Retail news

• ScS hails ‘resilient’ year

  25-10-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Sofa retailer ScS has reported a “resilient” year as it continues to grow its market share. In the 52 weeks to 29 July, the Sunderland-based company... View Article
  
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• M&S to invest £70 million in colleague pay

  03-03-2026 13:47 via theretailbulletin.com
  M&S is to invest £70 million in colleague pay in the year ahead. From 1 April, pay for UK retail staff will increase by 6.4%, more... View Article
  
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• Holland & Barrett sales boosted by TikTok trends, as losses widen

  03-03-2026 12:29
  Holland & Barrett saw sales soar in its latest annual results, driven by TikTok-led health trends and weight-loss jabs.
  The health and wellness specialist claimed that online trends boosted its total annual sales by 11 per cent year on year to £981m in the year to the end of September, according to The Times.
  Holland & Barrett CEO Anthony Houghton said that “more and more people are being triggered by social media” to buy into health and wellness-related trends, includi
  
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• Criteo joins OpenAI advertising pilot

  03-03-2026 12:21
  Criteo will be the ‘first’ advertising technology partner to integrate with OpenAI’s advertising pilot in ChatGPT Free and Go in the United States.
  According to the platform, aggregated insights from its US clients show that users referred from LLM platforms such as ChatGPT convert at around one and half times the rate of other referral channels.
  Criteo believes that this pilot is an “opportunity to evaluate” how brands can participate in advertising within ChatGPT,
  
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• McDonald’s CEO marketing misstep shows authenticity and ‘corporateness’ don’t mix

  03-03-2026 11:53
  When the CEO of McDonald’s, visibly uncomfortable with a carefully arranged selection of his own food in front of him, took a cautious bite of his company’s latest burger and called it a “delicious product”, the internet had a field day.
  Such was the inevitable trajectory of Chris Kempczinski’s promotional video introducing the new Big Arch burger. Intended as a confident, humanising moment ahead of launch, it instead became something of a social media spectacl
  
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• Reeves faces fresh retail headwinds as gas hits three-year high and markets slide

  03-03-2026 11:49
  Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver her spring forecast today against a dramatically worsening economic backdrop, as surging oil and gas prices triggered by escalating conflict in the Middle East threaten to reignite inflation and pile fresh pressure on UK retailers.
  While the update from the Office for Budget Responsibility was expected to show the UK broadly in line with fiscal forecasts, supported by a strong January budget surplus and easing inflation, events have rapidly overtak
  
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• DFS beats expectations in subdued market as UBS backs recovery story

  03-03-2026 11:38
  DFS has outperformed expectations in a subdued UK retail market, with UBS reiterating its ‘buy’ rating and 230p price target after the sofa specialist delivered a stronger-than-expected first-half update.
  The broker said DFS Furniture plc stood out against a backdrop of cautious trading statements and profit warnings across the sector, as gross sales rose 8.7 per cent year on year in the first half of the 2026 financial year. That was comfortably ahead of consensus forecast
  
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• Silverstone Circuit names M&S as Official Partner

  03-03-2026 11:35
  M&S has been named the Official Partner of Silverstone Circuit and will have a presence at “key” motorsport events throughout the year, including Formula 1, MotoGP and Carfest.
  As part of the collaboration, M&S will become an official event supporter of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, sponsoring the main stage.
  M&S marketing director for fashion, home & beauty, Sharry Cramond said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Silverstone on its incre
  
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• Google Cloud and Nexi to build agentic commerce infrastructure

  03-03-2026 11:35
  Nexi Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Google Cloud to develop infrastructure for agentic commerce across Europe.
  The partnership will combine Google Cloud’s AI and data capabilities with Nexi’s European payment network and acquiring expertise, with the aim to develop agentic AI that can manage shopping journeys and execute payments on behalf of consumers.
  Under the agreement, Nexi will back open-source commerce standards including the Universal Commerce Protoc
  
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• Shop price inflation eases in February as price rises kept ‘in check’

  03-03-2026 11:32
  Shop price inflation eased in February, as “fierce competition between retailers kept price rises in check”.
  Shop price inflation was up 1.1 per cent year on year (YOY) from 1 February to 7 February, against growth of 1.5 per cent the month before, according to trade association the British Retail Consortium (BRC). 
  Non-food prices dipped 0.1 per cent YOY over the period, compared to 0.3 per cent growth in January, while food inflation increased 3.5 per cent YOY in February, fro
  
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• Gucci, Amazon and other global brands shut Middle East stores as conflict disrupts retail

  03-03-2026 10:53
  Global retailers and luxury brands have temporarily shuttered stores across the Middle East as escalating conflict in the region disrupts travel, footfall and supply chains.
  In Dubai and other major shopping hubs, a number of stores have closed entirely or are operating with skeleton teams as missile strikes and airspace shutdowns create uncertainty for businesses and consumers alike.
  Regional retail operator Chalhoub Group, which runs around 900 stores for brands including Versace, Jimmy Choo a
  
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• UK grocery inflation in surprise rise as experts warn of worse to come

  03-03-2026 09:44
  Extended war in Middle East could cause ‘substantial spike’ in inflation and ‘sharp drop in output’ in eurozone and UK, ECB official saysBusiness live – latest updatesShoppers faced a surprise jump in grocery inflation last month after four successive months of falls, as experts warned there is worse to come if there is prolonged war in the Middle East.In a blow to households struggling with the cost of living, grocery price inflation rose to 4.3% in the four weeks
  
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• Greggs annual profit declines in ‘tough’ food-to-go market

  03-03-2026 09:43 via theretailbulletin.com
  Greggs has reported a decline in pre-tax profit after it faced a “tough” environment for the food-to-go market. In the year to 27 December, underlying pre-tax... View Article
  
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• Look Fantastic opens Bristol concept store

  03-03-2026 08:11 via theretailbulletin.com
  Beauty retailer Look Fantastic has opened a new concept shop in Bristol as it looks to evolve its omnichannel strategy. The  3,000 square foot space at... View Article
  
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• B&M tries to win back Britain’s discount shoppers

  03-03-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Retail chain’s new chief executive needs to catch up with rival Home Bargains
  
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• Dr. Martens chief product officer steps down

  02-03-2026 23:10 via theretailbulletin.com
  Dr. Martens chief product officer Adam Meek has stepped down after four years in the role. Meek joined the business in 2021 from Canada Goose where... View Article
  
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• The top five legal risks for retailers and what to do about them?

  02-03-2026 23:04 via theretailbulletin.com
  Retail businesses rarely operate in just one channel anymore. You may have a physical store, an online shop, marketplace listings, and multiple suppliers, all running alongside... View Article
  
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• UK private equity investor plots closure of up to 80 former WHSmith stores

  02-03-2026 19:54 via ft.com
  Modella rebranded high street shops as TG Jones after buying them last year
  
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• Rituals launches four boutiques in continued retail expansion

  02-03-2026 18:55
  Rituals is opening four new boutiques, marking a “significant milestone” in its UK and IE expansion strategy.
  The luxury wellbeing brand is launching its first new boutique in Wilton Shopping Centre in Cork on 4 March.
  The opening will be followed by arrivals in Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge, Kildare; London, Wimbledon; and Taunton on 11 March.Related Story Saks Global issued final approval for bankruptcy funding23/02/2026 x 10:05 AMThe launches come as Rituals reaffirms it
  
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• Tilray acquires BrewDog in £33m deal

  02-03-2026 18:54
  Tilray Brands has acquired BrewDog in a £33m deal aimed at creating a global craft beer and beverage platform worth around $500m in annual revenue.
  The transaction includes BrewDog’s global brand and intellectual property, its UK brewing operations and 11 pubs across the UK and Ireland: Birmingham, Canary Wharf, Dogtap Ellon, Dublin, Edinburgh DogHouse, Lothian Road, Manchester, Paddington, Seven Dials, Tower Hill and Waterloo.
  It is understood Tilray is also separately negotiat
  
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• Wickes launches retail media platform for home improvement brands

  02-03-2026 16:25 via theretailbulletin.com
  Wickes has launched a new retail media network that goes live with both onsite and offsite capabilities. The home improvement retailer said Wickes Connected Retail Media... View Article
  
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• £2.1bn of grocery sales at risk due to out-of-stock products, warns DHL

  02-03-2026 16:00
  Product availability has overtaken price as the biggest driver of customer loyalty in UK grocery retail, with stock-outs putting an estimated £2.1bn in sales at risk, according to new research from DHL supply chain and Retail Economics.
  The new report, titled ‘The Availability Effect: Why trust, margin and loyalty start at the shelf edge’, draws on in-store audits, a survey of 2,000 UK households and economic modelling to assess the scale and behavioural impact of stock ga
  
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• TG Jones owner calls in advisers to develop restructuring plan

  02-03-2026 14:32 via theretailbulletin.com
  The owner of TG Jones has brought in Teneo to develop a restructuring plan aimed at putting the business on a more sustainable footing. Modella Capital... View Article
  
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• Your Customers Have Already Moved. Has Your Brand?

  02-03-2026 14:31 via theretailbulletin.com
  Commentary By Sreeraman MG, Co-Founder, Fynd Every major technology shift in retail has come with the same quiet reassurance: there’s time. Omnichannel took years to mature.... View Article
  
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• TG Jones owner appoints advisers to draw up restructuring plan for retailer

  02-03-2026 13:40
  TG Jones owner Modella Capital has appointed advisers from Teneo to put together a restructuring plan designed to put the stationery retailer on a more sustainable footing.
  The move, which comes less than a year after Modella took over the company, is set to lead to concerns over another series of store closures and job cuts at the business.
  It is understood that around 80 TG Jones stores out of a total of roughly 480 are most at risk after a period of tough trading, according to the Telegraph.R
  
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• Dr Martens chief product officer departs

  02-03-2026 13:35
  Dr Martens chief product officer Adam Meek has departed from the shoe retailer after four years.
  The exec joined the business in December 2021, after a two year stint at Canadian outerwear and clothing retailer Canada Goose.
  Meek also worked for Nike from December 2014 to December 2015 as its director of merchandising sportswear.Related Story Global supply chain volatility pushes sports brand On to open robot-centric South Korean factory26/02/2026 x 8:53 AMPosting on LinkedIn, Meek said: “
  
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• ISBA responds to consultation on protecting children on social media

  02-03-2026 13:31
  The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) has welcomed the launch of the UK government’s consultation on measures to protect children on social media.
  The consultation was published today (2 March) and asks for views from parents, carers, young people, those who work with children, civil society organisations, academics and industry. It will run for three months, until 26 May.
  This follows the release of Molly vs. the Machines, a documentary about Molly Russell, a young teenag
  
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• Online now driving major retailers’ strategies

  02-03-2026 13:16 via theretailbulletin.com
  News that Tesco is rejigging its head office functions in order to focus greater attention on its digital operations looks very similar to the moves that... View Article
  
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• Tesco breathes new life into ‘Every Little Helps’ slogan

  02-03-2026 13:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Tesco has breathed new life into its ‘Every Little Helps’ slogan with the launch of a new brand platform that asks “Need Anything From Tesco?”. The... View Article
  
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• Wickes connects UK businesses with ‘home-improvement’ audience

  02-03-2026 12:23
  Wickes has unveiled a new media network designed to connect brands with the UK’s “home-improvement audience”.
  The platform, titled ‘Wickes Connected Retail Media’, was developed in partnership with Epsilon and is powered by the marketing agency’s COREid identity graph.
  Gary Kibble, chief marketing and digital officer at Wickes, said: “We’re proud to launch Wickes Connected Retail Media in partnership with Epsilon, a major step forward for our busin
  
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