Retail news

• Why Kingfisher’s CEO is ‘bullish’ about 2025, despite cost headwinds

  25-03-2025 17:43
  
  Kingfisher boss Thierry Garnier is feeling relatively optimistic about the year ahead, despite the DIY giant posting a 35% drop in pre-tax profits.
  The retail group, which owns B&Q and Screwfix, saw its profits plunge to £307m in the year to 31 January as like-for-like sales slipped 1.7% to £12.8bn.
  However, in the UK and Ireland, retail profits edged up 0.6% to £558m as sales across the two retail chains cumulatively rose 1.2% to £6.5bn on a constant currency basis.
  
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• Holland & Barrett Uncovers the pain behind our fitness boom

  25-03-2025 17:37 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  From Gladiators to Strictly: 1 in 4 Brits are getting inspired by TV to get moving Yet 65% still suffer from joint, bone and muscle pain,... View Article
  
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• Tea Trailblazer Joyce Maina Joins Bird & Blend Tea Co.

  25-03-2025 17:24 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Bird & Blend Tea Co. has announced the appointment of Joyce Maina as its first-ever Head of Tea. With over 30 years of experience in the... View Article
  
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• In pictures: Whole Foods opens first store in a decade

  25-03-2025 17:18
  
  Whole Foods has opened the doors its first new UK store in a decade along London’s Kings Road.
  The 21,800sq ft supermarket in Chelsea stocks a wide range of fresh produce and healthy food lines that the brand is synonmous with.
  The store, which has 111 retail employees, also includes full-service meat, cheese and seafood counters, a selection of more than 400 wines and a range of local beers.
  There is also a full-service coffee bar, bakery department, a ‘grind your own nut butter&rsq
  
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• In pictures: Whole Foods opens first new UK store in a decade

  25-03-2025 17:18
  
  Whole Foods has opened the doors its first new UK store in a decade along London’s Kings Road.
  The 21,800sq ft supermarket in Chelsea stocks a wide range of fresh produce and healthy food lines that the brand is synonmous with.
  The store, which has 111 retail employees, also includes full-service meat, cheese and seafood counters, a selection of more than 400 wines and a range of local beers.
  There is also a full-service coffee bar, bakery department, a ‘grind your own nut butter&rsq
  
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• Vinted launches luxury fashion wardrobe online

  25-03-2025 16:05
  
  Vinted is launching a luxury fashion wardrobe online, featuring curated designer pieces from fashion creators including Susie Lau, Victoria Magrath, Simran Randhawa, Giulia Valentina and Keiona Revlon.
  The wardrobe, dubbed ‘House of Vinted’, goes live from 6pm today (25 March), with the online marketplace’s members able to buy designer items from brands such as The Row, Prada, Gucci, Maison Margiela, and Jacquemus.
  Many of its key pieces will come directly from the personal war
  
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• Crew Clothing relocates head office

  25-03-2025 15:40
  
  Crew Clothing is relocating its London headquarters this spring as it moves into a 32,000sq ft office space in Kingston-Upon-Thames.
  The fashion retailer, which is moving from its base in Earlsfield, will occupy three floors at The Drapery from April with the remaining three circa 17,000sq ft floors offered on the rental market.
  It comes as the business plans to open 20 new stores this year after reporting “exceptional growth” in the run up to Christmas.
  Sales surged 45% in the two w
  
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• Crew Clothing to move its headquarters

  25-03-2025 13:21 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Crew Clothing is moving its headquarters from London’s Earlsfield to The Drapery in Kingston-upon-Thames as it looks ahead to continued growth. Spanning three of building’s six... View Article
  
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• B&Q owner Kingfisher urges Reeves to rethink tax rises for retailers

  25-03-2025 11:12
  Government accused of increasing retailers’ NI contributions and business rates but aiming to cut tax for big techBusiness live – latest updatesThe owner of B&Q has called on Rachel Reeves to reconsider planned tax increases for retailers before Wednesday’s spring statement, saying the industry is just as innovative on AI and robotics as US technology firms which could be handed tax cuts.On the eve of the chancellor’s statement to parliament, Kingfisher, the owner of
  
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• Morrisons adds baby formula to loyalty scheme following CMA changes

  25-03-2025 11:01
  
  Morrisons has introduced the option for shoppers to redeem their More Card Fivers on formula milk for the first time.
  The move comes after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) made recommendations to the UK, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh governments in February to change regulations to allow parents to use gift cards, vouchers, loyalty points and coupons to buy infant formula.
  However, broader CMA regulations mean customers are still unable to earn More Card Points when purchasing ba
  
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• Transforming RF Labels into Advanced Theft-Prevention Solutions

  25-03-2025 10:10 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  SWAT Solution redefines retail theft prevention by enhancing existing RF labels with advanced capabilities. By applying SWAT to our RF labels, the solution not only safeguards... View Article
  
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• [Checkpoint Systems] SWAT Label Solution Transforms Theft-Prevention and Tackles ORC Activity

  25-03-2025 10:10 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  SWAT Solution redefines retail theft prevention by enhancing existing RF labels with advanced capabilities. By applying SWAT to our RF labels, the solution not only safeguards... View Article
  
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• THG raises £90m in major fundraising push with £60m from founder

  25-03-2025 09:26
  
  THG has raised £90m through a combination of a share placing and refinancing measures, marking another step in simplifying its debt structure and positioning the company for future growth.
  The fundraise included a £60m contribution from THG founder and CEO Matthew Moulding, who subscribed to £31.2m worth of shares at a price of 32.3p—representing a 5% discount on the previous day’s closing price.
  The retailer said Moulding also injected a further £54.6m throug
  
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• Kingfisher impacted by weak performance in France

  25-03-2025 09:20 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Kingfisher, the parent company of B&Q and Screwfix, has reported a drop in annual sales after a weak performance at its French arm. In the year... View Article
  
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• WHSmith completes refinancing ahead of high street store sale plans

  25-03-2025 09:18
  
  WHSmith has secured £320m from US investors and through a new bank loan, as part of its strategy to expand its global travel retail business and explore options for its UK high street stores.
  The company today confirmed the successful completion of a £200m US Private Placement (USPP) note issue and a £120m bank term loan.
  These USPP notes mark WHSmith’s first-ever move into the US market, with maturities of seven, ten, and twelve years, issued on investment grade terms.
  A
  
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• AO raises full-year profit forecast on ‘strong’ sales performance

  25-03-2025 09:11
  
  AO World has once again raised its full-year profit forecast, with the electricals retailer predicting its adjusted profit before tax will come in at the top end of its previously upgraded guidance.
  The electricals retailer, which has enjoyed a 30% rise in profits, now expects adjusted PBT to be between £39m and £44m for the year ending 31 March 2025. This is in line with its earlier forecast, and comes as B2C retail revenues are expected to grow by 12%, with like-for-like revenues r
  
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• AO World full year profit to be at top end of expectations

  25-03-2025 08:54 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  AO World has said its full year pre-tax profit will come in at the top end of expectations. Having grown faster than sales at around 30%,... View Article
  
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• B&Q owner Kingfisher profits slide as French market struggles

  25-03-2025 08:45
  
  B&Q and Screwifx owner Kingfisher has reported a decline in sales, primarily attributed to sluggish consumer demand in its French market.
  For the year ending January 31, the DIY giant saw a 1.5% drop in sales, bringing the total to £12.78bn. This decrease was largely driven by a 6.2% sales decline in France, while performance in the UK and Poland remained stable.
  Operating profit for Kingfisher fell 29.7% to £407m, with pre-tax profit down 35.4% to £307m.
  The company a
  
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• Sports Direct to enter new markets in South East Asia and India

  25-03-2025 08:06 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Frasers Group is to launch Sports Direct in five new markets in South East Asia and India through an expansion of its partnership with Map Active.... View Article
  
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• Company Shop deploys Pricer’s in-store solution to deliver dynamic real-time pricing, enhancing its value promise, while preventing food waste

  25-03-2025 08:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Surplus supermarket, Company Shop, has partnered with Pricer, the leading in-store automation and communication solutions provider, to roll-out Pricer’s in-store solution based on Electronic Shelf Labels... View Article
  
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• Morrisons to close 52 cafés and 17 convenience stores

  25-03-2025 07:41 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Morrisons has announced that it will be shutting 52 cafés and 17 convenience stores as it enters the second year of its renewal programme. The supermarket... View Article
  
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• [ EVENT ] Visual Merchandising and Display Show 2025: Big rands, Expert Insights, and Emerging Trends

  25-03-2025 07:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  The Visual Merchandising and Display Show is the biggest event in the calendar for visual merchandising, retail design, and display. Taking place from 9-10 April 2025... View Article
  
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• Britons cutting back on spending as confidence in economy falls, survey shows

  25-03-2025 06:00
  
  Most feel financial secure but think UK’s economy is worsening, as chancellor plans welfare cuts in spring statementConsumers are cutting back spending on everyday items amid falling confidence in the UK economy before Rachel Reeves’s spring statement, according to a survey.As the chancellor prepares to confirm billions of pounds in cuts to welfare and government spending on Wednesday, the research by KPMG showed growing numbers of people in Britain believed the economy was heading i
  
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• Financially secure shoppers cut spending due to UK economy fears

  25-03-2025 01:01
  
  Three in five shoppers believe that the UK economy is worsening, leading financially secure consumers to cut back their spending, according to KPMG UK.
  The amount of people who felt the UK economy was worsening increased by 15 percentage points in the last three months to 58%.
  However, 55% of shoppers said they currently felt financially secure, making it two percentage points lower than the previous quarter.
  While those that felt insecure about their finances was up from 21% to 24% over the las
  
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• Co-op to price match Aldi on 100 everyday essentials

  25-03-2025 01:01
  
  Co-op is price matching Aldi on over 100 everyday essentials for its members in stores and online, marking the retailer’s biggest ever value campaign.
  The initiative will see six million of the convenience store chain’s members access lower prices on own-branded items such as fresh fruit, milk, eggs, meat and bread.
  The new Aldi price match promise will join Co-op’s existing member prices proposition and takes the retailer’s total investment into lowering its prices to al
  
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