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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Jan- 2021 -25 JanuaryBusiness Bites
Five retailers who excelled during the Christmas season
Asos Asos has gone from strength to strength in the past few years with this year being no different. Over the peak festive season it saw its sales increase by 23% to £1.32bn from £1.074bn the previous year, which the group claimed was due to support by investors who…
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25 JanuaryOnline & Digital
Feelunique sales soar in golden quarter
Online beauty retailer Feelunique has welcomed a period of “strong” trading during its golden quarter, with sales soaring by 39% to £28m in the 12 weeks ended 3 January 2021. This growth was attributed to ongoing investments in its e-commerce platform, alongside “soaring” marketplace demand, with active customers up by…
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22 JanuaryCoronavirus
Retail sales fall to lowest ever annual level
The retail sector has suffered its largest annual fall since records began, with total sales down 1.9% against the year prior, as restrictions on non-essential retail continued to impact the sector as a whole. This was the biggest decline since records began in 1997, according to the ONS. After declines…
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22 JanuaryDepartment Stores
John Lewis repays £300m to the Treasury early
John Lewis has announced it has repaid £300m early to the Treasury and the Bank of England Covid Corporate Financing Facility, which was due for repayment on 15 March 2021. The retailer was hit heavily by the impact of Covid-19 and store closures for several months, however the Partnership believes…
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22 JanuaryHigh Street
The Works reports revenue decline of 7.8%
The Works has reported a revenue decline of 7.8% to £88.9m in the 26 weeks to 25 October. The stationery and book retailer posted a pre-tax loss of £4.3m over the period, which was down from a loss of £8.5m in the same period the previous year. Trading was impacted…
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20 JanuaryElectrical
Dixons Carphone sees 121% online growth over Christmas
Dixons Carphone welcomed a 121% rise in its like-for-like online revenue during the peak Christmas season, attributed to a higher demand in e-commerce amid the pandemic. The company’s trading update for the 10 weeks ended 9 January 2021 revealed that Electricals like-for-like revenue increased by 11% for the period. The…
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20 JanuaryHigh Street
WH Smith trading ‘better than anticipated’
WH Smith has posted its trading update for the 16 weeks to January, with the company reporting a “better than anticipated” sales performance. The group has said it adapted well to the “evolving trading environment” on the high street, with revenue in stores in December at 92% of 2019 levels. …
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19 JanuaryElectrical
AO welcomes ‘record’ Christmas quarter
AO World has welcomed its “strongest ever” peak trading period over the Black Friday and Christmas period, with year-on-year UK revenue soaring 67.2% to £457.3m in the quarter ended 31 December 2020. It comes as the group said it has continued investment in its infrastructure in order to deliver higher…
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18 JanuaryOnline & Digital
Barclay family mulls £3bn Very Group float
The Barclay family is reportedly eyeing up a £3bn float of online retailer Very Group, according to reports from Sky News. The billionaire family, who owns the business, is said to be in the early stages of exploring plans for the flotation in a bid to “capitalise on exploding investor…
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14 JanuaryNews
Online sales growth hits 13-year high
UK online sales growth remained solid throughout December, coming in at +37% year-on-year (YoY) for the month and driving the annual figure to a 13-year high, according to the latest IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index, which tracks the online sales performance of over 200 retailers. The index said that after…
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