Retail news

• Very Group plans £2bn auction launch

  09-01-2026 16:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Very Group owner Carlyle is reportedly planning to sell the business for £2bn after its acquisition from the Barclay family last year.
  The private equity firm is lining up Barclays and JP Morgan to handle the sale of the company, Sky News reported, which is expected to commence imminently.
  The Barclay family previously drawn up a series of plans to offload the etailer.
  The proposal to carry out an “immediate” sale process of Very Group was disclosed in a Companies House filing
  
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• Conversation with… People in Retail Awards Judge Shane Ashby-Roche

  14-01-2026 08:00 via theretailbulletin.com
  Here we speak with Shane Ashby-Roche, Head of Organisational Development and Culture at The White Company, about his career to date and why he has chosen... View Article
  
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• ProCook hails strong peak season trading

  14-01-2026 07:50 via theretailbulletin.com
  ProCook has grown its like-for-like revenue by 17.2% in its third quarter following a strong performance in its stores and online. In the 12 weeks to... View Article
  
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• Saks Global files for bankruptcy

  14-01-2026 06:44
  Luxury department store chain struggled with high debt after acquiring rival Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman
  
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• Coca-Cola scraps Costa Coffee sale after bids fall short

  14-01-2026 06:00
  Coke had been seeking about £2bn after paying £3.9bn for UK coffee chain in 2018
  
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• Amazon pushes suppliers for cuts ahead of Supreme Court tariff ruling

  13-01-2026 21:45
  Tech giant moves to reverse concessions made to limit the shock of US President Donald Trump’s trade levies
  
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• Lidl to open 19 new stores

  13-01-2026 20:31 via theretailbulletin.com
  Lidl GB is to open 19 new stores in eight weeks as it continues its expansion into new areas. The new shops will create up to... View Article
  
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• Only shoppers can save a nation of shopkeepers | Letters

  13-01-2026 18:52
  Responding to John Harris’s article on the decline of shops on the high street, Trevor Hopper and John Boaler point to consumer choices, while Peter Smith and Robin Stott look to local initiatives and marketsI fear that John Harris is partially buying into Reform UK’s rhetoric about the decline of the high street (The UK’s high streets have reached a tipping point – and Reform will reap the benefits, 11 January).The decline of small businesses in our high streets is large
  
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• The Perfume Shop reports strong festive performance

  13-01-2026 16:52 via theretailbulletin.com
  The Perfume Shop has reported strong festive trading with sales of bottles of perfume up 6% year-on-year. Between 30 November and 24 December, customers bought over... View Article
  
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• Lululemon raises Q4 sales forecast following strong Christmas

  13-01-2026 16:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Lululemon has boosted its sales forecast for its fourth quarter due to its performance over the festive period.
  The activewear company now expects its net sales for Q4 to be “toward the high end” of its previously guided range of £2.59bn ($3.5bn) to £2.66bn ($3.585bn). 
  The business said there was no change to its prior guidance for its gross margin, selling, general and administrative expenses, or the effective tax rate.Related Story THG revenues climb in strong Q41
  
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• [Interview] Building for Where Retail Is Going? Sreeraman MG, Co-Founder Fynd

  13-01-2026 15:43 via theretailbulletin.com
  From bootstrapping creative side projects to scaling a unified commerce platform, Sreeraman MG shares with TRB the turning points that shaped his leadership, the bets that... View Article
  
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• Sofa Club hires Paul Brennan as managing director

  13-01-2026 15:35 via theretailbulletin.com
  Sofa Club has appointed former Marc Jacobs executive Paul Brennan as its managing director as it looks to accelerate growth across the UK. With a career... View Article
  
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• Sosandar boosted by surge in ecommerce sales

  13-01-2026 15:10 via theretailbulletin.com
  Sosandar has seen its revenue increase by 10% to £13.4 million in the lead-up to Christmas. The women’s fashion brand said the performance in its third... View Article
  
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• Fortnum & Mason to rebuild European sales on hopes of new UK-EU trade deal

  13-01-2026 14:00
  British grocer seeks to grow exports of hampers, teas and jams that were hammered by Brexit
  
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• THG revenues climb in strong Q4

  13-01-2026 12:20 via retailgazette.co.uk
  THG saw sales rise in its fourth quarter, as it recorded its strongest performance of the year.
  Sales climbed 7% at constant currency for the period ended 31 December 2025, compared to its previous quarter high of 6.3%.
  The brand noted that its second half sales swelled 6.7% year on year, making them around 14% ahead of the top of its +3.9% to +5.9% guidance range.
  THG Beauty saw its strongest Q4 growth since 2021, driven by beauty brand Lookfantastic where sales grew 16.2% in the UK and Ireland
  
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• Lidl to open 19 new stores amid £40m refurbishment drive

  13-01-2026 10:50 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Lidl is ramping up its UK expansion plans as it reveals it is set open 19 new stores over the next eight weeks while investing £40m to upgrade its existing estate.
  The discounter’s latest growth phase will see it open branches in new locations such as Calne in Wiltshire and Brough in Yorkshire.
  Alongside new openings, Lidl is committing £43m to refurbish more than 70 existing stores, from Dundee to the Isle of Wight.
  The upgrades will include new tills, larger freezer capacity
  
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• Aldi boosts staff pay under £36m investment

  13-01-2026 10:50 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Aldi is increasing its pay for thousands of staff members as part of a £36m investment in pay and benefits.
  From 1 March, starting pay for store assistants will rise to £13.35 per hour nationally, and £14.71 per hour within the M25. Salaries will grow to £14.30 per hour and £15.03 within the M25 based on length of service.
  The discount grocer is also increasing pay rates for store apprentices to £12.02 per hour outside the M25, and to £13.22 per hour ins
  
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• Harvey Nichols revamps loyalty scheme amid wider transformation

  13-01-2026 10:34 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Harvey Nichols is overhauling its loyalty programme as “part of its ongoing transformation”, to introduce a new visual identity, revised tier structure and greater rewards.
  Launching in late January 2026, the updated scheme has been redesigned to reflect changing customer shopping habits.
  Following feedback, Harvey Nichols said it will replace selectable rewards with fixed benefits at each tier, “designed to deliver a clearer and more consistent experience.” Related Story
  
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• Dobbies introduces premium car wash facilities in five stores

  13-01-2026 10:08 via theretailbulletin.com
  Dobbies Garden Centres has introduced premium car wash facilities at five of its stores in response to customer demand.  Working in partnership with Waves, the country’s... View Article
  
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• From the Archive: Chip+PIN

  13-01-2026 09:49 via theretailbulletin.com
  ‘From the Archive’ is the regular column that revisits some of the more interesting retail stories covered over the past 30 years by Glynn Davis for... View Article
  
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• ATM Retail acquires Rattan Direct

  13-01-2026 09:39 via theretailbulletin.com
  ATM Retail, the group behind home and garden retailer Laura James, has acquired Rattan Direct after it entered administration in November 2025. The purchase includes the... View Article
  
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• THG finishes 2025 ‘on a high’

  13-01-2026 09:38 via theretailbulletin.com
  THG delivered its strongest performance of 2025 in its fourth quarter, with revenue rising by 7% at constant currency. Second half revenue climbed by 6.7% year-on-year,... View Article
  
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• Sosandar sees strong online growth despite M&S online disruption

  13-01-2026 09:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Sosandar reported strong growth in its third quarter, driven by a jump in direct-to-consumer sales, despite disruption from the M&S’ cyber-attack.
  The womenswear brand said for the three months ending 31 December 2025, revenue rose 10% to £13.4m compared with £12.2m a year earlier.
  Growth was led by Sosandar’s direct-to-consumer channel, with own-site revenue increasing 27% year on year.
  The company said higher site traffic, improved conversion rates and increased ord
  
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• December sales saw slight increase, says BRC

  13-01-2026 09:27 via retailgazette.co.uk
  Total retail sales increased by 1.2% year on year in December, against a growth of 3.2% in December 2024. However, this was below the 12-month average growth of 2.3%.
  According to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), food sales increased by 3.1% year on year in December, against a growth of 1.7% in December 2024, but it was below the 12-month average growth of 3.7%.
  Non-Food sales decreased by 0.3% year on year in December, against a growth of 4.4% in December 2024. While
  
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• Shoe Zone posts drop in sales and profit after ‘challenging’ year

  13-01-2026 08:37 via theretailbulletin.com
  Shoe Zone has posted a decline in annual revenue and profit after what is described as a challenging year. In the 12 months to 27 September,... View Article
  
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• Aldi to increase pay rates for store workers in March

  13-01-2026 07:50 via theretailbulletin.com
  Aldi has announced that it will be raising pay for store workers from 1 March. Starting pay for store assistants will increase to £13.35 per hour... View Article
  
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• When robots meet commercial reality

  13-01-2026 06:00
  Implementing automation systems requires a lot of planning, time and money
  
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• UK retailers endure ‘drab December’ as non-food sales fall flat

  13-01-2026 06:00
  Sales of clothes and computers fall, but discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl enjoy bumper tradingRetailers suffered a “drab Christmas”, ending the year with disappointing sales in their most important month, according to new data underlining the difficulties facing Britain’s high streets.Overall retail sales grew by just 1.2% in December compared with a year earlier, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said. That was below the 12-month average of 2.3%. Continue reading...
  
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• Local brands weaken European luxury groups’ grip in US and China

  13-01-2026 06:00
  Shoppers in the industry’s biggest two markets opt for domestic alternatives to long-dominant old guard
  
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• Don’t hold your breath for robots’ ChatGPT moment

  13-01-2026 06:00
  Implementing automation systems requires a lot of planning, time and money
  
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