Retail news

• Retail industry predictions for 2026 – Part 1

  29-12-2025 10:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  With consumer confidence subdued, concerns over rising costs and new technology redefining customer expectations, 2025 was a rollercoaster for all aspects of the retail sector.
  But will 2026 be any different?
  In the first of a two-part series, Retail Gazette hears from seven industry experts with predictions for the 12 months ahead.
  The importance of blended retailCarina Hummel, UK managing director for Optics at Specsavers, says one trend that will be key in 2026, is that “customers expec
  
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• Vestiaire Collective co-founder stepping down

  07-01-2026 16:37 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Vestiaire Collective co-founder Fanny Moizant has revealed she will be stepping down from the company after 16 years.
  Moizant co-founded the pre-loved clothing business in 2009 with its current fashion director Sophie Hersan.
  Posting on LinkedIn, she said: “I am leaving the company as part of the recent organizational changes. 
  “This was not a decision I initiated, nor one I expected, but I accept that it marks the end of an extraordinary chapter.Related Story Primark rolls out
  
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• Primark rolls out biggest activewear collection

  07-01-2026 16:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Primark is introducing its largest ever activewear range, designed to take shoppers “seamlessly from workouts to everyday life”.
  Launching this week across women’s, men’s and kidswear, prices for the collection start from £2.50 for accessories and £4.50 for activewear.
  The 240-piece collection is Primark’s most advanced activewear offer to date, according to the retailer, combining “fresh styles with innovative new fabrics across leggings, tops, ho
  
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• Amazon accused of listing goods from other websites without consent

  07-01-2026 14:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Online retailer Amazon has been accused of listing items from independent retailers without their permission.
  The ecommerce giant has listed some independent retailers’ full inventory on its website without seeking consent, four business owners told the Financial Times, allowing customers to shop via Amazon instead of directly purchasing goods. 
  Two independent retailers told the publication they also received orders for items that were either out of stock or mispriced and mislab
  
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• Tala losses widen as revenues climb

  07-01-2026 13:17 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Activewear brand Tala saw losses widen in its latest annual results, despite sales growth. 
  The company’s operating loss came in at £2.6m for the year to 31 March 2025, compared to a £983,331 loss the year prior.
  Revenues were up 19% to £19.8m over the period, which it attributed to continued direct-to-consumer growth as well as improved wholesale performance.
  Gross margin stood at 58% over the period. 
  The brand’s wholesale operations performed eight time
  
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• Topps Tiles posts fifth straight quarter for sales growth

  07-01-2026 11:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Topps Tiles has reported solid trading in the first quarter, delivering its fifth consecutive quarter of like-for-like growth as it outperformed the wider tiles market.
  In the 13 weeks ending 27 December 2025, the tile specialist, excluding its newly acquired CTD Tiles Limited, saw revenues rise 3.7% year on year.
  The core Topps Tiles brand grew sales by 2% on a like-for-like basis, up 3.7%, boosted by growth in its “Mission 365” category extensions.
  In 2024, the group acquired the b
  
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• UK festive spend almost hit £20bn

  07-01-2026 10:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Shoppers spent £19.6bn during the four weeks of the festive period to 27 December, with total till sales growing by 3%, according to the latest figures from NielsenIQ (NIQ).
  E-commerce as the fastest-growing channel, with an increase of 9.9%. Ocado remained the fastest-growing retailer, with sales going up by 12.8% due to the surge in online sales.
  Lidl experienced a 9.4% increase in sales, making it the fastest-growing brick-and-mortar supermarket.
  Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and M&S
  
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• Waitrose to open first South West distribution hub in £1bn supply chain push

  07-01-2026 10:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Waitrose is set to open its first distribution centre in the South West, creating more than 550 jobs as part of a wider overhaul of its supply chain.
  The 360,000 sq ft site in Avonmouth, Bristol, will open in early 2027 and be operated by DHL, serving around 50 existing Waitrose shops in the region, while recruiting around 480 warehouse staff and 80 drivers.
  The new site forms part of a multi-year £1bn investment programme across the Waitrose brand, which includes upgrading all 317 stores
  
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• Sainsbury’s launches two-year grad scheme

  07-01-2026 10:14 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Sainsbury’s is launching a new graduate programme, designed to support early career professionals in “developing the essential skills all future retail leaders will need”. 
  The FutureMaker programme enables graduates to spend two years at Sainsbury’s, developing critical skills in four areas, identified as the skills shaping the future of retail: digital and AI, data and analytics, change and transformation and business decision making.
  The three-part programme will
  
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• Comment: Kicking the serial returners habits

  07-01-2026 09:38 via theretailbulletin.com
  It’s that time of the year again when shoppers are returning unwanted goods to retailers in serious volumes in what is an ongoing problem that has... View Article
  
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• Waitrose’s new South West distribution centre to create 550 jobs

  07-01-2026 09:31 via theretailbulletin.com
  Waitrose has announced that its first distribution centre in the South West will create over 550 new jobs. The 360,000 square foot facility in Avonmouth in... View Article
  
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• Topps Tiles reports first quarter sales growth

  07-01-2026 09:09 via theretailbulletin.com
  Topps Tiles has posted year-on-year sales growth in its first quarter as it delivered sales increases across each of its businesses. In the 13 weeks to... View Article
  
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• Wild Nutrition partners with Liberty

  07-01-2026 07:59 via theretailbulletin.com
  Wild Nutrition has announced that it will become the first wellness brand to take up residency in Liberty’s iconic Atrium. The brand will be using the... View Article
  
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• Primark launches biggest activewear range to date

  07-01-2026 07:50 via theretailbulletin.com
  Primark has launched its biggest activewear range to date across its womenswear, menswear and kidswear categories. The fashion retailer said the new 240-piece collection includes a... View Article
  
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• Metrocentre reports ‘robust’ festive trading period

  07-01-2026 07:49 via theretailbulletin.com
  Metrocentre has reported a “robust” festive trading period with increased footfall and standout trading days. Boxing Day was a particularly successful day for the shopping centre... View Article
  
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• Enterprise trends for the new year: Four forces reshaping grocery

  07-01-2026 07:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The new year is off to a promising start, laying the groundwork for meaningful progress in retail. Yet 2026 will also bring sharper expectations and challenges that are becoming increasingly acute. The priority for retailers is unmistakeable: modernise at a pace that meets customer demand while protecting profitability.Retailers now face rising expectations to streamline operations, reduce cost, personalise experiences and build new revenue streams, all while delivering affordability for custome
  
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• Amazon accused of listing products from independent shops without permission

  06-01-2026 23:58
  Complaints from retailers come as ecommerce giant sues start-up for sending AI ‘agents’ to shop without its consent
  
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• Pop Mart opening new manufacturing sites

  06-01-2026 17:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Chinese toy retailer Pop Mart is set to bolster its global expansion with new manufacturing facilities in Cambodia, Mexico and Indonesia to meet soaring global demand, Reuters reported.
  The firm, which is famous for its viral Labubu dolls, currently does not run its own factories and works with local manufacturing partners.
  Pop Mart said that the partner-led network would boost capacity and improve global access to new items.Related Story O2 unveils new store openings10/12/2025 x 9:49 AMThe
  
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• ASH urges retailers to prepare for Smokefree Generation Law

  06-01-2026 17:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The CEO of Action on smoking and health (ASH) Hazel Cheeseman has written an open letter to retailers across the UK ahead of the smokefree generation age-of-sale law taking effect on 1 January 2027.
  The letter sets out what the change will mean for businesses, communities and public health, and urges the sector to treat the policy as “a manageable transition with long-term benefits for business and public health”.
  Under the measure, it will be illegal to sell tobacco to those born on
  
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• Crew Clothing profit jumps as sales climb

  06-01-2026 13:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Crew Clothing saw profits and sales soar in its latest annual results.
  The fashion brand, which relocated its head office last spring, saw pre-tax profit shoot up 65.1% year on year to £25.6m for the 52 weeks to 29 December 2024. This compared to £15.5m during the previous period, which the brand noted was a 53-week one.
  Adjusted EBITDA jumped 31.7% to £24m, driven by a strong sales performance, while operating profit was up 56.7% to £24.3m.
  Additionally, the retailer&rsq
  
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• Asos bolsters brand portfolio with Noughts & Kisses acquisition

  06-01-2026 12:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Asos is adding fashion retailer Noughts & Kisses to its brand portfolio later in 2026.
  Noughts & Kisses is due to launch at the online retailer at the end of the first quarter of the year, Drapers reported, as it debuts a 30-piece collection for the spring season.
  Speaking to the publication, Noughts & Kisses said its first Asos collection had been curated to “represent the full Noughts & Kisses aesthetic”, and features a range of its signature styles across tail
  
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• Next expects profits to top £1.1bn after bumper festive sales

  06-01-2026 11:57
  Retailer warns that growth this year will be slower amid continuing pressures on UK employmentBusiness live – latest updatesThe high street retailer Next expects its annual profits to top £1.1bn after it rang up much stronger sales than expected over Christmas – but it has warned that 2026 will be tougher amid “continuing pressures on UK employment”.The clothing and homewares retailer said it was improving annual profit forecasts by £15m, its fourth upgrade in
  
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• Asda saw sales fall over Christmas period

  06-01-2026 10:43 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Asda’s sales decreased by 4.2%, during the 12 weeks to 28 December 2025.
  According to the year-over-year data from Worldpanel by Numerator, Co-op also saw a sales fall of 1.3% during the period.
  Ocado continues to be the fastest-growing grocer, with sales increasing by 15% over the 12 weeks to 28 December 2025 year-over-year, and now holds 2.1% of the market.Related Story Tesco brings back retro blue and white stripes05/01/2026 x 2:16 PMLidl experienced a 10% sales increase and accounts fo
  
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• Aldi and Lidl grab record Christmas sales share as Asda and Co-op slide

  06-01-2026 10:43
  Shoppers hit by rising bills switch to discount chains, supermarket own-label products and buying fewer items Business live – latest updatesThe discounters Aldi and Lidl grabbed their biggest share of Britain’s Christmas grocery market to date, while Asda and the Co-op lost out as shoppers sought out bargains to help offset rising household bills.The German-owned supermarket chains grabbed a 16.8% slice of the market in the four weeks to 28 December, up from 16.3% a year earlier. Con
  
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• BRC says inflation likely to remain ‘sticky’ in 2026

  06-01-2026 10:39 via theretailbulletin.com
  The British Retail Consortium has warned that inflation is likely to be “sticky” this year as retailers are impacted by public policy costs and regulation. In... View Article
  
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• Higgidy Pie Shop to pop up on London’s Percy Street

  06-01-2026 10:37 via theretailbulletin.com
  Higgidy is bringing its premium pies to the capital this month through a pop-up shop on Percy Street in the West End. Opening for one day... View Article
  
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• Next profit could top £1.1bn after strong Christmas

  06-01-2026 10:36 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Next saw stronger than anticipated revenues during the Christmas period.
  Full price sales grew 10.6% over the nine weeks to 27 December compared to 2024, putting them ahead of its guidance for the quarter of 7%.
  Full price UK revenues increased by 5.9% during the festive period, as international sales climbed 38.3%.
  Next said the revenues were boosted by higher stock levels than the year before when deliveries were held up by disruption in Bangladesh.
  The fashion retailer’s annual profit i
  
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• Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop on the ‘brink of collapse’, says report

  06-01-2026 10:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  High street stores Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop (sometimes known at TOFS) could be set to close, risking more than 2,000 jobs, according to a report by Sky News.
  The broadcaster said the two chains “are understood to be filing notices of intention to appoint administrators just days after the conclusion of the crucial Christmas trading period”.
  The two retailers are owned by investment firm Modella Capital. They have around 300 stores and about 2,500 staff.Related Sto
  
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• Inflation to ‘remain sticky’, warns BRC

  06-01-2026 09:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  UK shop price inflation rose slightly in early December as food prices increased at a faster pace.
  According to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which covered the period 1–7 December 2025, overall shop price inflation reached 0.7% year on year in December, up from 0.6% in November and in line with the three-month average.
  The increase was driven by higher food inflation, which climbed to 3.3% year on year, compared with 3% the previous month.Related Story Retail
  
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• Next raises guidance after strong Christmas trading

  06-01-2026 08:51 via theretailbulletin.com
  Next has seen its full price sales climb by 10.6% in the lead-up to Christmas. This compares to the retailer’s guidance of 7% growth for the... View Article
  
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