Retail news

• Should we cherish our turnips? Why the British food system may need a reboot

  24-02-2023 18:27
  
  The UK can move away from imported vegetables, even in winter, if tastes for homegrown crops change, campaigners sayThe environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, is unlikely to refer to the last week as her salad days.The beleaguered minister hit the front pages after responding to a question about whether we should be eating less imported food, by saying that this would mean “cherishing turnips”. She was roundly mocked. Continue reading...
  
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• Dig this Thérèse Coffey: pricing not UK winters block to diverse locally grown veg, say farmers

  24-02-2023 18:27
  
  The UK can move away from imported vegetables, even in winter, if tastes for homegrown crops change, campaigners sayThe environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, is unlikely to refer to the last week as her salad days.The beleaguered minister hit the front pages after responding to a question about whether we should be eating less imported food, by saying that this would mean “cherishing turnips”. She was roundly mocked. Continue reading...
  
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• Moonpig to stop selling cards with pugs over animal welfare concerns

  24-02-2023 17:59
  
  Firm responds to calls from vets who say pictures fuel demand for flat-faced breeds, which often have serious health complaintsMoonpig is to stop selling cards featuring pictures of pugs and French bulldogs after criticism from vets and campaigners who fear the images fuel demand for the breeds, which often have serious health complaints.Last year, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) wrote to the Greeting Card Association and card retailers, including Moonpig, Paperchase and WH Smith, urgin
  
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• Moonpig to stop selling cards using images of pugs

  24-02-2023 17:59
  
  Firm responds to calls from vets who say pictures fuel demand for flat-faced breeds, which often have serious health complaintsMoonpig is to stop selling cards featuring pictures of pugs and French bulldogs after criticism from vets and campaigners who fear the images fuel demand for the breeds, which often have serious health complaints.Last year the British Veterinary Association (BVA) wrote to the Greeting Card Association and card retailers, including Moonpig, Paperchase and WH Smith, urging
  
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• Apples and pears could be next UK food shortage, farmers warn

  24-02-2023 17:20
  
  Growers say they do not get paid enough by supermarkets, as supply of leeks also comes under threatApples and pears could be the next food shortage in the UK, after it emerged that British growers are planting just a third of the number of trees needed to maintain orchards, saying their returns from selling to supermarkets are unsustainable.Ali Capper, head of the British Apples & Pears trade association which represents about 80% of the industry in the UK, said 1m new trees would have to be
  
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• Shoppers report rising food shortages; growers warn UK leek supplies may run out – as it happened

  24-02-2023 16:58
  
  Proportion of people experiencing shortages of food items has risen over the last year, ONS saysEnvironment secretary urges Britons to ‘cherish’ turnips amid food shortagesThe days of UK banks raking in profits from the gap between low savings rates and high interest charged to mortgage and loan borrowers may soon be over.Fitch Ratings predicts this morning that UK banks’ net interest margins are close to peaking.Net interest income increased materially in 2022, driven by risin
  
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• Supermarkets all out of turnips after shoppers told to eat them amid veg shortage

  24-02-2023 16:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Tesco and Waitrose have all run out of turnips following comments from the UK’s environment secretary
  // Thérèse Coffey urged consumers on Thursday to eat them and other root veg amid fresh produce shortageBritish supermarkets have run out of turnips following comments from the UK’s environment secretary urging consumers to eat them amid the fruit and veg shortage.
  Thérèse Coffey suggested turnips and other root vegetables were a
  
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• Amazon orders staff back to the office: how has the industry reacted?

  24-02-2023 15:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  //  Flexible working has been one of the longest-lasting impacts of the pandemic, with many office workers now given the freedom to work from home.
  //  However, in a sign this might be coming to an end, ecommerce behemoth Amazon demanded its staff return to the office at least three days per week.But why is Amazon calling employees back into the office? Will other tech and retail giants follow in its footsteps? And how will tech talent react?
  Read the full feature at Charged
  
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• Amazon warehouse workers to strike for two more days as pay dispute escalates

  24-02-2023 15:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Amazon warehouse workers in Coventry are set to strike for two more days this week
  // The GMB union is calling on the e-commerce giant to pay its UK workers £15 an hourAmazon workers in Coventry are set to take two more days of strike action this week as the first-ever industrial action the online giant has faced in the UK escalates.
  Over 350 Amazon workers are expected to walk out on both days in anger at a 50 pence pay rise, which leaves hourly wages at £10.50.
  The first strike
  
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• Shoppers report rising food shortages; growers warn UK leek supplies may run out – business live

  24-02-2023 13:42
  
  Proportion of people experiencing shortages of food items has risen over the last year, ONS saysEnvironment secretary urges Britons to ‘cherish’ turnips amid food shortagesThe days of UK banks raking in profits from the gap between low savings rates and high interest charged to mortgage and loan borrowers may soon be over.Fitch Ratings predicts this morning that UK banks’ net interest margins are close to peaking.Net interest income increased materially in 2022, driven by risin
  
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• Sainsbury’s promises ‘robust action’ after sexual abuse allegations in tea supply chain

  24-02-2023 13:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // READ MORE ON GROCERY GAZETTESainsbury’s has promised ‘robust action’ to safeguard workers in its supply chain after sexual abuse was uncovered at a tea farm owned by one of its suppliers in Kenya.
  An investigation by the BBC found evidence of long-running sexual abuse at the farm, which is owned by British company James Finlay & Co, and provides tea for Sainsbury’s own-brand Red Label range.
  More than 70 women told the BBC about abuse they’d experie
  
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• John Lewis hires former Ikea designer as home design director

  24-02-2023 12:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // John Lewis hires Charlotta Elgh in the newly-created role of design director for home
  // Elgh has spent 14 years at Ikea, most recently as development leader of conceptJohn Lewis has appointed former Ikea director Charlotta Elgh in the newly-created role of design director for home.
  Elgh has spent 14 years at Ikea, most recently as development leader of concept, and will be responsible for the direction and vision for John Lewis’ home range.
  John Lewis said Elgh’s vision for
  
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• Salad shortage in the UK? Try growing your own for fun and flavour

  24-02-2023 12:50
  
  This time of scarcity is the ideal chance to become a seasoned home grower of tasty leafy veg and herbsAmid a shortage of salad crops, supermarkets all over the UK have taken to rationing their supplies of fresh produce and the unluckiest of us vegetable lovers have found ourselves faced with empty supermarket shelves. Adverse weather, high energy prices and Brexit paperwork have all been been blamed for the shortages, which could last for weeks.But this moment of scarcity is also the time that
  
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• JoJo Maman Bébé sales rise as Brits return to stores

  24-02-2023 12:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // JoJo Maman Bébé posts recovery in sales for the year to 30 June 2022
  // The retailer saw its full-year turnover rise 13% to £70.9mJoJo Maman Bébé has recorded a recovery in sales for the year to 30 June 2022 as Brits returned to shops.
  The retailer saw its full-year turnover rise 13% to £70.9m, as store sales were up £11.7m while online sales dropped £3.9m compared to the previous year.
  Revenue rose as a result of launching a personalised gi
  
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• Foot Locker names interim CFO as search continues

  24-02-2023 12:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Foot Locker appoints Robert Higginbotham to the role of interim chief financial officer
  // Former CFO Andrew Page left the business last year as the retailer confirmed a number of changes within its leadership teamFoot Locker has appointed current senior vice president, investor relations and financial planning and analysis Robert Higginbotham to the role of interim chief financial officer, effective March 1.
  Higginbotham will continue to fulfil the duties of his current role and will se
  
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• Iceland to permanently close 6 UK stores before April

  24-02-2023 12:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Iceland to shutter six of its UK stores in the coming days and weeks
  // The frozen food retailer has been notably tackling energy costsIceland will permanently close at least six of its UK stores in the coming days and weeks.
  The frozen food retailer has been notably tackling energy costs as it closes its first stores on February 25, with more to take place next month.
  Iceland currently has over 500 UK stores and 153 Food Warehouse stores. It has not specified reasons for the six st
  
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• UK shoppers report rising food shortages; banks’ net interest margins ‘close to peaking’ – business live

  24-02-2023 12:21
  
  Proportion of people experiencing shortages of food items has risen over the last year, ONS saysEnvironment secretary urges Britons to ‘cherish’ turnips amid food shortagesThe days of UK banks raking in profits from the gap between low savings rates and high interest charged to mortgage and loan borrowers may soon be over.Fitch Ratings predicts this morning that UK banks’ net interest margins are close to peaking.Net interest income increased materially in 2022, driven by risin
  
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• UK shoppers report rising food shortages; Germany on brink of recession – business live

  24-02-2023 11:17
  
  Proportion of people experiencing shortages of food items has risen over the last year, ONS saysEnvironment secretary urges Britons to ‘cherish’ turnips amid food shortagesUK shoppers have been hit by increased shortages of food in the shops this month, new data from the Office for National Statistics shows.A quarter of adults reported that they could not find a replacement when the items they needed were not available when food shopping in the past two weeks. Continue reading...
  
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• Retailers call on PM to overhaul £2bn waste recycling scheme

  24-02-2023 11:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Retailers are urging PM Rishi Sunak to overhaul the government’s waste strategy over fears it will hike prices further for consumers, Sky News reports
  // In a draft letter from the BRC, retailers outline concerns the Deposit Return Scheme will cost  households an additional £50 and the industry £2bnThe UK’s biggest retailers are set to warn prime minister Rishi Sunak that the government’s waste strategy will further hike prices for consumers as inflatio
  
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• Monsoon boosts childrenswear strategy with Westfield Stratford boutique

  24-02-2023 11:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Monsoon to open a standalone fascia located in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre
  // It will stock the existing Monsoon Kids range, which focuses on occasionwear for girls and boysMonsoon is looking to rejuvenate its childrenswear store strategy by opening a standalone unit in London’s Westfield Stratford City.
  The new childrenswear boutique is set to open on the shopping centre’s ground floor on 1 March, stocking the retailer‘s existing Kids range, which focuses on oc
  
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• Farfetch CFO to exit by end of 2023 as revenues decline

  24-02-2023 10:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Farfetch chief financial officer Elliot Jordan will step down by the end of 2023 after more than eight years at the business
  // Revenues at the luxury online platform slowed in the final quarter of 2022 as the business warned of “reduced demand”Farfetch has said Elliot Jordan will step down by the end of 2023, after more than eight years as chief financial officer.
  The luxury fashion platform will kick off a search process to identify his successor, and Jordan has agreed to serve
  
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• Supermarket value range shoppers hit hardest by rising prices; Germany on brink of recession – business live

  24-02-2023 10:14
  
  Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsEnvironment secretary urges Britons to ‘cherish’ turnips amid food shortagesOver in Germany, fears of a recession are swirling after Europe’s largest economy shrank by more than first thought at the end of last year.German GDP contracted by 0.4% in the final quarter of 2022, updated figures from statistics body Destatis this morning show. That’s twice as sharp a downturn as the 0.2% first estimated.The German econo
  
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• Supermarket value range shoppers hit hardest by food price inflation – business live

  24-02-2023 09:41
  
  Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsEnvironment secretary urges Britons to ‘cherish’ turnips amid food shortagesElsewhere in the entertainment industry, Netflix is cutting prices of its subscription plans in some countries.The announcement yesterday comes as Netflix tries to maintain subscriber growth amid stiff competition and strained consumer spending.In January, Netflix delivered fourth quarter subscriber numbers which sharply outpaced expectations, partly t
  
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• Supermarket value ranges price hikes outstrip branded products

  24-02-2023 09:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Supermarket value ranges skyrocket in price with milk and cheese
  // The rate of price increases for value ranges surpass branded and premium own brandsPrice increases for supermarket value ranges have surpassed branded and premium own brands year on year.
  Value ranges increased by 21.6% year on year in January while branded products jumped 13.2%, according to Which? inflation tracker.
  Across the board, supermarket food and drink went up by 15.9% overall.
  Muesli at Sainsbury’s was t
  
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• Fruit and veg shortage to last a month, warns environment secretary

  24-02-2023 08:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Supermarket fruit and veg shortages could last up to a month, warns the UK’s environment secretary Thérèse Coffey
  // Coffey urged consumers to switch to turnips and other seasonal vegSupply shortages on some fresh fruit and vegetables could last up to a month, the UK’s environment secretary has warned.
  This comes as supermarkets including Asda, Aldi, Morrisons and Tesco have all introduced purchasing limits on the affected fresh produce.
  Thérèse Co
  
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• What Gucci and others learnt from the metaverse

  24-02-2023 06:00 via ft.com
  The metaverse economy is set to be worth trillions — and the world’s leading fashion brands are experimenting already
  
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• Watches of Switzerland Group opens TAG Heuer boutique in Dundrum

  24-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Watches of Switzerland Group has announced the opening of a dedicated TAG Heuer boutique in Dundrum Town Centre in Dublin. Having partnered with TAG Heuer... View Article
  
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• Timberland joins line-up at Gloucester Quays

  24-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Peel L&P has announced that Timberland has joined the line-up at the Gloucester Quays premier outlet destination. The 2,110 square foot store, which is situated opposite... View Article
  
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• Tesco completes roll-out of LEAF Marque certification for all UK fruit and veg growers

  24-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Tesco has completed its roll-out of LEAF Marque certification for its UK fruit and vegetable growers. LEAF Marque helps growers to continuously improve upon key sustainability... View Article
  
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• Superdrug welcomes host of celebrities at Superdrug Presents

  24-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Last night’s Superdrug Presents event was attended by a host of celebrities including Amanda Holden, Liberty Poole, Georgina Harrison and Imogen Thomas. The retailer’s biggest beauty... View Article
  
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• Skechers unveils Diane von Furstenberg collaboration

  24-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Skechers has collaborated with Diane von Furstenberg on a new footwear and apparel collection for women. Launched globally, Skechers x DVF blends the fashion designer’s signature... View Article
  
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• Monsoon boosts childrenswear offering with dedicated boutique store

  24-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Monsoon is to open its first childrenswear boutique next month. Due to launch on 1 March, the Monsoon Children concept store will be situated in the... View Article
  
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• Marks & Spencer food director George Wright to head up Fareshare

  24-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Fareshare, the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste, has appointed George Wright, Marks & Spencer’s commercial director for food, as its new chief executive.... View Article
  
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• Farfetch chief financial officer to step down

  24-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Farfetch has announced that its chief financial officer Elliot Jordan will be stepping down by the end of 2023 after eight years in the role. The... View Article
  
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