Year: 2019

How AI-powered robots are transforming the retail world

AI-powered robots are transforming traditional warehouses into smart ones, enabling teams to fulfill orders more efficiently, reduce manual lifting and improve stock control. Now they promise to do the same for retail, says Red McKay, of Bossa Nova Robotics. The world’s biggest and most successful manufacturing, warehousing and e-commerce firms…

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Physical entertainment market falls by 17%

The retail market for physical entertainment declined by 17.4% during the 12 weeks to 7 April, attributed to a decline in shopper numbers, fewer major gaming and music releases and store closures for HMV. The research by Kantar showed that physical stores grew their share of the gaming market for…

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Walmart considering Asda IPO

‘Big Four’ grocer Asda could be listed on the stock market as its parent company Walmart mulls over its future after the CMA blocked the proposed merger with rival Sainsbury’s. According to the BBC Walmart chief executive Judith McKenna told staff at an event in Leeds yesterday that a public…

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Moss Bros sales boosted by e-commerce during Q1

Moss Bros has reported a 1.5% increase in total sales for the 15 week period ending 11 May, in spite of a “tough trading environment”. The retailer’s overall trading performance continued to show an improvement on the prior year, with both full price retail store sales and e-commerce delivering positive…

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Retailers rethink returns policies as ‘serial returners’ increase

Some 26% of retailers have seen an increase in the volume of goods being returned in the last two years, according to new findings. Research from Barclaycard revealed that 20% of retailers had taken measures to make their returns policy more stringent in the last year, with a further 19%…

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Boots profits slump by almost 20%

Profits at Boots UK stores fell by 18.3% last year as sales also struggled. For the year ending 31 August the company, which is owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance, reported profits of £317m and revenues of £6.8bn, a fall of 2.3% compared with the previous year. The fall is also…

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The ripple effect of consumer data breaches

The number of those affected by high-profile consumer data breaches in the past few years is staggering; 50 million Facebook users were stung in 2018, whilst British Airways revealed back in October 2018 that over 185,000 passengers may have had data stolen in a breach. It’s evident that hackers are…

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Kering publishes new standards for animal welfare

Luxury fashion giant Kering has published its new animal welfare standards in order to “ensure and verify” the humane treatment of animals across the group’s supply chains. The first phase of the standards, which launched on 13 May, also include detailed requirements for the treatment of cattle, calves, sheep and…

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Amazon partners with Next for click and collect service

Next and Amazon today announced Next’s participation in Amazon Counter – a new network of pick up points that allows customers to collect their Amazon orders in-store. Pick up from a Counter location at the fashion retailer is available from hundreds of stores across the UK and on millions of…

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Debenhams CVA could cost local authorities £8.5m in business rates

Colliers International has estimated that Debenhams’ CVA could affect up to 59 local authorities, who could lose out on £8.5m of the £17.3m rates bills the department store retailer should have been paying on properties. As part of its CVA proposals, Debenhams had categorised its properties into five groupings and…

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