News
News is Retail Sector’s central hub for breaking stories, market developments and company updates from across the UK retail industry. This category delivers authoritative, timely coverage on everything from trading performance and executive changes to store openings, brand activity and supply chain developments.
Retail Sector’s news coverage focuses on the business realities behind the headlines — providing retail professionals with context on how each development impacts operations, strategy and market confidence. Readers can expect clear, accurate reporting designed to keep decision-makers informed and competitive in a fast-moving retail landscape.
-
Nov- 2018 -1 November
600 jobs at risk as Crawshaws enters administration
Meat retailer Crawshaws has announced it has entered administration, putting 600 jobs at risk across its 42 stores. A Crawshaws spokesperson told Retail Sector that the company blamed its financial woes on “increasing competitor pressures on the high street”, namely “discount activity from the likes of Aldi and Lidl”. According…
Read More » -
1 November
Carpetright announces HY trading to be ‘heavily impacted’ by restructuring
Carpetright has said trading in its half-year update for the 26-week period ending 27 October was “heavily impacted” by the company’s restructuring which included 67 store closures. It said like-for-like performance remained negative in this second part of the period however “there was an improvement in the trend, as the…
Read More » -
Oct- 2018 -31 October
‘Brexit anxieties’ lead to decrease in consumer confidence in October
Growth from Knowledge’s (GfK) long-running consumer confidence index decreased by one point to -10 in October 2018, amid consumer anxieties over Brexit. The market research institute said the lack of confidence from shoppers will “concern retailers” in the run-up to Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the key Christmas trading period,…
Read More » -
31 October
Intu gives Whittaker-led consortium two week extension to consider takeover bid
Intu properties has given a consortium, led by deputy chairman John Whittaker, a two week extension to make a firm bid or walk away from the £2.9bn deal. On 4 October 2018 a consortium comprising the Peel Group, the Saudi Arabian Olayan Group and the Canadian investor Brookfield Property Group…
Read More » -
31 October
Argos and John Lewis Christmas toy lists create surge in interest
A new study has found interest in this year’s “must-have” Christmas toys surged by almost eight times, following the publication of the Argos and John Lewis top Christmas toys lists. The research by digital marketing agency, Everest Media, analysed the volume of Google searches that each toy on the list…
Read More » -
31 October
Amazon launches ‘try before you buy’ shopping service in UK
Amazon Fashion has launched its ‘try before you buy’ Prime Wardrobe service in the UK following a “successful” launch in America in June. The service is exclusively available to Amazon Prime members and allows them to have fashion items delivered for free, try them on at home and only pay…
Read More » -
30 October
Sports Direct to rescue Evans Cycles with half of its stores to shutter
Sports Direct is to rescue Evans Cycles after it fell into administration on 7 September, with owner Mike Ashley saying the retailer will have to shutter half of its stores to save the business. The closures would result in hundreds of job losses with Evans Cycles, which has been running…
Read More » -
30 October
Sofa.com to replace ScS at House of Fraser
Furniture specialists Sofa.com is set to introduce its products to seven House of Fraser outlets, replacing some of the ScS concessions. Sofa and carpet retailer ScS announced it would pull its concessions from House of Fraser by January 2019 as the company said the partnership was “no longer beneficial” following…
Read More » -
30 October
Seasalt bucks high street woes with sales and profits increase
Cornish fashion brand, Seasalt, has recorded record turnover and improved margins, signalling the “continuing growth momentum in the business”. Turnover was up 23% on the previous year, at £51m, and is the ninth consecutive year of 20% increases in year-on-year sales growth, reflecting “continued rising demand” for the brand across…
Read More » -
30 October
Selfridges opens in-store skate park
Selfridges has opened an indoor skate park in its London flagship store as part of refurbishment work in its menswear section. ‘The Bowl’ has become the UK’s only free wooden indoor skate bowl with skate lessons offered for £20 per hour. Selfridges has also added The Designer Street Room to…
Read More »
