Retail news

• Greggs appeals against ban on all-night outlet in central London

  18-04-2023 17:30
  
  Chain was refused licence to sell hot food in Leicester Square over police concerns about antisocial behaviourThe bakery chain Greggs is to appeal a ban preventing a central London outlet from selling hot food through the night after police claimed it could lead to a spike in crime and disorder.The company was last summer refused an overnight licence to open its store in Leicester Square between between 11pm and 5am amid claims it could become a “hotspot for late-night disturbances and ant
  
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• Halfords hails unique platform as it forecasts sales and profit jump

  18-04-2023 17:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Bicycle and car products retailer Halfords has forecast a jump in sales and profit in the mid-term as it prepares to leverage “unique and scaled” platform that has been built since 2018.
  // To find out more, visit Retail Gazette’s sister site, Charged Retail“We have developed a unique and scaled platform, building a market leading interconnected infrastructure of stores, garages and vans, at the same time as creating a data and digitally-enabled business,” the fi
  
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• ‘It’s scandalous’: UK shoppers on how inflation has hit their favourite products

  18-04-2023 17:00
  
  Inflation may drop below 10% on Wednesday, but many items have risen even higher than the headline rateThe UK inflation rate could drop out of double digits for the first time since last summer when the Office for National Statistics releases figures for March on Wednesday, with the headline rate expected to fall back to 9.8% from 10.4% in February.Despite the predicted fall, the headline rate of inflation has been stuck at 40-year highs for months and is well above the Bank of England’s o
  
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• David’s Bridal collapses into administration as US owner files for bankruptcy

  18-04-2023 15:58 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // David’s Bridal UK arm collapses into administration hours after its US parent owner files for bankruptcy
  // The wedding dress specialist has appointed Moorfields Advisor and will continue to trade as normalDavid’s Bridal has collapsed into administration hours after its American owner filed for bankruptcy.
  The wedding dress specialist has appointed Andy Pear and Milan Vuceljic of Moorfields Advisory to handle the process.
  The retailer’s UK operation will continue to tra
  
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• British free range eggs to start returning to supermarkets soon as curbs lifted

  18-04-2023 15:58
  
  Government introduced restrictions last year in attempt to curb spread of bird fluBritish free range eggs will soon start returning to supermarket shelves, following the lifting of restrictions introduced last year by the government in an attempt to curb the spread of bird flu.A legal requirement for poultry and other captive birds to be kept indoors was introduced in England last November, and in Wales the next month, in response to the UK’s largest-ever outbreak of avian influenza. Conti
  
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• THG reports rise in losses to £550m amid takeover approach

  18-04-2023 14:54
  
  Shares in online retail tech company slide after rise on Monday as private equity group circledOnline retail tech company THG said its annual losses widened last year to £550m amid higher costs and as home shopping waned with the end of pandemic lockdowns.Shares in the troubled group dived 17% on Tuesday as it revealed that pretax losses had almost tripled in the year to 31 March while sales had risen just 2.7% to £2.2bn. Continue reading...
  
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• Sainsbury’s makes bid for Planet Organic

  18-04-2023 14:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Sainsbury’s makes offer to acquire Planet Organic’s name and IP assets
  // The supermarket giant joins a queue of bidders for the struggling grocerSainsbury’s has become the latest bidder exploring a last-minute rescue bid on Planet Organic.
  The supermarket giant has made an offer for the struggling grocer’s name and intellectual property assets in a deal likely to be implemented through an insolvency process, Sky News reported.
  Sources said Sainsbury’s inter
  
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• Number of retail M&A deals surge 30% post-pandemic

  18-04-2023 14:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Number of retail M&A deals increases 30% since before the pandemic – 34 deals in 2022
  // E-commerce companies comprised over half of the M&A transactions (18) in the last yearThe number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals in the UK targeting retailers has risen by 30% since before the pandemic, new data from international law firm RPCreveals.
  Last year, 34 retail M&A deals were announced compared to 26 in 2019,only slightly lower than the number of deals in 2021, whi
  
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• [E-Book]: Fulfilling The Modern Retail Customer Experience

  18-04-2023 13:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Merchandising is pivotal to satisfying omnichannel shoppersComplex customer demands don’t have to come at the expense of enterprise operations. With the right pillar processes in place, you can shape an infinite combination of sales channels, fulfilment methods and buyer behaviours into a cohesive retail experience. You can also serve every customer journey with excellence and ease – despite the challenging market environment.
  It starts with Merchandising.
  Omnichannel-native Merchand
  
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• In pictures: Mamas & Papas teams up with Laura Ashley for new collection

  18-04-2023 13:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Mamas & Papas launches new collection in partnership with Laura Ashley
  // The 49-piece range made up of baby apparel, toys and nursery accessories is available in stores and onlineMamas & Papas has teamed up with Laura Ashley for a new collection of baby apparel, toys and pushchairs inspired by the heritage brand’s iconic prints.
  The 49-piece range is now available online and in the brand’s international stores.The curated collection includes baby and toddler apparel,
  
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• Matalan names former Co-op exec as chief customer and omni-channel officer

  18-04-2023 12:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Matalan taps former Co-op customer & community director Ali Jones for chief customer and omni-channel officer role
  // Jones will focus on establishing a new customer function within the fashion businessMatalan has appointed former Co-op customer & community director Ali Jones into the new role of Chief Customer and Omni-Channel Officer.
  Jones will join the business on April 19 with an initial focus on establishing a new customer function within Matalan which the fashion retailer said
  
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• Bensons for Beds to ‘significantly expand’ its retail estate as it hails strong sales

  18-04-2023 12:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Bensons for Beds posts a 9% increase in like-for-like sales, building on the 7% like-for-like sales growth in the previous quarter
  // The group saw a 32% rise in digital sales, driven by the “continued investment in omnichannel capability and leadership”Bensons for Beds has posted a 9% increase in second quarter like-for-like sales.
  The bed and mattress retailer saw an uplift in the three months to the end of March building on its 7% rise in the previous three-month period.
  It sai
  
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• Superdrug banks on bricks-and-mortar with 25 new store openings in 2023

  18-04-2023 11:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Superdrug is investing in 25 new stores this year, expanding its bricks-and-mortar retail footprint
  // The venture is expected to create over 570 jobs nationwideSuperdrug has unveiled plans to invest in 25 new stores this year as it looks to expand its bricks-and-mortar retail footprint.The venture is expected to create over 570 jobs nationwide, which the health and beauty retailer said would create a “seamless customer experience, providing vital support for high streets and local
  
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• Is Elon Musk creating a utopian city? The hellish, heavenly history of company towns

  18-04-2023 11:00
  
  The Tesla founder has broken ground on a plot in Texas, while Google and Meta are building workers’ homes in California. Should we be celebrating or worrying?Welcome to Snailbrook, Texas. Established: 2021. Population: about 12, but with many more to come. In fact, in a decade or two, Snailbrook could be a gleaming, utopian city, shaped by the futuristic vision of the unavoidable tech titan of our day, Elon Musk.Musk is moving into Texas big time. According to reports, he has quietly bough
  
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• Morrisons to cut 30 in-store florists as it looks to trim costs

  18-04-2023 09:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Morrisons cuts 30 of its in-store florist stations as sales slow
  // The supermarket chain said the service was no longer commercially viable and will offer affected staff alternate rolesMorrisons will cut 30 of its in-store florist stations as it looks to slim down costs.
  The supermarket chain, which doubled its number of in-store florist branches during lockdown, said the service in some locations were no longer commercially viable.
  The impacted stores will now have its flower bouquets
  
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• Basic food costs surge up to 80% in a year

  18-04-2023 09:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // British food basics surge up to 80% in price across some of the eight big supermarkets over the past year
  // Food and drink inflation rose to 17.2% in March, Which? foundThe cost of British food basics such as cheddar cheese, porridge oats and white bread have soared by up to 80% in some shops over the past year.
  According to Which?, overall food and drink inflation at supermarkets rose to 17.2% in March, up from 16.5% the month before.
  The price of porridge oats surged 35.5% across Aldi
  
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• Basic food costs surge by up to 80% in a year

  18-04-2023 09:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // British food basics surge up to 80% in price across some of the eight big supermarkets over the past year
  // Food and drink inflation rose to 17.2% in March, Which? foundThe cost of British food basics such as cheddar cheese, porridge oats and white bread have soared by up to 80% in some shops over the past year.
  According to Which?, overall food and drink inflation at supermarkets rose to 17.2% in March, up from 16.5% the month before.
  The price of porridge oats surged 35.5% across Aldi
  
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• THG operating losses more than double to £500m

  18-04-2023 09:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // THG full-year operating losses deepen to £495.6m due to weakened sales and non-recurring costs
  // The online retail firm said profitability had improved in the first quarter despite sales falling 8%THG has revealed its full-year operating losses have more than doubled to £495.6m but said profitability had improved in the first quarter despite a 8% fall in sales.
  The online retailer said its performance in the year to 31 December was dragged by a £275.4m non-cash impairm
  
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• Wickes embarks on new advertising partnership

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Home improvement retailer Wickes has become the headline sponsor of Angie Greaves on Smooth Radio following the signing of a new sponsorship deal with Global, the media... View Article
  
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• Urban Outfitters to open boutique pop-up on London’s King’s Road

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Urban Outfitters is to open a new pop-up store for summer dress shopping on London’s King’s Road. Due to launch on 27 April, the shop will... View Article
  
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• THG posts £495.6 million operating loss

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  THG has posted an operating loss of £495.6 million after it faced increased costs relating to international delivery and a strategic review of its stock. This compares... View Article
  
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• Superdrug to invest in 25 “bigger and better” store openings in 2023

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Superdrug has unveiled plans to invest in the opening of 25 new stores this year as it looks to expand its bricks-and-mortar presence. The move is... View Article
  
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• Revolution Beauty expands US reach with new collection at Walmart

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Revolution Beauty, the British skincare and cosmetics brand, is expanding its reach in the US with the launch of a new collection at Walmart. The move... View Article
  
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• Register for free & experience the future of retail with StoreGeni at the Retail Technology Show!

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  StoreGeni is set to exhibit its cutting-edge solutions at the upcoming Retail Technology Show, taking place on April 26th and 27th at the Olympia in London.... View Article
  
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• Q&A with Kelly Duffy, Director, Checkpoint ALS UK   

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Checkpoint Systems, a global leader in radio frequency identification (RFID and RF) technology and inventory control solutions, will showcase its RFID product range at the Retail... View Article
  
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• Q&A with Kelly Duffy, Director, Apparel Label Solutions UK

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Checkpoint Systems, a global leader in radio frequency identification (RFID and RF) technology and inventory control solutions, will showcase its RFID product range at the Retail... View Article
  
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• Matalan appoints chief customer and omnichannel officer

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Matalan has appointed Ali Jones to the newly created role of chief customer and omnichannel officer. In her new position, she will initially focus on establishing... View Article
  
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• Mamas & Papas launch new collab with Laura Ashley

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  High street nursery brand, Mamas & Papas, has partnered with home and lifestyle brand Laura Ashley to introduce a new collection of travel solutions, interiors, and... View Article
  
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• Just Hype bought by Birmingham investor in pre-pack deal

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Leicester-based fashion brand Just Hype has been acquired out of administration. The business, along with sister company Toatee Limited, has been jointly acquired by Lux360 and... View Article
  
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• Europe’s Premier Invitation-only Event for Senior Customer Experience Leaders in Retail

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The 11th year of the CX Retail Exchange, 11-12 July 2023, will invite senior customer experience leaders in retail to the Hilton, Syon Park, to explore... View Article
  
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• Bensons for Beds hails strong sales growth

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Bed and mattress retailer Bensons for Beds has posted a 9% increase in second quarter like-for-like sales. The uplift in the three months to end March... View Article
  
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• Asda launches UK’s largest self-driving grocery home delivery trial

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Asda has teamed up with a tech startup Wayve to use self-driving vehicles to deliver groceries to customers. From today, Asda customers can have their shopping... View Article
  
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• [ ON DEMAND ] Are you ready for the future of PIM?

  18-04-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  As demands for product information grow and the product journey goes circular, ensuring you have the right PIM software in place today is essential to meet customer... View Article
  
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• Cost of British food basics increases by up to 80% in a year

  18-04-2023 01:01
  
  Cheddar and budget sausages sold by Asda were highest risers, with supermarkets’ prices for oats and skimmed milk also soaringThe price of staple foods such as cheddar cheese, white bread and pork sausages has soared by up to 80% in some shops over the past year, in further evidence of how inflation is hitting those on the tightest budgets the hardest.Porridge oats topped the price increase ranking among a basket of British basics measured by the consumer group Which?, with prices up by an
  
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