News
The latest news, updates and analysis on the the UK retail industry. Covering every segment of the market, Retail Sector’s business journalists keep you in the picture.
-
Jun- 2018 -19 June
Plastic-free supermarket Clean Kilo opens in Birmingham
A plastic-free supermarket has opened today in Birmingham. The Clean Kilo, which claims it is the first such supermarket in the city, offers plastic-free food products in addition to household, baking and cleaning products. Customers can bring their own reusable bags and containers to shop at the Digbeth-based store. The…
Read More » -
19 June
Bonmarché’s £8m profits fight off ‘challenging trading conditions’
Bonmarché has fought off “challenging trading conditions” affecting many high street retailers by posting a 38% increase in profit before tax to £8m in its latest preliminary results for FY18. The women’s clothing retailer reported a surge in profits despite a fall in revenue from £190m to £186m. Store like-for-like…
Read More » -
19 June
Strongest May growth for online retail since 2010
UK online retail sales were up 19.4% year-on-year amid high temperatures, the royal wedding and the FA Cup Final, according to new data. The latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index showed two bank holidays during the same period also contributed to the highest YoY increase for May since 2010 and…
Read More » -
19 June
Debenhams issues profit warning
Debenhams has issued a warning saying it now expects pre-profits to be “in the range of £35m-£40m” significantly lower than City forecasts of £50m. The company blamed poor conditions on the high street and said that it doesn’t expect improvement anytime soon. The warning is Debenhams third of the year…
Read More » -
19 June
ASOS to stop selling silk and cashmere in animal welfare policy update
Online retailer ASOS has announced that it will stop the sale of products made with silk, cashmere, angora, feather/down, bone, horn and shell as part of its updated animal welfare policy. It has also pledged to only sell leather, wool and animal hair which is a by-product of the meat…
Read More » -
19 June
CMA reveals Asda-Sainsbury’s merger comments
Industry responses to a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) consultation on the proposed Asda-Sainsbury’s merger have revealed concerns about higher prices and reduced choice for customers. A number of submissions concerned the impact of the proposed merger at a national level, with fears it would lead to increased concentration in…
Read More » -
18 June
Most Brits would use smartphones as shopping tools for augmented reality
The majority of Brits were found to be willing to use their own smartphones for augmented reality (AR) to better visualise items before buying online, a study has found. Mindshare analysis, conducted on behalf of UK online retail marketplace OnBuy, surveyed 1,000 UK smartphone users focusing on finding the preference…
Read More » -
18 June
Google and JD.com partner to create ‘frictionless shopping’
Search giant Google and online retailer JD.com have announced a partnership to create “frictionless shopping” experiences. Google, which invested $550m in cash, and JD.com will offer what they are calling “the next generation of retail solutions”, exploring “helpful, personalised and frictionless shopping experiences”. Both companies will work on strategic initiatives,…
Read More » -
18 June
Bitcoin in retail could ‘bring the internet to a halt’
A new report from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) in Switzerland has claimed Bitcoin would “bring the internet to a halt” if used as a mainstream payment method in the retail sector. The report also claimed that Bitcoin was a “poor substitute” for state-backed currency as the BIS says…
Read More » -
18 June
John Lewis pilots buy-back service for unwanted clothing
John Lewis has announced it is to trial an industry-first scheme allowing customers to sell back unwanted clothing to help reduce the amount of landfill waste in the UK. Some 300,000 tonnes of clothing is sent to landfill each year in the UK, and John Lewis’ service will collect…
Read More »
