Retail news

• Walgreens executive looks to reassure Boots staff after Sycamore deal

  07-03-2025 19:06
  
  Up to $24bn take-private deal casts doubt over future of UK pharmacy
  
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• Directors’ Deals: B&M chair eyes discount

  07-03-2025 19:00
  
  Hall buys in after share price dip
  
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• Bensons for Beds appoints Rob Pierce as new Chief Operations Officer

  07-03-2025 18:22 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  UK bed specialist, Bensons for Beds has today announced the appointment of Rob Pierce as Chief Operations Officer.  The role will see him become part of the Executive... View Article
  
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• Asda chair admits supermarket’s problems are ‘self-inflicted’

  07-03-2025 17:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Asda veteran Allan Leighton admitted the supermarket chain’s problems are “self-inflicted” as he looks to turnaround the business following his return as chairman last year.
  Leighton, who stepped down as chief executive in 2001, told The Times that the retailer’s previous stewardship under the Issa brothers had “ripped the heart out of the colleagues” when the business cut back on staffing hours to cut costs.
  “We had a financial plan but we didn’t
  
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• Aldi Leaders share insights on support, representation and career growth

  07-03-2025 17:19 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  This International Women’s Day, two female leaders have revealed what they believe is vital for businesses to do in order to empower women in the workplace.... View Article
  
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• Matalan appoints Sarah Welsh as chief product, brand and commercial officer

  07-03-2025 15:08 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Matalan has appointed Sarah Welsh to the new role of chief product, brand and commercial officer. With nearly 30 years’ experience in the retail sector, she... View Article
  
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• Sizing up: how stadiums, hospitals and airlines are adapting to rise in obesity

  07-03-2025 14:00
  Extra-width spectator seating, bariatric ambulances and oversized coffins are in growing demandWith a study predicting that by 2050 more than half of adults and a third of children and young people worldwide will be overweight or obese, a swathe of industries are adapting to accommodate larger bodies. From hospitals to transport, stadiums to crematoriums, here are some of the adjustments being made. Continue reading...
  
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• IWD 2025: Chrissie Rucker on 30 years of The White Company

  07-03-2025 13:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  The White Company turns 30 later this year and founder Chrissie Rucker promises there are “lots of very exciting things to come”.
  “We’ve made lots of changes to the way we’re doing things,” she says, adding that the retailer plans to put on a “fantastic celebration” to mark the occasion.
  “You’re going to see some really exciting new look and feels coming, and we’re just constantly working at trying to improve our service levels an
  
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• Matalan hires ex-N Brown boss as chief commercial officer

  07-03-2025 12:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Matalan has appointed former N Brown retail CEO Sarah Welsh as its new chief product, brand and commercial officer.
  The retailer said Welsh, who joins on 10 March, will be responsible for “putting customers at the heart of Matalan’s proposition”.
  She is tasked with ensuring products “always meet customers’ desire for great quality and value”, help it grow market share, and appeal to a broader audience.
  Welsh has spent the last five years as retail chief execut
  
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• Space Nk to open Oxford Circus flagship

  07-03-2025 12:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Space NK is set to open a new central London store on the city’s iconic Oxford Street.
  The 4600 sq ft store at 214 Oxford Circus will feature the retailer’s new purpose-built beauty experience concept and stock its range of luxury beauty and skincare brands.
  Space NK promised the London flagship will allow customers “to explore the very best that beauty has to offer”.
  The unit is currently occupied by Ikea’s Hus of Frakta, a pop-up dedicated to the Swedish furniture
  
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• Bensons for Beds names Loaf director as new COO

  07-03-2025 12:25 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Bensons for Beds has poached Loaf director of operations Rob Pierce as its new chief operating officer.
  Pierce will be responsible for the retailer’s logistics, customer service and post purchase customer experience.
  He replaces Gavin Chappell, who has returned to Asda as its new vice president of supply chain.
  During his time at Loaf, Pierce played a key role in its growth and led cross-functional teams, including warehouse, logistics, customer services, and quality. Related StoryBensons
  
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• Asda: Ex-supply chain boss becomes latest exec to return

  07-03-2025 12:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Asda’s former supply chain boss Gavin Chappell has returned to the supermarket chain after 10 years.
  Chappell, who rejoins the business in April, has spent the last two years as the chief operating officer for Bensons for Beds.
  He will take up the position of vice president of food and general merchandise supply, where he will be responsible for the supply chain teams.
  Chappell first joined the supermarket in 2009 as vice president of supply chain for Asda.com and stepped down in 2015. Rel
  
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• Co-op awards store colleagues a 5% pay increase

  07-03-2025 11:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Co-op store colleagues will see their hourly rates increase to at least £12.60 during 2025, in line with the retailer’s long-standing commitment to the Real Living Wage.
  The pay award represents an annualised increase of £1200 for a full-time customer team member and an almost 27% uplift in hourly rates since 2022.
  The rate of pay for Co-op customer team members will increase in two steps, which is above inflation and rises from £12.00 to £12.30 per h
  
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• Asda strengthens supply chain leadership team

  07-03-2025 11:48 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Asda has announced that Gavin Chappell is to return to the supermarket in a new role of vice president of food and GM supply. He previously... View Article
  
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• Aldi launches support fund for cash-strapped new parents

  07-03-2025 10:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Aldi has introduced a fund to support new parents, as nearly two-thirds admit the financial burden of having a child was greater than anticipated.
  The German discounter’s ‘Mamia New Parent Fund’ will give away £100 Aldi vouchers every week for a year to help parents manage the cost of everyday essentials following the arrival of a new baby.
  The initiative comes after research revealed that while the arrival of a child is a joyful occasion, half (50%) of new parents find i
  
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• IWD 2025: How the part-time tax could risk women’s jobs in retail

  07-03-2025 10:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  The UK retail sector has long been a crucial employer of women, with flexible and part-time work enabling millions to balance jobs with other responsibilities.
  However, changes introduced in the latest Autumn Budget threaten to upend this model.
  The decision to increase employer’s National Insurance Contributions (NIC) to 15% and lower the threshold to £5,000 will make it significantly more expensive for retailers to hire part-time staff.
  Retail bosses have already warned of the pote
  
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• Co-op pay award cements commitment to Real Living Wage

  07-03-2025 10:01 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Co-op’s frontline store staff have voted to accept an above inflation pay award which will see hourly rates increase to at least £12.60 per hour during... View Article
  
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• Looking ahead to the Retail Technology Show

  07-03-2025 09:47 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Boosting technology usage and nurturing demand for sustainable purchasing decisions among younger consumers are key themes currently resonating across the retail landscape. These critical aspects underpinned... View Article
  
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• US owner of UK pharmacy chain Boots to be taken private in $10bn deal

  07-03-2025 09:24
  
  Walgreens Boots Alliance sold to Sycamore Partners and ends almost a century of trading on public marketsThe US owner of the high street pharmacy chain Boots is to be taken private in a $10bn (£7.8bn) deal that will bring an end to almost a century of trading on public markets for Walgreens Boots Alliance.The company, which operates more than 1,800 Boots stores in the UK, has been sold to the US private equity firm Sycamore Partners after struggling in the internet era as customers have tu
  
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• Sainsbury’s unveils new convenience store format

  07-03-2025 09:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Sainsbury’s has unveiled a refreshed look for its Local convenience stores, marking the debut of its new format at the recently reopened Pudsey Town Local store in Leeds.
  The supermarket’s store, which opened in late February, is the first to feature the updated design and layout, and is being followed by similar changes at two new London locations, Sainsbury’s Bermondsey Square and Sloane Avenue.This update is a key element of Sainsbury’s broader Next Level strategy, whi
  
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• Boots owner strikes $10bn takeover deal with US private equity giant

  07-03-2025 08:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Boots is set to be sold to US private equity firm Sycamore Partners as part of a $10bn deal that will take its parent company, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), private.
  The transaction, expected to be completed by the end of 2025, raises significant questions about the future of Boots and its 1,900 stores across the UK.
  Under the terms of the agreement, Sycamore will acquire WBA at $11.45 per share, an 8% premium on the company’s closing price. Although the deal primarily centres on WBA&rsq
  
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• John Lewis boosts staff pay with £114m investment

  07-03-2025 08:18 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  John Lewis Partnership is increasing pay for its 65,000 Partners, with shop floor colleagues set to receive up to a 9.4% boost from April.
  The £114m investment will see the standard hourly rate rise to £12.40 outside London and £13.85 within the M25. Those in specialist roles will earn £13.39 per hour, increasing to £14.96 in London.
  The high street giant said Partners who make an “exceptional contribution” will receive an additional 2% increase, taking
  
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• Budget tax hikes force HMV to pause UK expansion

  07-03-2025 08:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  HMV has put its UK expansion on hold and will instead open new stores in Ireland and Belgium, citing rising wage costs set to take effect next month.
  Phil Halliday, MD of the entertainment retailer, said the company had hoped to open up to 10 more UK stores this year but had to pause those plans as it worked to maintain profitability despite strong sales growth.
  Sales rose 6.5% to £189.6m in the year to 30 May 2024, driven by the reopening of its Oxford Street store in London and a resurge
  
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• Currys invests £8 million in staff pay

  07-03-2025 08:08 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Currys is investing £8 million in raising pay for all hourly paid staff. The electricals and technology retailer’s store colleagues[will see their minimum hourly rate increase... View Article
  
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• Pepco Group could put Poundland up for sale

  07-03-2025 08:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Poundland’s owner, Pepco Group, which also operates Dealz and Pepco, is exploring the sale of Poundland as part of a broader strategic shift. In its Capital... View Article
  
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• Pandora names new general manager for British Isles

  07-03-2025 07:43 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Jewellery brand Pandora has announced that Nicole Clayton will become its new general manager of the British Isles on 1 April. Having worked extensively with a... View Article
  
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