Retail news

• Don’t be blind to customer behaviours

  05-03-2024 16:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Four ways loyalty tech is helping FMCG brands regain control of their customer relationships
  FMCG brands face a fierce battle to become their customers’ first choice.
  But technology has ushered in a new era of opportunity, offering solutions to longstanding challenges.
  White Label Loyalty’s latest whitepaper “The New Era of CPG Loyalty” explores the challenges confronting FMCG companies and the solutions that are now available.
  Download the whitepaper now, or read on for
  
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• Currys should hold out for £1bn takeover offer, says shareholder

  05-03-2024 16:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  A Currys shareholder has said the retailer should hold out for an offer worth £1bn amid the ongoing takeover saga between Waterstones owner Elliott Advisors and Chinese online shopping giant JD.com.
  JO Hambro Capital Management (JOHCM) UK Equity Income fund, which is a top 10 shareholder, said an offer between 80p and 100p per share would be “acceptable”.
  A 90p per share offer would value the electricals retailer at around £1bn, The Standard reported.
  The JOHCM UK eq
  
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• Tesco gives store staff 9.1% pay rise in record £300m investment

  05-03-2024 16:19 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Tesco has revealed it is investing a further £300m into staff pay as it raises the hourly rate for store employees by 9.1%.
  The nation’s biggest retailer has struck a deal with shopworker union USDAW to increase the hourly base pay from £11.02 to £12.02 an hour in April – ahead of the government’s national living wage increase to £11.44.
  As part of the deal, Tesco is creating one London Allowance area at £13.15 per hour for stores within the M25 in
  
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• Sainsbury’s launches branded shops concept online

  05-03-2024 12:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Sainsbury’s has launched a branded shops concept on its website powered by its Nectar360 ecommerce media platform.
  The supermarket’s platform has partnered with retail media provider CitrusAd to allow clients to build custom pages on its website to help increase brand engagement and encourage additional sales.
  The offering, which creates a ‘shop-in-shop’ experience that gives customers access to all of a brand’s products on one page, can be launched in 10 days and i
  
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• M&S rolls out 100% recyclable coffee cups to all its cafes

  05-03-2024 12:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  M&S is set to roll out its market leading fully recyclable takeaway cups to all of its cafes this month.
  The move comes after the business became the first major high street retailer to sell all of its coffee and hot drinks in a paper fibre cup and lid, which is 100% recyclable in household and on the go recycling, back in October.
  Having initially launched in 20 stores, the cups will now be available in over 300 UK M&S stores, including M&S Cafés, vended coffee points and Mar
  
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• Greggs forecasts sales to double by 2026

  05-03-2024 10:47
  UK food-to-go retailer targets more store openings as expanded evening trading and digital business boost sales
  
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• Co-op partners with Uber Direct to launch quick commerce trial

  05-03-2024 10:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Co-op has joined forces with Uber Direct, the white-label delivery solution of the tech business, to launch a quick commerce partnership trial.
  The tie-up will allow Co-op shoppers and members to order their groceries from the retailer’s website via its app through the Uber Eats delivery network.
  The partnership trial will initially be available from 50 of the supermarket’s stores, with aims to offer shoppers access to its online shop from roughly 1,000 sites by the end of this year.
  
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• Ocado crowned UK’s fastest growing supermarket

  05-03-2024 09:50 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Ocado has been crowned as the UK’s fastest growing supermarket as sales jumped 12.2% over the last 12 weeks.
  The latest data from NIQ shows M&S retained its spot in second place, with sales increasing 11.9%.
  Lidl slipped to third place reporting a 10.4% growth, followed by Sainsbury’s which sales rose 8%.
  The news comes as NIQ found total till sales at UK supermarkets slowed to 5.3% in the four weeks to February 24, compared to a 6.6% growth reported last month.
  It noted that onl
  
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• Greggs posts surge in annual sales and profit

  05-03-2024 09:46 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Greggs has posted a surge in annual sales and profit as it hailed a year of rapid growth. In the year to 30 December, total sales... View Article
  
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• Issa brothers cut investment at EG Group in bid to lower debts

  05-03-2024 09:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Asda’s billionaire owners the Issa brothers have reduced investment at their petrol forecourt business in a bid to pay down mounting debts.
  EG Group slashed its investment into growth by 37% last year to £191m in what executives termed a “controlled reduction” to maximise liquidity, The Telegraph reported.
  It did not explicitly lay out where capital expenditure was cut but the business is said to have expanded its US operations “with minimal capital spend” las
  
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• Greggs profits skyrocket despite sales slow down

  05-03-2024 09:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Greggs profits have skyrocketed, despite reporting a slow down in sales growth, as market share for the bakery chain reaches an “all-time high”.
  The food-to-go retailer reported pre-tax profits surged 27% to £188.3m in the 52 weeks to 30 December, up from £148.3m.
  Sales jumped near 20% to £1.81bn, compared to the 23% increase to £1.51bn in 2022, as company-managed shop sales on a like-for-like basis rose 13.7%.
  Greggs hailed the success of its evening trade, w
  
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• H&M collaborates with Heron Preston

  05-03-2024 09:08 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  H&M has embarked on a new creative partnership with US artist and designer Heron Preston in which it will release a debut collection on 14 March.... View Article
  
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• Wet weather dampens February retail sales

  05-03-2024 08:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  The retail sector has pleaded for the government to “lend a helping hand” after a wet February saw retail sales rise at the slowest pace since 2022.
  The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium and KPMG show that sales edged up 1.1% year-on-year last month, compared to a 5.2% growth in February 2023.
  Food sales jumped 6% over the three months to February, against a growth of 8.3% last year.
  Total non-food sales came under pressure, dropping 2.5% year on year over the three m
  
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• Footasylum announces change of leadership

  05-03-2024 08:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Footasylum has announced that its chief executive Barry Bown is to step down and take up a consultancy role with the sportswear brand’s owner, Aurelius. Bown... View Article
  
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• Manchester Arndale expands beauty offering with signing of Space NK

  05-03-2024 07:35 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Manchester Arndale is expanding its beauty offering with the addition of a Space NK store. Stocking a range of skincare products, cosmetics and gadgets, the 3,313... View Article
  
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• Ocado launches ‘Best of British’ aisle

  05-03-2024 07:30 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Ocado has launched a new Best of British aisle to showcase produce from UK farmers and growers. The online grocer said its offering is the largest... View Article
  
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• Sephora seizes on ‘lipstick effect’ as it aims for €20bn sales goal

  05-03-2024 06:00
  LVMH-owned beauty retailer says customers continue to splash out on premium beauty even in downturn
  
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• LVMH-owned Sephora seizes on ‘lipstick effect’ as it aims for €20bn sales goal

  05-03-2024 06:00
  Beauty retailer says customers continue to splash out on premium products even in downturn
  
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• UK retail sales rose at slowest pace since 2022 in February

  05-03-2024 01:01
  British Retail Consortium says consumer demand was hit by bad weather
  
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• UK retail sales dampened as shoppers stay home in wet weather

  05-03-2024 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  High street shops, pubs and restaurants lose out as Britons relax on the sofa in FebruarySoggy February weather and continued cost of living pressures put a dampener on retail sales last month, with growth slowing to just over 1% as many households saved cash by snuggling up on the sofa.Sales of non-food items slumped by 2.5% in the three months to February – led by declining demand for footwear, household appliances, furniture and clothing – amid weak consumer confidence, according
  
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