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- 2025 -17 JanuaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-17/1/25
Retail sales in the UK fell by 0.3% in December, disappointing analysts who anticipated a 0.4% rise during the Christmas season. The decline, attributed to the poorest supermarket sales since 2013, was partly offset by a 4.4% rise in clothing sales. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that food…
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17 JanuaryFeatures
The dynamic duo behind Charity Super.Mkt
When Wayne Hemingway and Maria Chenoweth unveiled Charity Super.Mkt, the UK’s first multi-charity shop, it was more than just a retail experiment. It was a testament to innovation, sustainability, and the power of collaboration in a rapidly evolving industry. “We wanted to create something bigger,” explains Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of…
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17 JanuaryEconomy
Retail sales unexpectedly fall amid ‘poor’ supermarket sales
Retail sales fell 0.3% in December according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. It follows a 0.1% increase in November, revised down from a previous estimate of a 0.2% rise. Analysts had been expecting sales to rise by 0.4% in the run up to Christmas as…
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16 JanuaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-16/1/25
The UK economy experienced modest growth in November 2024, with GDP rising by 0.1% following two months of decline. This upturn was driven by a 0.1% increase in services output, primarily bolstered by a 2% rise in accommodation and food services. Consumer-facing services grew by 0.5%, while wholesale and retail…
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16 JanuaryNews
Tesco hires Deliveroo’s head of strategy to lead Whoosh
Tesco has hired Deliveroo’s global head of strategy Francesca Jones to lead its Whoosh delivery service. Jones joined Deliveroo in 2022 first as a global training and operational excellence manager before being promoted to head of strategy in 2023. Prior to that, she worked at Aldi as an area manager…
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15 JanuaryNews
Liverpool One’s footfall rises 10% in ‘most successful’ shopping season
Liverpool One has reported its “most successful” festive shopping season since 2019, with footfall up 10%. The run of success began with Black Friday week when the destination experienced a 14% growth in footfall and a 28% increase in sales, reflecting the trend of consumers buying in-store and ahead of…
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15 JanuaryAnalysis
Is New Look right to close up shops?
The tax increases unveiled in the October 2024 budget have further complicated the outlook for retailers in the new year. One such high street retailer, New Look, which has managed to narrow its pre-tax loss to £21.7m in the year to March 2024, now faces the difficult task of balancing…
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14 JanuaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-14/1/25
JD Sports adjusted its profit expectations for FY24 to £915m-£935m, down from an earlier forecast of £955m-£1bn, citing challenging market conditions during the holiday season. Sales in the nine weeks to January 4 dipped 1.5%, though December saw a 1.5% rise in like-for-like sales. Organic revenue grew 3.4%, driven by…
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14 JanuaryNews
The Very Group sales rise 2.3% in run-up to Christmas
The Very Group retail sales rose 2.3% year-on-year during the seven weeks to 27 December 2024. Excluding Nike, Very UK and Group retail sales grew by 4.5% and 2.8% year-on-year respectively. Across this period, the home and beauty category jumped 15% YoY, toys, gifts and beauty increased 7.3%, meanwhile fashion…
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14 JanuaryHigh Street
Card Factory revenues rise 4.7% over Xmas period
Card Factory has revealed that total revenues rose by 4.7% in line with expectations in November and December, thanks to higher average basket values due to expanded ranges and sales of gifts and celebration essentials. For the 11 months to 31 December 2024, the retailer saw total sales rise 6.2%…
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