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.
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Mar- 2018 -21 March
UK consumer price inflation falls in February
The consumer price inflation (CPI) rate fell from 2.7% in January to 2.5% in February 2018, according to the Office of National Statistics. The largest contributions to the fall were attributed to transport and food prices, which rose by less than the previous year. Rising prices for footwear produced the…
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21 March
Mothercare appoints KPMG to avert collapse
Mothercare has called in accountants KPMG to handle its refinancing in order to avoid collapse. The childcare retailer appointed KPMG to help it obtain waivers for loan agreements with banking lenders HSBC and Barclays. Since the start of the year Mothercare, which has 152 shops in the UK and 1,131…
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21 March
Ocado revenue hit by adverse weather conditions
Online grocer Ocado has reported its sales were “impacted by adverse weather conditions” ensuing from the ‘Beast from the East’ early this month, and that profits have also taken a hit. Growth was 11.7% to £363.4 million, with tens of thousands of orders over the quarter being affected by snow.…
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21 March
Carpetright prepares for store closures in CVA plan
Carpetright is exploring a possible company voluntary agreement (CVA) which would allow it to to speed up the closure of underperforming stores. The beleaguered flooring retailer has announced it is seeking an insolvency deal to allow it to continue trading while it negotiates rent reductions and debt restructuring. The number…
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20 March
Amazon targets vacant Toys R Us premises
Amazon is understood to be considering buying sites from Toys R Us, just days after the toy retailer announced plans to wind up its US business. According to Bloomberg sources close to Amazon say that it has taken an interest in Toys R Us’ estate, which will soon be reduced…
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20 March
Conviviality CEO resigns amid £30m tax bombshell
Conviviality has announced its CEO Diana Hunter has stepped down with immediate effect as its struggles stay afloat following the late discovery of a £30m tax bill. In a statement the off-licence retailer said Hunter will remain with the company for a period to provide transition support, and non-executive chairman…
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20 March
Instagram launches in-app shopping for UK users
Photo-sharing social media app Instagram has expanded its shopping capabilities to UK customers, so users are able to make purchases without leaving the app. Ecommerce designers, BigCommerce Merchants, have expanded its collaboration with Instagram to make shopping on Instagram available to merchants beyond the United States to also include Australia,…
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20 March
B&M fights Kylie Minogue in bed linen branding dispute
Bargain retailer B&M has refuted a legal claim made by Kylie Minogue against it for selling two products named ‘Kylie’, calling her “greedy”. B&M also claimed that the Australian singer is not even the most famous Kylie and pointed to reality star Kylie Jenner. Home furnishings designer Ashley Wilde and…
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19 March
Pets at Home stops Easter rabbit sales
Pets at Home’s has made the decision to stop the sale of rabbits and adoption of rabbits at its 440 stores during this Easter Period. The retailer is instead holding a series of free workshops this Easter. Attendees can get up close and personal and learn some fun facts about…
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19 March
Next expected to post profits drop, say analysts
Analysts have predicted that clothing chain Next will be latest retailer to report a fall in profits this Friday. It is expected that the 154-year-old company will report earnings of £725m – an 8% drop in annual pre-tax profits compared with last year’s figure of £790m. However, analysts also said…
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