Retail news

• Philip Day puts Peacocks and Edinburgh Woollen Mill up for sale

  20-09-2020 13:24 via retailgazette.co.uk
  // Philip Day appoints FRP to begin hunt for potential buyers for Peacocks and Edinburgh Woollen Mill
  // Day may sell off raft of brands after receiving interest from Chinese investorsHigh street veteran Philip Day has reportedly appointed FRP to sound out potential buyers for Peacocks and Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM).
  FRP is believed to have asked for offers in by last Friday for the two retailers, which combined operate over 740 stores, The Sunday Times reported.
  Day began the sale process ear
  
  Read more

• Retailers warn zero-hours crackdown could threaten flexible and youth jobs

  25-08-2026 09:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Retailers have warned that the government’s overhaul of zero-hours contracts risks adding billions to employment costs and reducing the flexible jobs relied on by shops and younger workers.
  Business groups including the British Retail Consortium have urged ministers to rethink how the reforms are implemented, warning that the rules could remove employment opportunities rather than simply tackling exploitative working practices.
  Under changes contained in the Employment Rights Act, workers
  
  Read more

• Uniqlo ramps up UK expansion with new openings

  25-08-2026 09:22 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Uniqlo is continuing its UK store expansion with the opening of its first Cambridge shop next month.
  The Japanese fashion giant will open the 9,472sq ft store at the Grand Arcade on St Andrew’s Street on 24 September, taking over the former Ted Baker unit.
  Spread across two floors, the new location will stock Uniqlo’s womenswear and menswear LifeWear ranges alongside its autumn/winter 2026 collection, including Soufflé Yarn knitwear, Puffertech outerwear, seamless down jackets
  
  Read more

• Iceland Foods expands in South Korea with new deal

  25-08-2026 09:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Iceland Foods has struck a partnership with South Korean supermarket giant Lotte Mart to ramp up its expansion across Asia.
  It will launch branded Iceland concessions across 45 Lotte Mart stores this summer, giving South Korean shoppers access to more than 30 products from its frozen food range.
  The initial selection will span chips, ready meals, seafood, desserts and ice cream, with further products expected to be added as the partnership develops.
  The agreement marks Iceland’s return to
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Skims strengthens leadership with two new C-suite appointments

  25-08-2026 09:11 via theretailbulletin.com
  Kim Kardashian’s Skims has promoted Kim Schraub to the position of chief brand officer and appointed Erin Magee as chief design officer. Both roles are newly…
  
  Read more

• People in Retail Awards 2026: tickets in high demand ahead of September gala

  25-08-2026 09:11 via theretailbulletin.com
  With less than a month to go, the Retail Bulletin team can’t wait for this year’s People in Retail Awards (PiRA) party on 24 September, which…
  
  Read more

• Store sales productivity hits record high as shoppers spend more per square foot

  25-08-2026 09:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  UK retailers are generating more sales from their stores than ever before. Sales per occupied square foot reached a record high in the second quarter of 2026.
  Retail sales per occupied square foot climbed to £61.92 in the three months to June, up 23 per cent from £50.39 in the final quarter of 2019, as retailers squeezed more revenue from an unchanged amount of shop space.
  Excluding fuel and online sales, consumers spent £105.3bn in physical stores during the second quarter, ni
  
  Read more

• Gok Wan partners with Pour Moi for lingerie fit campaign

  25-08-2026 08:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Pour Moi has teamed up with TV presenter and style expert Gok Wan to launch a new campaign aimed at helping women find the right lingerie and swimwear fit.
  The lingerie retailer’s ‘Designed to Fit’ campaign will focus on educating shoppers about sizing and fit, while promoting comfort and body confidence across different ages, sizes and shapes.
  The initiative comes as Pour Moi claims an estimated 80 per cent of women are wearing the wrong bra size, highlighting what the retaile
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• High street risks ‘fresh wave of closures’ without urgent support, Burnham warned

  25-08-2026 08:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Britain’s high streets risk being hit by a fresh wave of business closures unless Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers immediate financial support, industry figures have warned.
  The warning comes as pressure mounts on the new government to widen its support for bricks-and-mortar businesses, with retailers continuing to grapple with rising business rates, employment costs and weaker footfall.
  Burnham has put reviving Britain’s high streets at the centre of his economic agenda, having
  
  Read more

• Bold Bean Co to accelerate wholesale and foodservice growth through new distribution deal

  25-08-2026 08:21 via theretailbulletin.com
  Bold Bean Co has appointed a new wholesale and foodservice distributor as it looks to accelerate growth across the channels. The company, which sells its products…
  
  Read more

• Diamonds Factory invests in Belfast with new Wellington Place store

  25-08-2026 08:15 via theretailbulletin.com
  Diamonds Factory has opened a new store at Wellington Place in Belfast after moving from the showroom it has run in the city for the past…
  
  Read more

• Shein’s IPO pitch should be more Meta than H&M

  25-08-2026 01:00 via ft.com
  Its rivals are not just clothes retailers but any business that provides screen-addicted users with a dopamine hit
  
  Read more

• How Shein’s $100bn dream unravelled

  24-08-2026 17:00 via ft.com
  Once high-flying fast-fashion retailer is listing in Hong Kong at quarter of peak value after years of false starts
  
  Read more

• Topshop unveils new collection co-designed with Cara Delevingne

  24-08-2026 15:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Topshop has collaborated with British model Cara Delevingne to launch a new co-designed collection of 16 pieces.
  The collection is the retailer’s first co-designed range with the model. It draws inspiration from Delevingne’s “connection” with the brand and her off-duty approach to style.
  Designed to be worn on repeat, the range features denim pieces including skirts, jeans, dresses, jackets and tailoring. It aims to keep Topshop’s circular design criteria in mind.
  D
  
  Read more

• Iceland Foods strikes deal with Lotte Mart for South Korea expansion

  24-08-2026 14:58 via theretailbulletin.com
  Iceland Foods has teamed up with a supermarket chain in South Korea to operate concessions in the country. From this summer, shoppers at 45 Lotte Mart…
  
  Read more

• Co-op launches new store on Fulham Palace Road

  24-08-2026 12:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Co-op has opened a new circa 3,000 sq ft store on Fulham Palace Road in London.
  The store, which opened on 21 August, sells the convenience giant’s range of fresh and healthy products, meal ideas, food to go, Fairtrade products, bakery, award winning chilled beers and wines, world foods and Costa coffee.
  The shop has created 15 new jobs and includes a range of added services to “make everyday life easier for busy consumers and commuters”. These include payment services via PayP
  
  Read more

• Bodycare MD David Stern on the brand’s return to bricks-and-mortar

  24-08-2026 12:50 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Despite narrowly dodging administration back in 2025, Bodycare has returned to the high street with a vengeance.
  With the launch of a brand new “Studio Store” format, the cosmetics retailer is targeting 15 new sites by the end of 2026, and more than 150 locations across the UK over the next five years.
  It comes after the retailer was saved from administration by an investment group led by former The Body Shop CEO Charles Denton last October. 
  The brand has opened two of its new
  
  Read more

• How has a summer of heatwaves impacted bricks-and-mortar retail?

  24-08-2026 12:47 via retailgazette.co.uk
  It’s been a record breaking summer for hot weather in the UK, with the soaring temperatures inevitably having a knock-on effect on businesses.
  The picture from within the retail industry has been mixed. While the hot weather deterred some shoppers from the high street, supermarket revenues fared well, alongside sales of alcoholic drinks and beverages, as consumers enjoyed outdoor picnics, barbecues and social gatherings.
  The latest Office for National Statistics retail sales figures reveal
  
  Read more

• Morrisons Palmers Green launches home and garden collection hub

  24-08-2026 11:38 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Morrisons Palmers Green has launched a home and garden collection hub featuring products from The Range, Wilko and Homebase.
  The supermarket’s new 800 sq ft collection point, which was introduced on 21 August, allows customers to browse, order and collect thousands of products across home, garden and DIY while completing their weekly food shop. 
  The space is designed to make home improvement and everyday tasks easier, according to the retailer. 
  It features takeaway-today product
  
  Read more

• Toca Boca and adidas’s new collaboration encourages girls to stay in sports

  24-08-2026 10:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  adidas has teamed up with digital game firm Toca Boca to encourage girls to stay in sports.
  The partnership brings adidas products such as sportswear and accessories to Toca Boca’s “digital playground”- Toca Boca World.
  As part of the collaboratiom, the pair have created new locations for the game, which are aimed at encouraging girls to explore “sports-inspired storytelling”.
  In-app features also include a free outdoor home designer location, premium style packs an
  
  Read more

• Starship Technologies delivery robots pulled from Sheffield after five-month trial

  24-08-2026 09:52 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Starship Technologies has pulled its autonomous delivery robots from Sheffield just five months after launching in the city with Uber Eats.
  The robotics firm said its pilot had come to an end and the service had been paused while it reviews the results, before deciding whether to deploy its robots in Sheffield again.
  It follows a series of vandalism incidents involving the six-wheeled delivery robots and their infrastructure, including visibility flags being snapped off and the words “off
  
  Read more

• Retail safety compliance – converting policy into operational proof

  24-08-2026 09:51 via theretailbulletin.com
  Retailers are operating in a legal environment that increasingly expects prevention, evidence and consistent implementation. A written policy remains important, but it is no longer enough…
  
  Read more

• Retail leaders to discuss workforce costs and efficiency

  24-08-2026 09:51 via theretailbulletin.com
  Workforce costs are rising, margins are being squeezed and retailers are under increasing pressure to plan, staff and operate more efficiently. And all while maintaining a…
  
  Read more

• Morrisons promises ‘Unbeatable Prices’ on 500 weekly essentials

  24-08-2026 09:51 via theretailbulletin.com
  Morrisons has launched a price match promise that guarantees its ‘Unbeatable Prices’ will not be beaten by those at Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Asda. It…
  
  Read more

• Abercrombie & Fitch elects Lovesac president Mary Fox to board

  24-08-2026 09:51 via theretailbulletin.com
  Abercrombie & Fitch has announced the election of Mary Fox to its board. A graduate of Coventry University in the UK, Fox is currently president of…
  
  Read more

• Morrisons launches 1,000 apprenticeships to ‘train next generation of retail leaders’

  24-08-2026 09:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Morrisons is launching 1,000 new apprenticeships with the aim of building its next generation of store leaders and protect specialist fresh food skills.
  Its new Proper Jobs: Fresh Start Programme will offer 1,000 young people a fully funded qualification and route into management by 2030, with roles spanning its stores, logistics operations, manufacturing sites and head office.
  The two-year programme will begin with recruits spending 13 weeks working as a Morrisons store colleague before progres
  
  Read more

• DFS returns to Saturday night TV with The Voice UK partnership

  24-08-2026 09:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  DFS has teamed up with ITV’s The Voice UK for a new marketing campaign, building on its partnership with Britain’s Got Talent earlier this year.
  It will feature throughout the singing competition across TV, streaming, digital and social media as part of its wider ‘What’s Your Thing?’ brand platform.
  The Voice UK returned to screens on 22 August and runs until 31 October.
  A new 10-second advert plays on the programme’s famous blind audition format, with DF
  
  Read more

• Retail helps drive Britain’s hidden productivity boom

  24-08-2026 09:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Britain’s retail sector is among the industries driving a surprise rebound in productivity that may have been masked by unreliable official employment data.
  New analysis from the Resolution Foundation suggests UK productivity has grown by an average of 1.1 per cent a year over the two years to June 2026, marking a sharp turnaround from the 0.7 per cent annual decline recorded during the previous two years.
  Crucially for retailers, the improvement appears to be broad-based rather than conce
  
  Read more

• Alibaba raises £7.5bn to accelerate AI investment

  24-08-2026 09:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Alibaba is raising £7.5bn through a major share sale as it doubles down on its AI ambitions.
  The retail and tech group is issuing 710m new shares in Hong Kong at around £10.54 each, with the deal expected to raise roughly £7.5bn.
  Alibaba said the proceeds would be used to develop its “full stack” AI capabilities, including chips, computing infrastructure and artificial intelligence models.
  The deal represents the largest-ever primary follow-on offering by a Hong Kon
  
  Read more

• Morrisons vows to beat rivals on price across 500 everyday products

  24-08-2026 09:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Morrisons has launched a new price pledge across more than 500 everyday products.
  The grocer’s new “unbeatable prices” commitment promises that the products covered will cost the same or less than at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
  The initiative spans weekly essentials including bananas, tomatoes, carrots, bread, butter and chicken fillets, alongside fresh products sold through Morrisons’ Market Street counters, including its bakeries and fishmongers.
  It m
  
  Read more

Follow @retailuknws on Twitter!