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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Dec- 2018 -4 December
‘Tax the internet for the good of the high street’, Mike Ashley tells MPs
Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley has said online businesses should be taxed 20% in as soon as six months to save the majority of high street retailers and avoid closures. Ashley appeared in front of MPs at the House of Commons yesterday (3 December) after demanding to meet them in…
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4 December
Footfall slumps following Black Friday weekend
High street footfall slumped by 5.5% in the week following the Black Friday weekend, according to figures from retail analysts Springboard. The group said the decline was “inevitably”, given that the week followed directly on from the “furore of Black Friday and included the online focussed Cyber Monday”. Furthermore, all…
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3 December
Sainsbury’s goes ‘head-to-head’ with Holland & Barrett with new wellness range
Sainsbury’s will be strengthening its wellness and sports nutrition offer in a move that will see the retailer go head to head with the likes of Holland & Barrett and Planet Organic. With the UK’s wellness market set to reach £12.4bn by 2020, the supermarket giant said it will double…
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3 December
House of Fraser Manchester store saved from closure
The House of Fraser Kendal’s store in Manchester has been rescued from closure, saving roughly 570 jobs. New terms have been reached with the store’s landlord, allowing trading to continue, with the Manchester city council playing an “instrumental” role in discussions. The council leader, Sir Richard Leese, said: “Today’s announcement…
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3 December
240 Crawshaw jobs saved following £1.4m deal
As many as 240 jobs at meat retailer Crawshaw have been saved following a £1.4m deal which will see its last 19 stores sold to butchery chain Tom Cribbin for £1.4m. Last month, Crawshaw announced it has entered administration, putting 600 jobs at risk across its 42 stores. A Crawshaw…
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3 December
McColl’s posts second profit warning amid ‘unprecedented supply chain disruption’
Convenience retailer McColl’s has announced that full-year profits are to come in below expectations as a result of “unprecedented supply chain disruption” following the collapse of supplier Palmer & Harvey. In light of “transitional challenges and continued difficult trading conditions”, McColl’s announced adjusted EBITDA for FY18 is now expected to…
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Nov- 2018 -30 November
Retailers ‘unprepared’ for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, warn analysts
An industry-wide survey has revealed that over a third of retailers indicated they have ‘done little to no preparation’ or feel ‘very underprepared’. According to the research by retail analytics firm Retail Economics, top retailer concerns for a no-deal scenario were supply chain management (64%), availability and cost of labour…
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30 November
Tesco and VW partner to provide largest retail electric vehicle charging network
Tesco and Volkswagen have announced the development of the largest UK retail Electric Vehicle charging network, powered by Pod Point. The UK’s leading fuel retailer and the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer have partnered to roll out over 2,400 EV charging bays across 600 Tesco stores within the next three years.…
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30 November
Consumer confidence drops marking ‘season of uncertainty’
Market research firm GfK’s latest Consumer Confidence Index has shown that confidence decreased by three points in November 2018 to -13. There were declines recorded across all five measures used to calculate the Index including general economic situation and personal financial situation. The index measuring changes in personal finances during…
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30 November
Sainsbury’s introduces food bank ‘priority item’ labels
Sainsbury’s has announced it will introduce new food bank “priority item” labels for its products following a successful trial in Exeter. The labels aim to inform customers of what their local food banks need, customers will then be able to make donations in an area behind the checkouts. The new…
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