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.
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Feb- 2025 -28 February
M&S to open 20 food stores in Ireland with Applegreen
M&S will be opening 20 food stores throughout the year in Ireland with Applegreen as part of a multi-million-euro investment to further roll out their partnership. Each of the 20 new ‘shop-in-shop’ locations will undergo a “bespoke” upgrade to introduce the M&S brand, and will feature a range of more…
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27 February
ASDA improves ESG rating score
Asda has announced an improvement to its ESG rating score, following an external assessment by financial services ratings’ agency Sustainable Fitch. For the second year in a row, Asda received an entity rating of 3 (1 = excellent, 5 = poor), with the retailer’s entity score improving to 57 from 54.…
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27 February
Today’s news in brief-27/2/25
Aldi is consulting on a head office restructuring plan that could put 350 jobs at risk, primarily affecting buying, finance, and back-office roles. No customer-facing positions will be impacted, and the company aims to redeploy affected staff where possible. The restructuring aligns with Aldi’s growth strategy, including a £67m investment…
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27 February
Ocado to cut R&D roles as losses narrow
Ocado has revealed it is set to reduce its research and development (R&D) workforce both in the UK and globally as part of its effort to return to profitability. This comes despite the fact Ocado posted a pre-tax loss of £374.5m for the year ended 1 December 2024, a slight…
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27 February
EG Group profits surge 9% in FY24
EG Group has reported a 9% increase in EBITDA to $992m (£782.5m) in FY24 driven by significant contributions from its US and European divisions. Grocery and merchandise gross profit rose by 7% to $1.26bn (£994.1m), driven by a gross margin increase of 193bps to 31.1%. Meanwhile, foodservice gross profit was…
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27 February
Asos appoints new MDs amid organisational changes
Asos has appointed two new managing directors as part of a series of organisational changes to further align its structure with its strategy and customer-focused approach to driving growth. North America SVP Sean Trend has been appointed to the role of managing director UK and US, while Jag Weatherley, who…
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27 February
Co-op launches grocery app Peckish for independent retailers
Co-op has announced the launch of its new million-pound grocery delivery app, Peckish, which offers a “technologically advanced” service to thousands of independent retailers looking to serve their customers and communities online. Following a successful trial run in 30 stores last year, Co-op has pledged an initial £1m investment for…
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27 February
Aldi in talks over head office restructuring, 350 jobs at risk
Aldi has entered a consultation over proposals to restructure some of its head office teams, with up to 350 jobs at risk.According to media reports confirmed to Retail Sector by Aldi, the changes will affect some roles within its buying departments, including non-food, finance, and some back-office functions. No customer-facing…
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26 February
Today’s news in brief-26/2/25
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that one in 10 part-time retail jobs, equating to up to 160,000 roles, could be at risk over the next three years due to rising employment costs. The BRC highlighted that part-time jobs are particularly vulnerable to changes in employer National Insurance Contributions…
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26 February
Bira ‘cautiously’ backs govt Crime and Policing Bill
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has “cautiously” welcomed the new Crime and Policing Bill but demands more immediate action and concrete funding to address the retail crime crisis affecting British high streets. The bill, which was presented to Parliament on 25 February, contains over 50 measures including stricter penalties…
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