Retail news

• Shoppers increase spending despite Brexit uncertainty

  21-03-2019 12:12
  UK retail sales rose 0.4% in February, although food stores recorded big drop, says ONSNext profits fall but boss says Brexit not affecting spendingBritish consumers appear to have shrugged off mounting fears over Brexit by raising their spending in February, as unseasonably warm weather tempted shoppers to the high street.The Office for National Statistics said sales volumes rose by 0.4% last month compared to January, confounding City economists’ expectations for sales to fall by the sam
  
  Read more

• Waitrose to stop selling mackerel due to overfishing

  27-02-2026 19:37 via theretailbulletin.com
  Waitrose is to suspend sales of mackerel products amid concerns around overfishing. The supermarket will stop sourcing fresh, chilled, and frozen mackerel by 29 April, although... View Article
  
  Read more

• Train better: Top learning management system for retail​

  27-02-2026 16:42 via theretailbulletin.com
  Retail moves fast: your training should too. By using the right Learning Management System for retail, you can support retail training and development and help your... View Article
  
  Read more

• Quiz slashes prices further as it ramps up clearance drive

  27-02-2026 16:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Quiz Clothing is rolling out deeper discounts across its estate, as its joint administrators continue to assess options for the business.
  Further markdowns have now been applied across all categories in a bid to drive footfall and clear remaining inventory.
  Boots are being discounted by at least 50 per cent, while all other footwear is reduced by a minimum of 40 per cent. Dresses, handbags and accessories are now at least 30 per cent off, with the remainder of the range reduced by no less than 2
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Learning and development in the retail industry

  27-02-2026 15:03 via theretailbulletin.com
  Learning and development (L&D) in the retail industry has become one of the most important strategic elements; it is a way for retailers to deal with... View Article
  
  Read more

• Has Coles been caught with its pants ‘down down’ over its prices promotion?

  27-02-2026 15:00
  If the supermarket is found to have deliberately misled with the jingle that ‘sticks in one’s ears’, there will be sector-wide implicationsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOn the first day of the blockbuster case between the consumer regulator and Coles, the supermarket giant’s long-running “Down Down” jingle was played to the court.In an understated tone, counsel for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) noted tha
  
  Read more

• Sainsbury’s to cut 300 jobs as it restructures tech team and Argos deliveries

  27-02-2026 14:05
  Head office job losses part of plan for more separation between supermarket and Argos businessesSainsbury’s is cutting 300 head office jobs as it restructures its technology team and Argos delivery network, creating more separation between the two businesses.The London-based retail group said most of the job cuts would be in technology and data, where it was “consolidating routine reporting tasks” and creating dedicated teams for Argos and the supermarket. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Opening new doors: Pursuing international trade opportunities in 2026

  27-02-2026 13:58 via theretailbulletin.com
  A report by Lloyds and the British Chambers of Commerce. International trade remains a cornerstone of UK economic growth, with exports of goods and services exceeding... View Article
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Consumer confidence drops despite inflation easing

  27-02-2026 13:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Consumer confidence dropped in February, the latest GfK consumer confidence index has revealed.
  The market research company’s overall monthly index score, which was measured from 2 to 16 February, declined by three points to -19.
  Its expectations for personal finances over the next year dipped four points to 2, putting it in line with the same time last year.
  Forecasts for the general economic situation over the next year remained consistent at -31, which was the same as February 2025.
  The
  
  Read more

• Consumer confidence falls amid concerns about personal finances

  27-02-2026 11:54 via theretailbulletin.com
  Consumer confidence has declined in February as people feel more concerned about their personal finances and making major purchases. GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index has dropped three... View Article
  
  Read more

• Fenwick invites shoppers to ‘reconnect with nature’ in spring campaign

  27-02-2026 11:35 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Department store Fenwick has unveiled a new spring campaign, asking consumers to “reconnect with their friends, nature and sense of style”.
  The campaign was photographed by Thiago Santos at the Barbican Conservatory in London. It features new season fashion from Ganni, Max Mara, Damson Madder, True Religion, Barbour and Selected.
  Fenwick will be hosting pilates sessions in partnership with Lululemon and the monthly run club sponsored by the sportswear brand will make a return.Related
  
  Read more

• Asda rolls out “bigger, more inspiring” store concept at Peterborough location

  27-02-2026 11:19 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Supermarket chain Asda has accelerated the rollout of its ‘George’ concept stores, starting with Peterborough.
  This move follows the “strong performance” of its Leeds and Hull stand-alone George stores.
  The Brotherhood Shopping Park site will be the first Asda Living location to relaunch under the new concept, which features expanded ranges, a new layout and improved services.
  George managing director, Liz Evans, said: “Peterborough marks a key milestone in our roll
  
  Read more

• Poundland stops store closures and launches in-house designed clothes

  27-02-2026 11:15 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Poundland has ended its shop closures, as it makes room for clothes designed in-house for its Pep & Co brand.
  The retailer is carrying out significant clearance sales throughout 450 stores in a bid to make space for its new in-house designed clothing ranges.
  The move comes after Gordon Brothers acquired the brand in June from its parent company Pepco. Roughly 150 of the discount giant’s shops were shut as part of a restructuring programme after the sale.Related Story Zalando tells cust
  
  Read more

• Sainsbury’s puts 300 roles at risk in tech overhaul, with changes across Argos

  27-02-2026 10:49 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Sainsbury’s has confirmed that around 300 roles are at risk as it restructures its technology and data functions, with changes spanning both its core supermarket business and Argos.
  The majority of proposed cuts will fall within the retailer’s technology and data division, which is set to be reorganised into one dedicated team for Argos and two separate teams for Sainsbury’s.
  Head office operations will also be affected as the group looks to streamline decision-making and
  
  Read more

• Retailers celebrate as London’s iconic Oxford Street gets pedestrianised

  27-02-2026 10:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Plans to fully pedestrianise London’s iconic Oxford Street have been formally approved, marking a watershed moment for one of the UK’s most prominent retail destinations.
  The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has instructed Transport for London (TfL) to implement proposals removing traffic from the stretch between Great Portland Street and Orchard Street.
  Work is expected to begin this summer, with the first section set to be traffic-free by the end of the year and wider transfo
  
  Read more

• Hornby sells slot car racing brand Scalextric for £20m

  27-02-2026 10:01
  Purbeck Capital Partners seals deal for business and property rights of toy with model railway makerFor almost six decades Hornby has watched Scalextric drive revenues for its hobby business but on Friday the company said it had decided to sell the famous slot car racing brand for £20m to a little-known buyer.The model railway company, which also sells toy planes and cars under the Airfix and Corgi brands, has sold the Scalextric business and intellectual property rights to Purbeck Capital
  
  Read more

• Sainsbury’s to shed 300 jobs in major restructure

  27-02-2026 09:51 via theretailbulletin.com
  A restructure at Sainsbury’s will result in around 300 jobs being lost across its supermarket and Argos businesses. Most of the job cuts will come from... View Article
  
  Read more

• Asda accelerates plans to rebrand ten Asda Living shops to George

  27-02-2026 09:01 via theretailbulletin.com
  Asda is accelerating plans to rebrand ten Asda Living shops to standalone stores for its George fashion and homewares brand. The supermarket has announced that Peterborough... View Article
  
  Read more

• Ocado to cut around 1,000 jobs

  27-02-2026 08:39 via theretailbulletin.com
  Ocado Group has confirmed plans to cut around 1,000 jobs as it looks to reduce costs by around £150 million. This will equate to around 5%... View Article
  
  Read more

• Superdrug adds Made by Mitchell to its range

  27-02-2026 06:46 via theretailbulletin.com
  Superdrug has added social media born brand Made by Mitchell Cosmetics to its range in-store and online. The brand was founded by professional makeup artist Mitchell... View Article
  
  Read more

• Ocado failing to deliver on its potential as one of UK’s great technology hopes

  26-02-2026 19:44
  Firm’s automated warehouses are struggling to compete against swift deliveries from stores by bike ridersOcado to cut 1,000 jobs in £150m cost-saving driveOnly six years ago, the boss of Ocado Group was writing the obituary for supermarkets as he predicted that a surge in online grocery shopping during the pandemic had brought forward the hi-tech future.“Not every store will disappear, but there will be a dramatic shift,” Tim Steiner said at the height of the Covid pandem
  
  Read more

• Sofa Club appoints Stephanie Rackley to head up marketing

  26-02-2026 16:29 via theretailbulletin.com
  Sofa Club has appointed Stephanie Rackley as group marketing director. Most recently, she was marketing consultant and social media strategist at Caroline Gardner. She has also... View Article
  
  Read more

• Plan to pedestrianise London’s Oxford Street given official go-ahead

  26-02-2026 16:03
  Sadiq Khan promises to create ‘world-leading urban space’, with remaining traffic removed this summerPlans to pedestrianise London’s Oxford Street have been given the official go-ahead, with the mayor, Sadiq Khan, promising to create a “world-leading urban space”.The remaining traffic – buses and taxis but also bikes, e-scooters and pedicabs – should be removed this summer, after a second public consultation on reshaping a central stretch of the capital&
  
  Read more

• Interpath’s MD on why the department store comeback depends on supply chain discipline

  26-02-2026 15:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  After a decade of decline, and more than a few false dawns, talk of a department store revival is back on the agenda.
  But this time, says Interpath Advisory managing director and global head of consumer Stuart Reid, the difference is less about nostalgia and more about data, discipline and supply chain control.
  “It’s the culmination of a few things,” he explains. “Footfall is down overall, but it’s concentrating in prime locations. Where retailers are investing in t
  
  Read more

• Sadiq Khan pushes ahead with Oxford Street pedestrianisation

  26-02-2026 14:22
  London mayor says plan will create ‘world-leading urban space for shopping and leisure’
  
  Read more

• Manufacturing sector risks Gen Z talent shortfall, warns Nestlé

  26-02-2026 14:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Nestlé has warned that the UK’s £518bn manufacturing sector faces a growing talent pipeline challenge, as new research shows just 4 per cent of 16–24-year-olds would pursue a career in the industry.
  The consumer goods giant conducted a survey of 2,000 young people that found that while 59 per cent describe manufacturing as interesting and 21 per cent see it as important, it fails to rank among the top career choices.
  Healthcare, creative industries and education dominate
  
  Read more

• WPP tables biggest shake-up in its history to counter AI disruption

  26-02-2026 13:56 via retailgazette.co.uk
  WPP is embarking on one of the most radical restructures in its history as it looks to counter the growing disruption of AI, merging major agency brands, cutting costs and repositioning itself as what it calls a “simpler, lower-cost, AI-enabled business”.
  The London-listed group plans to deliver £500m of annualised cost savings by 2028 under its new multi-year strategy, “Elevate28”, at a cash cost of around £400m over two years.
  A significant proportion of the
  
  Read more

• ISBA framework addresses marketers fears about AI-enabled content creation

  26-02-2026 13:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA), in collaboration with the Responsible Marketing Advisory, has unveiled the ‘Marketers Framework for AI-Enabled Content Creation’, which aims to assist marketers with adopting AI-enabled content creation.
  The Framework, exclusive to the body’s members, was established following growing concern among brands about AI’s impact on shoppers’ trust.
  While AI has changed the creative process, advertisers say its adopti
  
  Read more

• National Farmers’ Union re-elects Bradshaw as president in leadership shake-up

  26-02-2026 12:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The National Farmers’ Union has re-elected Tom Bradshaw as it president, as it revealed its new officeholder team for the next two-year term.
  Bradshaw, an arable farmer from Essex, has been part of the NFU officeholder team for six years, having served as president for the past two years and holding both the vice-president and deputy president positions before that.
  He will be joined by Paul Tompkins as deputy president and Robyn Munt as vice-president, who replaces David Exwood and Rachel
  
  Read more

• Ocado slashes 1,000 jobs to cut costs by £150m

  26-02-2026 12:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Ocado Group is to cut around 1,000 roles as part of a sweeping restructuring designed to strip £150m from its technology and support cost base by 2027 (FY27).
  The decision came as the online grocery and technology specialist reported its full-year results for the 52 weeks to 30 November 2025 showing strong EBITDA growth.
  Group revenue rose 12.1 per cent to £1,361.5m with technology solutions up 13.0 per cent and logistics up 11.5 per cent, while adjusted EBITDA climbed to £178.
  
  Read more

Follow @retailuknws on Twitter!