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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Dec- 2022 -20 DecemberSupermarkets
Morrisons to close 132 McColl’s stores
Morrisons has announced plans to close 132 McColl’s stores over the year as these stores have “no realistic prospect” of achieving a breakeven position in the medium term, putting around 1,300 McColl’s colleagues at risk of redundancy. Every affected colleague will be offered alternative employment at a nearby McColl’s store,…
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20 DecemberHealth & Beauty
Can beauty retailers remain resilient through the winter?
With endless economic and political uncertainty permeating the industry, it’s been hard to predict which category of retailers will fare better than others, but one thing is certain: the health and beauty industry has weathered the storm better than others. Most recently, THG reported “stable and consistent” consumer trading during…
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20 DecemberHigh Street
Shop prices surge to record highs
Shop Price annual inflation accelerated to 6.6% in October, up from 5.7% in September, according to the latest BRC and Nielsen tracker. This is above the three-month average rate of 5.5%, marking another record for shop price inflation since this index started in 2005. Food inflation accelerated strongly to 11.6%…
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20 DecemberSupermarkets
Morrisons expands partnership with InPost
Morrisons has revealed that it will be expanding its partnership with InPost, which will see the amount of lockers in the supermarkets rise to 390 by the end of January 2023. The partnership, which started in 2014, sees Morrisons currently offering around 290 lockers. The expansion will ensure that nearly…
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20 DecemberHigh Street
Rail strikes and cold weather sees high street footfall fall 10%
The rail strikes and a bout of cold weather negatively impacted high street footfall last week, a key period for retailers in the run up to Christmas, with footfall falling -10.2, according to the latest figures from Springboard. Footfall across all UK retail destinations was -0.9% lower than last year…
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20 DecemberSupermarkets
Sainsbury’s to hire 18,000 seasonal workers
Sainsbury’s is hiring for 18,000 additional roles over the Christmas period to help meet extra demand over the peak season, with 15,000 roles created at Sainsbury’s, 2,000 roles at Argos and 1,000 in logistics. The temporary workers will help to serve customers, keep shelves stocked and pick, pack and deliver…
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19 DecemberNews
Record Cyber Monday could signal last-minute Christmas shopping spree
International logistics provider fulfilmentcrowd believes that record Cyber Monday demand could signal a flurry of last-minute Christmas shopping and a boom in traditional Boxing Day and January sales. The company, which operates a network of 14 fulfilment centres and handles eCommerce orders for 500 retailers, reported a 27% increase year-on-year…
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19 DecemberSupermarkets
Sainsbury’s to invest £550m in keeping prices low
Sainsbury’s is set to invest £550m over two years to keep its prices low and be “more competitive”, CEO Simon Roberts has confirmed, with £15m to be invested over the Christmas period. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Roberts said that the move will mean that profits will be lower…
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16 DecemberEconomy
Retail sales dip 0.4% in November
Black Friday and Christmas shopping has failed to lure people back to the high streets as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that retail sales have fallen by 0.4% in November 2022. The recent statistics follow a 0.6% rise in October when retail bounced back from the impact of…
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16 DecemberEconomy
Consumer confidence remains at ‘historic lows’ in December
GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index increased by only two points in December to -42, with confidence still sitting at “historic lows”. This marked the eighth month in a row in which the Index has remained at around -40 or lower, the first time this has happened since the GfK’s records began…
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