Retail news

• Jigsaw: What went wrong?

  08-09-2020 17:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  A BRIEF TIMELINE
  1970: John Robinson founded Jigsaw in 1970. The first store opened in Brighton, England.
  1972: Jigsaw opened its second store in Hampstead, London.
  1989: Jigsaw won the British Fashion Council Award for Contemporary Design of the Year.
  1994: Jigsaw launched its menswear range.
  1996: Jigsaw Junior was launched, initially consisting only of girls clothing. Jigsaw opened a store on London’s Bond Street as well as stores in Japan and Denmark.
  Jigsaw launched its first sto
  
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• Can French Connection make FCUK fashionable again?

  31-01-2026 15:00
  With a North American licensing deal under its belt, the reinvented high-street giant is growing again under new owners and a global strategyFrench Connection is back on the trail of global expansion with the aid of its cheeky initials-based slogan that made it so popular in the late 1990s.The label once known for clothes bearing FCUK is seeking to reinvent itself again under the ownership of a group of British entrepreneurs based in the north of England who rescued it in 2021. Continue reading.
  
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• Urban Outfitters, Dreams and Royal Parks cafes criticised for use of gig economy app

  31-01-2026 12:00
  TUC urges ministers to bring forward changes to protect workers amid concerns over apps such as TemperThe fashion retailer Urban Outfitters, the bed specialist Dreams and the operator of several Royal Parks cafes have been criticised for the use of the gig economy app Temper to take on staff – some of whom can end up earning below minimum wage.The TUC is urging the government to bring forward promised reforms to protect gig economy workers amid concerns that those hired by apps such as Tem
  
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• Friends with benefits: how referral schemes can really pay off

  31-01-2026 12:00
  Earn money and other rewards by linking friends and family up to companies you use, from banks to energy firmsHow much do you love your energy company – enough to recommend it to a friend? How about if £50 was up for grabs?Richard from Suffolk is a customer of Octopus Energy, and now eight of his family and friends are, too, after he recommended the provider to them all through its referral scheme. “I really think [referral schemes] are a good idea. It’s an incentive to s
  
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• How many cups of coffee does Starbucks’ Brian Niccol need to sell?

  30-01-2026 15:31
  Chain’s challenge will be to raise per-store sales to catch up with its new cost structure
  
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• Quiz reportedly seeking fresh financing

  30-01-2026 10:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Quiz Clothing is understood to be attempting to secure a rescue deal following “disappointing” Christmas sales.
  The fashion retailer’s founders, the Ramzan family, are considering bringing in advisers to lay out a range of options, such as new financing and potential shop closures in a bid to avoid a total collapse, The Sun understands.
  A source close to Quiz said that it had already been approached by various turnaround funds, seeking to provide new capital. 
  The newscome
  
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• Adidas sales hit record high despite market turbulence

  30-01-2026 10:37 via retailgazette.co.uk
  German sportswear brand Adidas has reported record revenues for 2025 following a stronger-than-expected performance across all markets.
  Based on preliminary, unaudited figures, business said revenues for the Adidas brand rose by 13% for the second year running, driven by double-digit growth across every region and sales channel.
  Full-year operating profit climbed by more than €700m to €2.06bn (£1.77bn), while group revenues increased to a record €24.8bn (£21.3bn)
  
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• Levi Strauss sees European revenue rise

  30-01-2026 10:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  American clothing brand Levi Strauss & Co reported a resilient fourth quarter (Q4) and a strong full-year (FY) performance, underpinned by continued growth in direct-to-consumer (DTC) and Europe.
  For the three-month period  ended 30 November 2025, net revenues rose 1% on a reported basis to $1.8bn (£1.31bn), or 5% organically, despite ongoing pressure in wholesale.
  The business said Europe was a standout region, with Q4 net revenues up 8% reported and 10% organically, outperformin
  
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• Co-op to open 18 new and transformed stores

  30-01-2026 09:52 via theretailbulletin.com
  Co-op is to launch 18 new and transformed stores in the first quarter of 2026. The first new store of the year has already opened in... View Article
  
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• Adidas delivers record 2025 revenues

  30-01-2026 08:58 via theretailbulletin.com
  Adidas has announced that it delivered record revenues for 2025 and also confirmed that it will launch a share buy-back. Based on preliminary unaudited numbers for... View Article
  
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• Quiz seeks new financing after disappointing Christmas sales

  30-01-2026 08:20 via theretailbulletin.com
  Quiz is understood to be trying to secure a rescue deal after disappointing Christmas sales. The company’s founders, the Ramzan family, are reportedly looking to appoint... View Article
  
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• Friday briefing: How Britain’s high streets became a barometer of national decline

  30-01-2026 07:50
  In today’s newsletter: As boarded‑up units spread from coastal towns to former industrial centres, a new ​Guardian investigation reveals how ​o​ur high streets have become a litmus test for public frustration and ​p​olitical choicesGood morning. There is a familiar refrain about Britain’s high streets – that they are now little more than a procession of shuttered units, former bank branches, barbers, vape shops and fast food outlets, symbols
  
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• Four reasons why retailers need to get personal with their returns policy

  30-01-2026 07:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  ASOS rang in the new year with a change to its returns policy, saying it would eliminate return fees for consumers with a lower return rate, writes Paul Gardner, VP of product at loss prevention consultants Appriss Retail.
  The retailer said shoppers can also monitor their rate of returns directly within the ASOS app.
  The policy change is considerable, and it also awakens the conversation on why retailers need to personalise returns policies in order to manage margins and maintain loyalty an
  
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• Co-op to launch 18 stores in the first quarter of 2026

  30-01-2026 01:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Co-op plans to open 18 stores in the first quarter of the year, with both new sites and re-opening shops after “transformative investment to enhance the shopping experience in high streets and communities”. 
  The first new Co-op store to open will serve the new neighbourhood development of Willowbrook Park, Didcot, in Oxfordshire, the convenience giant said. 
  While the first of its stores to re-open following a makeover include a convenience store in Eastern Green, Coventry,
  
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• Sainsbury’s to increase hourly pay by 5% from March

  29-01-2026 21:21 via theretailbulletin.com
  Sainsbury’s is increasing pay for hourly paid colleagues by 5% from March. The move means pay will rise to £13.23 per hour nationally and £14.54 per... View Article
  
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• Liverpool ONE celebrates ‘best ever’ Golden Quarter

  29-01-2026 21:14 via theretailbulletin.com
  Liverpool ONE has reported its strongest festive trading performance to date with double-digit footfall growth and strong sales increases. The shopping destination was boosted by a... View Article
  
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• Starbucks set to open thousands more coffee shops globally

  29-01-2026 20:41
  Move would mark return to growth after shuttering hundreds of poorly performing stores last year
  
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• Ex-Casino chief Jean-Charles Naouri found guilty of corruption

  29-01-2026 17:36
  Former stalwart of French establishment and three other ex-Casino executives convicted by Paris court
  
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• Asda underpaid 53,000 workers holiday and sick pay, says report

  29-01-2026 17:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Asda has promised to repay 53,000 current and former staff members who were found to have been underpaid holiday and sick pay following its Project Future IT upgrade. 
  The retailer started notifying impacted workers today (29 January) after an internal investigation revealed thousands of workers had been paid incorrectly from February 2024 to May 2025, due to problems calculating additional absences after the switch-over from its Walmart payroll system, The Grocer reported.
  Roughly 80% of t
  
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• Gangs ‘targeting one store after another’ as shoplifting rises 5%

  29-01-2026 15:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Shoplifting increased to 519,381 incidents, in the year ending September 2025, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
  The number of offences rose 5% from 492,660 the year prior, said the ONS figures.
  British Retail Consortium (BRC) crime policy adviser Lucy Whing said: “Retail theft is a serious issue for retailers across the country.
  “While the causes are manifold, the rise in organised crime is particularly concerning, with gangs systematic
  
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• 3i shares surge as PE group hails recovery at discount retailer Action

  29-01-2026 12:40
  Partners at London-listed investor have made fortunes from the retailer, which accounts for four-fifths of its portfolio
  
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• Ocado says Canadian partner closing robotic warehouse in latest setback

  29-01-2026 12:22
  Shares in Ocado fall almost 10% after revealing Sobeys will close Calgary site that uses UK group’s delivery technologyBusiness live – latest updatesOcado has revealed its Canadian partner is closing a warehouse that uses its robots and automation technology in another blow to the UK online delivery group’s business model. Shares in Ocado dived almost 10% on Thursday after it announced that Sobeys would be shutting the Calgary facility, saying it was “largely due to the A
  
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• Doom loop of decline: how struggling high streets fuel far-right sympathies in UK

  29-01-2026 11:45
  Retail accounts for 5% of the UK economy – but its visibility gives it an outsize influence on public perceptionUp and down Britain there are boarded-up shops. Banks and department stores have been replaced by vape shops, barbers and bookmakers. Shoplifting is at a record high, local services cut, and public frustration is mounting.Politically, high street decline is perfect campaign fodder for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Continue reading...
  
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• Card Factory sales climb despite festive trading hit

  29-01-2026 11:22 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Card Factory said its festive trading performance was hit by a challenging UK consumer backdrop as well as lower footfall across UK shopping destinations.
  The cards specialist reported its total group sales for the final two months of 2025 grew 4.3% year-on-year (YOY) in its trading update for the 11 months ended 31 December 2025.
  Total store revenues and like-for-like (LFL) store sales were down 0.8% and 1.2% respectively over November and December. While total group sales for the 11 months to
  
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• Amazon confirms 16,000 job cuts

  29-01-2026 11:02 via theretailbulletin.com
  Amazon has confirmed that it will be making 16,000 roles redundant across it global business. The announcement forms part of the company’s ongoing restructuring work and... View Article
  
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• Co-op appoints former Lidl CEO to board

  29-01-2026 10:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The Co-op has appointed former Lidl UK chief executive Ronny Gottschlich to its board as an independent non-executive director.
  The appointment, which takes effect from today (29 January), comes as the member-owned retailer looks to strengthen its leadership as it plans for future growth.
  The convenience giant said Gottschlich brings extensive retail experience, having previously served as chief executive of Lidl UK and held a number of senior roles across the Schwarz Group in several European m
  
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• H&M lifts profits despite slower sales growth

  29-01-2026 10:45 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Swedish fashion brand H&M has reported a strong rise in profits in 2025, driven by tighter cost control and better stock management, even as sales growth remained modest across its global estate.
  For the full year to 30 November 2025, the business recorded operating profit rose to about £1.38bn (SEK 18.4bn), compared with £1.30bn (SEK 17.3bn) a year earlier, while profit after tax increased to approximately £905m (SEK 12.1bn).
  The group posted net sales of around &poun
  
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• Job cuts show Amazon ‘cannot be trusted’, says union

  29-01-2026 10:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The GMB has condemned Amazon following yesterday’s announcement that 16,000 roles will be axed globally.
  The union, which has more than 620,000 members across various industries in the UK, released the statement after the online retailer and media company confirmed the cuts on Wednesday 28 January.
  Rachel Fagan, GMB Organiser, said: “Amazon is showing itself for what it is; a company that cannot be trusted to do the right thing by working people in the UK.Related Story Amazon to axe
  
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• Sainsbury’s staff receiving above inflation pay rise

  29-01-2026 10:16 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Sainsbury’s is granting staff a 5% pay increase, which it said reflects their “exceptional contribution and our commitment to being a great place to work”. 
  The pay boost is above inflation and builds on “several years of significant investment in colleague pay,” according to the supermarket.
  The pay package includes a pension scheme, share-save scheme, free food during shifts and discounts that allow workers to save over £600 annually on an £80 wee
  
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• M&S named UK’s top brand for fourth year in a row

  29-01-2026 10:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Marks & Spencer has topped the list of the strongest brands in the UK for the fourth year running.
  The top ten, compiled by YouGov’s BrandIndex tool, shows M&S with an overall index score of 52.7, ahead of Ikea with 45.6.
  Retailers John Lewis and Boots also made the list, in fourth and ninth place, respectively.Related Story Boots Group CEO steps down to become chair27/01/2026 x 12:04 PMM&S CEO Stuart Machin said “We deeply appreciate being named the UK’s Best Brand
  
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