Department Stores
The latest news, updates and analysis on the department stores segment of the the UK retail industry. Sign up to the Daily Briefing and let Retail Sector’s business journalists keep you in the picture.
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Oct- 2024 -16 October
Harvey Norman debuts in UK with Merry Hill store
Lifestyle, technology, and home appliance retailer Harvey Norman has made its UK debut with a new flagship store at Merry Hill. The new 57,000 sq ft store offers the group’s extensive range of products, including luxury furniture such as sofas, dining sets, bedroom suites and mattresses, as well as smaller…
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14 October
Fenwick unveils largest beauty hall outside of London
Fenwick has unveiled the opening of the largest beauty hall outside of London located in Newcastle. At 26,000 sq ft, the newly reimagined space is a testament to Fenwick’s dedication to creating an “innovative” in-store shopping experience, featuring two new enlarged atriums, 56 ft of facade windows looking out onto…
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14 October
Selfridges’ property value falls by more than £600m
The value of Selfridges’ property portfolio plunged by more than £600m last year, according to The Sunday Times.The Times reported that accounts for the department store’s property assets showed its £3.1bn property portfolio had been marked down by £638.6m by valuers, a fall of 20.6%. It also reported that over…
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11 October
Ikea sales dip 5.3% in FY24 after cutting prices
Ikea has seen a 5.3% decrease in retail sales to €45.1bn (£37.7bn) for its 2024 financial year as it “substantially” lowered its prices across 63 markets. However, as a result of the price decreases, the retailer saw a 4.5% upward trend both in store visitation and a 21% increase in…
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8 October
Saudi Arabia acquires 40% stake in Selfridges
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has acquired a 40% stake in Selfridges after purchasing the shares previously held by collapsed Austrian firm Signa. Following the acquisition, Central Group will own a 60% stake in the department store, while PIF will hold 40% of both Selfridges Group’s operating and property companies. The…
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3 October
M&S launches recruitment drive to fill 11,000 Christmas roles
Marks and Spencer has announced it will be recruiting over 11,000 new customer assistants to support in stores across the UK over the festive period. The retailer is recruiting even more colleagues than last year with over 1000 more vacancies available, reflecting the additional investment M&S is making in colleague…
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Sep- 2024 -24 September
Harrods investigating if current staff involved in Al Fayed allegations
Harrods has revealed that it is investigating if any of its current staff were involved in allegations against former owner Mohamed Al Fayed. Al Fayed, who owned the store between 1985 and 2010, has been accused of multiple rapes and sexual assaults by several women who worked for him. The…
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23 September
Two Frasers Group brands face audit issues amid missing payroll data
Frasers Group has encountered issues with the audits of two of its brands, I Saw It First and Choice, according to reports from This Is Money. Auditors from Cooper Parry working on I Saw It First were unable to verify almost £7m of wages and salary payments. Meanwhile, auditors at…
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20 September
Next warns of store closures if equal pay appeal fails
Next has warned that store closures may be necessary if its appeal against a recent equal pay ruling fails. Last month, more than 3,500 current and former Next employees won a six-year legal fight for equal pay, with the total amount payable by the retailer estimated to be over £30m. An…
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12 September
John Lewis narrows pre-tax losses to £30m
The John Lewis Partnership has revealed that its losses-before-tax closed to £30m, down from £59m, a decrease of 49%, for the 26 weeks ended 27 July 2024. Alongside this, the retailer’s losses-before-tax and exceptional items reduced by 91% from £57m down to just £5m. Overall, the company’s total revenue rose…
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