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- 2021 -21 DecemberSupermarkets
Unite suspends two-day HGV strike action
Unite union has suspended a two-day strike which could have affected deliveries to 1,500 convenience stores across London and the South East. The two-day strike, which was due on 23 December 2021, would have included Christmas Eve by drivers employed by the Tesco-owned Booker Retail Partners at its Thamesmead site.…
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21 DecemberHigh Street
UK high streets suffer as Covid concerns grow
UK high streets saw footfall decline by -2.6% over pre-Christmas weekend, according to the latest figures from Springboard. Although footfall across UK retail destinations rose by 5.5% last week from the week before, it ended with a disappointing performance, felt especially by large city centres, with footfall over the weekend…
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20 DecemberHigh Street
Mike Ashley to consider taking Frasers private
Mike Ashely is reportedly considering taking Frasers Group off of the stock market in a bid to take advantage of its recent period of strong growth. According to The Telegraph, its recent performance combined with an intensive share buyback scheme has prompted speculation of delisting. It is thought that the…
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20 DecemberSupermarkets
Sainsbury’s opens new Glasgow store
Sainsbury’s welcomed customers to its latest new store of 2021 as it opened the doors to Sainsbury’s Ingram Street Local in Glasgow. Colin McInnes from local charity Homeless Project Scotland joined colleagues to cut the ribbon and support the arrival of the new convenience store. Situated in the heart of…
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17 DecemberCoronavirus
Consumer confidence falls in December amid Omicron fears
Pre-Christmas consumer confidence has fallen one point to -15 in the UK, according to GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index, as the impact of the latest Omicron variant takes hold on shoppers. The headline figure, which is actually two points lower compared with the same period last year, comes as two measures…
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17 DecemberEconomy
November retail sales rise by 1.4%, ONS reveals
Retail sales volumes rose by 1.4% in November 2021, and were 7.2% higher than pre-Covid levels in February 2020, according to the latest Office of National Statistics (ONS) data. Non-food stores sales volumes rose by 2% during the period due to growth in clothing stores (2.9%) and other non-food stores…
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17 DecemberOnline & Digital
Online retailers expected to send 95% more orders this week
Online stores are preparing themselves for the next 10 days of shipping, with retailers expected to send up to 95% more parcels compared to the average shopping week, according to data produced by Sendcloud. It revealed that consumers are most likely to shop for Christmas gifts online 10 days before…
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17 DecemberComment
Why 2022 will be a defining year for UK retail
Retailers are coming out of what has been another challenging year but are undoubtedly now optimistic and looking forward to a prosperous festive season. Early reports paint a positive picture with ONS data showing an 0.8% rise in total sales volume in October, and GfK revealing that consumer confidence is…
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16 DecemberSupermarkets
Tesco turns to refrigerated rail service to slash CO2 emissions
Tesco has announced it will begin to use a refrigerated rail freight service to transport goods across the UK over the festive season. The new rail service marks the first time Tesco has used refrigerated rail freight in the UK. It will be operated by Direct Rail Services (DRS), who…
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16 DecemberClothing & Shoes
Shoe Zone opens new Southampton Store
Footwear retailer Shoe Zone has announced the opening of a new store in Southampton this winter. The store, located on 69 Above Bar Street, Southampton, opened its doors on 13 December. The new store will be running a selection of promotions and will stock popular brands such as Skechers, Lotus,…
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