Retail news

• Why Tesco’s supplier fulfilment fee is a “buyer’s worst nightmare”

  23-03-2023 18:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Read more on Grocery GazetteIt all seems to have gone a bit wrong for Tesco over the past couple of weeks.
  The complications all started with a simple letter, sent by Tesco’s chief product officer Ashwin Prasad, which told suppliers there would be “additional fulfilment charges” for products sold through its online platform and via its Booker wholesale channel.
  Almost immediately – and completely unsurprisingly – Tesco came under fire from some fierce backla
  
  Read more

• DIY retailer Wickes reports ‘bright’ outlook buoyed by young renters

  23-03-2023 17:01
  
  CEO says 18- to 35-year-olds fast growing cohort of customers as company records strong 2022 salesThe home improvement retailer Wickes has said the outlook for its UK business remains “bright“, buoyed by young renters spending more to spruce up their accommodation.The outlook contrasts with home improvement retailers in the US and the rest Europe that have painted a subdued picture for the sector during a period of inflation and a cost of living crisis. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Sports Direct to close smaller shops to prioritise larger experiential stores

  23-03-2023 15:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Sports Direct will start to close its branches that fall below 20,000 sq ft as it prioritises larger in-store experiences
  // The sports retailer will replace the smaller stores with larger locations as part of its elevation strategySports Direct will start to close its smaller branches as the retailer prioritises larger, more experiential stores under its elevation strategy.
  Shops that fall below 20,000 sq ft will not have their leases renewed making way for bigger spaces to open nearby.
  
  Read more

• Sports Direct reviews smaller shops as it prioritises larger experiential stores

  23-03-2023 15:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Sports Direct will start to close some of its branches that fall below 20,000 sq ft as it prioritises larger in-store experiences
  // The sports retailer will replace its smaller stores in some areas with larger locations as part of its elevation strategySports Direct will start to close some of its smaller branches as the retailer prioritises larger, more experiential stores under its elevation strategy.
  Shops that fall below 20,000 sq ft will not have their leases renewed making way for
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Sports Direct plans for more larger flagships in a move away from smaller stores

  23-03-2023 15:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Sports Direct is planning to open 10 flagships across the UK and 10 in Europe, which could see it consolidate some of its smaller stores
  // It also plans to add USC concessions to Sports Direct stores Sports Direct has unveiled plans to open more larger experiential stores as part of its elevation strategy, which could result in some of its smaller shops closing.
  The retail giant is looking to open approximately ten new flagship stores in the UK and ten across Europe, including the flags
  
  Read more

• Asos to open ‘experiential’ Face + Body pop-ups this weekend in Liverpool, London and Manchester

  23-03-2023 13:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Asos is opening a series of one day pop-ups this weekend to celebrate the expansion of its Face + Body range
  // The first pop-up will open in Manchester on Friday before opening in Liverpool and London on Saturday and Sunday.Asos is hosting a series of one day pop-ups this weekend to celebrate the expansion of its Face + Body range.
  The pop-ups, which will visit Liverpool, London and Manchester, will allow visitors to get their hands on specially curated samples from the edit’s top
  
  Read more

• Tesco expands Whoosh speedy delivery service to 1,000 stores

  23-03-2023 12:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Tesco surpasses its own target for the rollout of its rapid delivery service Whoosh by 25%
  // The grocer first launched the service in May 2021 and is now available from 1,000 Express storesTesco has exceeded the rollout target of its rapid delivery service Whoosh by 25%, with home delivery now available from 1,000 Express stores.
  The grocer first launched the online service in May 2021 and is now available from half of Tesco’s estate of Express convenience stores across the UK, serving
  
  Read more

• Retailers to meet with ministers over concerns on new recycling scheme

  23-03-2023 12:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // British retailers, including M&S, will meet with ministers today to discuss concerns over the new recycling scheme due to come into force in 2024
  // Retailers, food producers and trade bodies warn the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (EPR) scheme will lead to higher costs for consumersSeveral British retailers and trade bodies are meeting with ministers today to discuss concerns over the government’s new recycling scheme which they warn will lead to higher costs for co
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Ikea signs agreement to tackle sexual harassment after staff complaint

  23-03-2023 12:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Ikea signs legal agreement to improve its sexual harassment policies and practices
  // The agreement is expected to last until August 2025Ikea has signed an agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to improve its sexual harassment policies and practices after a complaint by a former employee.
  The agreement comes after the EHRC was made aware of an allegation of sexual assault and harassment at Ikea UK and reports that these allegations were not appropriately handled by managemen
  
  Read more

• John Lewis Partnership trustees could block dilution plans

  23-03-2023 11:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // A small group of John Lewis Partnership trustees could block the plans to sell a minority stake in the 100% employee-owned model
  // The proposals will first need to be agreed by its trustees before its referred to its council for a voteA small group of John Lewis Partnership trustees could block the plans to dilute the 100% employee-owned model.
  Chairwoman Dame Sharon White has been exploring the option to sell a minority stake in the business to raise between £1bn and £2bn o
  
  Read more

• Flannels rebrands Oxford Street flagship as Flannels X with new ‘Youth-Phoria’ project

  23-03-2023 10:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Flannels set to rebrand its Oxford Street flagship store as Flannels X
  // The luxury retailer wants to build a generation “obsessed with ability and ambition”Flannels will rebrand its Oxford Street flagship store as Flannels X, as it focuses on the next-generation consumer.
  This marks one of a number of initiatives launched by the retailer to build a generation “obsessed with ability and ambition”.
  The rebranded Flannels X store is set to see a number of events an
  
  Read more

• Data: 40% of shops must be reinvented over the next 5 years or ‘wither on the vine’

  23-03-2023 10:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Up to 40% of high street shops will need to reinvented over the next five years, according to local leaders
  // Empty retail spaces must be repurposed for hospitality, health or leisure use or will “wither on the vine”, new data revealsUp to 40% of high street shops will need to be repurposed over the next five years or will “wither on the vine” as demand for physical retail slows.
  The need to reinvent retail space was listed as the biggest concern for local author
  
  Read more

• Wickes’ profits drop despite achieving ‘record’ sales as DIY demand wanes

  23-03-2023 10:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Wicks revenues rise 1.6% but profit before tax slips 11.3% for the year ending December 31, 2022
  // As the DIY boom dies down post-pandemic, Wickes said that core sales are “moderately behind” the same period last yearWickes has posted a drop in profits for the year despite the DIY retailer achieving ‘record’ sales, which it attributes to its “market-leading value proposition”.
  Its pre-tax profits slipped down 11.3% to £75.4m from a “record
  
  Read more

• Amazon UK workers plan more strikes over ‘insulting’ pay rise

  23-03-2023 09:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Amazon workers in the UK are planning further strike action as they dismissed as “an insult” a 50p an hour increase to its minimum hourly pay
  // Starting salaries will increase to between £11 and £12 an hour from April – but GMB union members want at least £15Striking Amazon workers in the UK are planning further industrial action after the online giant offered an “insulting” 50p-an-hour increase in base pay for warehouse workers.
  On Wednesday A
  
  Read more

• M&S named most improved fashion retailer beating Next, Primark and Boohoo

  23-03-2023 08:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // New survey of 5,000 women finds M&S is beating Next, Primark and Boohoo thanks to its pricing, quality and style
  // The retailer improved more than its retail rivals and scored better than it did pre-pandemicM&S has been named the best fashion brand as shoppers vote with their feet and return to the high street stalwart.
  Research by French bank BNP Paribas showed that over the past year, an increasing number of shoppers have been enticed by the retailer’s clothing offering with
  
  Read more

• John Lewis boss Sharon White reassures customers amid backlash over stake sale plans

  23-03-2023 08:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // John Lewis chair reassures customers after facing backlash over its plans to dilute the 100% staff-owned model
  // Sharon White: “The strength of our brands – John Lewis and Waitrose – isn’t an accident of being a Partnership, It is because we are a Partnership”Following the news that John Lewis Partnership is mulling diluting its partnership structure, chair Dame Sharon White has written a message to customers amid backlash from MPs and industry experts over the
  
  Read more

• Starbucks braced for price war in China as rivals pile into coffee market

  23-03-2023 01:01
  Chains backed by private equity bet consumers will turn social pastime into daily routine
  
  Read more

• First Look: Sports Direct’s new tech-powered Manchester flagship

  23-03-2023 01:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Sports Direct will open its third flagship tomorrow inside Manchester’s Arndale Centre
  // The 50,000sq ft store spans five floors and includes dedicated interactive areas for football, golf, running, outdoor and swimmingSports Direct opens the doors tomorrow to its new 50,000sq ft Manchester flagship making way for its “most advanced store to date”.
  The impressive space, located inside the city’s Arndale Centre, spans five floors and houses specialist sporting zon
  
  Read more

• Wickes profits dented by challenging year

  23-03-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Home improvement retailer Wickes has posted a drop in profit after what it described as a challenging year. In the 12 months to 31 December, the... View Article
  
  Read more

• Portmeirion hails record year

  23-03-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Portmeirion, the owner, designer, manufacturer and omnichannel retailer of leading homeware brands, saw its revenue increase by 5% to a record £110.8 million in the year... View Article
  
  Read more

• Looking to grow your business? Upgrade your e-commerce strategy

  23-03-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  [Commentary]  Jonathan Hougardy Head of Business Development, Ecommerce, Merchant Services, Worldline Ecommerce is the simplest and most effective way to grow your merchant business, allowing you... View Article
  
  Read more

• Joe Browns to open ten new stores across UK

  23-03-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Joe Browns is to create 200 jobs by the end of 2024 through the opening of ten new stores. The predominantly online fashion and home retailer... View Article
  
  Read more

• Interview: Yemi Akisanya, DEI expert

  23-03-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  “By creating a space that empowers and accepts all, we are much better suited to manifest the true prosperity of our institutions, communities, and world.” So... View Article
  
  Read more

• H&M upsizes and relocates in Milton Keynes

  23-03-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  H&M has upsized and relocated is Milton Keynes store to Centre:mk. Set across two floors, the new shop will sell the brand’s fashion items and will... View Article
  
  Read more

• Greggs and Primark open flagship Tasty by Greggs café

  23-03-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Greggs and Primark have teamed up to open a third Tasty by Greggs café as they continue to expand the concept. Situated on the second floor... View Article
  
  Read more

• eBay promotes Eve Williams to role of general manager for the UK

  23-03-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  eBay has promoted Eve Williams to the position of vice president, general manager of its UK business. Williams joined eBay in December 2020 as UK chief... View Article
  
  Read more

• Dreams opens new 260,000 sq. ft. distribution warehouse in West Midlands

  23-03-2023 01:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Dreams has opened its new Willenhall warehouse marking a significant milestone in Dreams’ growth strategy. The new, 260,000 square foot site is Dreams’ largest distribution centre,... View Article
  
  Read more

Follow @retailuknws on Twitter!