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 -10 August
July sales increase 6.4% but remain below yearly average
On a total basis, sales increased by 6.4% in July, against a growth of 3.2% in July 2020, according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG retail sales monitor. Despite the rise in sales, however, the monitor found that this was below the three-month average growth of 14.7% and the…
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9 August
Forever New opens first UK store
Australian fashion retailer Forever New has opened its first store in the UK in Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield. Forever New said its collections are a ”unique blend of seasonal trends, feminine silhouettes, and of-the-moment detailing”. The initiative comes after the launch of the retailer’s international website in 19 countries in…
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6 August
Scottish footfall remains subdued
Figures provided by the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Sensormatic IQ data. show footfall for retailers is down 27.1% in July on the same month in 2019. Scottish shopping centre footfall declined by 34.1% in July, while footfall in Glasgow was down 26.1% compared to the same month in 2019.…
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6 August
Footfall stalls due to ‘turbulent’ July weather, says BRC
Total footfall across the UK declined 28% for the four weeks to 31 July 2021 when compared to the same period in 2019. According to the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC’s) sensormatic IQ data, the figure sits below the three-month average of a 27.7% fall. The drop has been attributed to…
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5 August
Astley Clarke to open flagship London store this Autumn
British jewellery brand, Astley Clarke has announced that it will debut its first UK flagship store at Seven Dials’ Monmouth Street, London, this Autumn. Spanning just over 900 sq ft, the jeweller’s first bricks and mortar home will stock fine and demi-fine elevated jeweller. Founded in 2006 by Bec Astley…
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5 August
Mike Ashley confirms plans to step down as head of Frasers
Mike Ashely has confirmed that he will step down as head of Frasers Group, as the business revealed its most recent full year trading profits, which showed a 84.1% decrease in pre-tax profits due to Covid-19. The group which owns brands such as Jack Willis and Evan Cycles said that…
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5 August
Next store staff step closer to equal pay victory
Next has conceded that it can compare the roles of its store workers and distribution centre and warehouse employees, bringing the workers’ equal pay claims one step closer to success. Over 400 Next staff members brought the case against the retail group, stating that shop floor work is equally as…
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3 August
Greggs to add 100 new stores as it returns to profit
Greggs has announced it plans to open 100 new stores this year after it revealed it had returned to profit for the 26 weeks ended 3 July 2021. For the half-year period it posted profits of £55.5m compared with the previous year’s loss of £65.2m. Total sales also climbed to…
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Jul- 2021 -30 July
One in seven UK shops still remain vacant, BRC reveals
More than one in seven shops on UK high streets, retail parks and shopping centres are currently vacant, according to the latest data from the Local Data Company and the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The data revealed that fashion stores were amongst the “hardest hit” as customers primarily shifted to…
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29 July
NI to boost high street spending with £100 voucher
Northern Ireland economy minister Gordon Lyons has announced a £145m scheme that will give everyone aged 18 and over a prepaid card worth £100 to spend on their local high street. It is planned that the registration process will open to the public this September. Lyons stated that the new…
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