Retail news

• James Watt faces data law questions over ‘Equity Punks’ emails

  20-07-2026 07:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  James Watt is facing complaints to the UK data watchdog after emailing thousands of former BrewDog investors about his new beer venture and buyback plans.
  Several former Equity Punks ask the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to examine how the BrewDog co-founder obtained their contact details and whether he used them lawfully.
  The emails invited investors whose BrewDog shares became effectively worthless to claim the same stake in Watt’s new company Second Best without charge.
  
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• Urban Outfitters to join Sheffield’s Heart of the City transformation

  21-07-2026 14:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Urban Outfitters is taking up space at Sheffield City Council’s flagship Heart of the City regeneration project, after agreeing a lease for 8,500 sq ft of retail space.
  Working alongside its asset management partner RivingtonHark, Sheffield City Council confirmed that the retailer would join businesses including Superdry, Fjallraven, and Lucy & Yak, as part of the Heart of the City’s “evolving mix of international, regional, and independent retail brands”.
  The 1.5m sq
  
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• Depop introduces The Zara Larsson Edit with global campaign

  21-07-2026 14:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Resale marketplace Depop has unveiled its newest campaign starring Zara Larsson, with the multi-platinum artist also providing an exclusive edit featuring 20 to 30 pieces.
  Launching at 1500 EST on 21 July, the shop is curated from the pop artist’s personal wardrobe, alongside upcycled merchandise and “one-of-a-kind fashion finds” including designer pieces.
  Offered at attainable price points, the collection gives fans the opportunity to own a piece of Larsson’s personal st
  
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• Decathlon launches ‘Middle Aisle’ in discounter push

  21-07-2026 13:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Decathlon has introduced its own version of the famed ‘Middle Aisle‘ promotion across its UK and Ireland stores, websites and app.
  The company’s new value-focused offer will feature a rotating selection of products linked to seasonal events, with prices fixed for six weeks at a time.
  Its inaugural promotion, running until 30 August, focuses on back-to-school essentials including children’s footwear, backpacks and water bottles.
  Among the launch deals are Decathlon Kids&rs
  
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• B&Q appoints former Amazon lead as director of retail media

  21-07-2026 12:43 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Home improvement giant B&Q has appointed Laura Karsunky as director of retail media, as it looks to strengthen its commercial proposition.
  The appointment is designed to support B&Q’s ambition to deliver more relevant experiences for customers, while enabling suppliers and brand partners to engage more effectively with B&Q customers.
  Karsunky joins from Amazon, where she spent more than a decade in senior leadership roles. With over 20 years of experience spanning media, advert
  
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• Rituals Cosmetics to launch new boutique in Edinburgh

  21-07-2026 11:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Rituals Cosmetics is opening a new boutique in Edinburgh. 
  The luxury beauty and wellness brand is launching its site at The Gyle Shopping Centre in September 2026.
  The new boutique will offer an “immersive experience” into Rituals’ signature range of bath, body, and home products, which are “designed to inspire moments of mindfulness and self-care in everyday life”. 
  The launch will mark “another key step” in the retailer’s UK expansion
  
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• Wickes revenue up 2.3% as retail arm returns to growth in Q2

  21-07-2026 10:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Wickes has reported a return to growth in retail in its second quarter, as group revenue increased by 2.3% to £483 million. Retail revenue grew by…
  
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• Grocery inflation falls to 2.6% but annual spend climbs £156

  21-07-2026 09:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  UK grocery inflation has dropped to its lowest level since December 2024 according to new research, although the average household is still spending £156 more on groceries each year.
  Like-for-like grocery prices increased 2.6 per cent in the four weeks to 12 July, according to the latest figures from Worldpanel by Numerator, easing from three per cent in June.
  The slowdown offers some relief to consumers after months of cost-of-living pressure, but the researcher warned that cumulative pri
  
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• Wickes retail sales return to growth as TradePro powers Q2

  21-07-2026 09:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Wickes’ retail division returned to growth in its second quarter as rising TradePro demand helped group revenue climb 2.3 per cent to £483m.
  The home improvement retailer recorded a 0.9% increase in group like-for-like sales during the 13 weeks to 27 June, with growth driven by higher customer numbers and volumes.
  Retail revenue increased 1.8 per cent to £366m following a 0.4 per cent decline in the first quarter. Like-for-like sales edged up 0.6 per cent, despite a deflationar
  
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• Hobbycraft exits CVA early as online demand surges

  21-07-2026 09:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Hobbycraft has completed its company voluntary arrangement (CVA) ahead of schedule as growth in model making and crochet helped fuel a rise in online shoppers.
  The arts and crafts retailer has emerged from the 13-month restructuring programme launched in May 2025, which it said had placed the business on stronger foundations for future growth.
  Hobbycraft reported a 13 per cent increase in active online users during the period, alongside a 10 per cent rise in new website users compared with the p
  
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• British Heart Foundation axes 87 shops with 63 more at risk

  21-07-2026 09:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The British Heart Foundation has revealed the first 87 shops set to shut under plans to close around 150 locations over the next two years.
  The charity has published the locations earmarked for closure by the end of March 2027 following a review of its retail estate.
  The list spans England, Scotland and Wales, and includes branches in Bath, Blackpool, Camden, Durham, Eastbourne, Hammersmith, Plymouth, Sunderland and Swansea.
  Several of the British Heart Foundation’s larger Home Stores will
  
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• AliExpress slapped with record €550m EU fine over illegal and counterfeit goods

  21-07-2026 09:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  AliExpress has been fined €550m by the European Union for failing to prevent illegal and dangerous goods from being sold through its online marketplace.
  The European Commission said the Alibaba-owned platform had breached its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to assess and reduce the risks posed by illegal, unsafe and counterfeit products.
  The penalty is the largest issued under the DSA, surpassing earlier fines of €200m for rival marketplace Temu and €12
  
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• Iceland ‘shocked and deeply disappointed’ over World Cup store rebrand spat

  21-07-2026 09:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Iceland has said it was left “shocked and deeply disappointed” after receiving a cease-and-desist warning from the Football Association over its World Cup marketing campaign.
  The frozen food specialist temporarily renamed three stores “England” ahead of the national team’s semi-final against Argentina.
  The campaign saw Iceland change the signage at its branches in Washington, Chingford and Stourbridge, which are associated with England players Jordan Pickford, Harry
  
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• Asda’s Park Royal housing plans risk ‘unsustainable’ pressure on GPs, NHS warns

  21-07-2026 08:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Asda’s plans to build more than 1,500 homes at its Park Royal site could overwhelm nearby GP surgeries unless extra healthcare capacity is funded, the NHS has warned.
  West and North London Integrated Care Board said there was “not sufficient existing primary healthcare capacity locally” to meet demand from the proposed development, according to documents lodged with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation.
  The supermarket giant and housebuilder Barratt London submitt
  
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• Morrisons cuts prices on hundreds of summer essentials

  21-07-2026 07:59 via theretailbulletin.com
  Morrisons is cutting prices and introducing money-saving offers on hundreds of items to help budgets go further during the school holidays. Available in-store and online, the…
  
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• Jack & Jones to open flagship store at Bluewater this October

  21-07-2026 07:40 via theretailbulletin.com
  Danish fashion brand Jack & Jones is to open a new store at Bluewater this October. Spanning 6,370 square feet, the store on Lower Thames Walk…
  
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• Selfridges launches Imagination Café for three-month residency

  21-07-2026 07:38 via theretailbulletin.com
  Selfridges has opened its Imagination Café at the centre of its London store, following the transformation of Dolly’s Café for a three-month residency. The new eatery…
  
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• Q&A: Lee Graham, Director of Parcel Pending Locker Solutions at Quadient UK

  21-07-2026 03:54 via theretailbulletin.com
  Quadient is the leading provider of innovative parcel management solutions for residential, retail, carrier, commercial, and university clients. With more than 100 years of innovation supporting…
  
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• Primark lowers prices as part of new ‘Iconic Value’ push

  20-07-2026 22:11 via theretailbulletin.com
  Primark has cut the prices of hundreds of its most popular womenswear, menswear and kidswear styles as it announced a new era of “Iconic Value”. The…
  
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• Magnet Group’s CVA approved, paving way for store closures

  20-07-2026 18:04 via theretailbulletin.com
  Magnet Group’s creditors and landlords have approved the company voluntary arrangement (CVA) it proposed on 30 June. The proposals were overwhelmingly supported by over 90% of…
  
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• Myprotein activewear launches on Next’s Sports Club platform

  20-07-2026 17:40 via theretailbulletin.com
  THG’s Myprotein has partnered with Next to bring its activewear range to Sports Club by Next, expanding its retail footprint beyond its recent Footasylum tie-up. The…
  
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• JD Sports introduces Meadowhall store

  20-07-2026 16:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  JD Sports is opening a new store at Meadowhall shopping centre on 30 July.
  Based on the lower level of the high street, the store will be almost triple the size of its previous site, spanning 29,225 sq ft.
  The shop will offer “an even broader range of clothing, footwear and sportswear.” according to the business. 
  Customers will be able to browse “more popular brands than ever before,” including Nike, Montirex, New Balance, Berghaus, Adidas, and Unlike Humans. 
  
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• What John Lewis’ 20-month head start means for peak-season stores

  20-07-2026 14:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  By April 2025, John Lewis was already working on Christmas 2026. Its buying team is now developing the theme for Christmas 2027 while this year’s decorations, toys and store designs make their way through the supply chain.
  Buying manager Cydney Ball summed up the retailer’s rolling timetable: “In some ways, it’s Christmas every day for us.”
  The 20-month lead time sounds extreme, until the sums behind peak trading are truly considered. Around a fifth of the UK’
  
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• Bensons for Beds returns to Burnley after six-year absence

  20-07-2026 13:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Bensons for Beds has returned to Burnley, Lancashire, after a six-year absence with the launch of a 8,173 sq ft store.
  The new shop, which opened at Prestige Retail Park on 17 July, marked a six-figure investment from the bed retailer.
  The site has created five new local jobs, including one store manager role, two full-time roles and two part-time positions.
  The Burnley site will be the closest Bensons for Beds store to the company’s Accrington headquarters, which is nine miles away.
  It is
  
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• Etsy’s VP of brand marketing: “We’re not chasing culture, we’re moving with it”

  20-07-2026 13:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Etsy aims to shine a light on sellers named Jeff in its latest campaign, showing consumers that there are non-billionaire Jeffs they can shop from. The marketplace’s VP of brand marketing Daniel ‘Monty’ Montalto explains how they want to say something different in the often “manufactured” ecommerce conversation. 
  “We were looking at one of the biggest shopping moments of the year and thinking about the kinds of messages people typically hear during that p
  
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• Urban Outfitters signs up for Sheffield’s Heart of the City regeneration scheme

  20-07-2026 13:39 via theretailbulletin.com
  Urban Outfitters has become the latest brand to sign up to Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City regeneration project after agreeing a lease for 8,500…
  
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• Will Asos’ plans for a permanent high street store be a success?

  20-07-2026 13:12 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Last month, it was reported that online giant Asos was seeking a London site for its first permanent physical store.
  The move would be a significant one, as Asos has traded as an online retailer since it was founded 26 years ago. 
  With the name As Seen on Screen, the retailer began its journey in 2000 by selling a range of goods and fashion worn by celebrities on TV and in films. 
  Although Asos has previously trialled in-person retail via pop-ups and brand partnerships, it has never be
  
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• Ben & Jerry’s UK head of franchising on its first mall kiosk store

  20-07-2026 13:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  If there’s one thing that won’t go amiss for in-store shoppers during the UK heatwave, it’s ice cream.
  Which is good news for Ben & Jerry’s, which rolled out its first UK mall kiosk concept at Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands back in April.
  The offering consists of a 270 sq ft kiosk based near the shopping centre’s recently renovated M&S store, positioned between Pandora and Beaverbrooks.
  The arrival marked Ben & Jerry’s first mid-ma
  
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• EU fines AliExpress €550mn for failing to prevent sale of illegal goods

  20-07-2026 12:00 via ft.com
  Record penalty under bloc’s Digital Services Act comes amid broader crackdown on Chinese ecommerce platforms
  
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• Boohoo faces further £10 million legal claims over Leicester supply chain scandal

  20-07-2026 10:53 via theretailbulletin.com
  Boohoo is facing £10 million worth of new legal claims from investors who are alleging that its top leaders knew the company was using ‘sweatshops’ in…
  
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