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.
-
Jul- 2021 -6 July
M&S launches 25p banana bundles to reduce waste
Marks and Spencer has announced the launch of its new banana waste reduction scheme. The waste reduction scheme is to be introduced to all stores across England this week and allows customers to take home a cardboard bag of extra ripe bananas “at great value”, which minimises the amount of…
Read More » -
6 July
Ocado H1 revenues jump 21.4% to £1.3bn
Ocado Group’s total revenues jumped 21.4% year-on-year to £1.32bn for the 26 weeks ended 30 May 2021. The end-to-end grocery firm also saw group EBITDA spike 41.2% year-on-year to £61m, up from £19.8m in H1 FY20. Despite reporting a loss before tax of £23.6m for the period, this represented a…
Read More » -
5 July
Bestway FY20 losses climb 32% to £8.2m
Bestway Group, the owner of Bargain Booze, Wine Rack, and Central Convenience, saw its FY20 losses climb over 32% year-on-year to £8.2m. The wholesaler and retailer of beers, wines, spirits, tobacco, grocery, and confectionary products saw the increased losses despite group revenues rising 2.4% year-on-year to £388.5m for the year…
Read More » -
5 July
Asda confirms hybrid working model for colleagues
Asda has confirmed that it will introduce a permanent hybrid working model for head office colleagues once social distancing restrictions are lifted. The group recently invested in its head offices to make sure it was Covid-secure with it remaining open with reduced capacity during the pandemic for those colleagues that…
Read More » -
5 July
Hema to close its six UK stores
Dutch homeware retailer Hema has announced it has decided to close all six of its UK stores and exit the market in order to “place a stronger focus on its core markets”. The retailer, which first entered the UK in 2014, said it will close all six of its shops…
Read More » -
5 July
JD Sports completes DTLR Villa transfer for £364m
JD Sports has announced that it has completed the transfer of retail group, DTLR Villa, which is an existing 98.6% owned subsidiary based in the US, to Genesis Topco for a total consideration of $504.4m (£364m). The group said it had always intended for DTLR to be part of the…
Read More » -
5 July
Retailers call on PM to ‘support’ laws against retail violence
Some 100 of the UK’s “leading” retailers have written to the Prime Minister calling on him to support an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that would tackle violence and abuse against retail workers. The letter, which was coordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), comes as…
Read More » -
5 July
John Lewis to build 10,000 rental homes
John Lewis is set to enter the residential homes market, after unveiling plans to build 10,000 new rental homes over the next ten years. According to the Sunday Times, the retail giant has already identified space to build 7,000 new homes across its own property portfolio, including disused department store…
Read More » -
5 July
House of Fraser staff to face switch to zero-hour contracts
Frasers Group has reportedly entered its House of Fraser staff into consultation regarding a switch to zero-hour contracts. According to Retail Week, the Mike Ashley-owned department store has commenced the process that will impact all store staff below management level. One source told the publication that the consultation began on…
Read More » -
5 July
Morrisons set for bidding war after accepting £6.3bn offer
Rivalling private equity firms are reportedly preparing to engage in a bidding war for Morrisons after it accepted £6.3bn takeover offer yesterday (4 July). The UK supermarket chain’s board of directors accepted a 252p-a-share offer from private equity firm Fortress, rejecting an earlier bid Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) which…
Read More »
