Retail news

• Mike Ashley apologises to staff for handling of Frasers Group’s coronavirus response

  27-03-2020 09:02
  // Mike Ashley writes open letter apologising to staff for how Frasers Group has handled coronavirus response
  // “Our emails to the government were ill-judged and poorly timed, when they clearly had much greater pressures than ours to deal with,” he wrote
  // Follows criticism around Sports Direct staying open during lockdown & reports of safety issues at its warehouseMike Ashley has apologised for “ill-judged and poorly timed” emails to the government and poor communi
  
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• The Perfume Shop revamps loyalty programme for six million members

  13-07-2026 22:34 via theretailbulletin.com
  The Perfume Shop has revamped its long running loyalty programme as it looks to make rewards simpler, more valuable, and easier for customers to enjoy.  Relaunched... View Article
  
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• Post Office launches concept stores to bring services back to high streets

  13-07-2026 17:09
  Post Office is rolling out new concept stores designed to bring more services back to UK high streets.
  The Post Office Plus launch follows consumer demand for more in-person support for important life moments, according to the business.
  Selected Post Office branches will be transformed into multi-service community hubs, bringing in partners on different days of the week to “provide practical guidance designed to make important life moments easier”. 
  Founding partners will includ
  
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• Trump declares US is ‘taking over’ the Strait of Hormuz as Iran warns of wider war

  13-07-2026 16:15
  
  Donald Trump has said the United States will “take over” the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions with Iran as fighting between the two countries entered its 135th day.
  Speaking to Fox News, the US president said America would become the “guardian angel” of the MIddle Eastern shipping route and suggested the US should be paid for controlling it.
  Trump did not explain how this would happen or who would provide the funding.
  The comments came after another night of US strik
  
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• WRAP appoints Tesco and M&S bosses as new Packaging Pact chairs

  13-07-2026 16:13
  
  The UK Packaging Pact has appointed five new industry experts to lead groups that will help shape the future of sustainable packaging across the UK.
  The appointments come three months after the ten-year programme was launched by the environmental charity to help businesses reduce packaging waste, improve recycling and support the move to a more circular economy.
  The new chairs are Tesco head of packing and food waste strategies James Bill, who chairs the Scale Reuse and Refill Industry Expert Gr
  
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• H&M to axe stores around the world under organisational strategy, says report

  13-07-2026 15:25
  
  H&M has been shutting stores around the world, with its latest six month report for 2026 revealing that more closures were on the way, according to Inc.com.
  The fashion company pulled in net sales of approximately 54.8 billion kronor (£4.23 billion) for its latest quarter which ended on 31 May. H&M highlighted that its results, in local currency terms, “were fairly in line with last year,” despite the chain operating roughly 3 per cent fewer shops than it did one y
  
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• Urban Outfitters launches Reskinned take-back: Is second-hand fashion going mainstream?

  13-07-2026 12:42
  
  Urban Outfitters has become the latest retailer to partner with second-hand fashion platform Reskinned, as the collaboration launches a take-back scheme.
  Customers can now hand over their pre-loved Urban Outfitters pieces and get £10 to spend on something new.
  A spokesperson for Reskinned said: “It’s a privilege to partner with Urban Outfitters on this, giving their customers a simple way to keep clothes in use for longer and pass things on responsibly.”
  There are current
  
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• Lululemon launches padel pop-up at Trafford Centre

  13-07-2026 11:50
  
  Lululemon has partnered with Trafford Centre to launch a premium pop-up padel court, to celebrate the opening of its larger new store at the shopping centre. 
  Running for two weeks in July, the branded Lululemon x Trafford Centre court leverages the popularity of the world’s fastest-growing sport to “provide a footfall-driving experiential opportunity for visitors”.
  Transforming part of the shopping centre’s outdoor space into an “engaging immersive sporting ex
  
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• Louise Noble explains why art was the inspiration of Fitflop’s recent collaborations

  13-07-2026 11:00
  
  Fitflop have looked to the art world for their latest collaborations, partnering with artist Keith Haring and colour standards company Pantone.
  Louise Noble, FitFlop chief product and brand officer explains that the idea for the Keith Haring campaign came from movement. The brand wants to help people move better and Haring’s work “is full of movement, optimism and energy”.
  She says: “The partnership felt incredibly natural It gave us the opportunity to tell that story thr
  
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• Will John Lewis’ forex and gift wrapping removal impact its customer service?

  13-07-2026 10:48
  
  John Lewis recently put 200 jobs at risk as it proposed shutting its in-store foreign exchange bureaux and dedicated gift-wrapping desks across dozens of sites.
  The retailer has rolled out a redundancy consultation with staff impacted by the plans, which would see bureau de change services axed in 30 stores and specialist gift-wrapping desks, which share the space with its bureaux de change, shut across the 25 sites where it is available.
  Although no final decision has yet been made, the closure
  
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• Why retail parks have become hot property for UK retailers 

  13-07-2026 10:45
  
  Last week, it was reported that retailers were facing a growing shortage of retail park space, with discounters, fashion chains, gyms and convenience-led operators all competing for out-of-town sites.
  Vacancy rates across the industry have dropped close to record lows, as landlords caution there is limited space left, particularly for bigger stores.
  While retail parks were previously largely dominated by DIY, furniture and bulky goods retailers, the destinations have now become one of the most s
  
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• M&S unveils revamped Oxford Street flagship after renewal

  13-07-2026 10:45 via theretailbulletin.com
  M&S has officially opened its refurbished London Pantheon store as part of its renewal and rotation programme to ensure it has the “right stores in the... View Article
  
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• 5 retailers that transformed their in-store experiences for the World Cup

  13-07-2026 10:44
  
  Despite being a sporting event, the Fifa World Cup has an undeniable impact on UK retail.
  Earlier this month, Debenhams Group reported that the event had driven a surge in its fashion football sales, while Co-op returned to market share growth for the first time in a year, as warmer weather and the start of the World Cup helped drive a rise in supermarket spending.
  Conversely, at the start of July, BDO reported that the heatwave and World Cup weighed on discretionary retail spending in June, as
  
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• Topshop searches for latest campaign star

  13-07-2026 09:56
  
  Topshop is looking for an “undiscovered talent with authentic style and standout presence” to front their latest denim campaign, with applications open until 21 July.
  The fashion retailer has teamed up with Premier Model Management to launch the nationwide search. The winner will appear in the official Topshop denim campaign alongside a leading British model. No previous modelling experience is required.
  Moses Rashid, Topshop global marketing director, said: “Topshop has l
  
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• A global supermarket chain remains retail’s great white whale

  13-07-2026 09:48 via ft.com
  Tesco’s retreat is sensible
  
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• Topshop teams up with Premier to find new face for denim campaign

  13-07-2026 09:02 via theretailbulletin.com
  Topshop is collaborating with Premier Model Management on a nationwide search for an aspiring model to star in its upcoming denim campaign. The fashion retailer has... View Article
  
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• Liberty promotes Laura Simpson to chief marketing officer

  13-07-2026 08:28 via theretailbulletin.com
  Liberty has promoted Laura Simpson to the position of chief marketing officer in a move that will see her continue in her role of managing director... View Article
  
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• Clarks expands affordable kids’ range for back to school season

  13-07-2026 08:14 via theretailbulletin.com
  Clarks has expanded its affordable range of kids’ shoes in time for the Back to School buying season. The footwear brand has introduced a wider selection... View Article
  
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• M&S expands Amazon presence to the Netherlands with 1,000+ fashion products

  10-07-2026 20:38 via theretailbulletin.com
  M&S has extended availability on Amazon to the Netherlands as it looks to boost new channel growth and build trust as a global brand. Having begun... View Article
  
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• UK trade routes under pressure as port traffic patterns shift

  10-07-2026 17:56
  
  New analysis of UK port data has revealed how freight traffic has shifted across the country as businesses continue to deal with disruption to global shipping routes.
  The research, from shipping container supplier Cleveland Containers, looked at Department for Transport figures covering freight volumes and vessel arrivals over the past five years.
  It found that disruption has not affected all UK ports in the same way, with some seeing more traffic while others have experienced declines.
  Clevelan
  
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• Lacoste awarded damages as French court bans Shein from counterfeiting products

  10-07-2026 17:53
  
  Lacoste has secured an interim court order against Shein in France, as part of an ongoing trademark dispute over products sold on the fast fashion platform.
  The ban, which remains subject to a final ruling, is intended to “prevent infringement of Lacoste’s renowned trademarks resulting from the sale of clothing, jewellery and fashion accessories on the Shein platform”.
  According to a statement released by the French court, the judge found there was “a likelihood of counte
  
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• FSA new rules to speed up lab-grown food applications

  10-07-2026 17:39
  
  The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published new guidance to help businesses developing cell-cultivated foods and other novel products navigate the approval process in Great Britain.
  Produced with Food Standards Scotland, the guidance covers hygiene requirements, scientific evidence needed for market authorisation, advice on preparing applications and information on conducting taste trials.
  The documents form part of the Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox Programme, a government-funded initiative
  
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• Ofcom makes it legal requirement for Big Tech to prevent scam ads

  10-07-2026 17:18
  
  Regulatory body Ofcom has called upon Big Tech firms to tackle scam ads on their platforms.
  The proposal, published today (10 July) will apply to some of the UK’s most widely used sites and apps, including social media and search platforms.
  Ofcom’s new plans will mean Big Tech will be legally required to put “robust measures” into place to address scam advertising.
  Measures featured in the plans include banning those who post scam ads and preventing them from creating new
  
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• Aldi renames Nordpak butter to show support for England team

  10-07-2026 16:29
  
  Ahead of the England vs Norway game on Saturday, discount retailer Aldi has unveiled a “reactive work” to show its support to the England team.The German supermarket chain has given its Nordpak butter packaging a rebrand, dropping ‘Nord’ from the label and replacing it with ‘ENG’.
  It was devised in collaboration with its agency partner McCann Manchester and will run across out-of-home, social media and in-store digital screens. Related Story Aldi team up with
  
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• Shein wins Chinese approval for long-awaited IPO

  10-07-2026 15:53 via ft.com
  China’s securities regulator grants permission for fast-fashion retailer to list its shares in Hong Kong after years of delays
  
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• ASOS debuts emerging designers collaboration with hand-crafted dress

  10-07-2026 13:24
  
  ASOS has launched ARRANGE Bespoke, a new range that allows emerging designers to “reinterpret ARRANGE’s signature approach to occasion-wear”.
  The new line debuted at Paris Couture week, with a hand-crafted dress by Johannes Warnke, a student at Central Saint Martins.
  The dress was developed in partnership with ARRANGE’s design team and was hand sewn using surplus materials.
  According to the online retailer, this new collection marks a new chapter for the ARRANGE label.Rel
  
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• Lululemon to launch first store in India

  10-07-2026 11:39
  
  Activewear giant Lululemon has revealed the location of its first store in India. 
  The new shop will be based in New Delhi’s DLF Promenade shopping mall. It will open in the autumn as part of the company’s franchise agreement with ecommerce firm Tata Cliq.
  The store will offer “high-performance products” for men and women, designed to support a wide range of activities including yoga, pilates, running, training, tennis, golf, and everyday movement. 
  It will also
  
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• UK government launches consultation on vape packaging

  10-07-2026 11:16
  
  The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a new UK wide consultation on plans to introduce plain packaging and restrictions on flavour descriptions for vapes, as part of efforts to stop vapes from being marketed to children.
  The plans, published today [10 July], will limit the colour of vape devices to white, black and grey and limit packaging colours to white. There will be additional restrictions on imagery, text colour, branding and product information.
  This follows the Tobacco an
  
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• M&S expands Amazon fashion partnership to include the Netherlands

  10-07-2026 10:33
  
  Marks & Spencer has boosted its fashion offering on Amazon to include the Netherlands, following successful roll outs in France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
  As the high street giant accelerates its new channel growth ambitions, and looks to build trust as a global brand, Dutch customers can now shop at the M&S Brand Store (Amazon.nl)
  M&S Fashion has been available in the Netherlands since 2022, through marketplace channels including Zalando. In the past six months, M&S has seen gro
  
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• Two thirds of UK retailers only react once problems have already impacted commercial performance

  10-07-2026 10:14 via theretailbulletin.com
  Despite widespread investment in AI, most UK retailers remain stuck in reactive decision-making, according to new research from UiPath. The survey of 500 UK retail leaders... View Article
  
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