Online & Digital
The latest news, updates and analysis on the online and digital segment of the the 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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Feb- 2021 -16 February
Ebay’s sale of Gumtree sparks concern by CMA
The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) has raised concerns that Adevinta’s anticipated £6.5bn purchase of Gumtree from Ebay could lead to higher prices and less choice for consumers. Adevinta’s Shpock and Ebay Classified Group’s (eCG) Gumtree, both operate online classified advertising platforms in the UK which allow people to buy…
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16 February
Virgin Wines set to float £100m for next month
Virgin Wines has announced plans to float on the London Stock Exchange for around £100m. The online wine retailer is known for its “award-winning and largely exclusive premium wines” through its premium subscription based service for customers. The company was founded in 2000 as part of the Virgin Group owned…
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16 February
Amazon infiltrated by fake review sites, Which? report finds
A Which? investigation has uncovered a “thriving” industry of review manipulation businesses targeting Amazon, despite ongoing measures to combat fake reviews on its platform. Amid growing competition between sellers, Amazon, which sold an estimated $295bn (£212bn) worth of products worldwide in 2020, has seen a rise in sellers “turning to…
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16 February
Almost half of consumers shift to online shopping due to covid-19
Almost half of consumers (46%) in 2020 made an online purchase that would have previously been made in-store amid the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a new report by Retail Economics and Natwest, online sales in the retail sector saw five years of growth in just 12 months in 2020 as…
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15 February
Year-on-year online gift cards and e-vouchers increase by 117%
Year-on-year sales of online gift cards and e-vouchers have increased by 117% during the second half of 2020 as Covid restrictions affected consumer trading. According to the latest analysis by the Gift Card & Voucher Association (GCVA) and KPMG UK, there was strong growth in the online channel for both…
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15 February
Made.com explores £500m stock floatation
Made.com is exploring options for a potential stock market floatation worth £500m, according to Sky News. The online retailer is reportedly in talks with banks about advising on strategic options, which will include an initial public offering to take place in the coming months. Backed by Brent Hoberman, co-founder of…
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12 February
Amazon investors call for end to anti-union interference
A group of more than 70 Amazon investors are calling on the company to end interference against efforts by its workers to unionise in America, according to the Financial Times. More than 5,800 Amazon employees in Alabama are set to vote in a mail-in ballot; the first time attempt by…
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10 February
Dunelm welcomes ‘strong’ H1 as online sales soar
Dunelm has welcomed a “strong” performance in its half-year results, with pre-tax profit soaring 34.4% to £112.4m in the period ended 26 December 2020. Despite ongoing store closures in light of the pandemic, total sales rose by 23% to £719.4m in H1, up from £585m the same period the year…
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9 February
Joules acquires Garden Trading
Joules has announced its acquisition of Garden Trading, the online garden retailer which designs its own home, garden and outdoor products. Garden Trading sells its products through its own digital platform directly to consumers to more than 1,000 stockists across the country Nick Jones, CEO of Joules, said: “We are…
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9 February
Notonthehighstreet acquired by US investment firm
Notonthehighstreet has been acquired by Great Hill Partners, an American investment firm. The online gift retailer was founded in 2006 by Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish, employs more than 150 and manages a marketplace of more than 5,000 small businesses selling more than 250,000 products. The business has seen a…
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