Board
This coverage highlights board-level developments shaping the UK retail industry, from executive appointments and leadership reshuffles to governance strategy and corporate direction. Retail Sector reports on boardroom changes across major retail brands, supermarkets, and e-commerce operators, analysing how leadership decisions influence company performance, culture, and market positioning. Coverage includes director appointments, succession planning, governance best practices, and strategic decision-making at the highest levels. For retail professionals, these insights illuminate how leadership dynamics drive operational change, investor confidence, and long-term growth across the sector.
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Jun- 2019 -7 JunePeople Moves
John Lewis Partnership appoints Sharon White as chairwoman
The John Lewis Partnership has announced the appointment of Sharon White as the groupโs sixth chair. She will take up the role when current chairman Charlie Mayfield steps down in early 2020. Since March 2015, White has been the CEO of Ofcom, the UKโs communications services regulator. Before joining Ofcom,…
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6 JuneAdvice
Developing sustainable retail brands with employee engagement
When it comes to sustainability, some brands are way ahead of the game. Others, however, are certainly falling behind. There is so much potential for brands who embrace a more sustainable outlook to both appeal to a wider audience and benefit from cost-saving in the long run. But in order…
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6 JuneHigh Street
โHugeโ spike in retail job vacancies, says CV-library
The amount of jobs on offer in the retail sector jumped by 56.9% in May. Thatโs according to the latest job market data from job board CV-Library, which compared findings from May 2019, with the same period last year. According to the firm, โmajorโ retail players such as M&S and…
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5 JuneHigh Street
Philip Green reaches agreement with pensions regulator
Arcadia owner Philip Green has reached an agreement with The Pensions Regulator in order to aid the restructure of the company. The company has agreed to provide security for the schemes to the value of ยฃ210m which includes an additional ยฃ25m agreed with regulator. Greenโs wife and Arcadia shareholder Christina…
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5 JuneHigh Street
Card Factory sees Q1 sales rise 6%
Card Factory has reported a 6.4% rise in total group sales during the first quarter of the year thanks to what it has called a โpositive start to the yearโ despite โchallenging consumer sentiment and negative footfall on the high streetโ. During the first quarter ending 30 April 2019 Card…
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May- 2019 -29 MayHigh Street
WHSmith ranked worst retailer in Which? Survey
WHSmith has finished bottom of Which?โs annual UK high street shops survey rankings of more than 100 shops, while specialist retailers came out on top. The annual survey of more than 7,700 Which? members looked at the bricks-and-mortar shops offering the best in-store experiences. WHSmith finished with a customer score…
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24 MayPeople Moves
Zara owner Inditex to promote Carlos Crespo to CEO
Fashion retailer Zaraโs parent company Inditex has said it will promote its current COO, Carlos Crespo, to the role of CEO as it bids to boost its โstrategic digital transformationโ. The appointment was put forward by Inditexโs chief executive, Pablo Isla, and will take effect following approval by the board…
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22 MayAnalysis
Is retail cashing out on PoS?
Last month saw Sainsbury launch the UKโs first till-free store, with its Holborn Circus store in London undergoing a complete refurbishment to remove the checkout area and tills. The three-month trial at the store, where 82% of transactions were cashless prior to the start of the trial, allows shoppers to…
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21 MayPeople Moves
WH Smith CEO to step down
WH Smithโs group chief executive, Stephen Clarke has announced he is stepping down from his role on 31 October 2019, after 15 years with the company. The newsagent also announced that Carl Cowling will be appointed as group chief executive as successor to Clarke, as part of its long-term succession…
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17 MayComment
How Making Tax Digital is going to help the retail sector
Shop closures are an all too familiar scene. A recent study by The Guardian found that English and Welsh town centres have lost 8% of their shops on average since 2013 (equating to 40 shops per town centre). While the sector is riding the waves of a storm, the digitisation…
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