Retail news

• Sofology managing director to step down as DFS simplifies management structure

  04-12-2024 09:52 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  DFS has announced that Sofology managing director Emma Dinnis is to step down at the end of December as part of the furniture retailer’s plan to... View Article
  
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• How to create a learning and development strategy​ in retail

  12-03-2026 13:21 via theretailbulletin.com
  The pace at which retail is changing is accelerating on a daily basis. What retailers need to keep up with daily operational pressures, rapid technological changes... View Article
  
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• Toolstation partners with British Heart Foundation for staff CPR training

  12-03-2026 13:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Toolstation has joined forces with British Heart Foundation (BHF) to train all 5,000 of its staff in CPR.
  The partnership will see the DIY retailer commit to training its workers to do CPR via BHF’s RevivR tool before the end of the year and raise funds for the charity. 
  The collaboration aims to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among tradespeople.
  Through the partnership, Toolstation and the charity will provide tradespeople with information about cardio
  
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• Footasylum opens new Glasgow store

  12-03-2026 13:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Footwear brand Footasylum has opened a new store in Glasgow today (12 March).
  The new 10,305 sq ft store will be located in the Silverburn shopping centre and will create 29 new jobs for the area.
  According to the business, the opening “strengthens the brand’s presence” in the Scottish city and builds upon the performance of its former Silverburn store and existing locations across the city.
  Shannon Osman, head of retail at Footasylum said, “Glasgow has always delivered f
  
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• Whole Foods Market to launch six London stores this year

  12-03-2026 13:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Whole Foods Market is set to launch six new London stores by June.
  The grocery chain, which reported a loss in September, is opening new shops in Angel, Liverpool Street, Notting Hill Gate, Wood Wharf (Canary Wharf), Monument and St. James’s.
  The new sites will double the supermarket’s UK store portfolio to 12.
  The shops will sell a selection of organic and fresh produce, as well as prepared foods including salads, sandwiches and hot meals. It will also offer meat and seafood, bakery
  
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• Oatly retires well known brand slogan in the UK with ‘contraband’ campaign

  12-03-2026 13:06 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Oatly will be retiring its ‘Post Milk Generation’ slogan in the UK, after the Supreme Court ruled that it could no longer use it on its products.
  The brand has given out “contraband” merchandise with the slogan to passersby in London. The Post Milk Generation Outlet could be found in Cowcross Yards in Farridgon yesterday (11 March).
  Bryan Carroll, general manager at Oatly UK & Ireland said: “We haven’t dared utter the forbidden m‑word in our marketin
  
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• What is conversational marketing & why are retail brands investing in it?

  12-03-2026 12:32 via theretailbulletin.com
  As customer expectations shift towards real-time, personalised communication, conversational marketing has rapidly become the go-to strategy for retail brands looking to cut through the noise and... View Article
  
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• HGV driver shortage could hit UK retail supply chains, logistics training firm warns

  12-03-2026 12:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  UK retailers and supply chains could face fresh disruption as a new HGV driver shortage emerges following the end of government-funded training programmes.
  The loss of central funding for the government’s HGV Skills Bootcamps has significantly reduced the number of newly trained drivers entering the workforce, raising concerns across logistics and distribution sectors that support retail operations.
  The UK experienced a major HGV driver shortage in 2021, which disrupted deliveries to super
  
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• Middle East conflict raises further concerns for UK food supply chain

  12-03-2026 11:40 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The UK government has held talks with farming leaders about the resilience of the country’s food supply chain as the conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt global energy markets.
  Department for environment, farming and rural affairs (DEFRA) secretary of state Emma Reynolds and farming minister Angela Eagle met representatives from the National Farmers’ Union to discuss potential pressures on the food system and rising costs for farmers.
  During the meeting, Tom Bradshaw warn
  
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• Rising costs putting young jobseekers at risk of missing out on retail roles, MPs warned

  12-03-2026 09:42 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Retailers and other UK businesses are becoming less likely to hire young workers as rising employment costs force employers to prioritise more experienced candidates, business groups have warned MPs.
  Industry bodies told parliament that higher labour costs, including increases to the minimum wage and employer National Insurance contributions,
  are pushing businesses to take fewer risks when recruiting.
  The British Chambers of Commerce said young people are increasingly being placed “at the
  
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• Safeguarding your retail brand

  12-03-2026 09:30 via theretailbulletin.com
  Your retail brand is more than your logo or products. It is the trust customers place in your business when they buy from you, share their... View Article
  
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• Zalando reports strong 2025 growth as AI strategy drives performance

  12-03-2026 09:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Zalando has reported strong financial results for 2025, with double-digit growth across revenue, gross merchandise value, and profit as the retailer accelerates its AI-driven strategy.
  The Berlin-based fashion platform recorded group revenue of €12.3 billion, up 16.8 per cent year on year, while GMV rose 14.7 per cent to €17.6 billion.
  Adjusted EBIT increased 15.6 per cent to €591 million, with the group maintaining a margin of 4.8 per cent.
  The performance follows the integration
  
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• Amazon expands AI-powered Shop Direct programme with new merchant product feeds

  12-03-2026 09:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Amazon is expanding its AI-powered Shop Direct shopping experience by introducing third-party product feeds, allowing retailers and brands to surface their products to Amazon customers, even if they are not sold directly on its marketplace.
  The update enables merchants to connect their product catalogues to Shop Direct through feed management platforms including Feedonomics, Salsify and CEDCommerce.
  The move is reportedly designed to simplify onboarding and broaden participation in Shop Direct,
  
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• Zara founder Amancio Ortega to receive record €3.23bn dividend from Inditex

  12-03-2026 09:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The billionaire founder of Zara, Amancio Ortega, is set to receive a record €3.23 billion dividend from fashion giant Inditexthis year after the group reported strong trading performance.
  The payout surpasses the €3.1 billion dividend Ortega received last year and reflects a four per cent increase in the company’s shareholder dividend following what Inditex described as a “robust operating performance” in 2025.
  Ortega, who still controls roughly 59 per cent of the bus
  
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• An exclusive look inside M&S viral new campaign, with marketing director Sharry Cramond

  12-03-2026 09:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  On Tuesday morning (10 March), M&S’s CEO Stuart Metchen named Gillian Anderson as its first chief compliments officer, as part of the next phase of its ‘Love That’ concept.
  The announcement was posted onto Linkedin in the form of a recorded Teams video call.
  In her new role, Anderson encourages people to make compliments part of their everyday.
  She said: “A simple compliment can genuinely boost confidence and change how someone feels all day, so as chief compliments
  
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• Zalando performance boosted by AI innovations

  12-03-2026 09:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Zalando has reported a 16.8% increase in annual group revenue to €12.3 billion, driven partly by the successful implementation of AI across its operations. In 2025,... View Article
  
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• John Lewis Partnership restores staff bonus as profits rise

  12-03-2026 08:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The John Lewis Partnership has reinstated its staff bonus for the first time since 2022 after reporting improved profits and cash generation for the year ending 31 January 2026.
  The employee-owned retailer, which operates John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, said partners will receive a bonus equivalent to one week’s pay, representing 2 per cent of salary.
  The payout follows a year of modest financial improvement, with the group reporting profit before tax, bonus and exc
  
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• John Lewis Partnership pays first annual staff bonus in four years

  12-03-2026 08:52 via theretailbulletin.com
  John Lewis Partnership has paid a staff bonus for the first time in four years following an improved performance in the 53 weeks to 31 January.... View Article
  
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• John Lewis pays first staff bonus in four years

  12-03-2026 08:46 via ft.com
  Owner of John Lewis and Waitrose grants 2% payout as it warns of cautious outlook for the year ahead
  
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• John Lewis pays first annual bonus to staff in four years

  12-03-2026 08:46 via ft.com
  Group offers 2% payout after cutting other staff benefits in recent years, including its final salary pension
  
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• Buchanan Galleries introduces sighted guide training

  12-03-2026 08:30 via theretailbulletin.com
  Buchanan Galleries has become the first Scottish shopping centre to train staff in specialist sighted guiding as it looks to offer better support to blind or... View Article
  
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• Levi’s unveils window takeover at Selfridges

  12-03-2026 08:01 via theretailbulletin.com
  Levi’s has unveiled a window takeover at Selfridges’ Oxford Street as part of its Behind Every Original campaign. Live until 18 March, the activation has included... View Article
  
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• Retail imports made simple: reducing risk and cost

  12-03-2026 07:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Retail import is the process of bringing goods into the UK for sale through shops or online outlets. Simplifying this process and cutting risks or costs... View Article
  
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• In Pictures: Hackett’s SS26 campaign

  11-03-2026 17:08 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Menswear fashion brand Hackett has unveiled a new campaign, which celebrates “a man shaped not by one achievement, but by the experiences that made him who he is”.
  It stars model David Gandy.
  Titled ‘The Journey of Man’, the marketing drive explores the idea that “a man is not defined by his destination, but by the journey he takes”. Related Story In pictures: Retailers celebrate King Charles III’s Coronation weekend05/05/2023 x 11:31 AM
  The campaign was
  
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• Fortnum & Mason named official hospitality partner of The Boat Race

  11-03-2026 16:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Luxury department store Fortnum & Mason has been named as an official hospitality partner of The Chanel J12 Boat Race 2026.
  As part of the collaboration, the retailer will provide dining experiences to hospitality guests at the race. It will also supply luxury picnic hampers on VIP launches following the races.
  Friends of Fortnum’s members will receive exclusive Boat Race content and offers.Related Story Fortnum & Mason sales climb as profits rebound13/01/2026 x 10:48 AMLiz Darran,
  
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• Microsoft supports Anthropic lawsuit over Pentagon supply chain blacklist

  11-03-2026 13:10 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Microsoft has backed a legal challenge by AI startup Anthropic against a decision by the United States Department of Defense to classify the firm as a supply-chain risk.
  In a filing submitted to a federal court in San Francisco, according to Reuters, Microsoft asked the court to temporarily block the Pentagon’s designation while the case is being considered.
  The software giant submitted an amicus brief supporting Anthropic’s request for a temporary restraining order, arguing that the
  
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• If AI finds the product, what makes customers stay?

  11-03-2026 13:01 via retailgazette.co.uk
  AI is shaping how products are evaluated, and increasingly, how they are purchased, writes Frances Dennis, chief marketing officer at Brandwidth.
  Agentic search is accelerating, commerce protocols are evolving and advertising inside conversational interfaces is currently being tested. Even in its relatively infant stage, a significant proportion of customers already prefer generative AI to traditional search.
  This will have commercial consequences. Traffic from agentic environments is converting
  
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• Zara owner Inditex profits and sales rise with strong start to Q1

  11-03-2026 12:21 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Zara owner Inditex posted an uplift in profits and sales in its annual results, as it claimed the new year was off to a good start.
  EBIT grew 5.9 per cent to £6.9 billion from January 2025 to the end of January 2026. Pre-tax profit rose 5.8 per cent to £6.9 billion, of which roughly £4.8 billion was made from the Zara fashion and homeware business.
  Revenues also jumped 3.2 per cent to £34.5 billion over the period. 
  Sales were up 1 per cent at Zara to &poun
  
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• Asda grants staff bonuses despite missing targets, report claims

  11-03-2026 11:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Asda is granting thousands of workers bonuses despite missing targets in its turnaround drive, according to a report.
  The grocery giant told 9,500 staff members, including head office workers and senior leaders in stores, that they would all be given a thank-you payment at the end of March, The Telegraph reported.
  In a memo sent to workers, viewed by The Telegraph, the supermarket’s chair Allan Leighton said all salaried staff who had begun working for the company before October 2025 would
  
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• How retail businesses use music

  11-03-2026 11:14 via theretailbulletin.com
  Retail businesses strategically use music to shape customer experience, influence purchasing behaviour, and craft memorable brand environments in-store. By tailoring playlists and soundscapes to the retail... View Article
  
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