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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Jan- 2021 -27 January
Arcadia collapsed owing creditors £750m
Philip Green’s retail empire, Arcadia, reportedly fell into administration while owing its creditors £750m. The debts, first reported by the Telegraph, largely comprised Topshop’s gross liabilities of over £550m, with Outfit also owing £80m. The figure, which is believed to exclude the group’s unsecured debt to HMRC surrounding its retirement…
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27 January
Lidl gifts £200 bonus to employees
Lidl has announced that it will pay all its UK colleagues a one-off £200 thank you payment for their “hard work and ongoing dedication during the pandemic”. The supermarket will gift the payment to customer assistants, warehouse operatives and cleaners, across over 800 stores and 13 distribution centres. Lidl, which…
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27 January
Paperchase rescued in pre-pack Permira deal
The majority of Paperchase stores are reportedly set to be rescued in a pre-pack deal that is poised to save around 1,000 jobs. According to Sky News, the rescue deal will be led by private equity giant Permira, with a deal expected to be agreed later today (27 January). Permira,…
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27 January
Estée Lauder Companies supply chain VP to step down
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has announced that after nearly 13 years with the company, Gregory F. Polcer, executive VP, global supply chain, has made the decision to retire, effective from 1 July , 2021. Roberto Canevari will succeed his predecessor and will assume the role with effect 1 May,…
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27 January
Poundland owner reports Q1 sales drop
Pepco Group, which owns brands such as Poundland in the UK, has reported a like-for-like sales decline of 2.1% in its first quarter due to lockdown restrictions resulting in store closures across the country. Despite this fall in sales, trading stores that were open for the full duration of any…
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26 January
Waitrose ranked top supermarket for single-use plastic reduction
Waitrose has announced it has ranked first in the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Greenpeace’s annual league table, which assesses how supermarkets are reducing use of single-use plastics, for the second year in a row. Since 2017, Waitrose has reported an “absolute plastic reduction” of 6.1% across both its own-brand…
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26 January
Unemployment rises 5% to 1.7m
The UK unemployment rate rose by 5% in the three months to November with over 1.7 million people now out of work, according to the latest figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Since February 2020, the number of payroll employees has fallen by 828,000, however, the ONS said…
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26 January
US investor eyes Notonthehighstreet takeover
Great Hill Partners, a US-based investment company, is reportedly in “advanced talks” to buy the online personalised gifts retailer, Notonthehighstreet. According to Sky News, the investor, who already backs the online home furnishings firm Wayfair, will reportedly have to part ways with roughly £150m to complete the takeover. While it…
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26 January
JD Sports mulls £400m share placing
JD Sports Fashion is reportedly eyeing up an equity sale of around £400m as it “eyes further opportunities” to expand across the globe. According to Sky News, the group’s board is considering launching the placing as early as this week, with insiders stating that the amount will be “in the…
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26 January
Westfield turns vacant unit into vaccination hub
A vacant retail outlet in Westfield shopping centre Stratford has been turned into Covid-19 vaccination centre. The vaccination centre will be run by East London NHS Trust Foundation and will see health care workers administering the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine – and is one of hundreds of nationwide centres set…
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