Coronavirus
This coverage analyses the impact of coronavirus on the UK retail industry, focusing on operational challenges, government measures, financial pressures, workforce management, and shifts in consumer behaviour. Reporting provides insights into how retailers responded to closures, safety protocols, supply chain disruptions, and evolving customer needs — helping executives and managers assess lessons learned and long-term changes.
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Sep- 2020 -1 SeptemberHigh Street
Moss Bros mulls possible CVA
Moss Bros is reportedly consdering a CVA after calling in advisers, following a ban on large weddings and events such as Royal Ascot which impacted sales during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Times, the retailer has called in KPMG to assist with restructuring, with reports that 125 stores are…
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Aug- 2020 -28 AugustDIY
Screwfix to open 40 new stores, 400 jobs created
Screwfix is set to open 40 stores this year, in a move that will create around 400 new jobs in local communities. According to its parent company, Kingfisher, the new openings “demonstrate continued growth of the business and a growing demand for convenience, despite the challenges of Covid-19”. Some 30…
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25 AugustCoronavirus Featured Content
Preventing fraud in ecommerce: how retailers should respond
It’s been nearly five months since the prime minister announced a state of lockdown in the UK due to the coronavirus. In this time, the retail sector as we know it has changed dramatically. Without much warning, retailers have had to close brick and mortar stores from the start of…
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21 AugustHealth & Beauty
Estée Lauder to axe up to 2,000 jobs
Estée Lauder has announced that it will axe between 1,500 and 2,000 positions across its global business in a bid to restructure the company following the coronavirus crisis. The redundancies, which form part of its ‘Post-Covid Business Acceleration Program’, will primarily affect point of sale employees and support staff in…
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19 AugustComment
Security: The new experience shoppers are seeking in the ‘new normal’?
Retailers have been battling COVID-19 for months. Many traditional brick-and-mortar stores closed. Workforces were scattered — either furloughed or required to work from home. Meantime, online sales have provided a lifeline, as dramatic e-commerce spikes helped firms navigate these trying times. Now, with physical stores starting to reopen, more disruption…
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19 AugustCoronavirus
Usdaw leader launches petition to protect retail staff from violence and abuse
Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis has today (19 August) launched a House of Commons petition calling on the Government to legislate to protect shopworkers. The trade union said the petition has been launched in response to “continued growing assaults, threats and abuse against shopworkers and the doubling of such incidents…
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17 AugustHigh Street
Debenhams draws up contingency plans for potential liquidation
Debenhams has reportedly drawn up contingency plans in the event of a potential liquidation, as it continues to weather the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a report by Sky News, it is understood that Debenahmans has drafted in Hilco Capital to support the retailer if the sales process for the 242-year-old…
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14 AugustHigh Street
River Island set to axe 350 jobs
River Island is reportedly set to axe almost 350 store management and sales roles as it continues to weather the coronavirus pandemic. According to an internal memo sent to staff, which was seen by Drapers, CEO Will Kernan said: “We are now in the process of restructuring our retail teams…
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14 AugustCoronavirus
Covid-19 outbreak strikes M&S supplier
Greencore, the factory that provides Marks and Spencer with its ready-to-eat sandwiches, has confirmed it is “proactively testing” workers after 299 employees tested positive for coronavirus. The group confirmed that those who had tested positive are now self-isolating, and the company is working alongside PHE East Midlands, Northamptonshire County Council…
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12 AugustEconomy
UK in recession following 20% GDP slump
The UK economy has entered into a technical recession following a “record” fall in gross domestic product (GDP) during the second quarter of the year. According to the Office for National Statistics, GDP slumped by 20.4% between April and June 2020, compared with the 2.2% drop seen during Q1 2020…
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