Retail news

• Target becomes latest big US company to end diversity initiatives

  24-01-2025 21:39 via ft.com
  
  Retailer’s decision comes days after Trump restricted similar programmes within the federal government
  
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• Directors’ Deals: Halma’s next finance chief buys shares

  24-01-2025 19:00 via ft.com
  
  Safety products group remains confident of US prospects
  
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• Lakeland owner puts chain up for sale ahead of tax rises

  24-01-2025 16:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  The owners of Lakeland are exploring a possible sale of the kitchenwares chain after more than 60 years, ahead of tax rises in April.
  The retailer, which is controlled by the three sons of founder Alan Rayner, is thought to be working with advisors at Teneo to scout prospective buyers, Sky News reported.
  PwC is also understood to have been hired to advise Lakeland’s principal lender HSBC.
  The retailer, which employs around 1000 people, operates 59 stores across the UK and is headquartered
  
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• M&S promotes social media boss

  24-01-2025 15:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  M&S has promoted social media lead Charlotte Tonry to head of social media at the business.
  Tonry joined the high street retailer in April 2017 from former Marie Claire publisher Time Inc as assistant social media manager.
  During her role, she worked on large scale campaigns across its clothing and home division, as well as led its paid influencer strategy. Related StoryA tale of two Christmases: What really happened over peak trading?24/01/2025 x 8:30 AMTonry was later appointed as social m
  
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• Understanding AI in Retail and Ecommerce

  24-01-2025 13:39 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Among the many sectors being revolutionised by AI, the retail and e-commerce sectors are currently leading the pack. Over the past few years, AI has graduated... View Article
  
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• Conversation with… Charlene Flanagan and Niamh Ryan of Ella & Jo

  24-01-2025 13:19 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The women behind Ella & Jo: A story of passion, purpose and success Ella & Jo, the award-winning skincare brand founded in Ireland in 2017, has... View Article
  
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• Burberry shares jump 15% on better than expected festive sales

  24-01-2025 12:53 via ft.com
  US high-end shoppers boost British luxury brand as it mounts turnaround
  
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• Asos migrates marketplace sellers to main site for streamlined shopping

  24-01-2025 12:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Asos has confirmed that the migration of vintage and independent boutique sellers from its marketplace platform to its main site will be complete by April 2025.
  The online fashion giant said the move will benefit customers “by offering one central destination for style that showcases all that Asos offer”.
  The sellers moving across will benefit from increased traffic from those visiting the asos.com, as well as enhanced site functionality like ‘Buy the Look’, which enables
  
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• Burberry bounces back after 4% drop in sales over Christmas quarter

  24-01-2025 12:33
  
  British luxury brand’s shares rise by as much as 15% as sales of scarves and trenchcoats help it beat forecastsBusiness live – latest updatesBurberry has recorded a 4% drop in sales over the Christmas quarter, but expects to recover from losses made in the first half of its financial year after a strong performance in the US.The British luxury brand’s shares rose by as much as 15% on Friday after a rise in sales of scarves and trenchcoats over the Christmas period helped produc
  
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• Consumer confidence plummets to lowest level in a year

  24-01-2025 11:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Consumer confidence plunged across all metrics in January, pushing the index to lows not seen since the end of 2023.
  The GfK consumer confidence report recorded a five point decline in its overall index score to -22 for the month, putting it beyond the one point fall which was expected.
  The index measuring changes to personal finances over the past year slipped three points to -10, while changes to personal finances over the next year also fell three points to -2, according to the market researc
  
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• Victoria’s Secret to open first premier East Midlands store

  24-01-2025 10:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Victoria’s Secret has selected Derbion shopping centre for one of its “premier” East Midlands stores.
  The lingerie retailer, which reopened its Westfield Stratford store last autumn, will take up 5,712sq ft of space at the Derby shopping destination on a 10-year lease, as the brand expands out of its current space in Next into its own individual unit.
  The store will be its first permanent Derby location as it pushes ahead with its expansion across the nation after its UK arm we
  
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• White Stuff enjoys strong Christmas as sales surge

  24-01-2025 10:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  White Stuff enjoyed a “strong Christmas” after sales surged over 21% during the peak festive season.
  The fashion retailer said the growth was underpinned by a 32.5% increase in ecommerce and 8.5% rise in store revenue in the 10 weeks to 4 January.
  Full price sales rocketed 26.8% over the peak, which it attributed to reduced promotional activity.
  The retailer reported a 19% increase in knitwear sales, with Fair Isle knits alone up 50%, and a 60% surge in nightwear sales. Related Story
  
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• Iceland throws 600-jobs lifeline to Sainsbury’s and Morrisons workers

  24-01-2025 09:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Iceland is inviting those at risk of redundancy at Sainsbury’s and Morrisons to apply for one of the 600 roles its currently hiring for.
  The frozen food specialist has a mixture of full- and part-time positions available, spanning retail staff, home delivery drivers, and management roles at the company’s Head Office in Deeside, North Wales.
  It comes as Sainsbury’s revealed yesterday (23 January) that it was slashing 3,000 jobs as part of a drive to simplify its business an
  
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• Adidas to restructure German HQ with 500 jobs at risk

  24-01-2025 09:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Adidas is planning a restructuring of its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.
  While the sporting giant did not provide specific figures, sources told Reuters that up to 500 jobs could be affected by the changes, which come as part of efforts to simplify the company’s structure.
  An Adidas spokesperson said the retailer had recognised its structure had become “too complex in a constantly changing world”. They added that details on the number
  
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• White Stuff reports strong festive trading

  24-01-2025 09:44 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  White Stuff has been boosted by a strong Christmas trading period as it continues to deliver on its transformation and growth strategy. Now part of TFG... View Article
  
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• A tale of two Christmases: What really happened over peak trading?

  24-01-2025 09:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Despite a number of headwinds, Christmas 2024 appeared to be one for the record books as the likes of M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and The Cotswold Company celebrated bumper golden quarters.
  Outside of a lacklustre performance from struggling supermarket chain Asda, grocery stood out as an overall winner across retail.
  M&S boss Stuart Machin boasted it’s “our job to break records” as the high street giant’s festive sales topped £4bn for the first time.
  Kant
  
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• January sees sharp drop in consumer confidence

  24-01-2025 09:25 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  There has been a sharp drop in consumer confidence this month as people feel less optimistic for the outlook for the economy. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence... View Article
  
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• The Works losses narrow amid rollout of new growth strategy

  24-01-2025 09:19 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  The Works has reported narrowing losses and a modest increase in revenue for the first half of its financial year, despite challenges in online sales and a “persistently challenging” environment.
  For the 26 weeks ending November 3, the arts and crafts retailer posted a 1.3% rise in revenue to £124.2m.
  While store sales showed growth, up 0.9% on a like-for-like basis, online sales fell 14.7%, impacted by reduced promotional activity and issues with its third-party fulfilment cen
  
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• Burberry posts smaller-than-expected sales drop as US growth drives recovery

  24-01-2025 09:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Burberry has posted a smaller than expected 7% decline in third-quarter retail revenue, as it continues its strategic transformation to drive long-term growth.
  Despite the challenges in key markets, the luxury retailer saw a 4% increase in sales across the Americas, helping offset declines in the Asia Pacific and EMEIA regions, where sales fell by 9% and 2%, respectively.
  The brand’s core categories, particularly outerwear and scarves, continued to perform well globally, a key focus of its
  
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• Q&A: Mathew Baldwin, Professional Services Director UK&I, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

  24-01-2025 09:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Toshiba has established itself as a leader in the retail world by blending proven solutions, cutting-edge innovation, and expertise to empower retailers in enhancing customer engagement.... View Article
  
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• River Island to cut head office jobs amid profit struggles

  24-01-2025 08:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  River Island has launched a redundancy programme at its London head office, with job cuts expected across several departments, including buying, merchandising, and HR.
  The move comes after the fashion retailer drafted in AlixPartners to help with cost-saving measures and improving profitability as the high street faces the looming prospect of tax hikes in April.
  The retailer did not disclose the number of roles at risk when contacted by Drapers, or provide further details on the specific impact
  
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• Burberry posts smaller than expected decline in sales

  24-01-2025 08:50 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Burberry has posted a smaller than expected decline in third quarter sales after a stronger performance in the US. In the 13 weeks to 28 December,... View Article
  
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• Poundland brings back Barry Williams to tackle sales crisis

  24-01-2025 08:43 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Poundland has welcomed back Barry Williams to its board on an interim basis, less than two years after his departure as MD.
  Williams, served as the discount giant‘s boss from 2017 until September 2023, when he was appointed MD of Pepco, Poundland’s parent company, to address underperformance in the European business.
  His return comes at a critical time for the retailer, which saw its festive sales plummet this year, including a 7.3% drop in like-for-like sales in the three month
  
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• Morrisons joins Sainsbury’s in slashing hundreds of jobs to trim costs

  24-01-2025 08:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Morrisons is set to cut over 200 jobs from its retail people team as part of a significant cost-saving initiative, becoming the latest supermarket to announce such measures as it navigates the challenging economic landscape of 2025.
  The move follows CEO Rami Baitiéh’s comments last month about the “avalanche of costs” businesses will face after the government’s October Budget.
  The impacted roles, which include positions in customer experience, employee engagement,
  
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• Morrisons joins Sainsbury’s in slashing hundreds of jobs in cost-cutting drive

  24-01-2025 08:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Morrisons is set to cut over 200 jobs from its Retail People Team as part of a significant cost-saving initiative, becoming the latest supermarket to announce such measures as it navigates the challenging economic landscape of 2025.
  The move follows CEO Rami Baitiéh’s comments last month about the “avalanche of costs” businesses will face after the government’s October Budget.
  The impacted roles, which include positions in customer experience, employee engagement,
  
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• Homebase relaunches website

  24-01-2025 08:17 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Homebase has relaunched its website as it looks to provide customers with a one-stop shop for all home improvement needs. The move follows CDS Superstores’ acquisition... View Article
  
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• Revolution Beauty warns of sales decline in “transformational” year

  24-01-2025 07:41 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Revolution Beauty has said its full year net sales are expected to be down by around 25% after weaker online trading in December. In an update... View Article
  
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• Time+Tide targets New York retail space to push watch microbrands

  24-01-2025 05:00 via ft.com
  
  The company seeks investors to expand its studio concept in the US market
  
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• Tiffany resets watch ambitions with high-end jewellery focus

  24-01-2025 05:00 via ft.com
  
  The brand is revamping its line-up, adding pricey models more aligned with its established designs
  
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• Paris’s Rue de la Paix enjoys a high jewellery renaissance

  24-01-2025 05:00 via ft.com
  
  The street’s fortunes are recovering as established flagships are joined by younger but ambitious brands
  
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• Luxury brands urge return of UK tax-free tourist shopping

  24-01-2025 05:00 via ft.com
  
  Watch and jewellery companies report double-digit falls in sales to foreign visitors since measure was abolished post-Brexit
  
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