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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Jul- 2020 -9 July
Asda launches home delivery partnership with Uber Eats
Asda has announced its partnership with Uber Eats to offer customers “greater flexibility” and access to its products. The trial, which launches this week from stores in Leeds (Pudsey) and Birmingham (Barnes Hill), offers customers a choice of over 300 Asda own-brand products and branded everyday items for delivery including;…
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8 July
Chancellor unveils new £9bn retention scheme
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a new scheme to pay companies £1,000 bonus per employee for those they keep on until January on part pay. Sunak said if employers bring back all nine million people who have been furloughed, this will be a “£9bn policy to retain people in work”.…
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8 July
H&M to close 170 stores worldwide
H&M has announced plans to close 170 of its stores worldwide after increasing the pace of the closures due to the impact of the coronavirus. The announcement, which came in a six-month trading update for the second quarter of the year, also revealed that the H&M group’s net sales decreased…
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8 July
Government to crack down on violence against shopworkers
The government has vowed to crack down on violence and abuse against shopworkers. In a statement, yesterday the Home Office said it will work with National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) on a best practice guide to support staff in reporting these crimes, strengthening and making full use of existing…
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8 July
Boohoo launches independent review of supply chain
Boohoo has launched an “immediate, independent” review of its supply chain, following revelations of poor working conditions in a Leicester warehouse. Boohoo first responded to allegations of malpractice earlier this week, after a Sunday Times exposé highlighted the conditions at supplier Jaswal Fashions in an undercover report. The retailer had…
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7 July
Halfords cycling sales soar during lockdown
Halfords has reported a surge in sales for cycling related products and services during the Covid-19 lockdown in its preliminary results for the year ended 3 April 2020. The retailer’s cycling business was up 57.1% on a life-for-like basis, which Halfrods said was “significantly boosted” by the avoidance of public…
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7 July
Allsaints creditors approve CVA
Allsaints has revealed it has received the greenlight from its creditors to go ahead with its planned CVA that will see most of its stores move to a turnover-based rent system. The proposals, which were voted on separately by creditors in the UK and in the US, received 93% and…
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7 July
Usdaw urges chancellor to announce retail recovery plan
Retail trade union Usdaw is calling on the chancellor to announce in Wednesday’s (8 June) economic statement an “urgent recovery plan” for the “struggling retail industry”, which is developed with trade unions and retail employers. Some of the factors, Usdaw is urging the government to cover fundamental business rates, an…
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7 July
JD Sport welcomes ‘record’ results
JD Sport has welcomed “record” annual figures as it reported a 30% increase in revenue for the full-year period ended 1 February 2020. The retailer recorded revenues of £6.1bn, up from £4.7bn the year prior. It also reported “strong” total like-for-like sales growth of 12% in its global sports fashion…
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6 July
NCA confirms probe into Boohoo working conditions
The National Crime Agency has confirmed it is investigating fashion retailer Boohoo following allegations of poor working conditions in a Leicester warehouse. An NCA spokesman told Retail Sector: “Within the last few days NCA officers, along with Leicestershire Police and other partner agencies, attended a number of business premises in…
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