Year: 2019

Reduce waiting times and improve customer experience

It is no secret that competition among brick-and-mortar retailers is at an all-time high. Even after a relatively busy Christmas period, the high street has seen a number of store closures, with M&S and House of Fraser among the major names to announce swathes of their portfolios shutting their doors.…

Read More »

Moss Bros eyeing Debenhams interim chair

Fashion retailer, Moss Bros is looking at Debenhams interim chair Terry Duddy to replace its outgoing chair Debbie Hewitt. Duddy, who used to lead Home Retail Group, the group responsible for Argos, Habitat and Homebase is on a shortlist of targets according to reports by Sky News. Duddy took over…

Read More »

Amazon shares dip 5% despite record Christmas sales

Online retail giant Amazon has seen its shares drop 5% to $1,635 in early trading, after disappointing investors with a slow down in revenue growth. Revenues grew 20% to $72.4bn in Q4 2018, compared with the 29% it experienced in Q3. The deceleration is widely considered the result of reduced…

Read More »

ScS ends Sofa.com talks paving way for Mike Ashley

ScS has ended its interest in acquiring rival furniture retailer Sofa.com stating it is “no longer in discussions”, leaving Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley in prime position. Both Mike Ashley and ScS had expressed interest in acquiring Sofa.com. However ScS today (1 February) said in an update: “The group confirms…

Read More »

MPs launch business rates inquiry

The Treasury Committee has launched a new inquiry into business rates to scrutinise how government policy has impacted high street businesses. The committee will examine how business rates policy has changed, including business rates retention, alternatives to property-based taxes, such as the proposed digital services tax. Nicky Morgan MP, chair…

Read More »

Asda loses equal pay claim battle

The Court of Appeal has upheld the ruling that Asda store staff can compare their roles with those in the supermarket giant’s distribution centres in legal claims over equal pay. The Walmart owned Asda appealed the two previous rulings they lost, both of which found that lower paid shop workers,…

Read More »

Shop Direct consulting with 225 members of staff over job cuts

Shop Direct, the group which owns online retailers Very and Littlewoods, is in consultation with 225 members of staff over job cuts. The group plans to merge its businesses as part of a transformation strategy which will see teams for men’s and women’s fashion consolidated and its design team moved…

Read More »

Predictions on tech for consumer retail arising from CES

Although I was hoping for announcements from CES on how 5G will change our lives and the impact AR is going to have on consumer feedback data, what did come out didn’t disappoint. The five key developments announced at CES that piqued our interest were: Halford’s smart ‘Cybic bikes’, linked…

Read More »

UK consumer confidence down five points year-on-year in January

GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased by five points year-on-year to -14 in January 2019. The measure for the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months has dropped four points to -35 in January, six points lower than January 2018, with expectations for the next 12…

Read More »

Lidl opens 13th and largest UK distribution centre

Lidl UK has announced the opening of its 13th and largest Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) in Doncaster. The warehouse, which represents a £70m investment in Lidl’s expansion and logistics, will initially provide support to 53 Lidl stores across south Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the Midlands. Earlier this month, Lidl opened a…

Read More »