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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Jun- 2018 -21 June
Sir Philip Green seeks judicial review as PwC court battle kicks off
The former owner of BHS and current Topshop and Arcadia owner, Sir Philip Green, has requested a judicial review of the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) report into PwC’s handling of the retailer’s audit shortly after collapsed. As the hearing into the report prepares to be taken to the High Court…
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21 June
Dixons Carphone profits plummet 24% despite sales boost
Dixons Carphone’s profits have dropped by 24% in a year despite seeing a 3% increase in sales. In the 12-month period ending 28 April 2018, group profit before tax contracted from £500m to £382m, impacted by a negative £87m year-on-year loss from “revaluations and insurance contract terms”. However like-for-like revenue…
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20 June
EXCLUSIVE: Starbucks says ‘no UK store closures’ after US announcement
Starbucks’ recent US store closures announcement “does not affect” its UK stores, Retail Sector has learned. The clarification comes days after the US business said it would increase its store closure rate to 150 amid weak sales forecasts and a falling share price. Historically the company closes 50 underperforming stores…
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20 June
Hornby announces £10.1m loss
Hornby has announced a pre-tax loss of £10.1m and “lower than expected sales” leading to shares plummeting by 20% this morning. Revenue at the toy manufacturer has also dropped 20% to £37.5m and losses after tax rose to £9.9m. A Hornby spokesperson told Retail Sector a key factor in the…
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20 June
Independent retailers feeling ‘optimistic’ about high street future
More than half of the nation’s independent high street retailers are optimistic about the future of their local high street – and four out of five shoppers would miss their local high street if it was no longer there. This is according to new research to launch the government-run Great…
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19 June
Eat avoids CVA decision following sales boost
Sandwich chain Eat has avoided making the decision to draft in advisors as recent closures and an increase in sales have put the company back on track, Retail Sector understands. In February, the chain was reported to have appointed advisors KPMG to help it with its restructuring plan which included…
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19 June
Bonmarché’s £8m profits fight off ‘challenging trading conditions’
Bonmarché has fought off “challenging trading conditions” affecting many high street retailers by posting a 38% increase in profit before tax to £8m in its latest preliminary results for FY18. The women’s clothing retailer reported a surge in profits despite a fall in revenue from £190m to £186m. Store like-for-like…
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19 June
Debenhams issues profit warning
Debenhams has issued a warning saying it now expects pre-profits to be “in the range of £35m-£40m” significantly lower than City forecasts of £50m. The company blamed poor conditions on the high street and said that it doesn’t expect improvement anytime soon. The warning is Debenhams third of the year…
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15 June
Microsoft to take on Amazon in checkout-free showdown
Microsoft is reportedly working on technology to cut out cashiers and checkout queues in shops in the first challenge to Amazon Go who opened their checkout-free store in Seattle in January. Sources close to the development of the technology told media that Microsoft is developing software to track what shoppers…
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15 June
Royal wedding boosts retail sales in May
The quantity bought in the retail industry increased by 1.3% in May 2018 when compared with April 2018, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Feedback from retailers suggested that a sustained period of good weather and royal wedding celebrations encouraged spending in food and household goods stores in…
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