Christmas
This coverage explores the critical Christmas trading period in the UK retail sector, focusing on sales performance, promotional strategies, consumer trends, supply chain planning, and operational challenges. Reporting highlights how retailers prepare for and execute peak season campaigns to maximise revenue and manage demand. Designed for executives and managers, it provides insights into effective planning and competitive positioning during the festive season.
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Jan- 2019 -8 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
Footasylum issues profit warning after ‘challenging’ Christmas trading conditions
Footwear retailer, Footasylum has issued a profit warning following “challenging trading conditions” during the festive period. Footasylum said it would cut costs after it changed expectations for gross margin in the 2019 financial year, despite revenue still expected to remain as forecast. The retailer blamed “market backdrop, promotional activity and…
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8 JanuarySupermarkets
Morrisons posts fourth consecutive year of Christmas growth
Supermarket giant Morrisons’ group like-for-like sales increased by 3.6% for the nine weeks to 6 January 2019, its fourth consecutive Christmas of growth. The figure comprises contributions from retail of 0.6% and wholesale of 3%, with total sales also up 4% excluding fuel (3.8% including fuel). In a statement Morrisons…
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7 JanuarySupermarkets
Aldi posts ‘record’ Christmas sales
Budget supermarket chain Aldi has has reported sales of almost £1bn for the month of December 2018, 10% higher than the previous year. The group said the week commencing 17 December was Aldi’s “busiest-ever in the UK”, and added that the strong sales performance was driven by a “surge in…
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7 JanuaryEconomy
Retail administrations rise for second consecutive year
The number of retailers entering into administration in 2018 was 125 – compared to 118 in 2017, an increase of 6% according to Deloitte’s latest insolvency figures. Furthermore, the number of retailers entering into company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) increased by 52%, from 25 in 2017 to 38 in 2018. Deloitte’s…
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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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4 JanuaryEconomy
Shop prices rise in December despite discounting
Shop prices saw a 0.3% year-on-year increase in December despite many retailers discounting heavily during the festive period, the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index has revealed. This was pushed up by food items which saw a 1.5% increase overall; individually fresh food saw a 0.9% price hike while shelf-stable food prices…
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3 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
Next Christmas sales boosted by online surge
Next has revealed better than expected results over the Christmas period despite a 9.2% decline in sales across its bricks-and-mortar stores. However the decline was better than the 13% drop that was forecast by analysts and overall Next reported a 1% rise in full product sales between 28 October to…
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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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2 JanuaryHR
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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