Retail news

• Intu credit extension secured

  27-02-2020 10:38
  
  // Intu secures extension on credit facility with its lenders
  // 7 of its existing banks will provide the £440 million revolving credit facilityIntu has agreed to an extension on its credit facility with its lenders on the condition that it can raise a total of £1.3 billion equity.
  The shopping centre owner’s new £440 million revolving credit facility (RCF) will be provided by all seven of its existing banks.
  It is due to replace its £660 million facility which expi
  
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• New Look opens largest-ever concept store at Metrocentre

  09-07-2026 10:56
  
  New Look today opened the doors to its largest-ever concept store at Metrocentre.
  The 11,000 sq ft shop, located in the shopping centre’s Red Mall fashion hub, marks the latest step in New Look’s rollout of its omni-hub format, which brings together fashion, online services and ‘enhanced in-store experiences’.
  New Look has traded at Metrocentre for more than 20 years, with the new store marking a fresh chapter for its presence at the Gateshead destination.
  Customers will
  
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• Next to open major Bluewater anchor store this month

  09-07-2026 10:24
  Next will open its new 132,000 sq ft anchor store at Bluewater later this month, marking one of its biggest UK store openings.
  The fashion and home retailer will open the shop on Thursday 30 July, tripling the size of its existing Bluewater footprint.
  The new store will be the Kent shopping centre’s first new anchor since it opened in 1999.
  It will feature expanded men’s, women’s and childrenswear ranges, a larger homeware department and an in-store Costa café.
  Bath &
  
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• Jollyes Pets to double store estate after 8.7% revenue growth

  09-07-2026 10:02 via theretailbulletin.com
  Jollyes Pets has announced plans to double the size of its store estate over the next five years as it reported 8.7% annual revenue growth. In... View Article
  
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• Uniqlo owner raises profit outlook after Q3 surge

  09-07-2026 09:52
  Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing has raised its full-year profit forecast after third-quarter operating profit jumped 45.7 per cent.
  The business posted operating profit of ¥213.79bn (£1.3bn) in the three months to 31 May, up from ¥146.74bn a year earlier.
  The performance came in well ahead of analyst expectations, with the business now forecasting full-year operating profit of ¥730bn, up from its previous guidance of ¥700bn.
  Fast Retailing is on track for a fifth consecutive ye
  
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• Marks & Spencer enlists AI to sharpen online product discovery

  09-07-2026 09:47
  
  Marks & Spencer has partnered with Lily AI to improve how its products are found across Google, organic search and emerging AI-powered shopping channels.
  The business is using Lily AI’s Product Intelligence Platform to automate and improve the creation of structured product data at scale, helping it bring new items to market faster while ensuring products are correctly attributed, categorised and ready for discovery from launch.
  The technology is designed to enrich product feeds with A
  
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• Lululemon to open first India store in Delhi via Tata CLiQ franchise deal

  09-07-2026 09:29 via theretailbulletin.com
  Lululemon is to open its first store in India, at New Delhi’s DLF Promenade, as part of its franchise agreement with Tata CLiQ. Due to launch... View Article
  
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• Jollyes plots store estate doubling after revenue growth

  09-07-2026 09:19
  
  Jollyes is planning to double its store estate over the next five years after posting an 8.7 per cent rise in annual revenue.
  The pet retailer said sales climbed to £169m in the year to 31 May, while like-for-like sales, excluding new stores, increased 4.3 per cent. Transactions were also up seven per cent over the period.
  Jollyes, which currently has 123 stores, is aiming to grow to more than 250 locations as part of its five-year expansion plan.
  The retailer will open its 124th shop in D
  
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• Gymshark appoints former Boden boss as chief technology officer

  09-07-2026 09:16
  
  Gymshark has appointed Shaun Perkinson as its new chief technology officer as the fitnesswear brand looks to support its next phase of growth.
  Perkinson joins the retailer from Saudi Arabia’s Al Waha Travel Retailer, where he served as chief technology officer from September 2025 to July 2026.
  He previously spent five years as chief technology officer at Boden between 2019 and 2024, and has also held senior technology roles at Tory Burch and Burberry.
  Perkinson succeeds John Douglas, who i
  
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• Is Tesco about to offload its Central European business?

  09-07-2026 09:10
  
  Tesco is exploring a sale of its Central European operations as the supermarket giant looks to sharpen its focus on the UK and Ireland, according to reports.
  The company is understood to be working with bankers to assess options for its business in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, the Financial Times reported.
  The operations represent Tesco’s only sizeable business outside the UK and Ireland and span 561 stores.
  A Tesco spokesperson said: “We never comment on rumour or specu
  
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• Pepco revenue up 8.5% after ‘exceptional’ performance in Western Europe

  09-07-2026 09:06 via theretailbulletin.com
  Pepco Group has announced that its revenue grew by 8.5% excluding Dealz in its third quarter, with like-for-like revenue up 5.4%. The group attributed the performance... View Article
  
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• Tesco explores sale of European operations, FT reports

  09-07-2026 08:29 via theretailbulletin.com
  Tesco is reportedly exploring a sale of its central and eastern European operations, in a move that would effectively end its ambitions outside of the UK... View Article
  
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• M&S to debut at London Fashion Week with shoppable collection

  08-07-2026 15:45 via theretailbulletin.com
  M&S is set to debut at London Fashion Week this autumn with a shoppable collection of womenswear and menswear. The move comes in the same year... View Article
  
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• Aldi changes name to Baldi ahead of Pitbull concert

  08-07-2026 15:28
  
  Aldi has temporarily rebranded to Baldi to celebrate rapper Pitbull’s return to London.
  The singer will be playing BST Hyde Park and attempting to break the world record for the largest crowd wearing bald caps.
  As part of its temporary rebrand, the supermarket has launched a Baldi merchandise stand for those attending the concert. It will be giving away free Infusionist and Stefanoff cocktail cans as well aviator sunglasses, bald caps and temporary tattoos for free outsider Hyde Park on Fr
  
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• May and June heatwaves drive record convenience sales

  08-07-2026 12:38
  
  Convenience retailers witnessed record revenues throughout the May and June heatwaves, according to new data from convenience insight agency Talysis.
  The industry’s sales saw a £30 million boost during May, followed by a further uplift in June driven by the hot weather.
  The sector’s soft drinks category hit two all-time highs during the space of four weeks. Sales initially hit £105 million throughout the Bank Holiday week ending 31 May, before reaching £114 million
  
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• ASA makes six new “less healthy” food rulings

  08-07-2026 12:22
  
  The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has published six new rulings under the new healthy food and drink regulations.
  The new regulations ban ads for “less healthy” food items from appearing on on-demand and TV between 5.30am and 9pm or in paid online media at any time. According to the government these regulations are aimed to reduce children’s exposure to less healthy food products.
  It upheld a ruling against Morley’s Woking for a paid-for Instagram ad promoting two
  
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• Tesco explores sale of European business

  08-07-2026 11:49 via ft.com
  Disposal would refocus UK’s biggest grocer on home market and end decades-long attempt to build major global operation
  
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• Marks and Spencer’s first London Fashion Week appearance confirmed

  08-07-2026 11:47
  
  British retailer Marks and Spencer will be taking part in London Fashion Week in the autumn.
  This marks the retailers first appearance at the event.
  The collection will include womenswear and menswear styles and the range will be available to purchase online and in flagship stores.Related Story Savile Row celebrates 50 years of Golden Shears Awards11/09/2025 x 12:01 AMM&S CEO Stuart Machin said: “I’d like to thank the British Fashion Council for supporting us in joining the LFW s
  
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• Supply chain shock could disrupt half of global businesses within three weeks

  08-07-2026 11:44
  Half of global chief executives said their businesses could not run beyond three weeks if a major supply chain shock hit, new research found.
  A report from procurement and supply chain consultancy Proxima found 51 per cent of CEOs said their business would experience some form of disruption within three weeks if a major supply chain shock occurred.
  The Global Supply Chain Resilience Outlook surveyed more than 500 chief executives at businesses generating over $500 million (£374.4 million)
  
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• New Look largest-ever concept store opens 9 July

  08-07-2026 11:43
  
  New Look has revealed it is opening its largest-ever concept store at Metrocentre on 9 July, marking a milestone in its “investment in creating more connected shopping experiences”. 
  To mark the launch, customers visiting throughout opening day will see a programme of in-store experiences, including goody bags for the first 200 customers who make a purchase, surprise prizes hidden across the store, complimentary matcha drinks and live music from a DJ. 
  Located in Metrocentr
  
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• Vinted joins major coalition launching European Media Marketplace

  08-07-2026 11:09
  
  Vinted has joined a coalition of media, telecoms, retail and advertising technology firms launching a new European advertising marketplace.
  The second-hand fashion platform is one of the founding members of the European Media Marketplace, which aims to make it easier for advertisers, agencies and publishers to run campaigns across Europe’s open web.
  Other founding partners include T Advertising Solutions, which is part of Deutsche Telekom, Equativ, Experian, lastminute.com, leboncoin and K
  
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• John Lewis recalls 15 homeware products over asbestos fears

  08-07-2026 10:23
  
  John Lewis has recalled 15 doorstops and draught excluders after officials warned they may contain small quantities of asbestos.
  The company has urged shoppers to stop using the affected products immediately and keep them out of reach of children.
  The recall covers a range of John Lewis & Partners decorative homeware products sold between 31 January 2021 and 11 June 2026.
  The affected items include the retailer’s Navy, Grey and Stripe draught excluders, alongside a number of novelty do
  
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• Very adds Estée Lauder to premium beauty line-up

  08-07-2026 10:16
  
  The Very Group has added Estée Lauder to its beauty offer in a continuation of its efforts to expand its premium brands.
  The partnership has launched across Very and Littlewoods with 440 skincare and make-up options, including Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation and Advanced Night Repair range.
  Very said the launch forms part of its wider push to build a ‘curated premium beauty offer’ spanning skincare, make-up, haircare, fragrance and wellness.
  Ve
  
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• Carwow’s Dr Menton on its recommendation engine power to ‘showcase what shoppers want’

  08-07-2026 10:13
  
  Carwow has deployed an algorithm-powered recommendation engine to provide real value through relevance and discovery, according to Dr Gareth Menton, head of product- retail media at the online marketplace.
  Built by data scientists, the engine looks at what hundreds of users have “built and priced” over the previous year and recommends cars that “naturally cluster together” in buyers’ minds.
  Drawing on “behaviour rather than editorial opinion”, Mento
  
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• Morrisons expands parcel locker rollout to 500 supermarkets

  08-07-2026 10:00
  
  Morrisons is expanding its partnership with Quadient to bring parcel collection and returns services to hundreds of supermarkets across the UK.
  The supermarket will install Parcel Pending by Quadient lockers across its estate of around 500 larger stores, following an earlier rollout across Morrisons Daily convenience shops.
  Installations began in June, with an initial deployment across 125 supermarket locations before expanding across the wider Morrisons supermarket network over the coming month
  
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• Gymshark appoints former Boden CTO Shaun Perkinson as chief technology officer

  08-07-2026 09:57 via theretailbulletin.com
  Gymshark has appointed former Boden CTO Shaun Perkinson as chief technology officer as it looks ahead to its next phase of growth. Perkinson worked at Boden... View Article
  
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• Terry Smith accuses Unilever of misleading investors over food spin-off

  08-07-2026 09:41
  
  Fundsmith founder Terry Smith has accused Unilever of misleading him over its divestment plans after the consumer goods giant struck a deal to spin off its food business and combine it with McCormick.
  The high-profile investor, who recently sold out of Unilever entirely, said he had been told by management that there would be no further major disposals after the group demerged its ice cream division in 2025.
  However, Unilever announced in March that it would separate its food arm and merge it wi
  
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• John Lewis to close foreign exchange desks, risking 200 jobs

  08-07-2026 09:36 via theretailbulletin.com
  John Lewis is to close its in-store foreign exchange desks and gift wrapping services which could result in the loss of 200 jobs. According to The... View Article
  
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• Marks & Spencer eyes higher shareholder returns

  08-07-2026 09:34
  
  Marks & Spencer has signalled plans to increase shareholder returns in the coming years as it looks to balance heavier investment with growing confidence in its turnaround.
  Chief financial officer Alison Dolan told shareholders at the retailer’s annual meeting that M&S was in a stronger financial position, supported by a robust balance sheet, net funds and an investment-grade credit rating.
  “What that will mean is that over the coming years we will be in the position both to
  
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• Banks overtake retail for customer satisfaction for first time

  08-07-2026 09:20
  
  Banks and building societies have overtaken retail for customer satisfaction for the first time, according to the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index.
  Retail has traditionally led the index since it launched in 2008, reflecting the sector’s focus on personalisation, competitive service and customer experience.
  However, the latest figures from the Institute of Customer Service show banks and building societies have moved into the top spot, scoring 82 out of 100.
  Non-food retail scored 81,
  
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