Retail news

• Contactless limit raised to £45 to aid social distancing

  24-03-2020 12:11
  
  Contactless payment limits will rise from £30 to £45 from April 1 as the UK’s financial and retail sectors take measures to help limit contagion.
  UK Finance, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Barclaycard and Mastercard all announced the measures this morning, which will see customers able to pay for goods up to £45 without entering their pin numbers.
  While the measures will officially come into effect on April 1, the groups have warned that it may take more time for th
  
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• Lululemon takes Klarna from online checkout to the shop floor

  23-07-2026 09:00
  Lululemon has introduced Klarna payments across its UK and German stores.
  Customers can reportedly access the service by scanning a QR code at checkout and completing the transaction through the Klarna app.
  Shoppers can choose to spread the cost across interest-free instalments or delay payment for a month, without applying for a separate card while in store.
  The rollout builds on Lululemon’s existing online partnership with Klarna, which has offered flexible payment options to the retaile
  
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• Temperley London names new leadership duo following founder’s exit

  23-07-2026 08:56
  Temperley London has appointed Morgaine McGee as chief executive and Jack Isenberg as design director.
  The leadership overhaul follows the departure of founder and creative director Alice Temperley, who stepped away from the business earlier this month after more than 25 years.
  McGee brings more than two decades of international fashion experience spanning design, product development, production and operations.
  She previously served as co-chief executive of fashion consultancy The Vertical Colle
  
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• Warehouse giant Segro poised to back £14bn Prologis takeover

  23-07-2026 08:51
  Warehouse landlord Segro has signalled it will recommend a £14bn takeover by US logistics property giant Prologis after the bidder improved its “best and final” proposal.
  The FTSE 100 property group’s board unanimously concluded that the revised financial terms were at a level it would be “minded to recommend” to shareholders, provided Prologis proceeds with a formal offer and completes its due diligence.
  Under the proposal, Segro investors would receive 0.092
  
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• Søstrene Grene eyes 100 UK stores as it plots Hertfordshire debut

  23-07-2026 08:44
  Søstrene Grene is set to open its first Hertfordshire store in St Albans as the Danish homeware company accelerates its UK expansion.
  The new shop will stock the retailer’s range of affordable home accessories, kitchenware, craft supplies, soft furnishings and seasonal decorations.
  An opening date is expected to be confirmed shortly.
  The St Albans branch will feature Søstrene Grene’s signature winding store layout, alongside soft lighting and classical music designed to
  
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• Next to shut Coventry Home store after landlord talks collapse

  23-07-2026 08:42
  Next is closing its 10,000sq ft Home store at Coventry’s Arena Shopping Park after failing to agree new terms with the site’s landlord.
  The furniture and interiors branch on Classic Drive will cease trading on Sunday 26 July, bringing the retailer’s presence in the unit to an end.
  Next confirmed the closure was prompted by unsuccessful negotiations over the property’s contract terms.
  A spokesperson said: “Next Home at Arena Shopping Park will be closing. Next could
  
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• M&S, Currys, Boots and Next join You Tube’s Shopping Affiliate Programme in UK launch

  23-07-2026 08:42 via theretailbulletin.com
  M&S, Currys, Boots and Next are among the first retailers to join YouTube’s new Shopping Affiliate Programme in the UK. The programme is launching ahead of…
  
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• GAME collapses, owing almost £16m as digital shift hit business

  23-07-2026 08:37
  
  GAME Retail owed almost £16m when it fell into administration, as it struggled against digital downloads, intensifying competition and Brexit-related uncertainty.
  Administrators’ documents show that the former high street mainstay had liabilities of approximately £15.8m, including around £12m owed to unsecured creditors.
  GAME Retail Limited formally entered administration on 24 February, with James Saunders and Lauren Wentworth of KR8 Advisory appointed as joint administr
  
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• TikTok Shop pilots alcohol sales with three-stage age checks

  23-07-2026 08:32
  
  TikTok Shop has begun trialling alcohol sales in the UK, introducing a three-stage age-verification process.
  The pilot is limited to a small group of approved, licensed retailers, with products reportedly including Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, AU Vodka and Estrella Damm’s Inedit beer.
  Alcohol products will not appear organically in users’ ‘For You’ feeds, and can only be found by searching within the TikTok Shop tab.
  Shoppers will face age checks when setting up an
  
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• Temperley London names new CEO and design director ahead of September collection

  23-07-2026 08:11 via theretailbulletin.com
  The Temperley London fashion brand has appointed Morgaine McGee as chief executive and Jack Isenberg as design director as it prepares to present its new collection…
  
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• How UK retailers can make better use of eCommerce warehousing

  23-07-2026 08:11 via theretailbulletin.com
  How UK retailers can make better use of eCommerce warehousing For UK ecommerce retailers selling through their own websites, Shopify, Amazon Marketplace, or eBay, stock management…
  
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• Portwest transforms global product data and accelerates catalogue production with Akeneo

  22-07-2026 13:08 via theretailbulletin.com
  Leading workwear manufacturer reduces catalogue production time by five months and delivers significant cost savings through centralised product information. Akeneo, the Product Experience (PX) Company and…
  
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• How to Prevent AI-Driven Fraudulent Claims in Retail, Leisure and Hospitality

  22-07-2026 12:53 via theretailbulletin.com
  By Teresa Long  AI can make fraudulent claims look more credible, especially when your teams are under pressure. How can going ‘back to basics’ help protect…
  
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• From hype to high performance: what viral product launches reveal about retail’s new marketing playbook

  22-07-2026 12:13
  
  As the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino, which became a viral sensation in the US when launched in 2017, comes to the UK for the first time – it is clear that viral product launches are no longer moments of luck.
  In the first six months of 2026 brands from a range of sectors moved away from traditional campaign cycles and instead built launches designed to travel: across TikTok feeds, through group chats and into stores.
  The most successful product drops so far this year have blurred the line
  
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• HMV to host Spider-Man: Brand New Day event at Oxford Street

  22-07-2026 12:04
  
  HMV Oxford Street is hosting an event day to celebrate the release of Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day film on 29 July.
  The event, which will run on 23 July, will see shoppers greeted by a costumed Spider-Man for a “selfie moment” upon entering the shop.
  The retailer’s store will also feature a curated selection of Marvel products, including t-shirts, collectibles, figurines, graphic novels and films.
  On the store’s first floor, customers will be able to pla
  
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• Pip & Nut’s Pippa Murray on distinctiveness, AI and building trust

  22-07-2026 11:58
  
  Pip & Nut has turned a leaping squirrel, an unstabilised product and its founder’s story into a coherent brand. Pippa Murray explains how it has kept that identity while moving into mass media and new categories…
  Pip & Nut has two extremely strong brand signals. One is visual: the now-iconic leaping squirrel across its packaging and advertising. The other is physical: the natural oil that rises to the top of its nut butter.
  The first, the squirrel, drives recognition whilst
  
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• Bugaboo and Stella McCartney unveil global stroller collaboration

  22-07-2026 11:47
  
  Bugaboo has partnered with Stella McCartney on a new special-edition collection of luxury parenting products, set to launch globally in September 2026.
  The partnership brings together Bugaboo’s engineering and product design expertise with Stella McCartney’s fashion-led approach to responsible luxury. It will form the first stage of a multi-year collaboration focused on conscious design, self-expression and innovation.
  The launch marks Bugaboo’s first major brand collaboration
  
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• Jack & Jones to launch Bluewater store this October

  22-07-2026 11:13
  
  Fashion retailer Jack & Jones has reportedly confirmed that it is launching an outlet at Bluewater shopping centre later in the year.
  The Danish business is opening a 6,370 sq ft unit on the centre’s Lower Thames Walk in October.
  The store is set to display the brand’s men and children range in a “sleek, modern and highly curated store environment”.
  Jack & Jones head of retail Tom Shutlar said: “Securing a space at Bluewater is a huge win for us.  Relat
  
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• Starbucks bringing viral Unicorn Frappuccino to UK for first time

  22-07-2026 10:29
  
  Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino, which became a viral sensation in the US when launched in 2017, will be available for three days only at UK coffeehouses.
  The mango flavoured layered drink is finished with whipped cream, blue drizzle and a pink and blue topping. One swirl of the cup reveals colour-changing “enchantment”.
  Following a guest appearance at Coachella Music Festival earlier this year, it will be available in participating Starbucks stores across the UK from 15–17 Augus
  
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• Blue Diamond snaps up Highfield Garden World in expansion push

  22-07-2026 09:56
  
  Blue Diamond has acquired Highfield Garden World in Gloucestershire, taking its portfolio to 55 garden centres across the UK and Channel Islands.
  The family-run business, located in Whitminster near Gloucester, has joined the group after more than a century of independent trading.
  Founded in 1920 as a traditional nursery, Highfield has grown into one of the South West’s leading destination garden centres, spanning plants, garden products, homewares, gifts, food and hospitality.
  Blue Diamon
  
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• B&Q raids Amazon for new retail media chief

  22-07-2026 09:50
  
  B&Q has reportedly hired former Amazon executive Laura Karsunky as its new director of retail media, with the goal of ramping up its advertising and data capabilities.
  Karsunky joins B&Q after spending more than a decade in senior leadership roles at Amazon, including within its advertising business.
  She brings more than 20 years’ experience across media, advertising and technology and will be tasked with leading the next phase of B&Q’s retail media proposition.
  Karsunky
  
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• Mulberry hails year of ‘meaningful progress’ as turnaround gathers pace

  22-07-2026 09:43 via theretailbulletin.com
  Mulberry has hailed a year of “meaningful progress” as it reported narrowed losses and increased revenue. The luxury handbag brand posted a 4% rise in group…
  
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• Mulberry cuts losses by £23m as sales rebound

  22-07-2026 09:43
  
  Mulberry has dramatically narrowed its annual losses as higher sales, reduced discounting and tight cost control boosted its turnaround efforts.
  The luxury retailer’s reported pre-tax loss fell to £8.9m in the 52 weeks to 28 March, compared with a restated £32.2m loss the previous year.
  Underlying pre-tax losses narrowed to £8m from £24.1m, while the business posted positive underlying EBITDA of £800,000, against a £16.8m loss last year.
  Group revenue in
  
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• UK inflation drop a ‘gift-wrapped goodie basket’ for Burnham

  22-07-2026 09:36
  UK inflation fell to 2.6 per cent in June as lower fuel costs and easing food price rises offered some respite to cash-strapped households.
  The Consumer Prices Index dropped from 2.8 per cent in May and came in below economists’ forecasts of 2.7 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics.
  It marked the weakest increase in consumer prices since March 2025, although inflation remains above the Bank of England’s two per cent target.
  Transport and food and non-alcoholic be
  
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• Hasbro ups full-year outlook due to trading card sales surge

  22-07-2026 09:29
  Hasbro has raised its full-year forecasts after booming sales of Magic: The Gathering and continued demand for digital games boosted its second-quarter performance.
  The company, which owns the likes of Monopoly and Play-Doh, now expects annual revenue to rise between 5 per cent and 7 per cent on a constant-currency basis, up from its previous forecast of between three per cent and five per cent.
  Hasbro also increased its adjusted EBITDA forecast to between $1.45bn and $1.5bn, compared with its p
  
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• Q&A: Jake Allmond, Managed Services Director at PMC

  22-07-2026 09:28 via theretailbulletin.com
  PMC combines strategic consulting, engineering, our own platform Graphene and Managed Services to simplify complexity, connect data and deliver scalable commerce transformation for retailers, including Primark,…
  
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• Ocado to open 55,000 sq ft automated fulfilment centre in Stoke-on-Trent

  22-07-2026 09:28 via theretailbulletin.com
  Ocado Group is to open a 55,000 square foot automated customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in Stoke-on-Trent in a move that is expected to create hundreds of…
  
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• Decathlon launches ‘Middle Aisle’ to take on discounters

  22-07-2026 09:28 via theretailbulletin.com
  Decathlon has launched its first-ever “Middle Aisle” across its UK and Ireland stores, website and shopping app as it looks to take on discounters. The first…
  
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• Ocado lands deal to build robotic warehouse for unnamed European retailer

  22-07-2026 09:23
  
  Ocado has secured a deal to build a large robotic warehouse for an ‘unnamed, fast-growing’ European retailer.
  The group will install its latest automation systems at the new customer fulfilment centre, which is due to go live during Ocado’s 2028 financial year.
  The site will use Ocado’s Re technology suite, including its 600 Series robots, On-Grid Robotic Pick system and fully automated freezer technology.
  Ocado said the retailer plans to quickly transfer its existing onl
  
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• Nike shakes up distribution strategy with online sales halt for China

  22-07-2026 09:17
  
  Nike is set to stop most of its retail partners in mainland China from selling its products online as part of a major overhaul of its distribution strategy.
  From 1 January 2027, Nike will concentrate ecommerce sales through its own website and app, alongside official Nike stores on Tmall, JD.com and Douyin.
  The majority of Nike’s 16 retail partners in China, which operate thousands of its physical stores, will no longer be authorised to sell the brand online and will instead focus primaril
  
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