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- 2021 -19 FebruarySupermarkets
Asda reports sales boost thanks to strong Christmas performance
Asda has reported a solid sales boost in the fourth quarter ended 31 December, with like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, up 5.1% over the Christmas season and 6.9% during the eight week period. Growth was primarily driven by a noticeable shift in consumer behaviour with customers trading up and spending more…
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18 FebruaryHigh Street
Charity retailers’ progress stunted by lockdown restrictions
Despite an encouraging start to the period, lockdown restrictions have “taken their toll” on the performance of charity retailers in the fourth quarter of 2020, with the outlook for 2021 remaining “very uncertain”, according to accountancy firm BDO. According to BDO’s Charity Retail Sales Tracker, produced in association with the…
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16 FebruaryDIY
Cox and Cox sees FY sales up 75%
Homeware retailer Cox and Cox has reported a “strong” Q4 that saw sales up 85.4% up on the previous year, rounding off another year of growth for the firm with sales up 74.5% for the full year. While exact sales figures were not given, in its latest trading update the…
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11 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
Ted Baker Q4 sales fall 47% amid low occasionwear demand
Clothing retailer Ted Baker reported that Q4 group revenues fell by 47% during the 13-week period ending 30 January 2021. It comes as the retailer said it has seen a “material negative impact” from the Covid pandemic including the closure of its entire UK store portfolio for the majority of…
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11 FebruaryEconomy
Non-food retailers see £22bn sales hit due to Covid
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is reporting that the country’s three national lockdowns have cost ‘non-food’ stores – mainly ‘non-essential’ retail – an estimated £22bn in lost sales. The trade association said stricter restrictions in the crucial run-up to Christmas hampered retailers’ ability to generate much-needed turnover, which would have…
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8 FebruaryHigh Street
Retail sales fall 10% in January
Total like-for-like retail sales declined by 10% in January as both the national lockdown and impact of Covid-19 affected shops across England, according to BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker. It found that lifestyle total like-for-like sales fell to 16.7% in January. This month’s result reportedly marked “the worst” since June…
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5 FebruaryAdvice
Two common AI powered frauds – and what you can do to stop them
When put to use for good, automation and artificial intelligence provide powerful ways to help businesses become more efficient and more powerful. Smart machines, for instance, are paving the way for significant growth in the retail sector. But with that potential comes risk. For the very same reasons businesses are…
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1 FebruaryCoronavirus
New lockdowns edge consumer confidence to near-record low
The final quarter of 2020 saw consumer confidence fall by 1%, to a near-record low -17%, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker. It found with the exception of personal finances, all other measures of confidence were below year-on-year comparisons, with ‘health and wellbeing’, and ‘children’s education and welfare’ categories…
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Jan- 2021 -27 JanuaryHigh Street
Paperchase rescued in pre-pack Permira deal
The majority of Paperchase stores are reportedly set to be rescued in a pre-pack deal that is poised to save around 1,000 jobs. According to Sky News, the rescue deal will be led by private equity giant Permira, with a deal expected to be agreed later today (27 January). Permira,…
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26 JanuaryAnalysis
The new front door to welcoming customers
The pandemic has hit retailers hard, with well-known brands already falling victim to the severe impact of lockdown. Coronavirus restrictions have forced retailers of all shapes and sizes to shift priority to digital channels, ensure customer services can operate remotely, and make necessary adjustments to protect shoppers in-store. The ability…
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