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- 2021 -20 August
Retail sales growth slows in July
Retail sales volumes fell by 2.5% between June and July 2021, as rainy weather and last month’s ‘pingdemic’ dampened demand from consumers. Nonetheless, sales were still up by 5.2% in the three months to July against the previous three months, and 5.8% higher than their pre-pandemic February 2020 levels, according…
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18 August
Lees bolster senior management team
Lees of Scotland, the confectionary company, has bolstered its senior management team following a series of internal promotions and strategic appointments. Martin Ruck will join as development and technical director, having worked within the food industry for over 30 years. He will be “focusing on driving forward new and…
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17 August
RSC to tackle sustainably amongst retailers with new initiative
The UK’s Retail Sector Council (RSC) has announced the launch of a national online initiative to help small independent retailers cut their carbon footprint and become more environmentally friendly. Led by RSC member Victoria Robertshaw and receiving ministerial support, Green Street is an informative and accessible hub, built by retailers…
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17 August
Poundland taps into schoolwear market with new range
Poundland has tapped into a new market with its back-to-school range which launched this week. The new range offers schoolwear essentials such as polo shirts from £1, trousers and skirts from £3 and a seven sock pack from £2. The group became a one of the UK top 20 clothing…
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16 August
Origin’40 to launch 50 new UK sites by 2023
Origin’40, a CBD specialist retailer, has announced its plans to launch 50 UK sites by the end of 2023. Having opened three stores earlier this year, located in Chiswick, Portobello Road and Putney, the retailer said it is now eyeing more London sites including Islington and Camden. The group will…
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16 August
Pret to create 2,000 new roles through expansion
Pret A Manger is reportedly planning to open up to 100 new shops across the UK, in a move that is set to create around 2,000 new jobs. According to the Sunday Times, the chain is set to open up the new sites with the help of its franchisees. The…
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16 August
UK retail sales to grow 12% amid back-to-school boost
UK retail sales are expected to grow 12% during the 16 August to 19 September back-to-school period compared with the same period in 2019, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. Year-on-year sales are also expected to grow 6.7% compared with 2020. This anticipated growth builds on “positive retail momentum”, as total retail…
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13 August
UK charities turning to selling online to ‘plug’ funding gap, report finds
UK charities are turning to online shop sales to help plug a large funding gap in the wake of the pandemic, according to data from the Charity Retail Association (CRA). The data found that the average charity shop in the UK lost over £33,000 in income when high streets closed…
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12 August
Pret a Manger staff to consider strike action over pay cuts
Pret a Manger staff are reportedly considering strike action after the temporary reduction in pay they suffered during the lockdown period was going to be made permanent. According to The Guardian, staff were told the reductions that were first installed last year, including not being paid for breaks and service…
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10 August
Summer holidays boost UK footfall
Footfall across UK retail destinations rose by +1.4% last week against the week before, after a rise of +2.4% in the week before last, as the school summer holidays continued to keep footfall buoyant. Across high streets, the increase in activity was nearly double the overall result at a rise…
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