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.
-
Jan- 2025 -27 January
The Original Factory Shop nears sale to Baaj Capital
The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) is close to being sold after more than 17 years of ownership of private equity firm Duke Street, Sky News has revealed. Baaj Capital, a family office behind investments in fashion retailer In The Style as well as party supplies group Amscan International, is allegedly…
Read More » -
27 January
Lakeland owner brings chain to market ahead of tax rises
The family behind kitchenware retailer, Lakeland, has reportedly recruited advisers to explore a sale after more than 60 years as growing cost pressures loom, according to Sky News. According to accounts filed at Companies House for 2023, that year faced “the most challenging economic conditions for several decades” with high…
Read More » -
27 January
Hotel Chocolat to open 25 stores this year amid record Xmas sales
Hotel Chocolat posted record UK Christmas sales for the 4 weeks to 29 December and has revealed it is set to open 25 new stores in the UK this year. The premium chocolatier saw sales rise 10.4% year-on-year, with 21 and 23 December being the busiest shopping days online and…
Read More » -
27 January
WH Smith explores sale of high street arm
WH Smith has confirmed that it is exploring the potential sale of its high street stores as it looks to restructure the business, which has seen its Travel business continue to outperform high street outlets in recent years.Over the weekend, Sky News reported that the retailer has been in negotiations…
Read More » -
24 January
Today’s news in brief-24/1/25
Morrisons has announced plans to cut over 200 jobs as part of a restructuring effort aimed at reducing costs and enhancing operational efficiency. The proposed changes include the removal of regional people managers, store people managers, and case specialists. The company intends to replace these roles with a centralised structure,…
Read More » -
24 January
Glasgow Fort sees 10% footfall increase in December
Glasgow Fort retail park has ended the year on a high, with December footfall increasing by 10.3% compared to the same period in 2023. The busiest trading day for the centre was Saturday 23 December, when Glasgow Fort welcomed 89,000 visitors, with footfall up 16% compared to the same date…
Read More » -
24 January
Victoria’s Secret to open first premier midlands store at Derbion
Victoria’s Secret is set to open its first premier Midlands store at Derbion shopping centre. The lingerie retailer will take 5,712 sq ft of space at Derbion on a 10-year lease, as the retailer expands out of its current space in Next into its own individual unit. The new Victoria’s…
Read More » -
24 January
Iceland shares more than 600 job openings amid sector cuts
Iceland has shared that more than 600 jobs are available across its operations nationwide. This comes amid reports that both Sainsbury’s and Morrisons are set to cut jobs in the coming months. The development comes as the supermarket continues to expand its footprint, currently operating more than 950 stores across…
Read More » -
24 January
The Works maintains guidance as HY revenues rise 1.3% to £124m
The Works is maintaining its full-year guidance as total revenues rose 1.3% to £124.2m in the first half of FY25, despite like-for-like sales declining by 0.8% during the period. It comes as The Works managed to narrow its pre-IFRS16 adjusted EBITDA loss to £2.8m from a high of £8.5m a…
Read More » -
24 January
Consumer confidence drops five points in January
Consumer confidence decreased by five points to -22 in January, GfK’s latest Consumer Confidence Index has revealed. According to the Index, the measure for the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months is down seven points to -46, which is five points lower than in January…
Read More »
