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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Dec- 2019 -20 December
Consumer confidence increases in December
Consumer confidence has risen three points this month, according to the latest figures from GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index. Consumer confidence now stands at -11, after an increase of 4 measures and decrease of 1 measure so far this month. The first index, which measures changes in personal finances, decreased by…
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19 December
Debenhams landlord challenges High Court CVA decision
A Debenhams landlord has decided to appeal against a recent High Court ruling which paved the way for the embattled retailer’s CVA to go ahead. According to a report by the Telegraph, the Salford-based landlord is hoping to “overthrow” the legal win from two months ago. In September, the High…
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19 December
Black Friday delays Christmas footfall surge
Black Friday has delayed the expected Christmas footfall surge according to Ipsos Retail Performance, leading to the forecasted footfall for the month being revised by -1.4%. The first week of the official reporting month (w/c 24 November) saw shopper numbers swell by 20.9% on the week before thanks to the…
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19 December
Bonmarché CEO Helen Connolly quits
Bonmarché CEO Helen Connolly has stepped down from her role, after three years in the position, according to Drapers. Connolly stepped down from the position after joining the fashion retailer in August 2016 succeeding Karen Millen and Coast CEO Beth Butterwick. Prior to Bonmarché, she held the position of director…
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19 December
WH Smith acquires Marshall Retail Group
WH Smith investors have voted in favour of the group’s acquisition of US retailer Marshall Retail Group. In a general meeting held yesterday (18 December), 99.98% of shareholders voted to acquire the group in a $400m ( £312m) deal on a cash and debt-free basis. The approved move will now…
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18 December
400 jobs at risk as The Book People enters administration
The Book People has entered into administration, putting 400 jobs at risk. Toby Underwood and Zelf Hussain, of PWC, have now been appointed as joint administrators of the bookseller. According to PWC, the administration is a result of the “difficult” trading environment that the business has been experiencing, combined with…
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18 December
97% of staff are against Boxing Day trading, says Usdaw
An overwhelming majority of shop staff are opposed to Boxing Day trading, according to a new survey from workers union Usdaw. A survey of over 12,000 shopworkers, 85% of them in retail, found that 97% think that shops should be closed the day after Christmas to allow them to spend…
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18 December
Online sales soar in November
Online sales grew 16.4% year-on-year in the month of November, according to the latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index. The index, which tracks the performance of some 200 retailers, recorded the largest monthly growth since April 2018. This figure significantly surpassed the three month, six month and…
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18 December
Pandora appoints former Bulgari exec as new CMO
Jewellery brand Pandora has appointed former vice president of global marketing and communication, Carla Liuni, as its new chief marketing officer. Liuni is set to join the business in March and will report to CEO Alexander Lacik and will be serving on Pandora’s executive leadership team. Prior to joining Pandora,…
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17 December
H&M sales rise in Q4
Fashion retailer H&M has reported a 9% increase in net sales to SEK61,704m (£4.98m) for the three months to 30 November 2019. Despite the sales growth, H&M said sales development for the quarter compared with the previous year was affected by Black Friday falling at the end of November. H&M…
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