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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May- 2021 -21 May
Retail sales climb 9.2% in April
Retail sales across the UK increased 9.2% in April 2021 when compared to the previous month, as the easing of restrictions included the opening of non-essential retail across England, Wales, and Scotland during the period. According to the ONS’s retail sales data, sales grew 42.4% year-on-year due to April 2020…
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21 May
Card Factory completes £225m refinancing
Card Factory has announced it has completed a £225m refinancing with its current banking syndicate. The news follows the retailer’s recent trading update which saw its sales performance “exceed expectations” after reopening following the first and second lockdowns. Sales from the online channels reportedly fell which was in line with…
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19 May
Simba reports ‘record’ start to the year
Simba, the London-based sleep technology business launched in 2016, has reported its highest ever Q1 sales and profits. It revealed Q1 2021 sales jumped by 295% YOY in the UK, as consumers continued to “invest heavily in their sleep”. The sleep technology firm also witnessed a 265% YOY leap in…
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18 May
Retail footfall rises 0.5% as shoppers return to high streets
UK retail footfall rose by 0.5% last week, predominantly driven by a 3.9% increase across UK high streets, as shoppers continued to return to high streets following the easing of restrictions last month. According to the latest data from Springboard, whilst retail footfall overall increased, retail parks footfall declined by…
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17 May
UK to spend £2.5bn this week as restrictions ease
The UK is set to collectively spend £2.5bn this week as indoor hospitality reopens and restrictions further ease, giving a “much-needed” boost to the high street. According to a new VoucherCodes.co.uk report, conducted by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), 104 million people are predicted to visit hospitality venues this…
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14 May
The Works sales plunge 19% in FY21
The Works has reported a 19% sales drop for the 53 weeks to 2 May, resulting in £206.2m in overall sales. This result comes after the retail chain saw its sites closed over the past year due to Covid-19 lockdowns, which it attributed to the financial outcome. During the period,…
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13 May
Retail sales up by 7.3% in April after reopening
Retail sales increased substantially between 4 April and 1 May 2021, around the time non-essential retail was allowed to reopen, compared to April 2019, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG’s survey of retailers in the UK. Due to 2020 being a “turbulent time” for the sector, BRC…
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12 May
Retailers almost halve carbon reduction targets
UK Retailers have almost halved their 2020 carbon reduction targets according to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The data showed that carbon emissions fell by 49% since 2005, exceeding the original target of a 25% absolute reduction. These targets form part of the BRC’s climate action…
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12 May
Young shoppers main drivers of high street footfall, data finds
Millenials are the primary drivers of high street footfall in the UK since non-essential retail stores in England reopened on 12 April, according to new data from global payments platform Adyen. Over a third (34%) of young people surveyed by the service said that they missed physical stores while they…
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11 May
Hotel Chocolat reports Easter revenue boost
Hotel Chocolat has reported a year-on-year revenue increase of 60% over the eight weeks to 25 April, attributed to the rise to the Easter holiday and Mothers Day celebrations. The revenue surge was reported despite its stores being closed for six weeks of the period due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.…
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