Retail news

• Superdry posts loss after difficult year

  01-09-2023 02:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  
  Superdry has posted an annual loss after being impacted by “extremely challenging” market conditions. In the 12 months to 29 April, the fashion brand reported an... View Article
  
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• Wickes connects UK businesses with ‘home-improvement’ audience

  02-03-2026 12:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  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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• ‘Parcel anxiety’: InPost CEO warns delivery failures are now systemic in UK retail

  02-03-2026 11:44 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Missed parcel deliveries have become a structural issue in UK ecommerce, with consumers facing ‘parcel anxiety’ after losing hours each month waiting in for orders that often fail to arrive the first time, according to new research from InPost UK.
  The study by the parcel locker giant found that one in three parcels fails on the first delivery attempt, despite near-universal parcel usage across the UK. Four in ten consumers miss at least one delivery every month, while 83% report expe
  
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• Delivery failures are now ‘systemic’ in UK retail, says InPost CEO

  02-03-2026 11:44 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Missed parcel deliveries have become a structural issue in UK ecommerce, with consumers facing ‘parcel anxiety’ after losing hours each month waiting in for orders that often fail to arrive the first time, according to new research from InPost UK.
  The study by the parcel locker giant found that one in three parcels fails on the first delivery attempt, despite near-universal parcel usage across the UK. Four in ten consumers miss at least one delivery every month, while 83 per cent rep
  
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• WATCH: Sofology celebrates fussiness in new campaign film

  02-03-2026 11:22 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Furniture retailer Sofology has unveiled a new campaign film celebrating those “who know exactly what they want”.
  The spot, devised by creative agency TBWA\MCR, is part of the firm’s ‘So Fussy, Sofology’ brand platform. It follows on from the brand’s ‘New Pet’ activation, which was launched in September.
  It’s new spot reframes fussiness as a “positive trait” and follows an ice-cream vendor who pays close attention to detail.
  James
  
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• John Lewis gears up to buy back Waitrose supermarkets

  02-03-2026 11:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  John Lewis is gearing up to buy back some of its Waitrose supermarkets under a renewed retail push.
  Bosses are looking into the option of buying out landlords after building up £1.5bn in cash, as they remain confident that the retailer’s turnaround is progressing, the Telegraph reported. 
  It remains unclear how many Waitrose stores the department store chain wants to buy back. However, a senior source said that the company was taking an “opportunistic” approach. 
  
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• [Interview] Navigating AI with Confidence: Sam Haslam Director at WTW Risk & Resilience Advisory

  02-03-2026 09:49 via theretailbulletin.com
  Artificial intelligence is accelerating through the retail sector at extraordinary pace, creating unprecedented opportunities alongside new layers of risk. Many retail leaders are now asking not... View Article
  
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• Bensons for Beds delivers best EBITDA performance since 2019

  02-03-2026 09:38 via theretailbulletin.com
  Bensons for Beds has delivered its strongest profitability since it was acquired in 2019. It has also reported sustained sales growth and market share gains despite... View Article
  
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• Urban Outfitters to join line-up at Lakeside

  02-03-2026 09:30 via theretailbulletin.com
  Urban Outfitters is to join the line-up at Lakeside Shopping Centre this summer. Situated on the lower level, the 6,500 square foot space will offer the... View Article
  
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• Shoppers fuel charity shop revival as Vinted and Depop reshape UK resale market

  02-03-2026 08:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Young shoppers inspired by resale platforms such as Vinted and Depop are helping UK charity shops outperform the wider retail sector, despite mounting cost pressures on the high street.
  According to the Charity Retail Association (CRA), charity shop sales rose 1.4 per cent last year, ahead of the 1.1 per cent increase recorded across non-food retail by the British Retail Consortium.
  Save the Children reported a 3 per cent uplift in retail sales, including an 11 per cent surge in December alone,
  
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• Oil shock fears as strait of Hormuz disruption threatens UK retail recovery

  02-03-2026 08:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The escalating conflict in the Middle East has sent oil markets into turmoil, with Brent crude spiking by as much as 13 per cent in early trading amid fears that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz could be effectively closed.
  With around 20 per cent of the world’s oil and seaborne gas supplies passing through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, any sustained disruption risks triggering a fresh inflationary wave just as the retail sector had begun to see cost pressures ease.
  Wh
  
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• Oil shock fears as Middle East disruption threatens UK retail recovery

  02-03-2026 08:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The escalating conflict in the Middle East has sent oil markets into turmoil, with Brent crude spiking by as much as 13 per cent in early trading amid fears that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz could be effectively closed.
  With around 20 per cent of the world’s oil and seaborne gas supplies passing through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, any sustained disruption risks triggering a fresh inflationary wave just as the retail sector had begun to see cost pressures ease.
  Wh
  
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• Young fashion fans help UK charity shops thrive on struggling UK high streets

  01-03-2026 11:00
  Sales beat wider retail sector last year thanks to customers inspired by websites such as Vinted, industry body saysYoung people inspired by secondhand fashion websites such as Vinted and Depop are helping charity shops thrive despite rising energy and employment costs.Save the Children’s retail sales rose 3% last year, helped by a surge in December when the charity rang up 11% more than the same month a year before, raising more than £1m for its causes. Continue reading...
  
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• Japanese retailers wrestle with Chinese tourist boycott

  01-03-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Department stores among those hit by double-digit drop in duty-free sales in recent months
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• Hiding in plain sight: everyone from Meghan to the Beckhams wants a funnel neck

  27-02-2026 16:00
  Popped collar worn by Duchess of Sussex and Rama Duwaji is rising in popularity, with searches at John Lewis up 1,000%Shoppers are avidly searching for jackets that cover half your face – so much that searches are up 1,000% year on year at John Lewis.The funnel-neck jacket is boxy, generously cut and comes with a permanently popped collar, between 9cm and 14cm high running from clavicle to nose; high enough to cover your mouth, low enough to see out – just. Continue reading...
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• 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...
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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• 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
  
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