Retail news

• Decathlon names new CEO in leadership reshuffle

  28-03-2025 08:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Decathlon has appointed Javier López as its new chief executive officer, replacing Barbara Martin Coppola, who held the role since March 2022.
  López, who has been with the sports specialist for over 26 years, previously served as the executive director in charge of Decathlon’s global value chain, a position he took on in 2022.
  His appointment comes shortly after Julien Leclercq, son of Decathlon founder Michel Leclercq, was named chairman of the board.
  López will now l
  
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• Radley stops website sales amid closure

  21-08-2026 17:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Accessories retailer Radley’s website is directing customers to its remaining stores with a banner reading “website now closed”, following its administration earlier this year.
  Radley’s closing-down sale is offering customers 70 per cent off all remaining stock, as the brand known for its Scottie dog logo clears inventory ahead of its final store closures.
  Its remaining stores in Covent Garden [pictured] and Glasgow are expected to shut by the end of August. Its 19 conces
  
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• Popular bus driver known for blowing bubbles named ‘Ambassador of Joy’ by Aldi

  21-08-2026 12:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Aldi has named London bus driver Ricki Reid as ‘Ambassador of Joy’ of the retailer’s Finsbury Park branch, after he was asked to stop blowing bubbles on his bus route.
  Reid was well known for blowing bubbles on his route between Finsbury Park and Whitechapel and was particularly popular with younger passengers, who reportedly named his service “the bubble bus”.
  He visited the store on 20 August 2026, greeting customers as they arrived. Related StoryPopular bus drive
  
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• In Pictures: Fenwick celebrates ‘return to routine’ in Autumn 26 campaign

  21-08-2026 12:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Department store Fenwick has unveiled its Autumn 2026 campaign, which celebrates returning to routine after summer with layered silhouettes.
  Titled ‘Back to Business’, the campaign showcases the retailer’s autumn collection, which features a richer colour palette.At the heart of the campaign is the new-season wardrobe, with autumn-ready pieces designed to refresh everyday dressing. The range includes items from Damson Madder, ONLY, Weekend Max Mara, Parlez, Carhartt WIP and Bar
  
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• Garage and Dynamite bring Klarna payments to stores

  21-08-2026 11:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Flexible payments provider Klarna is now available in-store at fashion brands Garage Clothing and Dynamite locations across Canada, the US and the UK.
  The expanded partnership brings the payment flexibility customers already use online into more than 300 stores. 
  The retailers’ customers can now pay in full or divide eligible purchases into interest-free installments directly at checkout using the Klarna app.
  Shoppers can scan a QR code with their phone at checkout and complete their
  
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• Co-op sponsors Special Olympics GB National Summer Games

  21-08-2026 11:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Co-op and Co-op Media Network have been named as the official sponsors of the Special Olympics Great Britain National Summer Games 2026, alongside Coca-Cola.
  The Special Olympics GB aims to ensure that people who have an “intellectual disability” are “valued and taken seriously”. The Summer Games is the UK’s largest inclusive multi-sport event, bringing together 1,200 athletes.
  Co-op and Co-op Media Network will be supplying own-brand food and drink to support the v
  
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• Superdrug commits to significant upsize at Harlequin Watford shopping centre

  21-08-2026 10:48 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Superdrug has committed to a “significant” upsize at Harlequin Watford shopping centre in Hertfordshire that will expand the space by over a third. 
  The upsize follows “consistently strong performance” at the retail destination and forms a significant vote of confidence in the destination, according to the business.
  The new Superdrug store, which will expand into the adjacent retail space, will span 11,503 sq ft. This forms a 37 per cent increase from its previous 8,
  
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• Consumer confidence hits two-year high in August as retail sales dip in July

  21-08-2026 10:43 via theretailbulletin.com
  Consumer confidence has risen in August to reach its highest level in two years as people feel more optimistic about making major purchases. GfK’s Consumer Confidence…
  
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• How AI is transforming modern Supply Chain

  21-08-2026 10:23 via theretailbulletin.com
  In today’s volatile economy, global supply chains are under immense pressure to be faster, smarter, and more resilient. From geopolitical tensions to shifting consumer expectations, the…
  
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• Carrefour to headline licensing keynote panel at Brand Licensing Europe 2026

  21-08-2026 10:22 via theretailbulletin.com
  French retail giant Carrefour – the fourth biggest grocer in Europe, with a footprint of 12,000 stores globally – will join licensees Jazwares and Sun City…
  
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• UK posts unexpected budget deficit of £1.8bn in July

  21-08-2026 10:09 via ft.com
  Latest borrowing data underscores challenge facing chancellor John Healey ahead of his first Budget
  
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• ASOS: ‘Knowing what to buy is easier than knowing how to wear it’

  21-08-2026 10:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  UK consumers find “getting dressed difficult”, according to new ASOS research.
  The study, which surveyed nearly 2000 UK adults, highlighted that there is a growing gap between finding fashion and feeling confident in what to wear.
  The digital retailer points out that consumers have access to “endless” inspiration when it comes to fashion but many are are looking for advice on how to turn that inspiration into outfits or personal style.
  It highlighted that 67 per cent of c
  
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• Mamas & Papas secures refinancing after record year

  21-08-2026 09:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Mamas & Papas has completed a refinancing deal aimed at supporting its next phase of growth after posting record sales and profit in its latest financial year.
  The nursery retailer said the transaction had strengthened its capital structure, with existing investor Bluegem Capital Partners reinvesting alongside a number of new backers, including alternative investment manager Cheyne Capital.Mamas & Papas
  The deal follows a record year for the business, with revenue rising four per cent to
  
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• Specsavers profits jump as owners resume dividend payouts

  21-08-2026 09:43 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Specsavers has resumed dividend payments to its parent company after profits surged by more than a quarter during its latest financial year.
  The company paid a £12m dividend to Specsavers International Healthcare Limited, which is controlled by founders Doug and Dame Mary Perkins, after pre-tax profit climbed to £429.7m in the year to February.
  Sales at the retailer rose seven per cent to £4.3bn despite what it described as a challenging macroeconomic environment.
  The payout ma
  
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• Boohoo hit with £2m fine in France over ‘fake’ discounts

  21-08-2026 09:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Boohoo has been slapped with a £2m fine in France after the country’s consumer watchdog found the fashion retailer had misled shoppers with discounts that were not always genuine.
  France’s Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control said Boohoo exaggerated savings on its French website, creating a false impression of the deals customers were receiving.
  Of the promotions analysed by the regulator, 40 per cent were found not to represent a genuine pric
  
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• Fashion tech founder jailed for five years over $300m investor fraud

  21-08-2026 09:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  The founder of fashion rental technology business CaaStle has been sentenced to five years in prison after admitting to orchestrating a $300m (£223m) fraud that deceived hundreds of investors.
  Christine Hunsicker, the former chief executive of CaaStle, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court on Thursday after pleading guilty to one count of securities fraud earlier this year.
  The CEO was also handed three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $283.3m in restitution to victims, al
  
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• Alibaba profit plunges 75% as AI spending increases

  21-08-2026 09:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Alibaba has posted a 75 per cent drop in quarterly profits as it ramped up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure.
  The group recorded a nine per cent rise in revenue to 268.95bn yuan (£29.6bn) for the April-to-June quarter, narrowly ahead of analyst expectations of 268.88bn yuan.
  However, earnings were hit by the company’s accelerating investment in AI, with capital expenditure jumping 75 per cent to 67.68bn yuan during the period.
  Alibaba has committed 380bn yuan to AI i
  
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• Retail sales slip 0.5% as heatwave hits fashion demand

  21-08-2026 09:19 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  UK retail sales fell 0.5 per cent in July as the prolonged heatwave and an earlier start to summer promotions impacted fashion and non-food spending.
  The drop followed a revised 0.7 per cent increase in June, when warm weather, discounting and the World Cup helped drive shoppers to stores and online, according to the Office for National Statistics.
  Sales volumes were still 1.6 per cent higher than July last year, although growth came in below economists’ expectations.
  Non-food sales droppe
  
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• Amazon to take drone delivery to 500 US towns and cities, when will the UK follow?

  21-08-2026 09:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Amazon is dramatically ramping up its drone delivery operation in the US, with plans to bring Prime Air to nearly 500 towns and cities by the end of the year. But UK shoppers may have to wait longer for a rollout on anything approaching the same scale.
  The company is preparing a sixfold expansion of the service across America, which is currently operated from 11 locations spanning states including Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Texas and Nebraska.
  New launches are planned around Chicago, Atlanta, C
  
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• Mamas & Papas refinances after ‘record’ year as revenue hits £170m

  21-08-2026 09:06 via theretailbulletin.com
  Mamas & Papas has completed a refinancing as it looks ahead to the next phase of its growth strategy. The nursey brand said the deal strengthens…
  
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• Iceland partners with SAI, leveraging its AI Visual Language Model to reduce retail losses and shrink by 80%.

  21-08-2026 09:06 via theretailbulletin.com
  UK frozen food grocer, Iceland, has partnered with SAI, the leading active intelligence solution for stores, to significantly reduce shrink while honing operational effectiveness across its…
  
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• Ecco appoints Neil Taylor and Adam Meek to leadership roles

  21-08-2026 09:06 via theretailbulletin.com
  Ecco has strengthened its leadership team with the promotion of Neil Taylor to executive vice president, chief commercial officer. The footwear brand has also appointed Adam…
  
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• Tash Whitmey on how Tesco is becoming a “media owner with soul”

  21-08-2026 09:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Tesco is the UK’s largest supermarket, with over 24 million Clubcard users. It makes sense then that they opened their own retail media network – Tesco Media.
  Tesco Media was designed to help brands and agencies grow and connect.
  Tash Whitmey, managing of director of Tesco Media, says: “The way we describe it is – we’re evolving from a retailer with data to a media owner with soul.”
  The firm is rooted in Tesco’s ‘Every Little Helps’ philosoph
  
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• Ocado confirms Nemlig as latest grocery partner in Denmark

  21-08-2026 08:45 via theretailbulletin.com
  Ocado has confirmed Danish online grocer Nemlig as the unnamed European retailer announced as its latest partner last month. Under the agreement, the two companies will…
  
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• Iceland Foods to open first store in Alderney with Alliance partnership

  21-08-2026 08:18 via theretailbulletin.com
  Iceland is expanding its Channel Islands presence with the opening of its first store in Alderney. To be launched in partnership with Alliance, the new shop…
  
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• Poundland reports positive EBITDA as it prepares to open first new store in two years

  21-08-2026 08:17 via theretailbulletin.com
  Poundland has reported “positive EBITDA” for the first nine months of its financial year as it prepares to open it first new store in two years.…
  
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• M&S opens expanded food store at Heathrow Terminal 5

  20-08-2026 18:07 via theretailbulletin.com
  Marks & Spencer has opened its expanded airside M&S Food store in Heathrow Terminal 5 as it looks to grow its food presence in new types…
  
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• Walmart shares tumble as sales growth slows to six-year low

  20-08-2026 17:19 via ft.com
  Retailer to use almost $2.9bn in tariff refunds to deliver price cuts for squeezed American consumers
  
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• Waitrose teams up with National Geographic to highlight regenerative farming

  20-08-2026 15:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Waitrose has partnered with the National Geographic CreativeWorks on a new two-part YouTube series about regenerative farming and the future of the food system.
  The series was filmed at Waitrose’s own farm, the Leckford Estate, and will look at the retailer’s work to encourage more nature-friendly farming.
  It will also explore some of the challenges facing the global food system and how farmers can help make food production more resilient.
  The series features National Geographic Expl
  
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• Tesco launches nationwide on Uber Eats with Clubcard Prices

  20-08-2026 14:57 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Tesco products and Clubcard Prices are now available nationwide on Uber Eats, giving millions more customers across the UK another way to order their groceries.
  Thousands of Tesco products are now available through the Uber Eats app, following a successful trial across 73 Tesco stores.
  Using the rapid delivery service, customers can also access hundreds of Clubcard Prices and earn Clubcard points when shopping through the platform.
  The launch builds on the supermarket’s Whoosh, its ow
  
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