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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Aug- 2020 -26 August
Online returns hotspots revealed by Royal Mail
Royal Mail has revealed the areas in the UK where customers have returned the most amount of items from online orders from purchases made during lockdown. The group saw a 25% increase in returns traffic against last year, as consumers “reflected on some of their hastier purchases”. St Albans was…
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25 August
Studio Retail Group profits rise in full-year results
The Studio Retail Group (SRG) has hailed a strong year of growth after posting a 3.9% increase in adjusted operating profits for the period ended 27 March 2020. Total group revenue increased by 2.2% to £514.8m during the year and core net debt reduced by £5.6m to £51.8m. Studio, SRG’s…
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25 August
M&S trials drive-through click and collect
Marks and Spencer has announced it has partnered with Doddle to trial a new click and collect drive-through service. As part of its Never the Same Again programme outlined at its full year results in May, Marks Spencer said it is “accelerating its transformation” with ambitions to create a store…
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25 August
DFS trading remains ‘strong’ despite lockdown
DFS announced today it is continuing to trade “strongly” both online and in showrooms despite the economic downturn, with year-on-year intake growth over the last six weeks that is equivalent to approximately £70m of revenues. This trading is “significantly” ahead of the furniture retailer’s initial expectations, with its previously announced…
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25 August
UK footfall accelerates fourfold
Footfall in UK retail destinations rose by 4.1% last week against the week before, marking a “significant” acceleration in the prior week’s rise of 0.8%, and 1.8% rise in the same week last year. According to the latest data from Springboard, this was largely driven by rises in footfall of…
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24 August
Tesco creates 16,000 new permanent roles
Tesco has unveiled plans to create 16,000 new permanent roles to support the growth of its online business. These 16,000 jobs are in addition to the 4,000 permanent jobs already created since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The roles will include 10,000 pickers to assemble customer orders and 3,000…
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24 August
Record economic growth anticipated for Q3
The UK is reportedly on track for a record economic resurgence during the third quarter of the year, following sharp declines in GDP at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Q2. According to the Financial Times (FT), City of London economists have predicted a 14.3% rise in GDP for…
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24 August
Foot Locker sales jump 18% in Q2 results
Foot locker has reported a 17.1 % increase in total sales to $2bn (£1.5bn) for the second-quarter period ended 1 August 2020. Second quarter comparable-store sales also increased by 18.6% during the period. However, the company’s gross margin rate decreased to 25.9% from 30.1% when compared with the same time…
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24 August
Debenhams owner calls in advisers for its own administration
The holding company of Debenhams, Celine Group Holdings, has appointed advisers to help prepare for its own administration. Celine confirmed that Philip James Watkins and Philip Lewis Armstrong of FRP Advisory have been appointed as administrators in respect of the company and its immediate parent company, Celine UK Newco 1…
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24 August
Frasers Group buys DW Sports out of administration
Frasers Group has snapped up the assets of Dave Whelan Sports (DW Sports) from its administrators for a sum of £37m. According to the group, it has acquired certain assets relating to DW’s gym and fitness business, including certain stock but excluding the DW business names and IP. An additional…
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