has today published its gender pay figures for 2022 which show a year-on-year reduction in both its mean and median pay gaps. In a report... View Article
  
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• Aldi launches budgeting advice hub

  13-01-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Aldi has stepped up support for cost-conscious customers with the development of its budgeting advice hub. Aldi’s ‘Amazing Savings’ page now offers customers access to a... View Article
  
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