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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Feb- 2018 -21 FebruaryHigh Street
UK retailers ‘self-restricting’ growth due to limited payment options
The UK’s top retailers are limiting online sales potential by up to 30% by not offering a range of payment options. A study, carried out by ecommerce and digital agency Visualsoft, found that almost one in five (19%) of the UK’s top 240 retailers are failing to offer a payment…
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20 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
Online retail sales see 13.9% year on year growth
UK online retail sales were up 13.9% year-on-year (YoY) in January, according to the latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. With rainfall above average in January, and the lowest January high street footfall recorded in five years, consumers turned to online shopping in the beginning of the…
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16 FebruaryEconomy
Co-op set to open ‘record number’ of stores and refits
The Co-op will be opening 30 new food stores and refurbishing seven existing properties from its current portfolio in the London region. The first phase of new stores will be located in Walthamstow, Colliers Wood Station, Cricklewood, Colindale Station and Paddington. Peter Batt, Co-op divisional managing director, said it’s an…
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13 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
Insolvency cracks showing with one in five fashion retailers
Some 19% of UK clothing retailers are currently exhibiting early warning signs that they are at risk of going insolvent, according to research by accountancy firm Moore Stephens. Out of 35,078 fashion retailers analysed, 6,580 are showing early signs of financial distress, which can include a large fall in revenue…
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12 FebruaryDepartment Stores
House of Fraser appoints Rothschild to refinance debt
House of Fraser has appointed independent financial advisory group Rothschild to advise it as the department store chain prepares to refinance its debt package. Rothschild will advise the retailer on the refinancing of £225m of its £390m debt package, which matures in July 2019. Its remaining £165m publicly traded bond…
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8 FebruaryAdvice
Five ways paid search can help retailers maximise sales events
Accounting for an estimated £8bn sales in 2017, Black Friday is a firm fixture on the retail calendar, even stealing sales from more traditional Christmas spending (December spending fell by 1.5% according to ONS). Having merged into Cyber Monday, the most effective ‘Black Fridays’ last year were actually week-long events,…
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8 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
Debenhams puts 320 jobs at risk with new cost-cutting drive
Fashion retailer Debenhams has announced a new cost cutting drive that could put 320 positions at risk of redundancy. The firm said the employee reshuffle will improve the company’s finances, after the group’s shares plunged by 20% due to a ‘disappointing’ Christmas trading period. A profit warning was issued due…
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7 FebruaryGovernment
Poundland Christmas Elf campaign banned by ASA
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned Poundland’s ‘Elf Behaving Badly’ campaign following the numerous complaints it received. The Christmas campaign was run on Poundland’s social media pages and depicted a children’s toy elf in a series of pictures that had sexual connotations. ASA said it received 85 complaints…
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7 FebruaryHigh Street
Warren Evans goes into administration
Bed and furniture retailer Warren Evans has gone into administration putting its 14 stores and one factory at risk. The retailer was looking for a buyer in January and independent advisors Duff and Phelps were appointed to handle the sale with the aim of completing the sale by the end…
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6 FebruaryEconomy
Consumer spending grows 3.9% in January
Consumer spending increased 3.9% in January, partially driven by price increases that continued to drive uplifts in ‘essential’ spending. That is according to data from Barclaycard, which processes nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions. Spending growth on day-to-day necessities surpassed 4% for the first time in…
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