Retail news

• Lidl reports ‘record-breaking’ Christmas

  05-01-2026 07:35 via theretailbulletin.com
  Lidl has reported a “record-breaking” Christmas with nearly 51 million customers visiting its stores. This was four million more than the same time last year as... View Article
  
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• Uniqlo owner lifts forecast after Q1 profits soar

  12-01-2026 10:57 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Uniqlo’s parent company Fast Retailing has kicked off FY2026 with a record first-quarter performance and raised its full-year forecasts as global demand and its store expansion continue to gather pace.
  For the 12 weeks ending November 2025, business profit jumped 31% to ¥205.6bn (£975m), while consolidated revenue rose 14.8% to ¥1.03 trn (£4.9bn).
  Uniqlo International delivered revenue up 20.3% to ¥603.8bn (£2.9bn) and business profit up 38% to ¥117.3bn (&
  
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• Primark opening first London shop in ten years

  12-01-2026 10:22 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Primark is planning to launch its first new London store in a decade.
  The discount fashion giant’s new shop will be based in the former Debenhams unit in the Wimbledon Quarter shopping centre.
  The 24,000 sq ft store is scheduled for later in the year, or in early 2027.
  It is set to sell the retailer’s women’s, men’s and children’s wear ranges, as well as beauty and homeware.Related Story Next reportedly partners with stock clearance specialist for Russell &
  
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• JD introducing AI ‘single click’ purchase for US customers

  12-01-2026 10:19 via retailgazette.co.uk
  JD Sports Fashion has announced a global agreement with digital platform Commercetools to enable one-click purchases on AI platforms including Copilot, Gemini and ChatGPT.
  Starting in the US, JD says it will become the first retailer to leverage their Agentic Commerce Suite (ACS) to connect AI-driven search to secure checkout and payments
  Customers will be able to purchase directly through leading AI platforms including Copilot (Microsoft), Gemini (Google) and ChatGPT (OpenAI).Related Story JD S
  
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• New Balance appoints vice president of sales for EMEA

  12-01-2026 08:01 via theretailbulletin.com
  New Balance has appointed the former managing director of sport at Frasers Group as its vice president sales EMEA. Ger Wright worked with Frasers Group for... View Article
  
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• Anya Hindmarch and Boots team up to launch 1970s inspired concept store

  12-01-2026 07:41 via theretailbulletin.com
  Anya Hindmarch has teamed up with Boots to launch a 1970s inspired concept store celebrating Boots’ pharmacy heritage. The collaboration has also included the launch of... View Article
  
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• Turning surplus into purpose: How retailers can solve overstock while supporting the community

  12-01-2026 07:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Overstock. It’s a real challenge. Especially in peak trading seasons, returns, unsold lines and excess stock can pile up quickly. It places pressure on warehouse space, cashflow and ultimately brand value, as steep discounting becomes the norm and the traditional solutions are rarely ideal.But there is a smarter, more purposeful alternative that’s helping retailers turn excess stock into positive impact. Salvation Army Trading Company (SATCoL, the trading arm of The Salvation Ar
  
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• Next pursues interest in Russell & Bromley

  12-01-2026 07:03 via theretailbulletin.com
  Next is working with a stock clearance specialist on its interest in footwear brand Russell & Bromley, according to a report by Sky News. The news... View Article
  
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• The reinvention of America’s shopping malls

  12-01-2026 06:00
  Changes in shopping habits have widened the split between those catering to well-off customers and those facing bankruptcy
  
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• Google introduces personalised shopping ads to AI tools

  11-01-2026 19:36
  Tech giant moves to gain an edge in race to monetise popular AI tools
  
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• The UK’s high streets have reached a tipping point – and Reform will reap the benefits | John Harris

  11-01-2026 12:50
  When even Poundland and charity shops are closing, we’re near a point of no return. But there is hopeOver Christmas, thousands of people must have had much the same experience: a trip to see friends or relatives somewhere familiar, and the realisation that a once-thriving town centre is dangerously close to the economic point of no return, and a future of eerie silence.The massed emptying-out of places has been going on since the crash of 2008, but the latest chapter of the story is dramat
  
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• Leveraged luxury: fall of Saks Global to scorch US business stars

  11-01-2026 12:05
  Gilded department store chain is grappling with heavy debt and angry suppliers
  
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• Food wins, fashion loses in UK retail’s underwhelming Christmas

  10-01-2026 06:00
  Cautious spending in ‘golden quarter’ exposes divide between the UK’s stronger retailers and those that have failed to adapt
  
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• Next reportedly partners with stock clearance specialist for Russell & Bromley takeover

  09-01-2026 16:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Next has joined forces with stock clearance specialist Retail Realisation as it seeks a takeover of Russell & Bromley.
  The fashion retailer is working with Retail Realisation on its interest in the shoe and bag specialist, Sky News reported.
  The alliance between the companies underlines Next’s interest in the retailer’s brand rather than its stock or store estate, industry sources said.Related Story Very Group plans £2bn auction launch09/01/2026 x 3:03 PMThe proposal is one
  
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• Very Group plans £2bn auction launch

  09-01-2026 16:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Very Group owner Carlyle is reportedly planning to sell the business for £2bn after its acquisition from the Barclay family last year.
  The private equity firm is lining up Barclays and JP Morgan to handle the sale of the company, Sky News reported, which is expected to commence imminently.
  The Barclay family previously drawn up a series of plans to offload the etailer.
  The proposal to carry out an “immediate” sale process of Very Group was disclosed in a Companies House filing
  
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• No whey: why the price of protein powder is surging in Australia

  09-01-2026 15:00
  A booming gym culture has pushed up demand for powders and other protein-enhanced products, with retail prices following suitGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPowerlifting coach Cam Brown says more people are getting into protein supplements, even those outside the “fitness bubble”.“Even in the shops there’s a lot more protein products there,” he said. “People have changed their viewpoints that protein powders are only for bodybuilders
  
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• New Balance appoints former Frasers Group exec as VP sales EMEA

  09-01-2026 12:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Sportswear retailer New Balance has named Ger Wright as its new VP sales for the EMEA region.
  Wright served as Frasers Group managing director for sport from June 2022 to September 2025.
  Prior to this, she spent more than 14 years at athleticwear giant Nike, most recently working as its vice president general manager merchandising marketplace EMEA.
  Wright also served as Levi Strauss & Co. accounts manager Ireland (sales) from January 2005 to May 2006. Additionally, she worked as retail
  
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• Just Eat festive surge by Chinese takeaways and last-minute groceries

  09-01-2026 12:18 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Just Eat delivered a strong December, as consumers leaned on the platform festive takeaways, forgotten essentials and New Year celebrations.
  New data from the rapid food delivery service found it processed more than 17 million orders during the month, with Chinese cuisine emerging as the standout performer.
  Orders more than doubled on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, while Chinese food was the most searched-for cuisine in December, attracting more than 350,000 searches.
  The business
  
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• Retail footfall ‘disappointing’ in December

  09-01-2026 11:58 via theretailbulletin.com
  Retail footfall declined across all shopping locations in December, according to new BRC-Sensormatic data. Total UK footfall dropped by 2.9% year-on-year, down from -0.8% in November. While... View Article
  
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• Sephora to join line-up at Cabot Circus

  09-01-2026 10:54 via theretailbulletin.com
  Sephora is to open its first store in the South West at Bristol’s Cabot Circus this spring. The news marks the second letting to Sephora for... View Article
  
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• Next board member to exit business after four decades

  09-01-2026 10:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Next group sales, marketing and HR director Jane Shields is set to step down from the retailer after 40 years.
  Shields is due to retire from the company on 21 May. She joined Next as a sales assistant in 1985, before being promoted to sales director in 1999, group sales and marketing director in 2010 and was appointed to the board in 2013.
  Next online customer service director Matt Barnes will be promoted to the role of group sales and marketing director and will take on the majority of Shields&
  
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• Sainsbury’s delivers biggest ever Christmas as Argos sales slip

  09-01-2026 10:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Sainsbury’s won grocery market share for the sixth consecutive Christmas period after delivering its biggest festive trading performance to date.
  In its third-quarter trading update for the 16 weeks ending 3 January 2026, the supermarket giant posted grocery sales growth of 5.4%, driven by increased customer switching and bigger basket sizes.
  Sainsbury’s, which said it was the only major grocer to grow basket size over the period, reported that fresh food led performance, with sales
  
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• Retail footfall fell during ‘disappointing December’

  09-01-2026 10:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  UK retail footfall fell by 2.9% YoY in December, with high street visits down 0.9%.
  According to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic, retail footfall was down 0.8% YoY across the UK. It fell 1.5% in Scotland, 1.7% in Northern Ireland and 3.1% in England and Wales.
  In retail parks, footfall fell by 2.5%. While shopping centre footfall was down 5.1%.Related Story Omicron ‘wipes out’ retail recovery as December footfall drops07/01/2022 x 10:01 AMHele
  
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• Next announces board changes

  09-01-2026 09:43 via theretailbulletin.com
  Next has announced that Jane Shields, its group sales, marketing and HR director, is planning to retire from the company on 21 May. She will be succeeded... View Article
  
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• Shop facial recognition cameras triggered record repeat offender alerts

  09-01-2026 09:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Facial recognition yechnology firm Facewatch sent more than half a million real-time offender alerts to retailers in 2025, more than doubling the number issued the previous year.
  The platform issued 516,739 alerts to its retail subscriber network last year, up from 252,943 alerts in 2024, marking an increase of just over 100% year-on-year.
  On a daily basis, Facewatch now sends an average of 1,415 alerts a day, compared with 693 per day in 2024, according to the company.
  The alerts are designed t
  
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• Sainsbury’s blames ‘significant headwinds’ for drop in Argos sales at Christmas

  09-01-2026 09:31
  Online competition and weak consumer confidence behind fall, although sales at group’s supermarkets roseBusiness live – latest updatesSainsbury’s has blamed “significant headwinds” from weak consumer confidence, heavy online competition and widespread discounting for a fall in sales at its Argos chain over the all-important Christmas quarter.The UK’s second-largest grocer said its supermarkets increased sales by 3.4% at established stores in the three months t
  
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• Sainsbury’s posts strong Christmas sales

  09-01-2026 09:04 via theretailbulletin.com
  Sainsbury’s has said it won grocery market share for the sixth consecutive Christmas period as the supermarket grew its sales by 4.9% in its third quarter.... View Article
  
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• Argos sales drop damps festive cheer at Sainsbury’s

  09-01-2026 08:29
  Supermarket group’s shares fall sharply as poor performance at Argos offsets strong Christmas grocery sales
  
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• What is Modella Capital? Firm in spotlight as Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop face collapse

  09-01-2026 08:00
  Investment firm that also bought WH Smith’s high street business has reputation for rapid and hard-nosed restructuringThe expected collapse of the high street retailers Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop, with 2,550 jobs at risk, has put the previously little-known investment firm Modella Capital in the spotlight.The UK-based firm, which bought the two troubled chains within the last year, was set up by a group of restructuring professionals four years ago and has risen to promin
  
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• Picard eyes international expansion

  09-01-2026 07:22 via theretailbulletin.com
  French frozen food company Picard is accelerating its international expansion plans with the appointment of Maxime Margain as international manager. Margain previously worked as country manager for the... View Article
  
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