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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Nov- 2020 -20 NovemberHigh Street
Early Christmas shopping boosts retail in October
The Office for National Statistics has released its October report which showed that retail sales increased by 1.2% in the month, adding that it was the sixth consecutive month of growth in the industry. The year-on-year growth rate in the volume of retail sales saw a “strong increase” of 5.8%,…
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20 NovemberNews
M&S to keep stores open until midnight
Marks and Spencers has announced it is keeping its stores open until midnight over the Christmas period to ensure shoppers and staff can upkeep a safe level of social distancing. These new measures will apply to 400 of the brand’s stores, except those in travel locations, such as airports and…
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20 NovemberSupermarkets
Aldi expands delivery trial to 130 stores
Aldi has announced it is expanding its on-demand delivery trial with Deliveroo to 130 stores across the UK, with the service set to now be available in Scotland and Wales. Last month, the supermarket chain confirmed it had expanded the trial to 42 stores, including sites in Bristol and Liverpool.…
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18 NovemberCoronavirus
Asda gears up for ‘record Christmas’ as Q3 sales rise 2.7%
Asda has revealed it is gearing up for a “record Christmas” after it revealed its like-for-like sales increased by 2.7% YOY. The trading quarter for the three months ending 30 September, which coincided with the end of the first UK-wide lockdown and the re-opening of the hospitality sector, saw growth…
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17 NovemberCoronavirus
Lockdown footfall ‘more resilient’ than in March
Footfall across UK retail destinations showed signs of resilience when compared with the first national lockdown last week, with footfall 57.7% lower than the same week in 2019, according to the latest figures from Springboard. Springboard said this is “demonstrably more resilient” than it was in the first complete week…
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17 NovemberEconomy
Consumer confidence falls with Covid restrictions
Consumer confidence in the UK has dropped significantly with the introduction of further pandemic restrictions, according to new data from PwC. Recent measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 have seen consumer sentiment fall from -1 in to -10 in October. This is the sharpest decline since the initial lockdown…
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11 NovemberSupermarkets
Supermarkets launch drive to extend Sunday trading hours
Leaders of the UK’s biggest supermarkets have come together in a fresh drive to extend Sunday trading hours in the lead up to Christmas, according to Sky News. It comes as executives from major grocers, including J Sainsbury and Wm Morrison, are warning ministers that a pre-Christmas shopping rush could…
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11 NovemberAdvice
AI is the key to closing the expectations-reality gap in home delivery
Online spending was forecast to overtake high street sales this Christmas, even before the announcement of a second lockdown. But the pandemic hasn’t transformed the way we shop, it has merely accelerated the rise of e-commerce. That’s because, when executed properly, it’s a very satisfying way to shop for a…
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10 NovemberHigh Street
Pre-lockdown boost sees retail sales up 4.9%
UK retail sales increased by 4.9% on a total basis in the four weeks ended 31 October 2020, according to the latest BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor. In October, UK retail sales increased 5.2% against the 0.9% decrease the preceding year. During this period, like-for-like sales were measured excluding temporarily closed…
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8 NovemberDepartment Stores
John Lewis calls for clarity on store reopenings
John Lewis has issued a plea to the government to provide clarity on whether its stores will be able to reopen in early December. According to The Daily Mail, the department store chain has called for clarity “as soon as possible” as its larger stores would need time to re-open…
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