High Street
The latest news, updates and analysis on the the British High Street and 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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Mar- 2021 -16 March
Thorntons to close all 61 UK sites, 600 jobs at risk
Chocolate maker Thorntons has announced it is to close all 61 of its UK stores, placing over 600 jobs at risk. Announcing the decision on its website, it said the decision comes as it has been “operating for a long time in a tough and challenging retail environment”. It cited…
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16 March
Footfall rises for seventh consecutive week
Footfall across UK retail destinations rose for the seventh time in eight consecutive weeks last week, up 7% according to the latest Springboard data. Footfall rose on five of the seven days last week, increasing by 10% on each day between Thursday and Saturday with a peak of 14.1% on…
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16 March
Greggs swings to £13.7m FY20 loss
Greggs has posted a £13.7m loss-before-tax for the 53 weeks ended 2 January 2021, down from profits of £108.3m in 2019. The group attributed its first annual loss since the firm became a listed business in 1984 to “lower-than-normal sales levels” throughout the pandemic. The company’s revenues for the period…
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16 March
JML appoints two new directors to board
JML has announced the appointment of Susan Aubrey-Cound and Simon Hathway as new non-executive directors of its board. The retail group, which owns brands such as Doktor Power, Walkmaxx, Chillmax, and Phoenix Gold, has promoted Kevin Dickens to the position of group marketing director as part of its growth plans.…
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15 March
Oxford Street kicks off £150m regeneration plan
Westminster City Council has launched its “ambitious” £150m plans to renovate Oxford Street, beginning with a series of temporary interventions to encourage higher footfall after lockdown. The initial interventions aim to boost footfall and support businesses in the area, and will be closely followed by council-led projects that will “permanently…
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12 March
Government announces eviction ban extension
The ministry of housing, communities, and local government has announced an extension to the ban of commercial evictions until 30 June. Introduced by Robert Jenrick, housing secretary, the measure is intended to ensure businesses are supported upon reopening. Alongside the commercial support package is a six-month notice period and bailiff…
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9 March
UK retail sales up 9.5% in February, says BRC-KPMG
Like-for-like UK retail sales increased 9.5% last month against February 2020, according to the latest BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor, which covered the four weeks between 31 January – 27 February 2021. The data revealed that over the three months to February, in-store sales of non-food items declined 38.9% on a…
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9 March
WH Smith lockdown trading exceeds expectations
WH Smith has revealed that the group has delivered a “better than expected performance” during the latest lockdown period. According to the high street retailer, it has “adapted well” to the evolving trading environment and despite reduced footfall, revenue in its High Street business in January 2021 was at 74%…
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9 March
DFS revenues jump 17.3% in half-year results
DFS Furniture has announced its revenues increased by 17.3% to £572.6m in the 26 weeks to 29 December 2020, due to a rise in demand for living room furniture during lockdown. The retailer reported a strong trading performance over the period, which included a series of tiered lockdowns across the…
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8 March
Shoe Zone swings to £14.6m pre-tax loss
Shoe Zone has posted a loss-before-tax of £14.6m for the 52 weeks to October 2020, following a loss of trade due to Covid-19. The store which employs 3,000 people across the UK, also revealed that revenues decreased by 24.3% to £122.6m. In addition, the group generated net cash earnings of…
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