Year: 2019

Home Bargains becomes latest retailer to announce a ‘quiet hour’

Home Bargains has become the latest retailer to announce a ‘quiet hour’ in order to create a calmer environment for customers with autism to shop in. The initiative is being carried out in partnership with the National Autistic Society, and will see all music switched off in its stores each…

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John Lewis ends final week of 2018 with 4.5% sales uplift

Department store chain John Lewis has reported a 4.5% year-on-year uplift in total sales for the week ending 29 December. The group said this was due to “very strong sales” on Christmas Eve and a “confident start” to clearance sales both online and in shops, with electrical and home technology…

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Why shoppers are holding on to smartphones and laptops for longer than ever

In the golden era of technology, gadgets have become increasingly consumable as shoppers now upgrade to the latest models and versions well before there is any technical need to do so. Despite the latest designer smartphone brands continuing to seemingly fly off the shelves, recent studies suggest that the average…

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Large retailers must now ‘justify’ bosses’ wages

UK companies listed on the stock market and with over 250 employees will now have to annually disclose and explain their top bosses pay and the gap between that and their average worker, the UK government has said. The pay ratio regulations, which came into force on 1 January 2019,…

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Greenwoods goes into liquidation

Yorkshire-based menswear retailer Greenwoods has gone into liquidation just 18 months after it was saved from administration. The 158-year-old company is the latest high-street victim closing all of its stores with more than 100 jobs expected to be lost. The retailer originally fell into administration in September 2017, with 40…

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Iceland facing £21m bill over Christmas savings scheme

Iceland could be hit with a £21m fine as the HMRC has said the supermarket’s Christmas savings scheme meant its workers were being paid less than the minimum wage. The scheme allows workers to set aside a proportion of their weekly wage to be claimed back later, but CEO and…

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Online retailer Mahabis falls into administration

Mahabis, a specialist online retailer known for its premium slippers, has announced it has gone into administration. The company has ceased trading since it enlisted administrators KPMG on 27 December. It also warned that any customers who returned items would have an “unsecured claim” for any funds owed and added…

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