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 -12 DecemberNews
4 in 5 shoppers using social media to find Christmas gift ideas
The inaugural Shop Social study, conducted by social media experts Maybe*, (https://www.maybetech.com/) has found that the products we are most using social media to find inspiration for are women’s clothes (54%); men’s clothes (37%); gifts (35%); beauty and cosmetics (34%); children’s clothes and products (31%); books (26%); toys (23% )…
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9 DecemberClothing & Shoes
Primark to open 10 stores before Christmas
Primark’s parent company Associated British Foods (ABF) has announced that it is set to open 10 new stores before Christmas. As part of its trading update ahead of its AGM, ABF stated that Primark’s trading had been “encouraging” with the retailer set to open 27 new stores in the current…
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7 DecemberOnline & Digital
Moonpig lowers sales forecast ahead of uncertain Christmas
Greeting card retailer Moonpig has lowered its sales forecast for 2023 to £320m down from £350m in the half year to 31 October 2022. The company cited challenging trading conditions in October and November, including Royal Mail strikes, as the reason for changing its forecast. It has seen mild growth…
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7 DecemberClothing & Shoes
Quiz returns to profitability in H1 as demand rises
Quiz has welcomed a “significant” increase in profitability in its half-year results, as profit before tax hit £1.8m, up from a loss of £1.3m the prior year, after the group witnessed stronger consumer demand for the brand. The group, which also benefited from softer prior year comparatives as a result…
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5 DecemberElectrical
Curry’s ditches Royal Mail ahead of Christmas strikes
Curry’s has ditched Royal Mail as its delivery provider amid a series of Christmas strikes at the firm. As first reported by The Telegraph and since confirmed by Curry’s CEO Alex Baldock on BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg Show, the retailer is to stop using Royal Mail to deliver its products “for…
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2 DecemberAdvice
Tips for making a success of festive trading in a cost-of-living crisis
The most important trading season of the year has arrived, and in an intensely competitive market, retailers can’t afford to fail. With mounting costs eroding margins, and a cost-of-living crisis dissuading customers from indulging too heavily this season, retailers know they have to work harder and smarter to turn a…
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1 DecemberHigh Street
Hotel Chocolat falls to £9.2m loss in FY22
Hotel Chocolat has fallen to a pre-tax loss of £9.2m in its latest full-year results, down from a profit of £3.7m the prior year, with results in part affected by the restructuring of its joint venture in Japan. The group noted that without impairments from its business operations in Japan…
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1 DecemberHigh Street
Footfall gap to 2019 widens to -11.1% in Nov despite Black Friday boost
The gap in footfall from 2019 widened in November to -11.1% from -9.8% in October and -12.6% in September; -12.4% in high streets, -17.3% in shopping centres and -3% in retail parks, according to the latest figures from Springboard. Springboard added that in the absence of Black Friday the gap…
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Nov- 2022 -30 NovemberNews
‘Bleak’ winter ahead as shop price inflation hits 7.4%, says BRC
The BRC has warned of a “bleak” winter ahead after shop price annual inflation accelerated to 7.4% in November, up from 6.6% in October. This 7.4% is above the three-month average rate of 6.5% and marks another record for shop price inflation since the index started in 2005. Food inflation…
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29 NovemberHigh Street
Black Friday boosts footfall +9.3% YOY
Footfall was up +9.3% compared with 2021 across all UK retail destinations on Black Friday, according to the latest figures from Springboard. Shopping centres were the clear winner on Black Friday with a rise in footfall of +16.8%, followed by high streets (+11.3%) and then retail parks (+7.1%). However, despite…
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