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- 2023 -22 August
Cake Box like-for-like sales rise 6.8%
Cake Box’s franchisee stores reported a like-for-like sales increase of 6.8% for the first 17 weeks of FY24 ended 31 March, showing an increase from 5.4% like-for-like sales growth for the first 11 weeks. The specialist retailer of fresh cream cakes attributed its performance to tight cost control and proactive…
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16 August
Axing tourist tax would ease high street woes, says Pandora boss
Pandora UK&I general manager Rasmus Brix has said that in light of the cost-of-living crisis and ongoing train strikes, eliminating the tourist tax would create a “significant boost” for the high street. Brix told The Mail the firm was “missing out” due to the absence of VAT-free shopping for visitors…
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15 August
M&S expects FY profit growth as it ups market share
M&S has stated that it expects to see profit growth for the full year after seeing continued market share growth in its clothing and home and food categories. It comes as like-for-like food sales increased 11% for the 19 weeks ended 12 August 2023. This was a result of further…
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15 August
Wilko competitors consider bids for its estate
Wilko’s non-food market competitors Poundland, B&M, The Range and Home Bargains are reportedly among the companies looking to settle a deal to acquire the collapsed business, The Sun has reported. The retailers have until tomorrow (Wednesday 16 August) to register their offers with PwC, Wilko’s administrator. It is understood that…
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15 August
Summer holidays sees high street footfall up 4.8%
Footfall across all UK retail destinations increased by 0.7%, driven by high streets where footfall rose by +4.8% from the week before, according to the latest data from MRI Springboard. The rise has been credited to the school summer holidays with coastal towns also seeing a 2.3% increase. In contrast,…
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14 August
Tourist tax hits London spending despite rise in visitors
Despite tourist numbers continuing to recover in 2023, the spending gap has widened compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to new research from the New West End Company. The company said the data shows a situation that is “worsening quarter-on-quarter”, as awareness spreads on Britain’s tourist tax. It found that flight…
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11 August
Oxford Street crime wave driven by decline, says M&S chief
Sacha Berendji, operations director at M&S, has told the Telegraph that the recent surge in crime rates on London’s Oxford Street has been caused by its decline. In a letter written to the publication, Berendji stated that Oxford Street was once “the jewel in London’s shopping crown” but now consisted…
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8 August
Gordon Brothers mulls potential Wilko rescue deal
The investment company, Gordon Brothers, which has backed high street retailer Laura Ashley, is in talks with Wilko’s advisers at PwC about structuring a potential deal, Sky News has learned. An offer could involve Gordon Brothers providing funding to the discount retailer to implement a restructuring that would involve “significant”…
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7 August
Clintons could close fifth of stores to remain trading
Clintons could reportedly be set to close around a fifth of its stores in order to keep the company solvent. According to reports, first revealed by The Times, the retailer has appointed restructuring experts FRP Advisory to help oversee a possible debt-for-equity swap. The outlet also revealed that as part…
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7 August
Wilko in need of over £70m in potential rescue deal
The prospective buyers of Wilko, the discount home goods retailer that is facing permanent closure, will have to invest upwards of £70m to rescue the business, The Times has reported. This comes as PwC, which is advising the retailer, is reportedly in talks with other rival discount retailers and two…
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