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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Aug- 2024 -9 August
Riots deter shoppers as footfall falls 4.8%
UK high streets appear to be feeling the full force of ongoing disorder over the past week with footfall declining by an average of -4.8% week on week from Sunday (4 August) to Wednesday (7 August) compared with an average decline of -2.7% in all UK retail destinations. The latest…
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7 August
Store staff ‘fear for their safety’, says Retail Trust boss
The Retail Trust has seen a spike in calls from retail workers “fearing for their safety” amid rioting across towns in England and Northern Ireland, according to its chief executive Chris Brook-Carter. Brook-Carter stated that the charity has seen an increase in the number of calls to its 24-hour helpline.…
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2 August
Footfall falls for 12th consecutive month
Total UK footfall decreased by 3.3% in July (YoY), down from -2.3% in June, marking the 12 consecutive month of decline. It comes as high street footfall actually increased by 2.7% in July (YoY), up from -3.1% in June. However this was offset as retail Park footfall decreased by 0.8%…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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