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 -5 January
Next reports better than expected Christmas sales
Fashion retailer Next has revealed its sales in the nine weeks to 26 December were down 1.1% on last year, a figure which is “much better” than what the store predicted in October. In a post-Christmas trading statement the brand said the “benefit of better sales” in November and December…
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5 January
Morrisons welcomes ‘strong’ festive trading
Morrisons has welcomed “strong” sales over the Christmas and New Year period, with group like-for-like sales rising to 9.3% over the festive season. It comes as group like-for-like sales rose by 8.1% in the 22 weeks ended 3 January 2021, comprising contributions from retail of 7.2% and wholesale of 0.9%.…
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5 January
BRC says national lockdown will be severe on businesses
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has released a response to the latest lockdown restrictions imposed by the government stating the “severity” it will have on businesses. The restrictions announced yesterday (4 January 2021) force the closure of all non-essential retail, pushing the UK back into a lockdown similar to March.…
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5 January
Edinburgh Woollen Mill owes creditors over £190m
Philip Day’s Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) owes a reported £192m to its unsecured creditors, according to Drapers. A report from FRP Advisory, which was seen by Drapers, reveals that those who are indebted includes suppliers and landlords, shows that as of 24 December the firm owed a total sum of…
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5 January
Aldi sales reach ‘record’ high over Christmas
Aldi has reported “record high” Christmas sales for over the Christmas period due to a spike in demand for premium products. Sales increased year-on-year by 10.6% over the holiday period, with the supermarket also seeing strong growth in its online Wine and Specialbuy offering, as sales increased by 75% from…
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4 January
Primark warns of additional £220m sales loss due to Tier 4 closures
Primark has warned that it now expects to incur an additional loss of £220m in sales due to more areas of the country entering stricter Tier 4 restrictions. In a short Covid-19 trading update, Primark’s parent company Associated British Foods revealed that as of 1 January, 253 Primark stores will…
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4 January
Aldi pledges £3.5bn towards UK suppliers
Aldi has outlined plans to increase its spending on UK-made food and drink by £3.5bn by 2025, as part of its growth plans over the next five years. The group is also investing £500m in new and upgraded stores, distribution centres and its supply chain this year, which will reportedly…
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4 January
Arcadia to offload flagship Topshop store
Arcadia Group has announced that Eastdil and Savills have been hired to oversee the sale of retail chain Topshop’s flagship store in central London. According to Sky News, Eastdil will reportedly handle the sale strategy for the building, whilst Savills will advise on future leasing options. It comes after the…
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4 January
Mayfair Equity acquires Seraphine in £50m deal
Seraphine has been acquired in a management buy-out fronted by technology investor, Mayfair Equity Partners. The luxury maternity brand was purchased from Bridgepoint Growth and Seraphine’s founder Cécile Reinaud in a deal valuing the business at £50m. The company reached £28.1m in sales for the year to 31 March 2020…
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Dec- 2020 -24 December
Boxing Day sales set to plummet for third year in a row
Retailers must prepare to be “hard hit” during this year’s Boxing Day sales period, with spending expected to be down for the third year in a row, according to a new retail report by VoucherCodes.co.uk. Its latest Shopping for Christmas 2020 report, carried out by the Centre for Retail Research,…
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