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- 2022 -11 August
Retail leaders call on police to prioritise retail crime
Some 106 of the UK’s leading retail voices have reportedly written to Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales, calling on them to commit to “making retail crime a priority” in local policing strategies. The letters are said to express the retailers’ increasing concerns about the rising levels of…
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10 August
Heatwave helps boost retail sales 2.3% in July
Retail sales increased 2.3% in July as the heatwave experienced across the UK helped boost demand for “hot weather essentials”, according to the latest data from the BRC and KPMG retail sales monitor. UK retail sales increased 1.6% on a like-for-like basis from July 2021, when they had increased 4.7%.…
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10 August
Royal Mail faces FY loss as strikes get green light
Royal Mail has warned it could face a full-year loss as over 115,000 postal workers are set to partake in the biggest strike of summer, after calling for a “dignified, proper pay rise”. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents Royal Mail Group workers, confirmed that workers will take strike…
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10 August
Waterstones suffers stock shortages amid tech issues
Bookshop chain Waterstones is currently dealing with a backlog of unfulfilled orders after the brand’s warehouse technical systems were said to have led to stock shortages. The news comes as the retailer, which has more than 300 stores across the country, had reportedly upgraded to a new system called Blue…
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10 August
Deliveroo losses widen as Simon Wolfson steps down from board
Deliveroo has revealed its H1 pre-tax losses have widened to £147m from £95m the year prior and also confirmed that Next CEO Simon Wolfson has decided to step down from its board. The food delivery service saw revenue increase 12% to £1.01bn in 2022 compared with £907m in 2021, additionally,…
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10 August
PrettyLittleThing ad banned for portraying minor in ‘sexualised’ manner
The ASA has banned a PrettyLittleThing (PLT) advert for portraying someone under 18 in a ‘sexualised’ manner. The ad campaign in question featured Travis Barker’s daughter Alabama Barker, who was 16 at the time. The ASA ruled the retailer used “socially irresponsible” images of the model. In response to the…
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9 August
Retail Jobs Alliance calls on next PM to reduce business rates
The Retail Jobs Alliance, a coalition of retailers including Morrisons, Greggs and Tesco, has called on both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to pledge to cut business rates, which it said were “killing our high streets”. The group, also consisting of Co-op, Kingfisher,, RivingtonHark, Sainsbury’s, and Waterstones, said it feared…
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9 August
Sharon White: Gov needs to get over 50s back into work to curb inflation
The boss of John Lewis has said the large number of over 50s who left the workforce during the pandemic is helping to fuel the current high levels of inflation across the UK. Speaking to the BBC, Dame Sharon White said that the government must “think really hard” about how…
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9 August
Arcadia trustees near closing £1bn pensions deal
Arcadia’s pension trustees are reportedly close to securing a £1bn deal that will see them receive the retirement schemes promised by the group prior to its collapse, Sky News has reported. The trustees were said to be in “detailed” talks with Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) about a deal to insure…
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9 August
House of Zana wins trademark row with Zara
House of Zana has won a trademark battle with fashion giant Zara which sought to change the local boutique’s name. The Darlington-based owner, Amber Kotrri, was told the business was “conceptually identical” and “confusingly similar” for shoppers. In May, Kotrri, told the hearing there was “no likelihood” of confusing the…
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