Retail news

• UK supermarkets: wartime rules may apply

  18-03-2020 13:49 via ft.com
  Ministers should not suspend competition regulations without quid pro quos
  
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• John Lewis issues above inflation pay hike to staff

  18-02-2026 16:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  John Lewis is granting its staff an above inflation pay rise this year, following bonus freezes at the retailer.
  The partnership will set aside £108m to fund pay rises for the majority of its 69,000 partners.
  From 1 April, shop floor staff at John Lewis and Waitrose will receive a 6.9 per cent salary boost, increasing the minimum hourly rate to £13.25 for workers throughout the UK.
  The minimum rate for workers within the M25 will jump to £14.80.
  Additionally, the company said i
  
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• LISTEN: How EuroShop shapes global retail leadership

  18-02-2026 16:25 via retailgazette.co.uk
  EuroShop is just around the corner. As in previous years, Euroshop 2026 is the go-to event where retailers from across Europe and around the world come together to define the global direction of retail.
  More than an simply an exhibition, Euroshop has become a strategic platform for market leadership.In this episode of the Retail Gazette Unpacked podcast, we speak with Taras Pylypyuk, CEO of Modern Expo Europe, to explore how events like EuroShop are evolving into powerful instruments of brand le
  
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• John Lewis Partnership to invest £180 million in pay

  18-02-2026 15:17 via theretailbulletin.com
  The John Lewis Partnership is investing £180 million in shop floor workers’ pay to take the rate “above and beyond the requirements of the National Minimum... View Article
  
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• Beauty Bay files notice to take on administrators

  18-02-2026 14:09 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Beauty Bay has filed a notice to appoint administrators to “protect the position” of the company.
  The cosmetics retailer has taken down its website, which currently displays the message: “We’ll be back soon. Beauty Bay is offline right now, we’ll be back shortly”.
  It comes after the business has been seeking a sale or investment during recent weeks with restructuring firm Interpath.
  Beauty Bay owners Arron and David Gabbie launched a sale process in 2022 which
  
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• The great mass-market migration by big-name designers

  18-02-2026 13:00 via ft.com
  One-time luxury fashion darlings such as Clare Waight Keller, Jonathan Saunders and Kim Jones have all taken top gigs with retail giants lately. Why?
  
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• Why audience-led events triumph over flashy ones

  18-02-2026 11:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Retail marketers – and those operating beyond the sector – often fall into the trap of thinking too transactionally when using events to drive brand awareness or lead generation.
  “At the end of the day, it’s really about building a community around your brand and creating engaged audiences,” says Elinor Honigstein. In a post-Covid landscape crowded with channels competing for attention, getting in-person events right matters more than ever. As Honigstein puts it, &l
  
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• Why audience-led events triumph flashy ones?

  18-02-2026 11:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Retail marketers – and those operating beyond the sector – often fall into the trap of thinking too transactionally when using events to drive brand awareness or lead generation.
  “At the end of the day, it’s really about building a community around your brand and creating engaged audiences,” says Elinor Honigstein. In a post-Covid landscape crowded with channels competing for attention, getting in-person events right matters more than ever. As Honigstein puts it, &l
  
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• Amazon starts construction on first zero carbon-certified building

  18-02-2026 11:26 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Amazon has begun construction on its first delivery station designed to achieve Living Future’s Zero Carbon certification in the UK and Europe. 
  The 10,800m² delivery station, which is based in Stockton-on-Tees, will incorporate advanced building techniques to help reduce its environmental impact, according to Amazon. 
  The delivery station, where packages will be sorted for delivery to shoppers throughout North Yorkshire and parts of County Durham, is set to open in autumn 2
  
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• Lidl opens five new stores in a day

  18-02-2026 11:07 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Lidl GB will open five new stores in a single day, a move that will “reinforce” its position as the UK’s “fastest growing” bricks-and-mortar food retailer.
  The new stores are set to open on 19 February and are located in Caldy Valley Road in Chester, Oxford Road in Calne, Yaxham Road in Dereham, Purbrook Way in Havant and Stamford Hill in London.
  According to the supermarket chain, the new store openings will create up to 160 new jobs.Related Story Lidl unveils seve
  
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• Screens will be retail’s most powerful gateway in 2026

  18-02-2026 11:00 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The ad was once a static piece of content used as a medium for reaching consumers: a billboard on a busy high street; a big out-of-home (OOH) display; a TV advert beamed into living rooms at the end of the day, writes Cameron Arthur-Harris, experiential account director at Spark.
  Those formats still exist – and they still matter. But the smartphone has taken things to a new level, taking us into a whole new world of ecommerce, engagement and experience when it comes to brand-consumer commu
  
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• Inflation eases, but retailers face ongoing cost pressures as rates burden persists

  18-02-2026 10:59 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The UK’s headline inflation rate falling to 3 per cent in January, its lowest level in ten months, offers some relief for retailers and consumers alike.
  But while price pressures are easing, costs remain elevated, household budgets are still stretched, and structural pressures such as business rates continue to weigh on profitability.
  The slowdown reflects easing global cost pressures, but inflation remains above long-term averages and well above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent targ
  
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• How can influencer marketing remain authentic?

  18-02-2026 10:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  In recent years, more and more retailers have collaborated with influencers to advertise their product lines online.
  From luxury retailers such as Harrods and Selfridges to popular fashion brands such as Sezane and health and beauty retailer Boots, everyone seems to be collaborating with influencers.
  A popular consensus among creatives is that influencer marketing makes brands feel more authentic. But does it?
  We speak to some experts from the marketing industry to find out.
  According to Chris C
  
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• Conversation with… People in Retail Awards Judge Martin Newman

  18-02-2026 09:54 via theretailbulletin.com
  Here we interview Martin Newman, one of retail’s most respected customer experience experts and a returning judge for the People in Retail Awards. We last interviewed... View Article
  
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• Absolute Best…Celebrity Collabs

  18-02-2026 09:54 via retailgazette.co.uk
  For this week’s Absolute Best… we are taking a look at some of the best celebrity campaigns and partnerships over the past year.
  Jisoo x Dior
  Our first entrant this week is a long-term collaboration between Blackpink member Jisoo and French fashion house Dior.
  Jisoo has been a global ambassador for the brand since 2021. She frequently fronts campaigns for their fashion and beauty lines, including the recent Lady Dior campaign for the designer’s iconic bag ‘Lady Dior
  
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• Morrisons extends popular ‘Breakfast Club’ to every school holiday

  18-02-2026 09:33 via theretailbulletin.com
  Morrisons has extended its partnership with Kellogg’s on Breakfast Clubs in its cafes to every school holiday this year. The initiative offers families visiting their local... View Article
  
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• Booker announces changes within retail senior leadership team

  18-02-2026 09:17 via theretailbulletin.com
  Booker is investing in its retail customer proposition by making changes within its retail senior leadership team. The UK’s largest wholesaler and owner of Budgens, Premier,... View Article
  
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• Gymshark makes its German retail debut with two new in-store partnerships

  18-02-2026 08:49 via theretailbulletin.com
  Gymshark is extending its physical presence with the opening of two permanent retail spaces in Germany. The brand has signed agreements with multi-sports retailer Engelhorn and... View Article
  
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• Beauty Bay files notice of intention to appoint administrators

  18-02-2026 08:03 via theretailbulletin.com
  Online cosmetics retailer Beauty Bay has filed a notice to appoint administrators to “protect the position of the business”. The move comes just weeks after the... View Article
  
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• Tesco to release 120,000 extra delivery slots this Easter

  18-02-2026 07:57 via theretailbulletin.com
  Tesco is adding 120,000 extra delivery slots in the run-up to Easter with bookings opening up a week earlier this year. For the first time, the supermarket... View Article
  
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• Debenhams plans £35 million capital raise to drive turnaround

  18-02-2026 07:10 via theretailbulletin.com
  Debenhams has announced that is preparing for an equity fundraise of around £35 million. The group also said that it is in advanced discussions with its... View Article
  
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• UK shoppers warned over spread of harmful and illegal skin lightening kits

  18-02-2026 01:01
  Many products contain substances banned because of serious and sometimes irreversible health risks, says CTSIIllegal skin lightening products are being sold in an increasingly wide range of UK outlets, including butchers, specialist food shops and small grocery stores, trading standards officers have warned.The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is warning that many of the products contain substances that are banned because of the serious risks they pose to health, including skin damag
  
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• John Lewis hands shop floor staff 6.9% pay rise

  18-02-2026 01:01 via ft.com
  Above inflation increase comes as partnership battles staff discontent over annual bonus freeze
  
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• EU probes Shein over sale of childlike sex dolls and weapons

  17-02-2026 15:29 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The EU is launching a formal investigation into Shein over multiple suspected breaches of European laws, including the sale of childlike sex dolls and weapons.
  The European Commission said on Tuesday (17 February) that it had opened the inquiry after demanding information from Shein in 2025.
  A senior EU official also highlighted reports of cosmetics, clothing and electronic items that did not comply with EU law.
  The inquiry will look into three areas of the retailer’s service which have ra
  
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• What rising unemployment means for an industry already under pressure

  17-02-2026 14:11 via retailgazette.co.uk
  The latest data from the ONS has shown that as of early 2026, unemployment within the UK is facing a five year high.
  The current rate rose to 5.2 per cent in the final three months of 2025, increasing incrementally from 5.1 per cent in the previous quarter and, in turn, reaching its highest level since early 2021.
  Whilst a number of factors caused the rise, the main culprit, according to ONS director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown, was continued a subdued employment market.
  “The numbe
  
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• Boohoo and Debenhams owner raises £35m, risking Mike Ashley clash

  17-02-2026 12:29
  Company, which also owns Oasis, Warehouse and Karen Millen, to use cash to cut debts and fund turnaroundBusiness live – latest updatesThe owner of Boohoo and Debenhams is raising £35m from shareholders in a move that could open a fresh conflict with Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley.The company, which also owns Oasis, Warehouse, Pretty Little Thing and Karen Millen, said on Tuesday that the new cash would help reduce debts and fund its turnaround plans. These involve slashing costs,
  
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• EU to investigate Shein over sale of childlike sex dolls and weapons

  17-02-2026 12:00
  Bloc also examines ‘addictive design’ of shopping site, including rewards, and its recommender systemsBusiness live – latest updatesThe EU is to open a formal investigation into the Chinese retailer Shein over multiple suspected breaches of European laws including the sale of childlike sex dolls and weapons.The European Commission said on Tuesday it had launched the inquiry after demanding information from the fast-growing company last year. Continue reading...
  
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• Brussels investigates Shein for sale of childlike sex dolls

  17-02-2026 12:00 via ft.com
  EU probes platform for sales tactics and offering illegal products
  
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• Asda hails continued ‘strong’ ESG performance

  17-02-2026 11:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Asda has celebrated a ‘strong’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance for the third year in a row, following its external assessment by financial services ratings agency Sustainable Fitch. 
  The grocery giant received an entity rating of 3 (1 = excellent, 5 = poor) for the third consecutive year, with an entity score of 57, matching last year’s result.
  The score takes Asda’s “continued efforts to mitigate material environmental and social impacts
  
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• Debenhams shares fall dramatically as group pushes for £35m fundraising 

  17-02-2026 11:28 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Debenhams Group shares fell sharply in early trading after the online fashion retailer confirmed plans for a £35m equity fundraise, reportedly aimed at strengthening its balance sheet and accelerating its turnaround strategy.
  The company said the planned capital raise would improve liquidity, provide greater financial flexibility and support efforts to reduce debt, as it continues its transition towards an asset-light, marketplace-led model.
  Shares opened down 6.7 per cent on Tuesday morni
  
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