Retail news

• UK’s top bosses paid millions despite cost of living crisis, annual reports show

  06-06-2023 19:56
  
  Bumper earnings for National Grid and M&S chiefs come as energy firms and supermarkets are accused of ‘greedflation’Companies at the centre of the cost of living crisis have paid millions to their chief executives as households struggle with soaring bills.Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer were joined by National Grid in handing huge pay packets to their bosses, according to annual reports released on Tuesday. Continue reading...
  
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• UK top bosses paid millions despite cost of living crisis, annual reports show

  06-06-2023 19:56
  
  Bumper earnings for National Grid and M&S chiefs come as energy firms and supermarkets are accused of ‘greedflation’Companies at the centre of the cost of living crisis have paid millions to their chief executives as households struggle with soaring bills.Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer were joined by National Grid in handing huge pay packets to their bosses, according to annual reports released on Tuesday. Continue reading...
  
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• I’m burnt out from dealing with shoplifters in our London store | Letters

  06-06-2023 18:45
  
  One supermarket worker describes how there has been a significant increase in thefts and there is little they can do about itRe your article on shoplifting (‘One guy uses us like a larder’: the British shoplifting crisis – as seen from the tills, 1 June), I work at a supermarket chain in one of London’s richest boroughs. I’ve seen a massive increase in shoplifting and theft that I would describe as “to order”.We are seeing individuals coming into the sto
  
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• Sainsbury’s hands boss £4.95m pay packet amid cost-of-living crisis

  06-06-2023 18:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts took home £4.95m in pay last year
  // The grocer invested £225m in colleague pay to support its staff with the rising cost of livingSainsbury’s boss Simon Roberts pocketed £4.95m in pay last year as the supermarket giant invested £225m in colleague pay.
  The grocer’s annual report shows that the chief executive picked up £3.96m in bonuses on top of a £899,000 a year salary and other benefits – up
  
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• M&S ditches use-by dates on milk

  06-06-2023 18:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // M&S is replacing use-by with best-before dates on its ‘too good to waste’ milk
  // The change comes under the supermarket’s commitment to halve food waste by 2030M&S has become the latest retailer to drop use-by dates from its ‘too good to waste’ British and organic fresh milk.
  The supermarket will replace use-by dates with best before dates under its commitment to halve food waste by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040.
  M&S claims to be the first retailer
  
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• Frasers Group further raises Asos stake

  06-06-2023 18:19 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Frasers Group has increased its stake in Asos once again, as the fashion company continues to struggle
  // The etailer is currently in the process of overhauling its business, with its shares recently hitting a 12 month lowFrasers Group has upped its stake in Asos as the online retailer continues to struggle.
  The Mike Ashley-owner retail group has increased its stake from 7.4% to 8.8%. This is up from 5% in October last year.
  Asos’ shares recently hit a 12-month low and it was booted off
  
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• M&S removes use-by dates from milk to reduce waste

  06-06-2023 16:35
  
  Retailer switches to best-before dates, urging customers to use ‘sniff test’ before pouring good milk awayMarks & Spencer has become the latest big retail name to remove use-by dates from its fresh milk in an attempt to prevent millions of pints that are still safe to consume being poured away.With milk ranking as the third most wasted food in UK homes after potatoes and bread, M&S will encourage customers to use the old fashioned sniff test to judge whether their dairy is st
  
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• AO kicks off recruitment drive for over 250 new roles amid 20% salary bump

  06-06-2023 15:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // AO has launched a recruitment drive for more than 250 new jobs, to grow its customer service specialists team
  // The move comes after the company recently gave its contact centre agents pay rises and a performance based bonusAO is recruiting more than 250 staff members to grow its customer service specialists team.
  The company is offering new starters a development pathway, where they can raise their starting salary of £24,000 up to £31,000 within a year, as they work towards beco
  
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• Boots CFO Michael Snape quits

  06-06-2023 14:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Boots’ CFO Michael Snape has quit after five years
  // He will be replaced by fellow finance exec Sam HunterBoots’ chief financial officer Michael Snape has quit the health and beauty retailer after five years.
  Snape is understood to have resigned last month and will be replaced by existing Boots finance executive Sam Hunter, Sky News reported.
  “After almost five successful years at Boots, Michael Snape, chief financial officer, Boots & No7 Beauty Company, has decide
  
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• M&S bosses pocket near £5m in pay

  06-06-2023 12:53 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // M&S co-CEOs took home near £5m in pay last year
  // Stuart Machin recieved £2.53m during his first year as the retailer’s boss, while Bickerstaffe was paid £2.22mM&S co-chief executives Stuart Machin and Katie Bickerstaffe were paid £4.8m in total during their first year at the helm of the department store retailer, the group’s annual report showed.
  The pair, who both succeeded Steve Rowe at the end of May last year, have been awarded a 3% salar
  
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• Aldi named UK’s cheapest supermarket for 12th month running

  06-06-2023 12:44 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Aldi has won the title of Britain’s cheapest supermarket for the 12th month in a row, based on a basket of 40 groceries
  // The discount retailer was closely followed by Lidl, while Asda was named cheapest amongst the Big 4 grocersAldi has held onto the title of Britain’s cheapest supermarket for the 12th month in a row, based on a basket of 40 groceries worth an average of £68.60.
  The German grocer was crowned winner for May once again by consumer watchdog Which? while Lidl
  
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• FatFace opens first three stores in Canada

  06-06-2023 11:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // FatFace has opened its first three stores in Canada, after successful performance across the United States
  // The retailer plans to launch six more shops in Canada this year, while a full Canadian website is in the works.FatFace has opened its first three stores in Canada, following a successful trading performance in the United States.
  The clothing retailer has opened shops across three different cities – in Barrie and Niagra-on-the-Lake last month, and now in Newmarket, Ontario today.
  
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• Poundland owner Pepco posts strong sales thanks to store expansion strategy

  06-06-2023 09:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Pepco Group reports an 11% rise in first-half core earnings as revenue surge 23%
  // The discount group said its results were bolstered by new store openingsPoundland owner Pepco has posted an 11% increase in sales and 23% boost in revenue as trading remained strong due its “strong progress against strategic objectives” but the discount giant warned trading has been tougher in its third quarter.
  The Warsaw-listed group, which owns Pepco, Poundland and Dealz said an uncertain t
  
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• N Brown posts falling revenue and profits amid ‘challenging’ market conditions

  06-06-2023 09:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // N Brown posts falling revenues reflecting what it called “challenging online market conditions”
  // Adjusted profit before tax dropped 82.6% from £43m to £7.5m while product revenue fell 6.9% to £433m.Simply Be and Jacamo owner N Brown has told investors that it expects the impact of high inflation and low consumer confidence to continue to impact trading next year, after posting a 82.6% fall in profit before tax.
  The fashion group saw a 5.3% drop in rev
  
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• Bank holidays fail to boost retail sales in May

  06-06-2023 08:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Retail sales increased but in May but sales growth slowed to its “lowest level in six months”
  // Helen Dickinson: “With consumer confidence still recovering from record depths, and continued tightening of household incomes, we are unlikely to see substantial sales growth in the coming months.”
  UK retail sales growth slowed in May, industry data has revealed, despite a flurry of bank holiday weekends in recent weeks.
  According to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor
  
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• Boots among companies hit by major cyber attack with UK staff bank details exposed

  06-06-2023 08:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  // Boots named among thousands of firms who have been hit by a cyber attack
  // The retailer said the cyber attack included some of its employees’ personal detailsBoots and British Airways have been named among thousands of firms who have been hit by a major cyber attack by a Russian-speaking criminal gang in a widespread hack expected to spread to the US.
  The cyber attack targeted Zellis, a payroll provider which serves nearly half of FTSE 100 companies.
  Part of the Walgreens Boots Al
  
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• Boots money-back guarantee on £3,100 hearing aid is a lost cause

  06-06-2023 08:00
  
  I bought a pair but mislaid one. When I asked for a refund I expected half back, but only got £685My hearing has been deteriorating for quite some time now and, on the recommendation of a friend, I arranged to visit Boots Hearingcare. After several cancelled appointments (by them) I eventually got a pair of Phonak Virto aids to try out, paying a total of £3,100.For various reasons I found them difficult to adjust to and, because of staffing issues at my local Hitchin branch, which is
  
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• Wolverine Worldwide makes new leadership appointments

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Wolverine Worldwide, the owner of brands such as Sweaty Betty, Saucony and Hush Puppies, has announced a series of senior leadership appointments to help drive future... View Article
  
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• Pepco Group posts strong half year sales growth

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Poundland owner Pepco Group has posted a strong uplift in half year revenue as it continues to expand with new store openings across western Europe. In... View Article
  
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• John Lewis to source all sofa leather from higher welfare farms

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  John Lewis has announced that it is to source all of the leather used in its own label sofas and chairs from higher welfare UK farms... View Article
  
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• Joe Browns to open in Bowness-on-Windemere

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Home and fashion retailer Joe Browns has chosen the lakeside setting of Bowness-on-Windemere for its latest store which opens this weekend. Located in a landmark 2,500... View Article
  
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• Image Skincare names Sennen Pamich as chief executive

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Image Skincare has named Sennen Pamich, the former president of Wella Company Americas, as chief executive. With more than 30 years’ experience in the consumer packaged and luxury... View Article
  
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• How Australian fashion fell to pieces: a timeline

  06-06-2023 02:00
  
  In the 1990s and 2000s Alannah Hill, Alice McCall and Sass & Bide became household names. Now Australians buy more clothes than ever but few are made or even designed locally. Where did it come undone? Continue reading...
  
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• Cornish Bakery becomes top-rated bakery in the Best Companies to Work For list

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The fast-growing Cornish Bakery chain has achieved an Outstanding grading in its first entry to the Best Companies to Work For list. The company secured the... View Article
  
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• Central Co-op set to become Fertility Friendly employer

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Central Co-op has partnered with Fertility Matters at Work, the social enterprise educational training provider, as it works towards becoming a Fertility Friendly employer. In addition... View Article
  
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• Brands failing non-binary people, despite incorporation of Pride colours

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  An LGBTQIA+ campaign [called Include Mx] is calling out big brands which adopt the colours of Pride this month but exclude non-binary customers by failing to... View Article
  
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• Boots CFO Michael Snape departs after 5 years

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Boots have today confirmed that CFO Michael Snape “has decided to leave the business” after “almost five successful years” with the company. “During his time at... View Article
  
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• AO to recruit for 250 customer service roles

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Electricals retailer AO is to recruit over 250 people to work as customer service specialists. The North West based company has been investing heavily in the... View Article
  
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• AO on the hunt for over 250 new recruits at Bolton HQ

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Electrical retailer AO announced today that it will be recruiting over 250 people to grow its team of customer service specialists. The Bolton-based employer is now... View Article
  
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• 3,000 registrations, don’t miss out!

  06-06-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Big Zero Show has just reached 3,000 registrations and is set to be an electrifying experience this June! Packed out sessions await from some of... View Article
  
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• UK grocery spending soars as food prices rise

  06-06-2023 01:02
  Retail sector data points to reduction in discretionary purchases as consumers pay more for staples
  
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• Hard-pressed UK shoppers feel food ‘shrinkflation’

  06-06-2023 01:01
  
  Consumers increasingly claim that manufacturers are reducing the size of products, Barclays research findsHard-pressed consumers feel they are becoming the victims of food industry “shrinkflation” amid signs the UK’s persistent cost of living crisis is making households more alert to the need to get value for money.With food prices up by almost 20% in the past year, the latest snapshot of consumer activity from Barclays found households were concentrating spending on essentials
  
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