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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Jan- 2019 -30 January
Pets Corner opens 150th store as sales increase 4.7%
Pet product retailer Pets Corner opened its 150th store in Cobham, Surrey this month as it welcomed a 4.7% like-for-like sales increase in its first quarter. During October 2018 to December 2018, the retail chain’s EBITDA rose by 8% to £3.52m compared with the same period last year. Its in-house…
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28 January
Online retail tax could be unlawful under EU rules, Treasury warns
The government has said taxing online giants, like Amazon, through a sales tax could be illegal under EU rules. Under European Union State aid rules it is illegal for EU countries to give financial advantage to some companies and not others in a way which could distort fair competition. The…
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25 January
Smiggle to hold talks over rent reductions following poor trading experience
Australian stationer, Smiggle, is to hold talks over rent reductions following reports that some stores were not meeting expectations. In 2014, the retailer began a mass expansion in the UK and currently operates 130 stores nationwide. A source close to the retailer told Property Week that it had been “fully…
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25 January
Bonmarché sales slide 11.1% over Christmas
Fashion retailer Bonmarché has reported a 11.1% drop in like-for-like sales over the Christmas trading period, ending 29 December 2018. Total sales declined by 8.1% during the period, however the group recorded a 22.2% increase in online sales, although at a lower rate than in the first half of the…
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25 January
L’occitane launches same day delivery across UK
French beauty retailer L’occitane has partnered with retail delivery startup On The Dot to launch its same day delivery service proposition ‘Ship From Store’ across the UK. The service has launched in London and there are plans to it extend across the remaining 86 UK stores in early 2019. On…
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24 January
Man charged after digger smashes through Spar shop front
A Scottish man has been charged after a digger was driven through the shop front of a Spar convenience store in the town of Keith, in Moray. The incident took place at 03:35 last Saturday morning (19 January), throwing debris across the town’s Regent Street. Police said “significant damage” had…
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22 January
Poundland sparks controversy over Valentine’s ‘Gift of Nothing’
Poundland has sparked controversy over the sale of its new ‘Gift of Nothing’ product, which is effectively an empty heart shaped package with the words “exactly what you asked for”. The product has been released as part of Poundland’s Valentine’s Day line and is on sale for the retailer’s trademark…
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22 January
Pets at Home sees ‘strong’ festive sales
Pets at Home had its “biggest trading day” the Saturday before Christmas, as the retailer reported an increase in sales over the festive period. In the 12 week period from 12 October 2018 to 3 January 2019, the chain saw its group revenue increase by 6.3% to £237.2m while its…
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21 January
Chapelle enters administration
Jewellery and watch retailer Chapelle has entered into administration, four years after it was sold to HMV owners Hilco UK. Philip Duffy and Sarah Bell of accountancy firm Duff & Phelps have been appointed as administrators of both Mortimer Management Group and The Jewellery Outlet, which makes up Chapelle. The…
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21 January
ONS reports retail growth ‘slowdown’
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced a “slowdown” in retail growth for the whole of 2018 which it said increased by 2.7% in the quantity bought, 2% less than the peak of 4.7% experienced in 2016. For the three months to December 2018 estimates in quantity bought declined…
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