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- 2024 -4 April
Footfall shows signs of stability as Easter break provides modest boost
March witnessed a modest rise in retail footfall across the UK, with an increase of +1.7% compared to February, signalling the lowest month on month rise for this period in the last decade, according to the latest data from MRI. MRI said the data suggests that footfall trends are starting…
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4 April
‘Missed opportunity’ not ending tourist tax says NWEC chief
Dee Corsi, New West End Company (NWEC) chief executive, has called the government’s decision not to end the tourist tax a “missed opportunity”. Ahead of the latest Budget in March a number of business leaders called upon Jeremy Hunt to scrap VAT on purchases made by tourists but Hunt resisted…
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4 April
Co-op profits fall despite strong performance from food business
Co-op has revealed its group annual pre-tax profits decreased to £28m for 2023, down from £268m the previous year, as the sale of its forecourt business and a challenging economic environment impacted performance. It comes as group revenues also decreased to £11.3bn, down from £0.5bn the previous year. However, the…
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4 April
Dobbies appoints new CMO
Garden centre retailer Dobbies has announced that Phil Thomas has joined the group as chief marketing officer. Thomas, who has been CMO for Costa Coffee for the last three years, brings to Dobbies over 30 years of wide-ranging marketing experience in both retail and consumer goods. Before serving as CMO…
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4 April
A.F. Blakemore appoints new chief people officer
A.F. Blakemore, one of the UK’s largest privately owned family businesses, has appointed Nicola McIntosh as its new chief people officer, effective 20 May. McIntosh joins the company from Rotherham, Doncaster, and South Humber NHS Trust, where she served as executive board director of People and Organisational Development. In this…
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4 April
Mytheresa mulls bid for Yoox Net-a-Porter
Mytheresa is reportedly among possible bidders who are looking to acquire underperforming ecommerce business Yoox Net-a-Porter from Swiss luxury group Richemont, the Financial Times has reported. News of the bid comes as Richemont has been looking for a new buyer for the business since a deal to sell a 47.5%…
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3 April
Today’s news in brief-3/4/24
Amazon is reportedly discontinuing its Just Walk Out checkout system in US Amazon Fresh stores, opting instead for Dash Carts, which allow shoppers to pay as they shop. The move, announced by Tony Hoggett, Amazon’s senior vice president of grocery stores, aims to enhance customer experience by integrating features like…
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3 April
Zara to upsize flagship store at Liverpool One
Zara is set to significantly expand its flagship store at Liverpool One later this year. The Inditex-owned brand will be undertaking a substantial refurbishment and expansion, which will see a brand-new 42,000 sq ft store open at the retail destination. Zara’s notable upsize will allow for an increased offer of…
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3 April
Secret Sales acquires Germany’s Dress-For-Less
Secret Sales, the marketplace for off-price retail in fashion, sportswear and beauty, has continued its international expansion with the acquisition of German online retailer, dress-for-less for an undisclosed sum. The “natural next step on an aggressive merger and acquisition (M&A) strategy”, Secret Sales said this deal solidifies it as “one…
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3 April
Supermarket sales jump 5.4% in March
Total till sales at UK supermarkets grew 5.4% in the four weeks ended 23 March 2024, according to data from NIQ. Whilst this is a slight increase compared with the 5.3% growth reported last month, the drop in food inflation (3.7%) compared with 15% last year has encouraged shoppers to…
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