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 -18 March
Wilko key workers prepare to strike amid sick pay cuts
Wilko key workers who are part of GMB union have announced they are preparing to strike after having their sick pay entitlement cut. A consultative ballot undertaken by the union saw 88% of Wilko workers vote that they were ready to take action up to and including strike action following…
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17 March
New Look faces court battle with landlords over CVA terms
New Look has reportedly entered a High Court battle with four landlords – including British Land and Land Securities – over its proposed restructuring plans. According to The Times, the fashion retailer is being challenged by landlords over its CVA, a restructuring procedure which was agreed last year, that switched…
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17 March
Scottish retail sales down 22% in February
Scottish retail sales for February fell by 22% against the prior year, the fourth worst monthly performance in the past year, according to the latest Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and KPMG figures. The SRC claimed that the fall in sales was only aided by a small but “nonetheless discernible boost”…
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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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