Analysis
Analysis delivers in-depth examination of the forces shaping the UK retail industry. This section explores financial performance, market trends, consumer behaviour, and the strategic responses of leading retail brands. Retail Sector’s Analysis coverage provides data-driven insights and expert evaluation to help retail executives, investors, and decision-makers understand the wider commercial and operational implications behind the news — supporting more informed strategy, planning, and business growth across the sector.
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Nov- 2023 -6 November
Can Asos turn around its spiral into widening losses?
If Asos’ estimations are correct, the online fashion retailer will be facing its second year of falling sales as big as 5% to 15% in FY24. Business has looked bleak for the retailer, and as of 3 September, its loss-before-tax widened to £296.7m, UP from a loss of £31.9m in…
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Oct- 2023 -13 October
Major retailers are hiring for Xmas – but is that right for you?
As the festive season approaches, shoppers in the UK are gearing up for Christmas spending, while retailers are preparing themselves to get rushed by mad crowds. A number of high-profile retailers – including Tesco, Sainsbury, Majestic Wines and Aldi – have already announced that they are looking to hire many…
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Sep- 2023 -29 September
H&M has reignited discourse surrounding free returns
Early last week, H&M told customers of a change in return policy – they were to start paying a £1.99 return fee for both in store and online parcels. However, within the week the fashion giant did a U-turn on this decision and said that the same fee will only…
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Aug- 2023 -10 August
Greggs’ recipe for success
By May 2023, Greggs’ sales had shot up by nearly a fifth compared with the same time in 2022, as its offering of sausage rolls and pasties remained “compelling” to customers during the cost-of-living crisis. In the spring of this year, the country-wide chain of bakeries also revealed that hot…
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Jul- 2023 -14 July
Prime Day 2023: here’s what we know
Amazon’s Prime Day, a global annual shopping event organised by Amazon, has gained notoriety among Prime members since it was first introduced in 2015. While Prime Day 2023 is behind us now, the results of the total spend by consumers has not yet been quantified. Luckily, we have last year’s…
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Jun- 2023 -30 June
Hotel Chocolat is in a bad way – but so are other chocolatiers
Over the course of Easter 2023, the UK was responsible for one in eight Easter-related chocolate launches, according to research from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD), while seasonal Easter chocolate products also saw a 19% rise over the past 12 months. Meanwhile, UK-based ‘free-from’ chocolate brand NOMO reported a…
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26 June
What is going on with Revolution Beauty and Boohoo?
The major retail story in the last week has undoubtedly been the drama around Revolution Beauty and Boohoo. In short, Boohoo, being the largest shareholder in Revolution Beauty, has been attempting to oust the current Revolution Beauty board and replace them with its own picks, something that Revolution is not…
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23 June
How a 5% interest rate hike will affect trading
It was announced yesterday (22 June) by the Bank of England that interest rates will immediately increase from 4.5% to 5.%, marking the 13th consecutive hike since rates were first increased in December 2021 from a low of 0.1% to 0.25%. So far in 2023, this is the fifth consecutive…
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12 June
Can the John Lewis Partnership reach its goals?
Last week the chair of the John Lewis Partnership Sharon White made a commitment to return the company to profitability by 2026 in a speech to the Employee Ownership Association. This promise comes just three years after White started a five year plan at the company which amongst other things…
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5 June
Could WHSmith secure Toys R Us’ success through concessions?
After disappearing from UK high streets and retail parks in 2018, Toys R Us has made plans to relaunch this summer across several locations, as well as in the form of concessions in WHSmith branches. The children’s toys retailer exited after falling out of favour due to strong competition from…
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