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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Aug- 2025 -21 August
Waitrose managing director James Bailey to step down
The John Lewis Partnership has announced that James Bailey will step down as managing director of Waitrose at the end of September after more than five years in the role. Bailey joined in 2020 and led the supermarket through the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. Under his leadership,…
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21 August
Debenhams completes £175m refinancing deal
Debenhams Group has completed a new three-year facility providing access to funding of up to £175m, led by former owner TPG. The new facility, which extends maturity to August 2028, replaces its previous £125m revolving credit facility originally due to mature in October 2026. Executed by the new management team…
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21 August
Mama and Papas CEO to step down amid fresh growth plans
Mamas and Papas has announced that its chief executive officer, Nathan Williams, is to step down after seven years in the role, as the nursery brand sets out a new strategy focused on overseas expansion and digital investment. Williams, who joined the business in 2017, will remain in post while…
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21 August
WHSmith lowers US profit forecast after £30m accounting overstatement
WHSmith has cut its profit forecast for its North American business after uncovering an accounting overstatement of around £30m. As a result, it now expects headline trading profit from North America to be about £25m for the year ending 31 August 2025, compared with previous market expectations of around £55m.…
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21 August
M&S to invest £340m as it doubles food business
Marks and Spencer (M&S) will open a new food hub after announcing a £340m investment in its food supply chain, the largest in its history. This multi-year investment will fund the development of an automated National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Northamptonshire as the group looks to double the size of…
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21 August
Consumer sentiment improves slightly but remains in ‘doldrums’, BRC finds
Consumer expectations for the next three months improved marginally in August but remain historically low, according to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Opinium. Expectations for the state of the economy rose slightly to -32, up from -33 in July. Views on personal finances also improved…
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20 August
Mango to open new store at Festival Place Basingstoke
Fashion retailer Mango will open a new store at Festival Place shopping centre in Basingstoke later this year, expanding its UK presence. The 7,104 sq ft unit will stock the Woman and Man collections and will feature the brand’s “New Med” store design, inspired by Mediterranean textures and materials. Mango…
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20 August
Tapi opens new Bishopbriggs store after Carpetright acquisition
Tapi Carpets and Floors has opened a new store in Bishopbriggs this weekend, occupying the site of a former Carpetright branch. The launch follows the company’s acquisition of Carpetright in July 2024, when the retailer entered administration. The deal included the takeover of 54 stores across the region. The new…
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20 August
Hobbycraft creates new sales channel with Hobbycraft TV launch
Hobbycraft is set to launch Hobbycraft TV, a dedicated video channel offering daily demonstrations and tutorials to support makers of all skill levels. The service will go live on Freeview Channel 97 from 7.30am on 4 September, and will also be available online at hobbycraft.co.uk/TV and on the brand’s YouTube…
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20 August
Total till sales slow to 3.7% in July, NIQ finds
Total till sales growth at UK supermarkets slowed to +3.7% in the four weeks ended 9 August 2025, down from +5.8% in July, according to data from NielsenIQ (NIQ). NIQ data suggests that following the early summer heatwaves at the end of June and early July, along with treating themselves…
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