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- 2019 -19 DecemberHigh Street
Black Friday delays Christmas footfall surge
Black Friday has delayed the expected Christmas footfall surge according to Ipsos Retail Performance, leading to the forecasted footfall for the month being revised by -1.4%. The first week of the official reporting month (w/c 24 November) saw shopper numbers swell by 20.9% on the week before thanks to the…
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18 DecemberOnline & Digital
400 jobs at risk as The Book People enters administration
The Book People has entered into administration, putting 400 jobs at risk. Toby Underwood and Zelf Hussain, of PWC, have now been appointed as joint administrators of the bookseller. According to PWC, the administration is a result of the “difficult” trading environment that the business has been experiencing, combined with…
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18 DecemberHigh Street
97% of staff are against Boxing Day trading, says Usdaw
An overwhelming majority of shop staff are opposed to Boxing Day trading, according to a new survey from workers union Usdaw. A survey of over 12,000 shopworkers, 85% of them in retail, found that 97% think that shops should be closed the day after Christmas to allow them to spend…
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18 DecemberOnline & Digital
Online sales soar in November
Online sales grew 16.4% year-on-year in the month of November, according to the latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index. The index, which tracks the performance of some 200 retailers, recorded the largest monthly growth since April 2018. This figure significantly surpassed the three month, six month and…
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17 DecemberComment
Why shoppers want simple sustainability
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping spike is putting packaging into perspective for shoppers and creating demand for simple sustainability. Retailers should strive to deliver quick and clear eco messages when it comes to packaging. Going green Sustainability has repeatedly hit the headlines again this year and we can…
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17 DecemberHigh Street
Footfall slows after Black Friday boost
Footfall across UK retail destinations dropped by 0.9% post Black Friday, according to the latest retail figures from Springboard. In the week between 8 December and 14 December, footfall faced an annual decline of 5%, in line with the “lull” in trading that Springboard anticipated for the period. These latest…
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16 DecemberBusiness Bites
The latest business data is bad news, but the reasons given spell a good omen
This morning there was some bad news for business, but which definitely comes with a silver lining. So, the bad news first: the ‘Flash UK Composite Output Index’ from data firm, Markit, which tracks private sector business activity, found that it shrunk during the month of December. It has dropped…
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11 DecemberHigh Street
Co-op to open 30 new stores in lead up to Christmas
The Co-op has announced plans to open 30 new stores in the run-up to Christmas. An investment of more than £25m will see stores open across the UK throughout November and December, including sites at transport hubs, “key” city locations and residential apartments – creating up to 500 jobs. According…
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11 DecemberAdvice
Preventing seasonal staff from becoming the Nightmare Before Christmas
As we approach the busiest shopping months of the year, many retailers will look to hire additional staff on short-term contracts to allow for the anticipated customer demand. In fact, a cursory search on one of the UK’s top job sites indeed.co.uk shows no less than 5,000 “Christmas” jobs advertised…
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11 DecemberDepartment Stores
Debenhams appoints John Walden and Kevin Conroy as non-executive directors
Department store Debenhams has appointed John Walden and Kevin Conroy as non-executive directors of Celine Jersey Topco, the parent company of the Debenhams Group. Walden is currently chairman of Naked Wines (formerly known as Majestic Wine plc) and was previously held the position of chairman at Holland and Barrett International.…
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