Retail news

• Sainsbury’s to close two Argos distribution sites risking 1,400 jobs

  28-02-2023 19:10
  
  Retailer to closewarehouses in Basildon, Essex and Heywood, Greater Manchester, by 2026Sainsbury’s is planning to close two Argos distribution centres putting up to 1,400 jobs at risk and will also ditch the catalogue shop’s Milton Keynes head office and three remaining Habitat showrooms to cut costs.The retailer said it expected to close the warehouses in Basildon, Essex and Heywood, Greater Manchester, by 2026 leaving three non-food warehouses that will serve both Sainsbury’s
  
  Read more

• The long term seems to be getting longer for online grocer Ocado | Nils Pratley

  28-02-2023 18:48
  
  International adventures will be the crucial contributor but the UK operation is not irrelevant to the wider storyTim Steiner, chief executive and co-founder of Ocado, has learned over 20 mostly loss-making years how to put a positive spin on the numbers, but he has excelled himself. As the group reported a thumping full-year loss of £501m, caused in large part by a huge earnings reversal in its UK joint venture with Marks & Spencer, Steiner claimed the same operation had “shown
  
  Read more

• M&S gives thousands of store staff 7% pay rise

  28-02-2023 18:18 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // M&S is increasing thousands of store staff pay by 7% from 1 April
  // The retailer said it had invested £57m into increasing store pay making its “biggest ever investment” to dateM&S will increase the hourly pay of more than 40,000 store colleagues to help with the rising cost of living.
  From April, customer assistants will have their pay increase by 7% to £10.90 an hour and colleagues in London will see their pay rise to £12.05.
  The retailer said it
  
  Read more

• After losing £1.5bn, Ocado remains as committed as ever to losing money

  28-02-2023 17:43
  Always burning since the world’s been turning
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Sainsbury’s to close two Argos warehouses putting 1,400 jobs at risk

  28-02-2023 17:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Sainsbury’s is to close two Argos warehouses and has placed 1,400 roles into consultation
  // It will also close its three remaining Habitat showroomsSainsbury’s is to close two Argos warehouses as it consolidates its general merchandise logistics network, putting 1,400 roles at risk.
  The retailer has started a consultation with the people impacted by its plan to move from five to three warehouses. Its Argos depots in Basildon and Heywood are set to close in 2026.
  Those impacted by
  
  Read more

• Record UK grocery inflation has added £811 to yearly bill, survey finds

  28-02-2023 16:41
  Annual food prices rose 17.1% in February, research by Kantar shows, as consumers switched to discount supermarkets
  
  Read more

• In pictures: House of Fraser Birmingham – from shiny department store to deserted outlet

  28-02-2023 16:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Last month it was revealed that House of Fraser had turned its Corporation Street location in the heart of Birmingham into an outlet store.
  Owner Frasers Group has shut almost half of the 59 House of Fraser stores it acquired in 2018, with only 33 shops remaining in the UK.
  The changes to the Birmingham store represents another blow for the city’s retail scene, which said goodbye to John Lewis after it closed its Grand Central flagship in 2022 after just three years.House of Fraser Birming
  
  Read more

• Ocado launches Tesco ‘Price Promise’ across over 10,000 products

  28-02-2023 14:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // READ MORE ON GROCERY GAZETTE
  Ocado is set to launch its new Price Promise which looks to compare prices against over 10,000 like for like products at Tesco.Available from tomorrow (1 March), this comes as the latest investment in value by the online-only supermarket to support its shoppers amid the cost-of-living crisis.Read more on Grocery GazetteSubscribe to Retail Gazette for free
  Sign up here to get the latest news straight into your inbox each morning
  Click here
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Scotch & Soda hires Teneo to explore a sale

  28-02-2023 14:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Scotch & Soda is working with Teneo on plans to sell up after more than a decade
  // The retailer is currently owned by private equity investor Sun European PartnersScotch & Soda is exploring a sale after being in private equity ownership for more than a decade.
  The Dutch fashion retailer has drafted in advisers to oversee a sale after discussions about a refinancing of the company.
  Scotch & Soda is currently owned by private equity investor Sun European Partners.Subscribe to Retai
  
  Read more

• ‘We’ve rediscovered the joy of reading’: how customers are rescuing UK bookshops

  28-02-2023 12:58
  
  A bookseller in Kent has gone viral after tweeting a picture of her empty shop. Here, other retailers explain how they are surviving – even thriving – when many people are counting every pennyA vase of hydrangeas sits among a crop of the latest releases, including What Writers Read and Blake Morrison’s Two Sisters. There is a cosy rug and a bright window display. It looks like a lovely bookshop. What there aren’t, however, are any customers. “Winter is killing us, i
  
  Read more

• Ocado losses jump to £500mn as shoppers tighten belts

  28-02-2023 12:13
  Shares in UK online retailer fall 9% as analysts describe results as ‘awful’
  
  Read more

• Ocado losses jump to £500mn after shoppers tighten belts

  28-02-2023 12:13
  Shares in UK online retailer fall 9% as analysts describe results as ‘awful’
  
  Read more

• Angling Direct CEO to step down from role and join as non-executive chair

  28-02-2023 12:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Angling Direct reveals board succession plan
  // CEO Andy Torrance is stepping down from his role and being appointed as non-executive chairmanAngling Direct has unveiled its board succession plan that will involve CEO Andy Torrance stepping down from his role and being appointed as non-executive chairman.
  The specialist fishing tackle and equipment retailer said its chief financial officer, Steve Crowe has been chosen by the board to replace Torrance and will be appointed CEO.
  Meanwhile, Mart
  
  Read more

• Angling Direct CEO to step down, CFO to take helm

  28-02-2023 12:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Angling Direct reveals board succession plan
  // CEO Andy Torrance is stepping down from his role and being appointed as non-executive chairmanAngling Direct has unveiled its board succession plan that will involve CEO Andy Torrance stepping down to take on the chairman role.
  The specialist fishing tackle and equipment retailer said its chief financial officer, Steve Crowe has been chosen by the board to replace Torrance and will be appointed CEO.
  Meanwhile, Martyn Page will step down from his
  
  Read more

• A quarter of British shoppers struggle as grocery prices soar

  28-02-2023 11:46
  
  Households paying £811 a year more on grocery bills than 12 months ago, says research firm KantarA quarter of British people say they are struggling financially, up from a fifth a year ago, as grocery price inflation hits the highest level on record at 17.1%.Households who have not changed their shopping habits are spending £811 a year more on grocery bills than 12 months ago, according to the latest figures from the market research firm Kantar, which said it was a year since grocery
  
  Read more

• Grocery price inflation reaches record 17.1%, adding £811 to annual bills

  28-02-2023 09:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Grocery price inflation hits a record 17.1%
  // Kantar said the rationing introduced by some supermarkets amid shortages were unlikely to affect consumers as they usually bought fresh items in smaller quantitiesGrocery price inflation has reached a record 17.1%, adding a potential £811 to annual household shopping bills, figures from Kantar reveal.
  This month marks a full year since monthly grocery inflation rose beyond 4% as consumers named it their second most important issue behi
  
  Read more

• Ocado pauses building new warehouses as annual losses balloon to £500m

  28-02-2023 09:21
  
  Decline in retail sales at online supermarket blamed on customers buying fewer itemsOcado is pausing the rollout of new distribution centres in the UK after annual losses ballooned to more than £500m as customers rein in spending.The online grocery specialist said it expected to receive almost 40% less than hoped in performance payments from Marks & Spencer, its partner in the UK retail venture, because of the “challenging market” affecting sales and profits. Continue readi
  
  Read more

• Ocado losses grow to £500m amid retail sales decline

  28-02-2023 09:21
  
  Online supermarket attracts more customers, but they buy fewer items in each shop than previous yearOcado has slumped to a £501m annual loss after a “challenging year” for the online grocer, as retail revenues fell amid the cost of living crisis, with customers putting less in their baskets and using more discount vouchers.Revenues at Ocado Retail, its joint venture with Marks & Spencer, fell by 3.8% in 2022, despite the company reporting record sales over Christmas. The Oc
  
  Read more

• Ocado losses jump as shoppers tighten belts

  28-02-2023 09:07
  Shares in UK online retailer fall as groups reports a pre-tax loss of £501mn
  
  Read more

• AO raises profit guidance for second time this year thanks to ‘resilient’ customer base

  28-02-2023 08:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // AO World raises its profit guidance for the second time this year as cost-saving measures pay off
  // The retailer said its “resilient” underlying customer base has been the driving factor behind its improvementAO World has upgraded its earnings guidance for the second time this year in a further boost for the electrical retailer‘s recently-launched turnaround strategy.
  The business said steps to simplify the business and become more efficient have outperformed expectations,
  
  Read more

• Ocado losses widen to £500m as retail sales fall

  28-02-2023 08:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Ocado posts a loss before tax of £501 million for 2022, while retail sales slip 3.8% to £2.2 billion
  // Retail revenue fell by 3.8% to £2.2bn in what the firm called a “challenging market”
  Ocado Group posted wider losses after annual results today as the cost of living crisis and return to normal shopping habits post-pandemic hammered its joint venture with Marks & Spencer.
  The grocery and technology business saw a pre-tax loss of £501 million, up from
  
  Read more

• Amazon strikes: Coventry workers continue ‘David and Goliath battle’ for better pay

  28-02-2023 08:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  //  Amazon warehouse workers in Coventry continue to strike for better pay
  // GMB members are accelerating their campaign to receive £15 per hourAmazon workers have said that they are ready for a “David and Goliath battle” as they begin their second round of strikes this year over poor pay and working conditions.
  Over 350 Amazon workers are expected to walk out today in anger at a 50 pence pay rise, which leaves hourly wages at £10.50.
  Employees at the ware
  
  Read more

• Wickes to unveil new store in Chelmsford

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Home improvement retailer Wickes is to open a new store in Chelmsford this summer as part of its ongoing investment in its store estate. Situated on the site... View Article
  
  Read more

• Victoria’s Secret & Co pilots loyalty programme

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Victoria’s Secret & Co is piloting a new loyalty programme for Victoria’s Secret and PINK customers as part of its transformation strategy. The company will begin... View Article
  
  Read more

• UK Grocery inflation hits 17.1%

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  UK grocery inflation continued to climb during February to reach a new record high of 17.1%, according to industry data. Kantar Worldpanel reported that the increase... View Article
  
  Read more

• Travis Perkins cut 400 jobs and shuts 19 branches

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Builders’ merchant Travis Perkins has revealed it axed 400 jobs and shut 19 branches at the end of last year as a slowdown in the construction... View Article
  
  Read more

• Sweaty Betty chooses Liverpool ONE for biggest store in north of England

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Activewear brand Sweaty Betty is to join the line-up at the Liverpool ONE shopping destination. Situated near to other premium lifestyle brands on Peter’s Lane, the... View Article
  
  Read more

• Superdry appoints Hotel Chocolat CMO as non-executive director

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Superdry has appointed marketing specialist Lysa Hardy as a non-executive director. Due to take up her position from 1 May, Hardy has gained extensive marketing experience... View Article
  
  Read more

• Pioneering new soft plastic recycle site opens in Fife

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  A pioneering new recycling facility is now open in Fife which will reprocess ‘hard-to-recycle’ soft plastics. It aims to develop a greater plastics recycling infrastructure here... View Article
  
  Read more

• People in Retail Awards announce Vishal Talreja as judge

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Vishal Talreja, Property Director of itsu has joined the People in Retail judging panel for the 2023 awards.  Vishal has been a senior operator in the... View Article
  
  Read more

• Ocado posts widening loss as retail sales decline

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Ocado has posted a pre-tax loss of £501 million for the year to 31 December 2022 after cost pressures and increased investments took their toll. This... View Article
  
  Read more

• Ocado posts widening loss after retail sales decline

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Ocado has posted a pre-tax loss of £501 million for the year to 31 December 2022 after cost pressures and increased investments took their toll. This... View Article
  
  Read more

• John Lewis head Pippa Wicks makes surprise exit from the department store

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The John Lewis Partnership has announced that Pippa Wicks has stepped down as executive director for the John Lewis department store. She has been succeeded on... View Article
  
  Read more

• AO World raises guidance

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online electricals retailer AO World has upped its profit guidance for the 12 months to March 2023 as it continues to benefit from actions taken to... View Article
  
  Read more

• Angling Direct announces board succession plan

  28-02-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Angling Direct has announced a new succession plan in which Andy Torrance will step down as chief executive and move to the position of chairman. He... View Article
  
  Read more

Follow @retailuknws on Twitter!