Retail news

• Athleisure brand Varley to open first flagship on King’s Road

  03-04-2023 17:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // LA-based activewear retailer Varley is opening its first European Store
  // The 2,203 sq. ft flagship on King’s Road has been signed on a five-year leaseActivewear brand ‘rooted in movement’ Varley is set to open its first European store on King’s Road.
  The new 2,203 sq. ft flagship has been signed on a five-year lease and will sit alongside nearby retailers Reformation and Self-Portrait.
  Founded by husband-and-wife duo Lara and Ben Mead in Los Angeles in 2015, the
  
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• Children’s author who sued John Lewis over Christmas ad loses case

  03-04-2023 14:29
  
  Fay Evans alleged similarity between the 2019 Excitable Edgar TV campaign and her self-published book A self-published author who sued John Lewis over its 2019 Christmas advert about a trouble-making dragon has lost her case.Fay Evans brought a case for copyright infringement, alleging that there was a “striking similarity” between her picture book, Fred the Fire-Sneezing Dragon, and John Lewis’s now almost four-year-old ad featuring Edgar. Continue reading...
  
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• John Lewis wins court battle over Excitable Edgar Christmas ad

  03-04-2023 14:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // John Lewis wins copyright dispute over its 2019 Christmas advert, Excitable Edgar
  // The High court ruled in favour of the retailer and said there was “not a scrap of evidence” of copyright infringementJohn Lewis has won a court battle over a copyright infringement claim against its 2019 Christmas advert featuring Excitable Edgar the dragon.
  Children’s author Fay Evans sued the retailer and its advertising agency DDB claiming the retailer’s advert featured a “str
  
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• Dr Martens to start using recycled leather by early 2024

  03-04-2023 13:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Dr Martens will start using recycled leather for some of its boots at its Northampton factory
  // The retailer is looking for a more sustainable offering as consumers continue to prefer greener fashionDr Martens is set to begin using recycled leather at its Northampton factory for some of its boots.
  According to The Times, the footwear retailer is one of a group of investors set to inject $18 million into a reusable leather maker, Gen Phoenix.
  Other backers include Jaguar Land Rover and Tapest
  
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• Asda appoints CBRE to help open 300 convenience stores by end of 2026

  03-04-2023 13:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Asda hires real estate advisors CBRE to work on its store expansion programme
  // Asda is planning to open a further 300 convenience stores by end of 2026Asda has drafted in real estate advisors CBRE to work on its store expansion programme in the UK.
  The grocer is owned by the Issa brothers and TDR capital and has 633 stores in the UK.
  Last October, the retailer launched a new ‘Asda Express’ convenience brand. The first two Asda Express stores opened before Christmas and Asda is p
  
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• Planet Organic: Investment firm eyes rescue deal

  03-04-2023 12:57 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Investment firm Redbus Ventures eyes stake in struggling grocer Planet Organic
  // The organic supermarket chain put administrators on standby last week after Waitrose called off talksPlanet Organic is being eyed by investment firm Redbus Ventures, set up by Lovefilm co-founder Simon Franks, which is understood to be plotting a rescue bid for the health food business.
  The firm, which has backed online florist Flowerbx and sustainable natural deodorant brand Wild, is among the interes
  
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• Asda offers staff the option to be paid early

  03-04-2023 12:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Asda offers its staff the option to access some of their wages early
  // The move is to help alleviate the financial burden during the rising cost of livingAsda has offered its employees the option to be paid in advance to help ease the financial pressures amid the rising cost of living.
  The supermarket chain, in partnership with fintech firm Wagestream, will allow its 140,000 workers to access some of their salary before pay day.
  Staff who choose to receive part of their accrued earnings
  
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• Sainsbury’s goes after fans of Waitrose’s Heston range

  03-04-2023 12:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Sainsbury’s expands its food innovation team in move to win fans of Waitrose’s Heston Blumenthal range
  // The grocer’s experimental kitchen is set to launch 150 summer items as demand for unusual products growSainsbury’s has expanded its team of culinary experts in a move to win shoppers mourning the end of Waitrose’s Heston Blumenthal range.
  The supermarket giant has increased its food innovation team by almost a third since the end of 2020 due to a rise in
  
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• Boohoo appoints ex-New Look boss as deputy chairman

  03-04-2023 12:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Boohoo has appointed former New Look boss Alistair McGeorge as an independent non-executive director
  // The group also announced the departure of Neil Catto as executive director after nearly 12 years at the retailerBoohoo has appointed former chairman of New Look and Matalan chief executive Alistair McGeorge as a non-executive director.
  He has succeeded Brian Small as the group’s deputy chairman and will act as interim chair of the audit committee until the search for an additional non
  
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• Morrisons employee morale is ‘super-low’ after ‘government-enforced pay rise’

  03-04-2023 11:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Morrisons employees say morale is “super-low” following a “government-enforced pay rise”
  // Hourly-paid workers have been bought in line with the new national living wage of £10.42 per hourMorrisons employees have said that morale is “super-low” following a “government-enforced pay rise” which brings its hourly-paid workers in line with the new national living wage of £10.42 per hour.
  Last week, the UK government announced the single
  
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• The Fragrance Shop to open first ‘experimental’ flagship on Oxford Street

  03-04-2023 11:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  //T he Fragrance Shop opening its first experiential flagship store on London’s Oxford Street this summer
  // The retailer is currently expanding its store estate as it looks to offer customers the convenience of mixing shopping online with in-storeThe Fragrance Shop is set to open the doors to a new “experiential” store on London’s Oxford Street this summer.
  The 2,300 sq ft flagship will feature an eight-metre double-height frontage at 70/88 Oxford Street, marking the per
  
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• Co-op chair Allan Leighton to resign as retailer embarks on biggest cost-cutting drive

  03-04-2023 10:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Co-op chair Allan Leighton is set to quit his role after 8 years
  // The grocer has hired headhunters from Odgers Berndtson to find a replacementCo-op chairman Allan Leighton is to quit his role as the retailer pushes ahead with its biggest cost-cutting plan to date.
  Leighton was appointed chairman in 2015. He was recognised for turning around the fortunes of Asda in the 1990s.
  The grocer has hired headhunters from Odgers Berndtson to find a replacement for Leighton and senior independent
  
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• Opinion: Metaverse Fashion Week 2023 was a luxury feast – and a technical disaster

  03-04-2023 10:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Metaverse Fashion Week 2023 took place last week. It was full of high-end brands, meta parties, virtual panels, as well as bugs, glitches and user complaints.
  // To find out more, visit Retail Gazette’s sister site, Charged Retail: click hereThis year, over 60 brands, artists and designers took part in the event held between March 28-31 on Decentraland – down from over 70 participants in 2022.
  Lured with a promise of “runway shows, after-parties, immersive experiences,
  
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• Co-op chair Allan Leighton resigns as retailer embarks on biggest cost-cutting drive

  03-04-2023 09:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Co-op chair Allan Leighton is set to quit his role after 8 years
  // The grocer has hired headhunters from Odgers Berndtson to find a replacementCo-op chairman Allan Leighton is to quit his role as the retailer pushes ahead with its biggest cost-cutting plan to date.
  Leighton was appointed chairman in 2015. He was recognised for turning around the fortunes of Asda in the 1990s.
  The grocer has hired headhunters from Odgers Berndtson to find a replacement for Leighton and senior independent
  
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• Value of John Lewis pension assets plunge £2.8bn in ‘tough set of results’

  03-04-2023 09:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // John Lewis defends health of pension funds after value of pension assets plunge by £2.8bn
  // The fall was driven largely by a drop in the value of liability-driven investmentsThe market value of John Lewis Partnership’s pension assets dropped by £2.8 billion last year as the retailer publishes “a tough set of results”.
  The partnership, which also includes Waitrose, was forced to defend the health of its pension funds after its value fell from £7.2
  
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• Value of John Lewis pension assets plunge £2.8bn after ‘tough set of results’

  03-04-2023 09:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // John Lewis defends health of pension funds after value of pension assets plunge by £2.8bn
  // The fall was driven largely by a drop in the value of liability-driven investmentsThe market value of John Lewis Partnership’s pension assets dropped by £2.8 billion last year after the retailer publishes “a tough set of results”.
  The partnership, which also includes Waitrose, was forced to defend the health of its pension funds after its value fell from £
  
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• Aldi will not halt ‘relentless’ roll out of UK stores despite sabotage by rivals

  03-04-2023 08:45 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Aldi to continue expansion plans with target of 1,200 UK stores by 2025
  // UK boss Giles Hurley said a campaign of planning objections by rival grocers had delayed expansion plansAldi boss Giles Hurley has said the discounter’s “relentless” expansion of new stores will not pause despite sabotage by supermarket rivals.
  In October 2018, the German grocer set a target of having 1,200 UK stores by 2025.
  Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said a campaign of planning
  
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• Aldi will not halt ‘relentless’ roll out of new UK stores, CEO says

  03-04-2023 08:45 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Aldi to continue expansion plans with target of 1,200 UK stores by 2025
  // UK boss Giles Hurley said a campaign of planning objections by rival grocers had delayed expansion plansAldi boss Giles Hurley has said the discounter’s “relentless” expansion of new stores will not pause, as it sets a target of having 1,200 UK stores by 2025.
  Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said a campaign of planning objections by rival grocers had delayed its expansion plans.
  He sai
  
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• The Fragrance Shop chooses Oxford Street for first experiential store

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Fragrance Shop is to open a new experiential store on London’s Oxford Street this summer. Spanning 2,300 square feet with an eight-metre double height frontage,... View Article
  
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• Safestyle UK appoint CFO

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Safestyle UK  has announced the appointment of Phil Joyner to the Board as an Executive Director in the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with immediate effect.... View Article
  
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• M&S launches new M&S Icons range

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  M&S has launched a new range of elevated wardrobe staples called M&S Icons. The retailer said the collection aims to offer timeless womenswear and menswear items... View Article
  
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• Lark London opens in Woking’s Victoria Place

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Woking’s Victoria Place has welcomed independent lifestyle boutique, Lark London, to its 1,558 sq ft space on 7 Commercial Way, marking its debut outside London. The... View Article
  
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• IS NUCLEAR TRULY GREEN?

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Nuclear. Is it a viable option for net zero and a greener future? The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt seems to think so – at the Big Zero... View Article
  
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• Ingka Centres acquires one of the largest shopping centres in Paris

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Ingka Centres has acquired one of largest inner-city shopping destinations in Paris. The company has purchased the Italie Deux shopping mall, its high-street extension ItaliK, and... View Article
  
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• CMA investigates Wowcher over online ‘urgency’ claims

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Competition and Markets Authority has announced that it will be examining whether Wowcher has misled consumers by using countdown timers and other urgency claims. The... View Article
  
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• Boohoo announces board changes

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Online fashion retailer Boohoo has appointed Alistair McGeorge as a non-executive director. He has succeeded Brian Small as the group’s deputy chairman and will act as... View Article
  
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• Atria Watford welcomes new stores Moss and Haute Dolci

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Atria Watford has added menswear retailer Moss and luxury dessert brand Haute Dolci to its line-up. Having opened on 30 March, the new 2,271 square foot... View Article
  
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• Aldi boosts sustainability ambitions through Leaf Marque

  03-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Supermarket giant Aldi is accelerating its sustainability commitments across its entire UK fresh produce supply chain through LEAF Marque certification. The supermarket is aiming for all... View Article
  
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