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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Mar- 2025 -31 March
Co-op rebrands Nisa as Co-op Wholesale
Co-op has rebranded its Nisa division as Co-op Wholesale in a bid to reaffirm its commitment to the independent retail sector. The supermarket has said that this move re-enforces the group’s commitment to drive “increased value” for independent retailers, whilst fuelling expansion ambitions into broader corporate business to business markets.…
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28 March
Today’s news in brief-28/3/25
WHSmith has agreed to sell its high street retail arm to Modella Capital in a £76m deal, marking a significant shift for the historic brand. The acquisition includes around 480 stores across the UK, which will be rebranded as TGJones. WHSmith will retain its travel and international operations, including stores…
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28 March
Clothing and household goods help boost retail sales 1% in Feb
Retail sales rose by 1% in February, thanks to a strong performance in non-food stores such as clothing, household goods and department stores. according to The Office for National Statistics (ONS). The largest monthly increase was seen in household goods stores, which were up 6.8% month-on-month, their biggest increase since…
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28 March
Decathlon appoints new CEO
Decathlon has announced the appointment of Javier López as the new chief executive officer. With 26 years of experience at the sporting goods retailer, López has held numerous positions within the company, in digital, logistics and retail. Most recently, he headed Decathlon Germany from 2012 to 2015, then served as…
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28 March
Asda unveils £80m investment into retail pay
Asda has announced an £80m investment in retail pay to increase hourly rates for store-based colleagues to £12.60 from October. Circa 115,000 Asda Retail and Asda Express colleagues will receive an above inflation increase of 4.7% in three phases, taking rates from £12.04 to £12.60 per hour. Hourly rates for…
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28 March
WHSmith agrees sale of high street arm to Modella Capital in £76m deal
Modella Capital has announced that it has acquired the UK high street operations of WHSmith, business based on an enterprise value of £76m. The acquisition covers around 480 stores on high streets, shopping centres and retail parks across the UK. As part of the deal, the high street stores will…
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27 March
Today’s news in brief-27/3/25
Next has reported record pre-tax profits of £1bn for the year to January 2025, marking a 10.1% increase, and has raised its full-year profit guidance by £20m to £1.06bn. The retailer attributed its strong performance to acquisitions like Reiss and FatFace, with total group sales rising 8.2% to £6.3bn. Online…
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27 March
H&M Q1 profits drop amid ‘external market pressures’
H&M has seen its operating profit drop 42% to SEK 1.2bn (£95m) for the three months ended 28 February 2025, down from SEK 2.1bn (£160m) in the same period last year. The Swedish retailer stated that this drop was due to external pressures, including challenging macroeconomic conditions, which were compounded…
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27 March
Foot Locker appoints new president
Foot Locker has announced that Franklin R. Bracken, currently executive vice president and chief commercial officer, has been appointed to the role of president, effective immediately. Bracken will continue reporting to Mary Dillon, Foot Locker chief executive officer. In his new role, Bracken will work alongside Dillon to accelerate the…
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27 March
Next raises outlook as FY profits top record £1bn
Next has reported that pre-tax profits have risen by 10.1% to £1bn for the first time in its history, with the group raising its full-year guidance for the coming year amid further strong trading. In the year to January 2025, full price sales rose by 5.8% while total group sales…
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