Features

Poundland: what does the future hold for the discount retailer?

Poundland, once the epitome of the UK’s discount retail scene, finds itself at a crossroads as it navigates shifting consumer behaviors, rising operational costs, and an evolving market landscape.  As the cost-of-living crisis deepens and consumer preferences shift, the discount retail sector faces a host of challenges. For Poundland, staying…

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How is Westfield’s new Health and Wellness Village reshaping retail spaces

Westfield London has announced the opening of its new Wellness Village, in a move to cater to the growing demand for  accessible health and wellness experiences within a retail setting. The new space offers over 50,000 sq. ft. of health and wellness brands and services.  According to the latest report…

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Hosting plays a silent but critical role in retail

Retail depends on speed, reliability and flexibility. Whether a business operates fully online or through a mix of digital and physical channels, customers expect everything to work smoothly. Many of the factors that shape that experience are invisible to the shopper. Hosting is one of them and becomes highly noticeable…

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‘Time over cost’; the new strategy for customer returns

Cost-first decisions have long dominated reverse logistics. Retailers have grappled with whether to charge online shoppers for sending items back and have prioritised cost cutting in supply chains to mitigate the financial impact of returns on margins. Undoubtedly, cost remains an important factor in reverse logistics, but it’s starting to…

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Missed the PCI DSS v4.0.1 compliance deadline? How retailers can catch up quickly

Retailers have long been at the cutting-edge of payment innovation. From cloud computing and smart devices to advanced POS systems, new technologies are enabling industry players to continually enhance the customer experience and streamline operations. However, there is a less desirable side to this ecommerce evolution. Retailers are no longer…

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Why is Hilco Capital looking to acquire Lakeland?

British retail is no stranger to seeing a heritage brand acquired by a private equity firm. The latest name on that list seems to be family-owned homeware retailer Lakeland which is reportedly on the verge of being acquired by Hilco Capital. It was revealed in January that the company had…

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Will Mytheresa’s acquisition of YNAP create a leader in digital luxury?

Mytheresa’s acquisition of Yoox Net-A-Porter will bring together Mytheresa, Net-A-Porter, Mr Porter, Yoox, and The Outnet under the banner of LuxExperience – a new entity aiming to create “a global leader in digital luxury retail”. But as Chris Camacho, the chief executive of Cheil UK, points out: “Can you create…

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Retail’s staffing crisis: why jobs are disappearing and what’s next

Across the UK, retail employment remains 5% below pre-pandemic levels, according to Deputy’s Big Shift 2025 report. The decline is steady, pushed along by automation, e-commerce, and shifting worker expectations. In contrast, London’s hospitality sector is booming – fuelled by the city’s night-time economy, now worth a quarter of all…

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How the US tariffs could redefine the future of UK retail

The UK retail industry is bracing for disruption as the US prepares to enforce a sweeping set of tariff increases, marking what experts are calling the most consequential shift in global trade policy in over a century. With economic, operational and consumer-facing impacts already being felt, British retailers must now…

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The potential ripple effect of Asda’s Rollback return

Asda has brought back its “iconic” Rollback scheme, reducing prices on more than 4,000 products in stores and online. As a result, more than £4bn has been wiped off the value of Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer stock amid fears that rival Asda will step up the grocery price…

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