Coronavirus
Coronavirus covers the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the UK retail industry. This section explores how retailers have adapted to shifts in consumer behaviour, operational disruption, and regulatory change. Retail Sector’s Coronavirus coverage includes news, analysis, and commentary on supply chain challenges, workforce management, financial recovery, and digital transformation, providing retail professionals with insight into how the sector continues to rebuild and evolve in the wake of the pandemic.
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Jun- 2020 -22 June
John Lewis announce nine further store reopenings
John Lewis has announced plans to reopen nine more stores on Thursday (25 June), following the “successful reopening” of an initial 13 stores last week. The stores which will reopen their doors to customers on 25 June include; Cribbs Causeway, Leeds, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Peter Jones, Southampton, Tunbridge Wells…
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19 June
92% of shopworkers oppose longer Sunday working hours, says Usdaw
Some 92% of retail staff in England have opposed large shops opening for more than six hours on a Sunday, as the government considers deregulating Sunday trading. According to a survey by shopworkers trade union Usdaw, 66% of the 11,000 retail staff said they feel they are pressured to work…
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19 June
Retail sales bounce back in May, says ONS
The volume of retail sales volumes “partly rebounded” in May, according to the latest statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Sales volumes saw an increase of 12% when compared with the “record falls” experienced the previous month, but sales were still down by 13.1% on February, before the…
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18 June
Employers given 30 days to ‘confess’ to furlough abuses
Legislation is currently being fast-tracked to allow HMRC to reclaim any furlough money overpaid to employers, or not spent on wages as intended. Although we do not have the final version of the legislation, employers should start addressing their minds to the claims they have made to date as soon…
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18 June
Long Tall Sally to cease trading after 45 years
Womens fashion retailer Long Tall Sally is to cease trading after nearly 45 years. In a statement released on its site, the fashion retailer said the changing economics of retail, along with “fierce competition” have hit the company hard, along with the “profound impact” of Covid-19 pandemic further weakening its…
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17 June
The Retail Mutual launches #OpenForBusiness campaign to support independents
The Retail Mutual has launched a social media campaign to support independent businesses, after non-essential retailers were permitted to reopen their stores earlier this week. Specialist cover provider for independent businesses has created the Open for Business campaign to “celebrate and support” high street retailers and to encourage consumers to…
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17 June
Forever 21 re-enters UK market with new online store
Forever 21 has re-entered the UK market following its administration last year, with the launch of a new online store. The US-based retailer has launched a new UK online store to service its British consumers with the full international assortment, an “improved” site and localised e-commerce experience. The brand is…
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17 June
Debenhams opens 38 more stores following ‘successful’ Monday reopening
Department store chain Debenhams has announced it will reopen a further 38 stores in England, following the “successful reopening” of 50 of its stores earlier this week. Debenhams revealed that four stores have also reopened in Northern Ireland, whilst the business awaits confirmation from Wales and Scotland as to when…
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16 June
Footfall up 41% yesterday morning as shoppers returned to high streets
Retail footfall across high streets, shopping centres and retail parks in England increased by 41.7% yesterday morning (15 June) in comparison to last week, and by 51.7% in England’s high streets, according to the latest data from retail experts Springboard. The 51.7% rise in footfall in high streets from last…
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16 June
Joules predicts £3m loss after pandemic hit
Fashion retailer Joules has predicted an underlying loss for its 2020 financial year of between £2m and £3m attributed to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In a pre-closing update ended 31 May 2020, Joules said the impact of the Covid-19 virus between March and May resulted in a “material…
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