Retail news

• Circle back in February? If only we could | Letter

  19-12-2025 17:49
  David Parker responds to the news that some New Zealanders are taking an extremely long summer breakI’m curious about these New Zealand workers checking out of any serious work from Christmas until March (See you in March? Debate in New Zealand over extremely long summer break, 12 December). Who are these workers exactly? Retail workers? No, they’re straight back on deck for Boxing Day sales. Supermarket workers? Certainly not. Hospital staff? Fast-food workers? Bar and cafe workers?
  
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• Why wellbeing is even more important as retail job numbers fall and cost pressures rise

  19-12-2025 14:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The Retail Trust and AlixPartners have been tracking the wellbeing of people working in our sector for three years, and 2025 looks set to be the toughest year for the industry recorded by the Retail People Index, writes Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust.
  It’s no secret that the retail industry has had a challenging and uncertain twelve months.  
  We ended 2024 with reports that the retail industry had experienced the highest numb
  
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• Why well-being is even more important as retail job numbers fall and cost pressures rise

  19-12-2025 14:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The Retail Trust and AlixPartners have been tracking the well-being of people working in our sector for three years, and 2025 looks set to be the toughest year for the industry recorded by the Retail People Index, writes Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust.
  It’s no secret that the retail industry has had a challenging and uncertain twelve months.  
  We ended 2024 with reports that the retail industry had experienced the highest num
  
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• WH Smith tries to recover bonuses from ex-bosses as watchdog investigates accounting error

  19-12-2025 13:37
  Retailer targets £7m in bonuses as FCA examines scandal in North American armWH Smith will try to take back as much as £7m in bonuses from former executives after revealing the UK’s financial watchdog has launched a formal investigation into a devastating accounting error linked to its US business.Almost £600m was wiped off the books to paperclips retailer’s stock market value overnight in August after it identified errors with accounting for supplier income and pro
  
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• Lululemon should roll out the red yoga mat for Elliott

  19-12-2025 13:13
  Activist’s intervention seems to be a vote for stability in the ailing athleisure company
  
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• Birkenstock profit jumps amid robust final quarter

  19-12-2025 12:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Footwear retailer Birkenstock saw profits rise in its latest annual results as sales increased.
  The brand, which opened new stores in London this year, saw adjusted EBITDA climb 20% year on year to £583.4m (€667m) for the year ended 30 September 2025.
  Net profit shot up 82% year on year to £304.4m (€348m). Sales rose 16% year on year on a reported basis and 18% on a constant currency basis to £1.83bn (€2.1bn).
  During the brand’s fourth quarter, adjuste
  
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• Slight rise in sales volumes, says ONS

  19-12-2025 11:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Retail sales rose 0.6% in the three months to November, compared to the three leading up to August, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
  According to the latest data, this was partially due to strong clothing sales in September.
  The ONS has today (19 December) published its retail sales report for November 2025, which showed sales were up 0.7% when compared with the same period last year.Related Story Retail jobs slump to ‘record low’, says ONS16/12/2025 x 12:13 PMH
  
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• WHSmith profits drop as FCA launches investigation into business

  19-12-2025 10:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  WHSmith saw profits decline in its annual results, amid a “difficult” end to the year.
  The retailer saw headline pre-tax profit and non-underlying items drop to £108m for the year ended 31 August 2025, from £114m the year before.
  The results come after WHSmith sold its UK high street arm for £76m to Modella Capital earlier this year, as it pivoted to focus solely on its travel retail division.
  The business also sold online card business Funky Pigeon to Card Factory
  
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• Best of 2025: Will retailers’ ‘dystopian’ anti-theft tech prevent crime?

  19-12-2025 10:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  With retail crime continuing to soar, UK retailers are rolling out more anti-theft technology than ever.
  Sainsbury’s has now joined the ranks, beginning an eight-week trial of facial recognition technology in two of its stores to identify serious offenders.
  Meanwhile, supermarket chains have started introducing VAR-style cameras at their self-checkouts, with Lidl joining Tesco in launching the tech at two of its London stores last month to identify when items had not been scanned.
  Asda and
  
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• Retail sales unexpectedly fall in Great Britain in run-up to Christmas

  19-12-2025 10:05
  Shoppers held back on Black Friday spending in November and budget uncertainty hit consumer confidenceBusiness live – latest updatesRetail sales unexpectedly slumped in the crucial run-up to Christmas, as cash-strapped shoppers held back on Black Friday spending, and uncertainty before the budget dampened consumer confidence.Sales volumes in Great Britain fell 0.1% month on month in November, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Continue reading...
  
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• UK regulator launches investigation into WHSmith following accounting errors

  19-12-2025 09:35
  FCA probes potential transparency breaches as retailer seeks to claw back bonuses from former executives
  
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• WH Smith says it has ‘much to do’ to rebuild confidence

  19-12-2025 09:27 via theretailbulletin.com
  WH Smith has said it has much to do to rebuild confidence following an accounting error which has led to an investigation by the Financial Conduct... View Article
  
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• Fashion students’ collection showcased in Soho pop-up

  19-12-2025 08:27 via theretailbulletin.com
  Two London College of Fashion (LCF) students have brought a collection of unique printed clothing and accessories to a pop-up store in the heart of Soho... View Article
  
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• UK retail sales drop unexpectedly as economy struggles

  19-12-2025 08:20
  Volumes edged down 0.1% in November, reflecting subdued mood among consumers
  
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• Pets at Home reports strong rise in festive spending on cat products

  19-12-2025 07:29 via theretailbulletin.com
  New data from Pets at Home has revealed that festive spending on pets is up 4% year-on-year. However, cats have emerged as the clear winners with... View Article
  
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• LVMH names new chief executive of Bulgari

  19-12-2025 06:59 via theretailbulletin.com
  LVMH has appointed Laura Burdese as chief executive of Bulgari, effective from 1 July. Burdese has worked with LVMH Group for nearly ten years, starting off... View Article
  
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• Nike shares fall sharply as weak China sales dent faith in turnaround

  19-12-2025 00:55
  CEO of sports shoe and apparel maker acknowledges need for a ‘reset’ in the country as it also navigates Trump tariffs
  
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