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.
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Apr- 2018 -3 April
21,000 retail jobs lost or threatened so far this year
Over 21,000 jobs have been axed or put at risk in the first three months of the year as retailers struggle to break even. A Press Association analysis revealed that 21,413 staff members have already been made redundant or had their role threatened, with the majority being from large high-street…
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1 April
Clas Ohlson To Sell Fresh Bottled ‘Swedish Air’
To mark the brand’s 100th year birthday, homeware brand Clas Ohlson announces has today announced that it is launching going to sell bottled Swedish Air, a take away container of pure, Swedish air for British consumers to enjoy. Clas Ohlson has been synonymous with Swedish culture since its opening in…
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Mar- 2018 -29 March
‘Beast from the East’ chills retail sales
Year-on-year sales volumes declined for the first time since October 2017, according to CBI’s latest monthly Distributive Trades Survey. Additionally, sales for the time of year were significantly below normal, and by the greatest extent since April 2013. The volume of orders placed with suppliers, meanwhile, was broadly unchanged. Sales…
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29 March
A quarter of SME retailers expect to see Easter sales increase
A quarter of SME retailers expect to see an increase in sales activity over the Easter bank holiday weekend, according to a study commissioned by Royal Mail. DIY items, electronics and alcohol are the products that most SME retailers expect will sell well over the Easter bank holiday weekend. The…
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29 March
Ikea reports lower than average gender pay gap
Ikea has revealed that its gender pay gap is 6.9%, which is significantly lower than the UK retail average of 16.4%. Women who work in the distribution division of the company are paid an average of 0.9% more than their male counterparts. That particular department makes up just under one…
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29 March
Conviviality administration announcement puts 2500 jobs in danger
Bargain Booze owner Conviviality has announced plans to file for administration within the next two weeks, after failing to secure a proposed £125m fundraising bid to avert bankruptcy. The unexpected £30m tax bill led to a suspension of the off-licence retailer’s shares on the junior market and the cancellation…
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28 March
Online retail orders on the up
Online retail delivery order volumes were up 7% year-on-year in February, according to the latest data from the IMRG MetaPack UK Delivery Index. The month-on-month drop from January in terms of volume was expected, though the 21% decline was sharper than it has been over recent years. This sharp drop…
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28 March
Dominic Chappell banned from company directorship for 15 years
Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell has been disqualified from running or controlling any company for up to 15 years. A spokesperson for the Insolvency Service said: “We can confirm the Insolvency Service has written to Dominic Chappell and three other former directors of BHS and connected companies informing them that…
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28 March
Nominations open for Barclaycard Everywoman Retail Awards
Nominations for the Barclaycard everywoman in Retail Awards are now open with new categories. The awards were launched to increase awareness of the ‘diverse range of opportunities for women in retail, by shining the spotlight on role models and inspiring more women to consider a career in retail’. This year’s…
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28 March
DFS ‘confident’ despite halved profits
DFS has seen a fall in both its sales and pre-tax profits for the six months to 27 January amid “challenging market conditions”. The sofa and living room retailer said revenue before acquisitions was down by 3.5% to £366.5m and profits had decreased by 58.1% to £7m, where it was…
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