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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Dec- 2025 -5 December
Marks Electrical appoints Darren Bowkett as new chair
Marks Electrical Group has appointed Darren Bowkett as its new chair after it announced that Marnie Millard will step down from the board on 31 December 2025. Bowkett will take up the role and join the board on 2 January 2026. He has spent more than 40 years at Ibstock…
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4 December
Qatar ends two decade spell as largest Sainsbury’s shareholder
The Qatari sovereign wealth fund has cut its investment in Sainsbury’s ending its almost 20 year spell as the biggest shareholder in the supermarket, according to reports from Reuters. The Qatari Investment Authority (QIA) is set to reduce its stake by just over 3% to 6.8%. In October last year,…
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4 December
Frasers ‘remains cautious’ despite 5% sales rise in H1
Frasers Group has welcomed a “solid” first half of trading, as revenues rose 5% to £2.58bn, driven by an international revenue growth of 42.8%, but said it “remains cautious” amid tough market conditions. Despite the rise in sales, adjusted pre-tax profits fell by 2.8% to £290.9m following an £82.3m rise…
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4 December
Watches of Switzerland revenue and profits surge ahead of festive trading
Watches of Switzerland has reported a surge in its revenues and profits for the 26 weeks to 26 October 2025 (H1 FY26), and said it is “well positioned” to enter the holiday trading period. The group reported a 6% increase in adjusted EBITDA to £69m, while group revenues rose by…
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4 December
Co-op debuts ‘on the go’ concept store in London
Co-op has opened its first ‘on the go’ concept store in the London area with the launch of a 550 sq ft site in Clarence Street, Kingston upon Thames. The format is designed for high footfall locations and focuses on prepared meals and hot food throughout the day. The store…
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3 December
Zara owner sees PBT jump 3.6% to €6bn
Zara parent company Inditex has seen robust operating performance as its profit before tax increased 3.6% to €6.0bn (£5.26bn) for the nine months ended 31 October 2025. The group attributed this growth to the creativity of its teams, the fully integrated business model and its diversification. During the period the…
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3 December
Wickes colleagues to benefit from £14.1m Sharesave
Colleagues at UK home improvement retailer, Wickes, will share £14.1m of Wickes shares from the company’s Save As You Earn (Sharesave) scheme which matured on 1 December 2025, based on a share price of £2.33. The three year scheme, which began in November 2022, was open to all Wickes colleagues.…
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3 December
Victorian Plumbing posts record revenues
Victorian Plumbing has announced that it has posted record revenues of £310m, an increase of 5%, for the year ended 30 September 2025. This came as its order volumes rose 6% to 1.1 million, although average order value dipped 1% to £287, recovering in the second half. As a result,…
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3 December
ASA bans Lacoste, Nike and Superdry ads over ‘misleading’ claims
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned three online ads from Lacoste, Nike and Superdry after finding each made “misleading” sustainability claims about their clothing ranges. The rulings form part of a wider investigation into environmental messaging in the fashion sector, prompted by the regulator’s AI-driven monitoring system. The paid-for Google…
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3 December
Social commerce forecast to exceed £9bn in 2025
Annual non-food social commerce sales are expected to reach £9.1bn in 2025, according to new research from retail technology firm Unbox and consultancy Retail Economics. According to the study, UK spending through social platforms is rising at about 17% a year and is projected to hit £20bn by 2030. The…
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