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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Jul- 2025 -29 July
Games Workshop profits soar 29.5% to £262.8m
Games Workshop has revealed that its profit-before-tax rose 29.% to £262.8m for the year ended 1 June 2025, on a guidance of £255m. Alongside this, the company’s revenues rose 205 from £525.7m to £628.7m on a constant currency basis. The company’s core revenues rose 14% to £565m up from £494.7m…
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29 July
Aldi lifts hourly pay for shop workers to £13
Aldi has announced it is set to become the first supermarket to pay store assistants at least £13.00 an hour. The new minimum rate, which increases to £14.33 within the M25, will take effect from 1 September 2025 and further exceeds the Real Living Wage of £12.60 an hour that…
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29 July
Greggs sees pre-tax profits fall 14.3% to £63.5m
Greggs has revealed that its pre-tax profit fell 14.3% to £63.5m, down from £74.1m, for the 26 weeks ended 28 June 2025. Alongside this, the company saw its operating profit fall 7.1% to £70.4m, down from £75.8m. Despite this, the company’s total sales rose 7% to £1.03bn, up from £960.6m.…
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29 July
Co-op launches rail apprenticeships in prison to tackle skills gap and reoffending
Co-op and the City and Guilds Foundation have launched the UK’s first rail engineering apprenticeships in a prison, aiming to address skills shortages and reduce reoffending. The scheme, based at the Centre of Excellence skills hub at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk, will enable prisoners to complete Level 2 qualifications in…
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29 July
Family food bills rise as shop price inflation hits 0.7%
Shop price inflation rose to 0.7% in July, up from 0.4% in June, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The latest figures from the Shop Price Monitor, which was formerly known as the Shop Price Index, show inflation running above the three-month average of 0.3%. Food inflation reached 4%…
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29 July
Card Factory acquires Funky Pigeon from WH Smith for £24m
Card Factory has agreed to acquire online personalised greeting cards group Funky Pigeon from WH Smith for £24m. Once the deal is complete, Card Factory will be the second largest online card and attached gift retailer in the UK market, according to the group. It added that over time, Funky…
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28 July
Primark unveils new mannequin designed to represent wheelchair users
Primark has unveiled a new seated mannequin designed to represent wheelchair users, created in collaboration with television presenter and disability advocate Sophie Morgan. The mannequin, named ‘Sophie’, is the result of a 12-month project initiated by Morgan, who first designed a wheelchair display prototype, the Mannequal, in 2009. It will…
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28 July
Co-op installs 6,700 solar panels at Bedfordshire depot
Co-op has completed the installation of more than 6,700 solar panels at its regional distribution centre in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, as part of efforts to expand its direct procurement of renewable energy. The 660,000sqft site, which serves more than 600 stores across southern England, is expected to generate 2,500 MWh of…
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28 July
Deckers Q1 sales rise 17% as Hoka and Ugg outperform expectations
Deckers Brands has reported a 16.9% year-on-year increase in revenue to $964.5m (£718.4m) for the first quarter ended 30 June 2025, driven by strong demand for its Hoka and Ugg brands. The California-based footwear and apparel company said performance in the quarter surpassed expectations, despite uncertainty in global trade. Hoka…
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28 July
Hotel Chocolat opens flagship store at Manchester Arndale
Hotel Chocolat has opened one of its largest stores at Manchester Arndale, signing a 10-year lease to occupy the 7,288 sq ft unit. The new flagship store includes a café space whilst also selling its range of ethically sourced chocolate bars, hot drinks and gifts. Since being founded in…
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