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- 2019 -15 February
Retail sales bounce back in January
UK retail sales saw a year-on-year increase of 4.8% in January, the highest jump since December 2016. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that sales volumes rose by 1% following a 0.7% decline in December. The average store prices slowed to 0.4% year-on-year, the lowest price increase…
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15 February
Amazon ‘to launch checkout-free shops’ in London
Online retail giant Amazon has reportedly secured property to open checkout-free stores in London, making it the first openings of the concept outside of America. According to trade publication The Grocer, the sites will compete with food outlets such as Eat and M&S and will be located in areas with…
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15 February
Prada creates diversity council after blackface scandal
Prada has created a diversity council headed by American artist Theaster Gates and film director Ava DuVernay, after it was at the centre of a blackface scandal in December. The luxury fashion house said it was forming the council to “elevate voices of colour within the company and fashion industry…
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15 February
Zavvi blasted by ASA over Disneyland prize draw after winners complain
Online retailer entertainment retailer, Zavvi has been told not to run a competition again in “its current form” by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), after the winners were denied their prize as the retailer told them they had “responded too late”. The prize draw offered customers who paid with Mastercard…
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15 February
Puma sees shares dip over sales slowdown warning for 2019
Footwear retailer Puma has seen its shares drop 2.66% in early trading after forecasting a slowdown in sales and profit growth for 2019, despite a 20.1% sales increase, adjusted to €1,226m (£1,079m), during Q4 2018. For the full year in 2019, the retailer expects currency-adjusted sales growth of around 10%,…
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14 February
Mike Ashley’s business profits tumble
Profits at the holding company that contains Mike Ashley’s business empire plummeted in 2017, attributed to the fall in value of the pound and the poor performance at Newcastle United. Accounts filed at Companies House for the financial year ending April 2017 revealed profits at Mash Holdings fell from £227.7m…
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14 February
Fragrance Shop to open 15 new ‘Sniffbars’
The Fragrance Shop has announced it is to open 15 new ‘Sniffbars’, which will allow customers to smell a wide variety of fragrances and speak with perfume consultants. Opening as concessions in shopping centres, the standalone outlets are aimed at creating a retail experience for customers, merging both physical and…
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14 February
UK inflation hits two-year low in January
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 12-month rate fell to 1.8% in January 2019, down from 2.1% in December 2018, according to the latest figures from the ONS. This fell below the Bank of England’s inflation target of 2% for the month, with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) also decreasing to…
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14 February
New equal pay claim lodged against Morrisons
Morrisons could be facing a £100m bill as a law firm has said “thousands of its employees” have brought legal proceedings against the supermarket in an equal pay claim. The news comes just two weeks after Asda lost its appeal over an equal pay ruling where 30,000 of its shop…
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13 February
Dunelm profits and sales jump as it reveals Brexit stockpiling
Furniture and homewares retailer Dunelm has seen its profits and sales jump it its latest half-year results, as it also revealed it is stockpiling ahead of Brexit. Dunelm’s profit before tax grew 16.7% to £70m while like-for-like revenue rose 6.9% to £506m for the six months to the end of…
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