Retail news

• Composable Commerce is not about tools – it’s about operating model

  06-03-2026 09:39 via theretailbulletin.com
  For years, retail leaders have been sold a dream: the promise of technology solutions. A new commerce platform here, a unified customer view there, and all... View Article
  
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• Coca-Cola unveils “bold” new track for football World Cup 2026

  09-03-2026 17:37 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The Coca-Cola Company has unveiled a new anthem for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
  The song, which is performed by singer J Balvin, singer-songwriter Amber Mark, guitarist Steve Vai and drummer and producer Travis Barker, is a reimagining of Van Halen’s 1980s hit Jump. The new version uses “modern textures and high-impact production”.
  It was released via Real Thing Records in collaboration with Capitol Records.
  The official music video, part directed and designed by McFlyy, premiered
  
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• Guinness spotlights Premier League fans in new campaign

  09-03-2026 17:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  As part of its Premier League sponsorship, Guinness has unveiled a new campaign for Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.
  The marketing drive aims to put “real” Premier League fans at the heart of the story and strengthen brand recognition of Guinness as the official beer of the Premier League across “key” markets, including Africa and Asia.
  Devised by creative agency VML UK, the campaign features a documentary-style hero spot, directed by Arthur Neumeier.It was shot in Kenya us
  
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• AI is rewriting the rules of ecommerce discovery, but that hinges on trust

  09-03-2026 15:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Retailers have spent years refining the digital shopping journey, optimising search, polishing product pages and investing heavily in performance marketing to capture consumer attention at the point of intent. But increasingly, that intent is being shaped before a shopper ever reaches a retailer’s website.
  Artificial intelligence is fast becoming the new shop window to retail discovery. Consumers are turning to tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI-powered assistants to compare produc
  
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• In pictures: House of Fraser rebrands to Frasers and launches Cat Deeley edit

  09-03-2026 12:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  House of Fraser has rebranded to Frasers and launched a spring edit with television presenter Cat Deeley. 
  As part of its rebrand, the retail giant has teamed up with Deeley to be the face of its 2026 spring campaign, which marks the brand’s first collaboration since entering its new era.
  The 100-piece edit, which has been hand-selected by Deeley, spans womenswear, footwear, accessories, kids, home and beauty. The collection is live in-store and online on frasers.com.
  The edit feature
  
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• Lily Collins stars in her first Zalando campaign

  09-03-2026 12:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Online shopping platform Zalando has unveiled its new summer campaign featuring Emily in Paris star Lily Collins, celebrating Europe’s “diverse fashion” during the warmer months.
  Devised by creative agency W+K Amsterdam, the marketing drive is part of the retailer’s ‘What Do I Wear’ platform.
  The spot follows Collins as she finds hidden coves, squeezes onto a packed terrace and finds somewhere to sit in a crowded square.
  Collin was recently appointed glob
  
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• Saks Global to axe 15 more shops amid restructuring

  09-03-2026 11:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Saks Global is reportedly set to close 15 more stores as part of its restructuring.
  The luxury department store retailer announced on 6 March that it would be shutting 12 Saks Fifth Avenue shops as well as three Neiman Marcus stores.
  The news comes after nine shop closures had previously been announced.
  Saks Global CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck said: “This strategic optimisation is part of our ongoing transformation and rooted in our long-term view of our business.
  Although the business said
  
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• UK businesses urged to prepare for EU agri-food trade reset

  09-03-2026 11:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  UK food and farming businesses are being urged to start preparing for a new trade agreement with the European Union that ministers say could cut red tape, lower costs and revive exports to Britain’s biggest trading partner.
  Today (9 March), environment secretary Emma Reynolds said the planned Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement aims to simplify trade between the UK and the EU by cutting paperwork and inspections that have slowed exports since Brexit.
  Ministers say the deal could hel
  
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• PAY360 2026: Shaping the Future of Payments

  09-03-2026 10:33 via theretailbulletin.com
  PAY360 2026, the largest event dedicated to the global payments ecosystem, will take place on 24–25 March 2026 at ExCeL London. Hosted by The Payments Association,... View Article
  
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• John Lewis bets on AI-powered shopping and TikTok Shop in £800m investment

  09-03-2026 09:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  John Lewis today announced that it is accelerating its digital transformation with a major investment in AI-powered shopping and social commerce, as the retailer looks to position itself at the forefront of the next wave of omnichannel retail.
  The department store chain has revealed plans to integrate its product catalogue with AI discovery platforms such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, enabling shoppers to discover (and eventually purchase) John Lewis products directly through AI-powered apps.
  Th
  
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• BCC warns ending low-value import tax break could push up prices

  09-03-2026 09:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Ending the UK’s tariff exemption on low-value imports could drive up prices for consumers and create new pressures for small businesses, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned, as it urged the government to take a phased approach to scrapping the “de minimis” rules.
  The government plans to remove the customs duty exemption on imports worth less than £135, meaning these goods will become subject to tariffs. The reform is not expected to take effect until March 2
  
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• John Lewis partners face anxious wait over first bonus since 2022

  09-03-2026 08:49 via retailgazette.co.uk
  John Lewis Partnership staff are set to discover this week whether they will receive their first annual bonus since 2022, as the employee-owned retail group prepares to unveil its full-year results on Thursday.
  The business, which operates the John Lewis department store chain and Waitrose supermarket arm, will report its performance for the year to January and is expected to use the update to confirm whether partners will once again miss out on the traditional payout.
  The annual bonus, once one
  
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• John Lewis invests in TikTok Shop launch and AI-powered shopping

  09-03-2026 07:17 via theretailbulletin.com
  John Lewis has launched a 90-day TikTok Shop trial in the run-up to Mother’s Day. It is also planning to invest in AI-powered shopping as part... View Article
  
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• Neptune doubles full year profit

  09-03-2026 07:14 via theretailbulletin.com
  Neptune has reported a doubling of profit in its 2024/25 financial year following its new strategy focused on design and product excellence, the customer experience, and... View Article
  
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• Ending UK customs relief on low-value imports could push up prices, BCC says

  09-03-2026 07:00
  Business group warns of harm to small firms and trade as it calls for phased end to ‘de minimis’ exemptionsRemoving the UK’s tariff exemption for low-value imports could push up prices and harm small companies and trade, a leading business group has said, as it called for a phased-in approach to ending the “de minimis” rules.The UK government plans to end the tax break on imports of goods worth less than £135, making them subject to customs duty, with the chan
  
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• [ EVENT ] CDO Retail Exchange 2026

  09-03-2026 07:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  CDO Retail Exchange 2026 brings together 70 senior retail data, analytics and AI leaders who are under pressure to move beyond pilots and deliver commercial impact.... View Article
  
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• Looking ahead to Retail Technology Show

  09-03-2026 05:53 via theretailbulletin.com
  While there are undoubted challenges in the retail sector right now there are still many opportunities for growth and this is increasingly being fuelled by the... View Article
  
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• Aldi increases number of long-term agreements with British growers

  09-03-2026 05:51 via theretailbulletin.com
  Aldi is increasing the number of long-term agreements it has with British produce and horticulture suppliers. The supermarket is looking to secure a minimum of 50%... View Article
  
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• British Garden Centres makes further acquisition

  09-03-2026 05:32 via theretailbulletin.com
  British Garden Centres has acquired Alton Garden Centre in Wickford as it looks to expand its presence in the South East. The news means that five... View Article
  
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• John Lewis to give update as staff hope for first annual bonus since 2022

  08-03-2026 16:56
  JLP, which runs department store chain and Waitrose, to report its results for year to January on ThursdayWorkers at the John Lewis Partnership are expected to find out this week whether they will receive their first annual bonus payment in four years.The retail group, which runs the John Lewis department store chain and Waitrose supermarket business, will also reveal how it has been progressing with its transformation strategy in an update on Thursday 12 March. Continue reading...
  
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• My parents’ Betta electrical store, Springvale: the shop was our life, and it was enough | Alice Pung

  07-03-2026 20:00
  They were survivors of the killing fields and Mao’s China – and their shop was not just their existence, it was their second chance at redemption, writes author Alice PungIt is the last day for my parents to pack their stock, peel off the handwritten “SALE: please ask for Special” posters and close their Springvale shop of almost 35 years.We aren’t supposed to open the doors, because we’re still packing, but my mother insists. We aren’t just boxing toast
  
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• Future of Beauty Bay secured through pre-pack sale

  07-03-2026 19:26 via theretailbulletin.com
  The future of Beauty Bay has been secured via a pre-pack sale to an international investment group. The Manchester based online retailer filed a notice of... View Article
  
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• Price is now the main ingredient in the office-lunch slop bowl

  07-03-2026 11:00 via ft.com
  Many chains have raised prices to absorb rising costs — which works as long as customer loyalty, or indifference, endures
  
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• Supermarkets hit by falling demand for nitrite-cured bacon due to cancer fears

  06-03-2026 18:40
  Sales of products made the traditional way dropped 7% in three months to 25 January while nitrite-free sales rose 20%UK supermarkets have been hit by a “bacon backlash” as consumers fear that chemicals used to preserve it increase the risk of cancer.Campaigners against the use of nitrites in meat production claimed the fall in sales showed that a “consumer revolt” against the traditional, nitrite-cured form of bacon was gathering pace. Continue reading...
  
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• 6 retailers celebrating International Women’s Day

  06-03-2026 18:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  International Women’s Day (IWD) is around the corner (8 March), and a host of retailers are launching campaigns to celebrate the occasion.
  It comes after the latest MBS Group and BRC report on tracking progress on diversity and inclusion in UK retail found that progress on gender had been “strong,” with data collected by MBS within the last five years showing that it was “very nearly at gender equity at board level”.
  However, it highlighted that progress elsewhere h
  
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• Aldi expands long-term supply deals with British growers

  06-03-2026 18:29 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Aldi UK is increasing the number of long-term supply agreements with British produce and horticulture suppliers as it looks to strengthen domestic sourcing and provide greater certainty for growers.
  The UK’s fourth-largest supermarket has committed to securing at least 50 per cent of its domestic produce supply through multi-year agreements by the end of 2027, in a move designed to improve stability for growers and build more resilient supply chains.
  The agreements, defined as contracts la
  
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• Beauty Bay rescued in pre-pack sale to international investor

  06-03-2026 17:44 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The future of Beauty Bay has been secured after the business was sold to an international investment group through a pre-pack administration.
  Administrators from Interpath completed the sale of the Manchester-based online beauty retailer and its assets to AA Investments Group on 6 March.
  The transaction will see 62 employees transfer to the new owner, while co-founder Arron Gabbie will remain with the business for a short period to support the transition.
  Founded in 1999, Beauty Bay has grown in
  
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• Matalan secures further £25m funding as store revamp programme delivers results

  06-03-2026 14:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Matalan has secured a commitment for a further £25m in funding from its core investor group as the business looks to accelerate investment across stores, product and digital.
  The funding, provided by investors Invesco, Tresidor, Man Group and Napier Park, may not necessarily be fully drawn down, but if utilised it will support the retailer’s next phase of growth following strong performance from its ongoing transformation programme.
  Matalan said the additional capital will be directe
  
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• Paul Smith losses widen as sales stumble

  06-03-2026 12:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Fashion brand Paul Smith saw losses widen in its annual results as its sales declined over the period. 
  The company pulled in a pre-tax loss of £16.7m from June 2024 to the end of June 2025, rising from its £5.4m loss the year before.
  The retailer attributed the loss to declining sales, “predominately in the wholesale channel, quicker than it was possible to restructure and align the cost base to our new strategy and channel focus on digital and retail”.
  Paul Smith&r
  
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• Matalan secures additional £25m funding to support business transformation

  06-03-2026 12:32 via theretailbulletin.com
  Matalan has secured a commitment for a further £25 million of funding from its core investor group, which includes Invesco, Tresidor, Man Group and Napier Park.... View Article
  
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