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.
-
Jul- 2024 -25 July
Majestic strengthens store portfolio amid £1m investment
Wine retailer Majestic has opened two brand new stores in the South East of England and completed two major refurbishments in the Midlands and Scotland within one week thanks to a £1m investment. It comes as the business reaffirms its commitment to experiential bricks-and-mortar stores through its efforts to expand…
Read More » -
24 July
NI retail staff and employers call for shop worker protection
Usdaw and employers’ organisation Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) have jointly called for urgent action to protect retail workers from violence and abuse, amid a recent “epidemic” in retail crime. The call comes as recently recorded crime statistics from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) show that shoplifting had more…
Read More » -
17 July
The Perfume Shop profits fall despite rise in revenues
The Perfume Shop has reported a fall in profits from £23.7m to £21.4m despite a 4.6% rise in revenues to £302.4m for the 52-week period ending 30 December 2023. Its profit after tax also dipped to £15.4m. The group stated that consumer sentiment remains subdued as inflationary pressures and high…
Read More » -
16 July
Greggs to open new Kettering distribution centre
Greggs has announced plans to open a new national distribution centre at Symmetry Park, Kettering, in partnership with Tritax Symmetry. According to Greggs, this initiative is a “key” part of its growth strategy, aimed at expanding its supply chain to meet the needs of its growing number of shops across…
Read More » -
10 July
EWM, Bonmarche and Peacocks return to profitability
The owners of Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM), Bonmarche and Peacocks, have revealed that all three brands have returned to profitability. Purepay Retail said that Bonmarche and EWM delivered turnover of £195m for the year to February 2023, while operating profit increased to £8.07m, up from a loss of £19.3m the…
Read More » -
9 July
Cold weather chills consumer spending in June
UK Total retail sales decreased by 0.2% year on year in June, against an increase of 4.9% in June 2023, as cold weather negatively affected spending particularly on “weather sensitive categories”. The latest figures from BRC’s and KPMG’s retail sales monitor revealed that food sales increased 1.1% year-on-year over the…
Read More » -
5 July
Taylor Swift and Euros boost footfall amid damp June
Taylor Swift’s UK tour and the Euros helped strengthen footfall during a very wet June as total UK footfall decreased by 2.3% in June (YoY), up from -3.6% in May, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). On a segment basis, high street footfall decreased by…
Read More » -
1 July
Former Mothercare boss among The Body Shop bidders
Several private equity giants are reportedly eyeing a rescue bid for The Body Shop’s high street business, The Telegraph has reported. Gordon Brothers, whose UK business is led by former Mothercare boss Mark Newton-Jones, is said to be among several firms that have submitted bids for what remains of the chain. …
Read More » -
1 July
Boots chief to depart after sale plans shelved
Boots managing director Sebastien James is set to quit his role after its owner shelved plans to sell the retailer. James, who has led the company since 2018, is set to leave the company in November and take up a role at Veonet, according to reports from Sky News. Ornella…
Read More » -
Jun- 2024 -28 June
Boots sees 13th straight quarter of market share growth
Boots has revealed that it has posted a 13th consecutive quarter of market share growth for the three months ended 31 May 2024. The health and beauty retailer saw a retail sales increase of 6% in the period compared with a 13% increase in the same period last year. Furthermore,…
Read More »
