Retail news

• Whole Foods Market opens Monument store

  04-06-2026 09:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Whole Foods Market is opening its newest store in Monument, London today, 4 June.
  Located on Gracechurch Street, the supermarket’s 10,200 sq ft store will stock fresh produce, ready-to-eat meals, baked goods, pantry staples, alcoholic drinks, juices, and grab-and-go options. 
  Additionally, it will feature a self-serve coffee machine, seasonal produce, freshly baked pastries, cookies, organic bread, hot savoury items, soups, and rotisserie chickens. 
  The store will sell a range of
  
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• British Heart Foundation plans closure of 150 shops amid rising costs

  04-06-2026 17:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has unveiled plans to close around 150 shops and stores over the next two years, citing the need to maintain a commercially sustainable retail operation and protect funding for cardiovascular research.
  The charity said the decision follows an extensive review of its retail estate against a backdrop of rising operating costs and changing shopping habits, which have left some locations no longer financially viable.
  Under the proposals, around 90 stores would
  
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• Interview: Rithum’s Mark Howell on how retailers can no longer rely on inventory-led growth

  04-06-2026 15:32 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  As retailers face rising costs, growing competition and changing customer expectations, many are turning to dropshipping in a bid to expand product ranges without increasing inventory risk.
  According to Rithum’s retail director EMEA Mark Howell, the model is becoming an increasingly important part of modern retail strategy, allowing businesses to widen their assortment while saving on cash and warehouse capacity.
  Retail Gazette caught up with Howell, who says the fundamental attraction of
  
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• Interview: Specsavers head of sustainability Helen Curran on its plan to keep old glasses out of landfill

  04-06-2026 15:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Sustainability initiatives often struggle when they move from pilot project to nationwide operation; what works in a handful of stores can easily become complicated across hundreds.
  However, Specsavers believes it has found a model that can scale. The optical retailer has expanded its recycling scheme to all UK stores, adding around 300 locations to an initiative first introduced in 2022.
  Photo: Specsaver head of sustainability Helen Curran
  The move means customers can now drop off unwanted glas
  
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• Opinion: Protecting food retail margins – tackling rising energy costs with AI and IoT 

  04-06-2026 15:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  By IMS Evolve chief commercial officer Jason Kay
  The convergence of AI and IoT presents the opportunity to significantly impact the dynamics of operational costs. For food retailers, energy is not a peripheral expense. It is foundational to how stores operate and serve communities. Lighting, HVAC systems, and refrigeration units are essential to trading safely and profitably. So, when energy prices increase, the impact is both immediate and impossible to ignore.
  The energy price rises add growin
  
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• The rise of convenience culture in beauty, wellness and healthcare retail

  04-06-2026 14:22 via theretailbulletin.com
  We live in an age of convenience. From Uber Eats to contactless payments, the 21st century has been defined by streamlined living and on-demand services, and... View Article
  
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• Seasalt axes US stores to focus on wholesale

  04-06-2026 12:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Cornish fashion retailer Seasalt has shut all four of its standalone shops in the US after two years.
  The brand said that the closures were a strategic decision as its wholesale operations and retail partnerships continued to go “from strength to strength”.
  Seasalt launched its first US shop in September 2024 and had grown its footprint in the region to four sites by early 2026. However, the business confirmed that the four stores had shut by 17 May.
  The company is now seeking to com
  
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• Footasylum partners with streetwear favourite Trapstar

  04-06-2026 12:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Footasylum has formed a “strategic partnership” with British streetwear brand Trapstar to “support its next chapter of growth”.
  According to the sportswear retailer the collaboration will combine Trapstar’s heritage with Footasylum’s  operational expertise, retail platform and marketing innovation.
  The partnership will see the retailer roll out the streetwear brand’s products in selected stores and online. According to Footaslyum, the collabora
  
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• Tesco spotlights Tesco Finest collection in new campaign

  04-06-2026 10:55 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Tesco has unveiled a new campaign showcasing the retailer’s commitment to sourcing high quality foods from around the world.
  Titled ‘Quality Around the Corner’, the marketing drive was directed by creative agency BBH London and directed by Tim Bullock through Rogue Films.
  The spot spotlights a variety of products from around the world including Tesco Finest Mesquite, Beech & Oak Wood Smoked Salmon Beech & Oak Wood Smoked Salmon from the Shetland Islands; Tesco Finest Ca
  
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• Minister says logistics industry is being heard ‘loud and clear’ by government

  04-06-2026 10:51 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Logistics UK has said the sector’s importance to the UK economy has been recognised by government, after aviation, maritime and decarbonisation minister Keir Mather MP praised the industry at its annual conference.
  Speaking at the business group’s event at London’s QE2 Conference Centre, Mather said that despite ongoing economic uncertainty, “logistics keeps delivering for the UK”.
  He described the sector’s workers as “the unsung heroes that will keep Br
  
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• Footasylum secures future of Trapstar

  04-06-2026 10:20 via theretailbulletin.com
  Footasylum has saved Trapstar out of administration through a “strategic partnership” with the British streetwear brand. The transaction comprised a sale of Trapstar’s business and assets... View Article
  
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• Akeneo survey finds consumers are using AI to shop smarter ahead of Prime Day

  04-06-2026 10:16 via theretailbulletin.com
  Akeneo, the Product Experience (PX) leader, today released new PX Pulse survey findings showing that as consumers become more value-conscious ahead of Prime Day, many are... View Article
  
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• Decathlon offers festivalgoers cash back to stop tents being dumped after events

  04-06-2026 09:49 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Decathlon is expanding its Festival Tent Pledge by offering customers a cash refund when they return their tent after an event.
  The company will now give shoppers the option to claim up to 50 per cent of the original purchase price back in cash, depending on the condition of the tent when it is returned.
  The scheme previously allowed customers to buy a Decathlon tent before a festival, use it across the weekend and return it to a participating store in exchange for the value back as a gift card.
  
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• Decathlon expands festival pledge with tent back, cash back offer

  04-06-2026 09:48 via theretailbulletin.com
  Decathlon is expanding its Festival Tent Pledge by offering customers a cash refund of up to 50% of the original purchase price when they return their... View Article
  
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• Howdens snaps up DIY Kitchens in £390m online expansion push

  04-06-2026 09:41 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Howdens has agreed to acquire online kitchen retailer DIY Kitchens in a £390m deal as it looks to expand its reach beyond trade customers.
  The kitchen specialist has struck a deal to buy the Pontefract-based parent company of Ultima Furniture Systems, which trades as DIY Kitchens.
  DIY Kitchens sells exclusively online and targets customers who want to self-manage the purchase, planning and ordering of their kitchen.
  Howdens said the business has a “highly profitable and growing&rdquo
  
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• Currys names shop-floor veteran as new boss as Baldock exits for Boots

  04-06-2026 09:31 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Currys has promoted company veteran Fredrik Tonnesen to chief executive, replacing Alex Baldock as he prepares to take the top job at Boots.
  Tonnesen, who currently leads Currys’ Nordics business, first joined the electricals retailer 20 years ago as a sales assistant.
  He went on to become managing director for Norway, before taking on the role of chief operating officer for the Nordics and later chief executive of the division in 2023.
  Currys said Tonnesen, whose division accounts for aro
  
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• Cotswold Outdoor Group’s CEO on what building a retail media network really takes

  04-06-2026 09:30 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  A year ago, Cotswold Outdoor Group launched its retail media network, writes Jamie Kristow, CEO of Cotswold Outdoor Group.
  Since then, we have been cited in trade press, referenced at industry conferences, and held up as an example of what specialist retail can do when it stops thinking of itself merely as a place to buy things and starts thinking of itself as a high-value media environment.
  The recent HOKA campaign on March 7 delivered a 30 per cent increase in share of revenue, a 13.3 per cent
  
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• Charles Tyrwhitt appoints Rebecca Howat as managing director in leadership shake-up

  04-06-2026 09:23 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Charles Tyrwhitt has promoted chief operating officer Rebecca Howat to managing director as part of a leadership shake-up at the Jermyn Street shirt maker.
  The move follows a recent restructure at parent company Bectin, which saw former Charles Tyrwhitt chief executive Luke Kingsnorth become group chief executive of the business, which also owns The White Company.
  Charles Tyrwhitt has renamed Kingsnorth’s previous chief executive title as managing director.
  Howat has worked at the retailer
  
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• Debenhams Group hails return to growth as turnaround accelerates

  04-06-2026 09:19 via theretailbulletin.com
  Debenhams Group has said its multi-year turnaround accelerated in its first quarter as it made a return to growth. In the three months to 31 May,... View Article
  
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• Sainsbury’s swaps brown eggs for white in net zero push

  04-06-2026 09:13 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Sainsbury’s is switching its own-brand egg range from brown to white shells as part of its drive to cut carbon emissions across its supply chain.
  The supermarket said white eggs have a 12.7 per cent lower carbon footprint than brown alternatives, as the hens that lay them are typically smaller and eat less feed.
  Sainsbury’s said this helps to “indirectly reduce demand on land and water used to grow feed crops, as well as the amount of manure produced”.
  The retailer added
  
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• DRS return handling fees confirmed ahead of 2027 launch

  04-06-2026 09:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Exchange For Change has confirmed the return handling fees that will be paid to return point operators under the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland when the scheme launches in October 2027.
  Following consultation with industry stakeholders, manual return points will receive a handling fee of 3p per container returned.
  For automated return points using reverse vending machines (RVMs), a tiered payment structure has been agreed. Operators will receive 5p per
  
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• Disaronno expands spirits portfolio with Campari brands

  04-06-2026 09:05 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Disaronno Group has completed the acquisition of Italian heritage brands Amaro Averna and Zedda Piras brands from Campari Group, marking the latest step in the drinks company’s international growth strategy.
  The transaction, which was first announced in December 2025, formally closed on 28 May through the transfer of ownership of newly established company Meridia S.r.l. from Campari Group to Disaronno Group.
  As part of the deal, all 11 employees working across the production sites for Amar
  
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• Clintons reopens Westwood Cross store after refurb

  04-06-2026 09:04 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Clintons has reopened its shop at Westwood Cross shopping centre in Broadstairs, Kent, following a store refresh.
  Based in the main mall area of Westwood Cross, the updates include improved lighting and new furniture.
  Ahead of Father’s Day on 21 June, the store will offer a new selection of cards and small gifts. 
  Alongside a choice of cards, guests will also find novelty gifts such as whisky decanter sets, retro TV game sets and personalised pint glasses.
  The card retailer’s st
  
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• IAB: AI advertising spend to hit £18bn by 2030

  04-06-2026 09:03 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  According to the IAB, UK AI driven advertising spend in the UK is forecast to hit an estimated £18 billion by 2030.
  The body released a new report titled The State of AI in Advertising: Charting the Shift from Automation to Autonomy which looks at how generative and agentic AI are reshaping the sector.
  It found that 58 per cent of its members are experimenting with AI within their organisations and a further 16 per cent reported that they are “scaling agentic systems” or u
  
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• Debenhams shares surge as turnaround finally returns retailer to growth

  04-06-2026 09:02 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Debenhams Group has said its multi-year turnaround is beginning to accelerate after it returned to growth in its first quarter.
  The retail group, which is listed on AIM as Boohoo, reported a 0.5 per cent rise in gross merchandise value in the three months to 31 May, while gross margin expanded to 53.5 per cent from 52.1 per cent a year earlier.
  Trading strengthened significantly in May, with gross merchandise value up around eight per cent year on year.
  Debenhams and PrettyLittleThing were the g
  
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• Shein hit with fresh €22m fine over returns and product information failures

  04-06-2026 08:50 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Shein has been fined around €22m by French authorities over issues relating to returns, product traceability information and order confirmations.
  France’s Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, known as the DGCCRF, issued two penalties against the fast fashion giant following an investigation into several ecommerce platforms, many of which are based outside Europe.
  The watchdog fined Shein €16.7m over order confirmation issues and a further &euro
  
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• Retailers handed 24/7 CCTV link in retail crime crackdown

  04-06-2026 08:46 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Retailers across Stamford, Bourne and Market Deeping town centres are being encouraged to join the Shopwatch scheme as South Kesteven District Council looks to strengthen local crime prevention measures.
  The initiative, which is already in place in Grantham, gives participating businesses access to radios so they can share information quickly, warn each other about suspicious activity and coordinate with local partners.
  The radios will be linked to the council’s CCTV control room, where c
  
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• Crew Clothing to open at Meadowhall in shopping centre push

  04-06-2026 08:12 via theretailbulletin.com
  Crew Clothing is to open a new store at Sheffield’s Meadowhall as it continues its expansion into shopping centres. Due to launch this summer, the shop... View Article
  
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• Smoov named exclusive wellbeing beverage partner of Healf

  03-06-2026 15:39 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  Partnership brings together two of the UK’s fastest-growing brands in wellbeing across events and consumer experiences.
  Less than a year after opening its first London location, Smoov has been named the exclusive Wellbeing Beverage Partner of Healf, one of the UK’s fastest-growing wellbeing platforms.
  Under the multi-year agreement, Smoov becomes Healf’s exclusive Wellbeing Beverage Partner across its experiential ecosystem, with the partnership extending across activations, ev
  
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• High Court quashes FSA slaughterhouse charging regime as unlawful

  03-06-2026 13:33 via retailgazette.co.uk
  
  The High Court has ruled that elements of the Food Standards Agency’s charging regime for official controls at slaughterhouses and abattoirs were unlawful, in a legal case thought to change the way inspection costs are recovered from the meat industry.
  The judicial review was brought by the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers and the British Meat Processors Association, which challenged the basis on which the regulator calculates and recovers charges for food hygiene and safety contr
  
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