Retail news

• Ocado: zeroing in

  30-10-2018 16:26 via ft.com
  Setting up robo depots for supermarket chains is now the online grocer’s real métier
  
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• Beauty Pop-ups: How your brand can stand out from the crowd

  16-03-2026 13:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Whether it’s a one-off store location (that’s usually open for a limited time), an immersive experience, a brand activation or a mobile tour, pop-ups are having their moment.
  Every retailer, brand and shopping destination seems to be putting together a pop-up, leaving consumers spoilt for choice.
  Do you love music? Well, you may have visited the Harry Styles pop-up store.
  Or perhaps you prefer sports? Then the Atlassian Williams pop-up at the Outernet might have been for you.
  But if
  
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• Theo Paphitis’ Boux Avenue and Ryman profits climb

  16-03-2026 13:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Theo Paphitis Retail Group saw profit growth in Boux Avenue and Ryman, despite Robert Dyas experiencing a “more testing time”.
  Lingerie specialist Boux Avenue saw EBITDA improve to £6.4m to deliver a profit from March 2024 to March 2025. This followed sales growth of 6.9 per cent and improved margins. 
  The business said that Boux Avenue’s ranges and marketing campaigns, “focusing on fit, aspiration and style,” resonated with shoppers across all of its cha
  
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• Lush calls out ‘racist narratives’ in new campaign with Migrants’ Rights Network

  16-03-2026 12:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Lush has partnered with the Migrants’ Rights Network to launch a nationwide public awareness and fundraising campaign aimed at highlighting the “growing use of racist narratives”.
  The campaign, which will run from 16 to 30 March, will feature in the windows of all Lush stores in the UK.
  According to the retailer, some politicians and media outlets have been “stoking fear and resentment” by blaming migrants for issues within the UK.
  Migrants’ Rights Network CE
  
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• JD.com launches Joybuy in the UK

  16-03-2026 12:55 via theretailbulletin.com
  China’s JD.com has launched its new Joybuy online shopping destination in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Products will range from consumer tech... View Article
  
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• Trump urges UK to secure Strait of Hormuz shipping lane

  16-03-2026 12:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Donald Trump has urged allies including the UK to deploy ships to the Strait of Hormuz as attacks on vessels raise concerns over global energy supplies.
  Over the weekend, the US president called for a multinational naval presence in the region to keep the key shipping route open after several ships were struck by projectiles or explosive boats in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Persian Gulf over the past two days.
  Posting on Truth Social on Saturday (14 March), Trump said Iran could still dis
  
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• Co-op upgrades in-store comms tech across UK estate

  16-03-2026 11:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Co-op has unveiled a new five-year partnership with a retail communications specialist which will see advanced headsets deployed to more than 2,300 stores nationwide.
  Following a pilot across 114 stores, full rollout of the headsets began in February and is expected to be concluded next year.
  Co-op has worked with the solutions provider VoCoVo since 2017 and is upgrading its existing headset devices as part of a long-term investment in its in-store technology. 
  The S5 pro headsets offer &ld
  
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• Tiffany & Co explore “facets of love” in new campaign starring Natalie Portman

  16-03-2026 11:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Luxury jewellery retailer Tiffany & Co. unveiled its new campaign film, featuring Academy Award winner Natalie Portman at the Academy Awards yesterday (15 March).
  Portman, who is the brand’s newest global House ambassador, plays herself in the hero spot, which spotlights the HardWear collection. It shows the different roles she holds, such as film director, producer and mother.
  The film shows Portman writing a letter to her daughter, reflecting on lessons she has learned about self-wor
  
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• Aldi ends ‘just walk out’ checkout-free store experiment

  16-03-2026 10:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Aldi has scrapped its checkout-free trial store in London, bringing an end to its experiment with “just walk out” shopping technology.
  The retailer confirmed that its Shop & Go trial at its Greenwich High Road location has now concluded, with the store set to continue operating as a standard Aldi Local.
  The concept store, which opened in 2022, used AI-powered cameras and sensors to track items customers removed from shelves, automatically charging them as they exited the store.
  T
  
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• Non-alcoholic beer and pet grooming added to UK inflation basket

  16-03-2026 10:30 via ft.com
  ONS updates list of items used to measure price growth on back of changing spending habits
  
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• French jewellery entrepreneur Julien Jarjoura explores last-ditch rescue for Claire’s UK

  16-03-2026 09:49 via retailgazette.co.uk
  French jewellery entrepreneur Julien Jarjoura is reportedly exploring a rescue deal for the UK arm of Claire’s after the business fell into administration for the second time in less than a year.
  Jarjoura is understood to be in discussions with the retailer’s administrators and landlords about a potential deal that could preserve “many” of its remaining UK stores and safeguard hundreds of jobs, according to reports.
  The chain currently operates 154 stores in the UK after
  
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• Currys digital & omnichannel director on why you “can’t fudge” seamless customer journeys

  16-03-2026 09:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  There’s a tendency in retail to declare each new wave of transformation as the one that finally ‘changes everything’. Multichannel did it. Then omnichannel. Then unified commerce. Now AI. In their own way, each new development does indeed augment the sector, but not with the explosive power industry discussion seems to indicate.
  Like all things, retail adapts. Whereas some adopt early and feel out the leading path, others hang back (sometimes a little too long) and wait to see
  
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• Government launches £1bn youth jobs scheme as retailers face employment pressures

  16-03-2026 09:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The UK government is set to introduce a new funding scheme aimed at tackling youth unemployment.
  The scheme aims to encourage businesses to hire more young workers, a move that could offer some support to sectors such as retail that have historically relied on younger employees.
  Under the proposals, businesses will receive a £3,000 grant for every person aged between 18 and 24 they hire who has been searching for work for six months or more. Small and medium-sized businesses will also be o
  
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• Chocolate-scented Magnum activation sparks commuter backlash on London tube

  16-03-2026 09:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  A new “multi-sensory” advertising campaign for Magnum is turning heads (and stomachs) after pumping the smell of chocolate into a busy London commuter tunnel.
  The campaign, installed last week in the walkway linking St Pancras railway station and King’s Cross St Pancras Underground station, aims to recreate the sensory experience of biting into a Magnum ice cream through a combination of sight, sound and scent.
  But while the idea might look clever in a marketing presentation, c
  
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• JD.com launches UK retail platform Joybuy to challenge Amazon

  16-03-2026 08:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com is launching a new online retail platform in the UK as it ramps up competition with major players, including Amazon.
  The company will debut its UK marketplace, Joybuy, offering a broad range of products including technology, home appliances, groceries, beauty and everyday essentials.
  JD.com said the platform will offer next-day delivery to around 17 million households across the UK, supported by new logistics operations and distribution centres in Milton Keynes and
  
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• Sephora expands UK footprint with first Scotland stores

  16-03-2026 08:49 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Global beauty giant Sephora is set to open its first stores in Scotland this summer, marking a significant step in its UK expansion.
  The retailer will launch new outlets at St James Quarter in Edinburgh and Silverburn Shopping Centre in Glasgow, around three years after opening its first UK store in London.
  The Edinburgh store will span 4,961 sq ft, while the Glasgow site, which will become Sephora’s largest store in Scotland, will cover 5,048 sq ft.
  Hoardings are expected to appear at bot
  
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• Sephora to open first stores in Scotland

  16-03-2026 07:57 via theretailbulletin.com
  Sephora UK is to open its first stores in Scotland this summer following “immense” demand online. The LVMH-owned beauty retailer will launch stores at Edinburgh’s St... View Article
  
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• French jewellery entrepreneur in talks to rescue Claire’s

  16-03-2026 07:55 via theretailbulletin.com
  Claire’s could be rescued by a French jewellery entrepreneur following its entry into administration earlier this year. According to The Times, Julien Jarjoura, the owner Claire’s... View Article
  
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• Gymshark reports 13th consecutive year of sales growth

  16-03-2026 07:30 via theretailbulletin.com
  Gymshark has reported its 13th consecutive year of sales growth as it continued to invest in future growth. In the year to 31 July 2025, sales... View Article
  
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• Footasylum returns to Silverburn as it ramps up UK expansion

  16-03-2026 07:23 via theretailbulletin.com
  Footasylum has launched a new store at the Silverburn shopping centre as it ramps up its UK expansion. The news follows the retailer securing fresh funding... View Article
  
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• Big bargains and ‘white knuckle’ buying: inside the rise of TJ Maxx

  16-03-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Savvy buyers and a vast supply of high-end clothes have propelled discount chain’s owner TJX into retail’s big league
  
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• China’s answer to Amazon launches rival European ecommerce service

  16-03-2026 01:01 via ft.com
  JD.com will launch service under its Joybuy brand after previously trying to crack the market in 2022
  
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• Uniqlo to open first store in South West

  15-03-2026 19:22 via theretailbulletin.com
  Uniqlo is to open its first store in the South West in Bristol next month. Due to launch 16 April, the shop at Cabot Circus will... View Article
  
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• UK petrol retailers claim ‘inflammatory language’ of ministers led to staff abuse

  13-03-2026 19:50
  Trade body attends Reeves meeting, hours after saying it was pulling out over suggestions of ‘price gouging’• Watchdog puts UK fuel retailers ‘on notice’ over profiteering from Iran warThe trade body for the UK’s petrol station industry has got into a row with the government after claiming the “inflammatory language” used by ministers to describe rising pump prices may have incited abuse against forecourt staff.The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA)
  
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• UK petrol trade body in dispute with ministers over ‘inflammatory’ comments

  13-03-2026 17:52 via ft.com
  PRA claims staff have been abused by public following government comments suggesting retailers are ‘price gouging’
  
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• The Fragrance Foundation’s Central London hub launches next week

  13-03-2026 17:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The Fragrance Foundation UK has unveiled its first-ever Central London Fragrance Hub, which will be open during National Fragrance Week from 18 to 19 March.
  The hub, which brings together brands, retailers and creators from across the perfume space, will explore trends within the industry such as AI-driven discovery, digital influence and sustainability.
  The 2026 Next Gen Cohort will be unveiled at National Fragrance Week. The accelerator programme was developed in partnership with Growth Studio
  
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• Zebra Technologies: How retailers can implement hyper-personalisation in store?

  13-03-2026 14:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Many retailers have started trying to copy the online experience in-store. Online consumers can receive recommendations tailored to them based on their past browsing and shopping habits.
  In-store, typically, customers don’t receive that level of service. However, that may be changing.
  Thanks to loyalty programmes such as Boots Advantage Card and Tesco Clubcard, customers can receive hyper-personalised recommendations while in store.
  We sit down with Mark Thomson of Zebra Technologies
  
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• Desert Island Stores: Andy Smallwood, CEO of Pashley Cycles

  13-03-2026 12:37 via theretailbulletin.com
  In his latest Desert Island Stores interview, Glynn Davis chats with Andy Smallwood, chief executive of Pashley Cycles. The store you remember from childhood? Growing up... View Article
  
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• Safety gear shapes modern work clothing

  13-03-2026 11:58 via theretailbulletin.com
  Safety gear has increasingly become the central influence in the design and function of modern work clothing. The integration of advanced safety features and materials is... View Article
  
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• UK economy stalls in January as restaurant spending drops sharply

  13-03-2026 11:16 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The UK economy unexpectedly failed to grow in January, with a sharp fall in spending at restaurants and cafés highlighting continued pressure on consumer demand.
  According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), gross domestic product (GDP) showed zero growth during the month, weaker than economists had forecast and following modest growth of 0.1 per cent in December.
  The ONS said the broader economic picture remains “subdued”, while analysts described the da
  
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