Brexit
This coverage examines the impact of Brexit on the UK retail sector, with reporting on trade agreements, tariffs, supply chain disruptions, labour market changes, and regulatory adjustments. Insights are tailored to retail managers and executives assessing how post-Brexit developments shape operations, costs, and strategic planning within the industry.
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Apr- 2019 -26 AprilEconomy
Retail sales growth picks up for first time in five months
Retail sales grew for the first time since November 2018 in the year to April, according to the latest monthly Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Distributive Trades Survey. The survey of 110 firms, of which 55 were retailers, showed that sales volumes rose for the first time in five months,…
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12 AprilHigh Street
March sees first YOY non-food footfall rise
March saw the first year-on-year rise in footfall in non-food stores for over two years rising by 1.6% since February, according to Ipsos’ Retail Performance Retail Traffic Index. Average weekly footfall was also up on the previous month, by 4.4% and was up across all parts of the UK. Ipsos…
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10 AprilEconomy
Business confidence ‘crashes’ to lowest point since 2012
Business optimism has “crashed” to its lowest level since September 2012, according to a new report from accountants and business advisors BDO. BDO’s Optimism Index, which shows how businesses expect output to develop in the next three to six months, plummeted to 96.10 in March from 99.79 in February. According…
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9 AprilEconomy
Brexit uncertainty slows retail sales in March
UK retail sales decreased by 1.1% in March, compared with the increase of 1.4% in 2018, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. Over the three months to March, in-store sales of non-food items declined 1.5% on a total basis and 1.7% on a like-for-like basis. This is above…
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8 AprilClothing & Shoes
Ann Summers calls in advisers after £3.3m loss
Lingerie retailer, Ann Summers, has announced it has appointed a property adviser in order to help with rent reductions, after a £3.3m loss last year replaced a £2.9m profit in the year previous. The retailer blamed rising store costs along with the fall of sterling due to Brexit, which it…
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4 AprilOnline & Digital
AO announces £15m of stockpiling ahead of Brexit
Electronics retailer AO has announced plans to stockpile £15m worth of popular products as part of its Brexit contingency plan. The online-only retailer said the move will help “ensure [it] can continue to deliver [its] market-leading proposition to customers”. The announcement was made in the group’s preliminary trade update for…
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3 AprilEconomy
Shop price inflation hits highest level in six years
Shop price inflation accelerated in March to 0.9%, up from 0.7% in February, the highest inflation rate since March 2013. The figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen’s Shop Price Index also revealed that food inflation had increased by 2.5% in March, up from 1.6% in February. This…
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3 AprilDIY
Topps Tiles paves way to recovery after 2018 profit fall
Topps Tiles has announced it has seen its revenues remain flat for the six months leading up to 30 March 2019, as it looks to recover from a profit fall in 2018. When announcing its first half results in November 2018, the tile retailer said it was stockpiling supplies ahead…
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2 AprilAnalysis
Now is the time for UK retailers to rethink the handling of returned stock
As the end of the financial year approaches in April, retailers have several options to begin their spring cleaning. A new fiscal year allows companies to evaluate their spending over the past 12 months and look to make any changes as budgets refresh and new targets are set. With return…
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Mar- 2019 -29 MarchEconomy
March consumer confidence ‘holds steady’
Market research company GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index has showed that confidence among consumers in the UK stayed at the same level of -13 in March. Personal finances during the last 12 months has stayed the same this month at 0; three points lower than March 2018. The forecast for…
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