Black Friday
This coverage examines Black Friday’s impact on the UK retail sector, focusing on sales performance, promotional strategies, consumer trends, supply chain pressures, and operational planning. Reporting provides insights into how retailers prepare for and execute campaigns, manage demand, and assess outcomes — offering valuable context for executives and managers navigating peak trading periods.
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Jan- 2019 -4 JanuaryOnline & Digital
Gear4Music issues warning despite 41% sales growth
Gear4Music has issued a warning on profit for 2019 saying it would be “slightly below” last year’s results. The warning comes against the backdrop of a 41% year-on-year sales growth, which has seen sales rise to £48.7m. The group also announced that UK sales had risen by 36% to £25.5m,…
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4 JanuaryComment
Carnage on the shop floor
The pressure on the retail sector has been a consistent staple for investors since the end of the financial crisis, partly as a result of changing shopping habits but also down to rising costs and outdated business models. This has been no better illustrated by the way UK consumers behaved…
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2 JanuaryDepartment Stores
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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Dec- 2018 -21 DecemberAdvice
Will retailers rise to the occasion this Christmas?
Retailers are entering their busiest and potentially most profitable period – but it is also their riskiest. Fail to hit the nail on the head, and retailers could struggle to make it through to next Christmas. House of Fraser, Debenhams and Marks & Spencers are just some of the stores…
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21 DecemberAdvice
How retailers can avoid the £2.4bn peak returns crisis
The Christmas peak period is often heralded as the saving grace of retail’s calendar. But any dramatic spike in sales also leads to a marked rise in the number of returned items – and this surge brings a multi-billion pound hangover which haunts UK retail through to January sales and…
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21 DecemberEconomy
London’s West End to receive £186m pre-Christmas boost
Shoppers visiting London’s West End are expected to spend £186m in the final three days before Christmas, according to New West End Company, who represent over 600 retailers, hoteliers and property owners in the region. During these final three days more discounts and promotions will be on offer, including up…
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20 DecemberEconomy
Online breaks 20% of retail for first time
The quantity bought in retail sales increased by 0.4% in the three months to November 2018, driven by growths in non-food stores, online retailing and Black Friday promotions. According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), during the month online sales as a proportion of all…
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19 DecemberAdvice
How retail marketers can cut the cost of Christmas
Christmas is an expensive time of year for everybody – particularly retail businesses as competition intensifies around the seasonal period. In fact, brands spent a record £6bn on Christmas advertising alone last year. That’s not to mention the cost of Christmas-themed point-of-sale materials, seasonal collateral, digital elements, visual merchandising and…
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19 DecemberDepartment Stores
John Lewis bucks retail woes with festive sales increase
John Lewis has bucked retail troubles reporting a total sales increase of 1.8% for the week to 15 December. The retailer blamed the rise on price-matching discounts and increased business from Christmas shoppers. The rise has defied trends elsewhere in the retail sector, where companies such as Asos have issued…
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19 DecemberEconomy
Lowest November growth in seven years for online retail
UK online retail sales suffered its worst November growth since 2011 last month coming in at just +8.1% year-on-year (YoY), as Black Friday discounting failed to encourage consumer spending, according to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. November fell below the three- (+8.3%), six- (+10.5%) and 12-month (+12.2%) sales…
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