Retail news

• Sleaford’s Lincoln Road Food Store reopens after £400k transformation

  07-02-2025 17:20 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Lincolnshire Co-op’s Lincoln Road Food Store and Post Office in Sleaford has reopened with a fresh new look and an expanded range of services following a... View Article
  
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• Petal power this valentines for Waitrose

  07-02-2025 17:12 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  This Valentine’s, Waitrose is offering bouquets sourced entirely from its Waitrose Foundation farms in Kenya, supporting over 8,000 workers. For the first time, all of Waitrose’s... View Article
  
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• UK urged to close tax loophole to prevent ‘massive influx’ of Shein and Temu goods

  07-02-2025 17:00
  Campaigners and retailers say Britain should follow US and EU in phasing out exemption on duties for low-value parcelsTax campaigners have joined retailers in urging the UK government to close a tax loophole to prevent a “massive influx” of cheap goods from companies such as Shein and Temu flooding the market.It comes after the EU said it was joining the US in phasing out an exemption on customs duties for low-value parcels that has been used by the companies to export goods from Chi
  
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• Harrods: Third Al-Fayed brother accused of sexual abuse

  07-02-2025 16:43 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Three former Harrods employees have accused Ali Fayed, Mohamed Al Fayed’s surviving brother, of sexually assaulting them in the 1990s while they were working for the department store.
  The women allege the assaults occurred in London, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United States, and followed previous abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed, the BBC revealed.
  A spokesperson for Ali Fayed, 81, who resides in the United States, denied the allegations, stating the incidents “never took place” an
  
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• Harrods hit with fresh abuse allegations against Al Fayed’s brother

  07-02-2025 16:43 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Three former Harrods employees have accused Ali Fayed, Mohamed Al Fayed’s surviving brother, of sexually assaulting them in the 1990s while they were working for the department store.
  The women allege the assaults occurred in London, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United States, and followed previous abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed, the BBC revealed.
  A spokesperson for Ali Fayed, 81, who resides in the United States, denied the allegations, stating the incidents “never took place” an
  
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• M&S Clothing has transformed under Richard Price, so what’s next as he departs?

  07-02-2025 15:42 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Richard Price’s departure from M&S marks the end of a transformative chapter for the retailer’s clothing and home division.
  When he took over the reins as managing director in 2019, M&S was at a crossroads. Its clothing arm had long been tarnished by outdated designs and an overwhelming product range, struggling to capture the attention of a broader range of shoppers.
  Fast-forward to 2025, and the retailer’s clothing offering is practically unrecognisable, loved by an a
  
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• Aldi raises £11m for Teenage Cancer Trust

  07-02-2025 12:37 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Aldi has raised £11m for Teenage Cancer Trust since partnering with the organisation in 2017.
  The discounter’s staff have participated in a variety of fundraising activities across more than 1,050 stores, 11 regional distribution centres and its national head office, including bake sales and marathons.
  Aldi noted customers had also played a vital role in the fundraising by making donations at their local stores.
  The money will go towards supporting the charity to fund specialist nurs
  
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• Ex-Fortnum & Mason CEO joins Paul Smith as non-exec

  07-02-2025 12:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Former Fortnum & Mason chief executive Ewan Venters has joined Paul Smith as a non-executive director.
  The fashion retailer said Venters will “add his experience and strategic insight to the development of one of Britain’s iconic brands” in the newly created role.
  Venters most recently served as chief executive of contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth.
  Prior to that, he was the boss of luxury department store Fortnum & Mason between 2012 and 2020 where he oversaw
  
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• Amazon sales surge as it bets big on AI

  07-02-2025 12:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Amazon saw a sales uplift during its fourth quarter results, despite shares in the business dropping.
  The ecommerce giant saw sales rise 10% to £150.9bn for its fourth quarter ended 31 December. International sales were up 8% to £34.8bn, while US revenues increased 10% to £92.75bn for the period.
  Sales in its cloud computing arm Amazon Web Services jumped 19% to £23.11bn.
  The retailer said it expected sales for Q1 2025 to be between £121.15bn and £124.76bn, no
  
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• Shein to cut £50bn London IPO valuation

  07-02-2025 12:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Shein is looking to cut its valuation ahead of its highly anticipated IPO amid growing headwinds and changes to import tariffs in the US.
  Reuters reported that the fashion giant’s floatation on the London Stock Exchange could be slashed from £50bn to around £40bn ($50bn), nearly a quarter less than its 2023 fundraising value.
  The news comes days after the Trump administration said it would close the “de minimis” duty exemption in the United States, ending an im
  
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• Shein could cut £50bn London IPO valuation

  07-02-2025 12:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Shein is looking to cut its valuation ahead of its highly anticipated IPO amid growing headwinds and changes to import tariffs in the US.
  Reuters reported that the fashion giant’s floatation on the London Stock Exchange could be slashed from £50bn to around £40bn ($50bn), nearly a quarter less than its 2023 fundraising value.
  The news comes days after the Trump administration said it would close the “de minimis” duty exemption in the United States, ending an im
  
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• Amazon’s logistics success is a mixed package for UPS

  07-02-2025 11:54
  Its ability to make money has been constrained by the fact that Amazon is both its largest customer and competitor
  
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• Lidl to open nine new stores in the space of a month

  07-02-2025 10:45 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Lidl GB is to open nine stores in the space of a month following a record-breaking Christmas for the supermarket. With the majority of shops launching... View Article
  
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• Lidl to open nine new UK stores this month in latest expansion drive

  07-02-2025 10:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Lidl is preparing to launch nine new stores this month, further solidifying its position as the fastest-growing supermarket chain in the UK.
  New locations will open in Canning Town, Preston, Walsall, and Wombourne, while stores in Blantyre, Cwmbran, Oldbrook, Wells, and West Ealing will be upgraded and relaunched after substantial investments.
  The upgraded stores have bigger sales areas and modern amenities, which provide more space for shoppers and a wider selection of products.
  This new batch
  
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• John Lewis poaches Net-a-Porter boss as new CCO

  07-02-2025 10:16 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  John Lewis has hired Net-a-Porter managing director Vikki Kavanagh as its new chief commercial officer.
  Kavanagh, who will join the retailer in April, will take over from Kathleen Mitchell and report to executive director Peter Ruis.
  The new CCO previously held senior buying and merchandising roles at Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser, Fenwick, Very Exclusive and The Outnet.
  Ruis said: “Vikki’s extensive experience and proven leadership in the retail sector make her an invaluable addit
  
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• Tories warn dangerous meat could soon appear in UK supermarkets

  07-02-2025 09:57 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Dangerous meat could soon start appearing on UK supermarket shelves if the Government fails to adequately fund food security checks at Dover port, the Conservatives have warned during a heated exchange in the House of Commons.
  Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins took aim at the Government, accusing it of spending “more than the entire Defra budget to surrender the Chagos Islands,” the Independent reported.
  “The head of port health at Dover warned the select committee t
  
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• Watches of Switzerland reaffirms outlook after strong festive performance

  07-02-2025 09:44 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Watches of Switzerland Group has announced that it performed in line with expectations over its third quarter festive period with “good” trading in the UK and... View Article
  
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• Watches of Switzerland hails strong festive performance

  07-02-2025 09:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Watches of Switzerland has said it is confident in its performance for the year ahead, following positive trading over the festive period.
  In a trading statement for its third quarter, for the 13 weeks to 26 January, the luxury watch retailer said it had witnessed “further stabilisation” of the market across the UK in the form of a strong Christmas performance.
  Watches of Switzerland also attributed the US market as the core driver of revenue during its second quarter, with sales ris
  
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• M&S hit with £40m recycling-tax bill as costs mount

  07-02-2025 08:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  M&S is facing a £40m recycling-tax bill, adding to the mountain of costs it already faces from the Budget.
  The food and fashion giant estimated annual bill derives from packaging levies that will start from October, according to two sources familiar with the costs.
  The levy is designed to lower the amount of unsustainable packaging created by UK retailers, the Financial Times reported.
  It is predicted to make as much as £2bn per year from the industry, according to the British Re
  
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• M&S appoints John Lyttle to lead clothing, home and beauty

  07-02-2025 08:35 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  M&S has appointed John Lyttle as managing director of clothing, home and beauty as it looks to drive the next phase of the division’s transformation. The... View Article
  
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• John Lewis commercial director leaves the business

  07-02-2025 07:39 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  John Lewis commercial director Kathleen Mitchell has left the business after three years in the role. Announcing her departure, she said on a post on LinkedIn:... View Article
  
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• The Edit LDN founder joins Topshop as global marketing director

  07-02-2025 07:29 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Edit Ldn founder Moses Rashid has been appointed as global marketing director for the Topshop and Topman fashion brands. In his new role, he will... View Article
  
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• M&S faces £40mn recycling-tax bill as retailers brace for £2bn costs

  07-02-2025 06:00
  
  Sector already reeling from increases of as much as £5bn in national insurance contributions and wages
  
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• Bargain hunting brits boost post-Christmas footfall

  07-02-2025 01:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Retail footfall received a welcome boost last month as shoppers hit the stores in search of a bargain.
  The British Retail Consortium reported total UK footfall increased 6.6% in January, up from a 2.2% decline the month before.
  Retail parks and shopping centres saw the most activity, with shopper numbers up 7.9% and 7.4% respectively. This is up from flat growth and 3.3% decline in December.
  High street footfall rose 4.5% in January, up from a 2.7% decline the month before. Related StoryPoundlan
  
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