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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Oct- 2021 -1 OctoberHigh Street
Sainsbury’s launches biggest ever Christmas recruitment drive
Sainsbury’s has announced it will hire 22,000 seasonal jobs across the UK this Christmas, it’s largest ever seasonal recruitment drive. It said there will be 14,500 Sainsbury’s and Argos roles available in stores, including 500 customer and Trading manager positions, 3,000 online delivery driver positions on offer as well as…
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Sep- 2021 -29 SeptemberDepartment Stores
Next raises guidance but warns of staff shortages
Next has raised its full-year guidance following a strong performance in its half-year results, and now expects its profit-before-tax to be £800m, up 6.9% against 2019, £36m ahead of its previous guidance of £764m. The group also anticipates its full price sales guidance for the rest of the year to…
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23 SeptemberSupermarkets
Supermarkets warn of panic-buying amid ongoing labour crisis
Leading UK supermarkets are reportedly concerned about a surge in panic-buying during the run-up to Christmas, as supermarkets continue to face an “array” of pressures including the ongoing HGV driver shortage. The boss of Iceland has today warned customers against panic-buying over the period, as managing director Richard Walker told…
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21 SeptemberSupermarkets
Convenience stores see sales outperform UK supermarkets
Grocery spend at UK convenience stores increased by +3.3% in the last four weeks ending 11 September 2021 – outperforming UK supermarkets, which rose by +0.6% during the same period, according to data released by NielsenIQ. NielsenIQ explained the shift toward the convenience channel is a result of a “gradual…
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15 SeptemberDepartment Stores
John Lewis Partnership to add 7,000 temporary roles this Christmas
The John Lewis Partnership has revealed that it will be adding more than 7,000 temporary roles across the country this Christmas to meet increased demand over the busy festive period. In Waitrose, the group will be recruiting seasonal roles across its 331 shops, including supermarket assistants, night shift workers and…
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15 SeptemberSupermarkets
Sainsbury’s to close all stores on Boxing Day
Sainsbury’s has announced it will keep all of its supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol filling stations closed on Boxing Day. It is the first grocer to announce the decision. Sainsbury’s said the decision to keep all stores shut has been made in recognition of the “extraordinary efforts of colleagues throughout…
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14 SeptemberSupermarkets
Ocado Q3 retail revenues damaged by fire
Ocado Retail, the joint venture between Ocado Group and Marks and Spencer Group, saw Q3 FY21 revenues fall 10.6% year-on-year as its Erith CFC fire disrupted operations. However, the £517.5m in group revenues still represented a 54% two-year spike for the 13 weeks ended 29 August 2021. The group reported…
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6 SeptemberSupply Chain
Labour shortages could continue for two-years, CBI warns
Labour supply problems could last for up to two years and will not be solved by the end of the Job Retention Scheme, the CBI’s director-general, Toby Danker has warned. The warning comes as the CBI’s director-general has set out priorities for both business and government to guard against labour…
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6 SeptemberHigh Street
Nearly 50 high-street stores closed a day in H1, study finds
Over 8,700 chain stores have disappeared from UK retail locations in the first six months of 2021, equating to over 47 stores a day, according to the latest PwC research compiled by the Local Data Company (LDC). The research showed that in total, 3,488 shops opened compared with 8,739 closures,…
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3 SeptemberSupply Chain
Gov needs to tackle ‘short and systemic’ supply problems, commission warns
The government has been urged to “get a handle” on the “immediate and systemic” problems currently causing the supply chain crisis affecting the country, by a cross-party commission. The UK Trade and Business Commission, which was setup to scrutinise the government’s post-Brexit trade deals, yesterday (2 September) hosted a hearing…
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