Covid-19
This coverage examines the effects of Covid-19 on the UK retail industry, focusing on operational disruption, financial pressures, consumer behaviour shifts, and recovery strategies. Reporting includes lockdown impacts, safety measures, supply chain challenges, online growth, and leadership decisions that shaped responses to the crisis. Designed for executives and managers, it offers lessons and insights for navigating future disruptions.
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Feb- 2022 -24 FebruaryCoronavirus
Lush to continue paying Covid-positive staff to self isolate
Lush has announced it will continue to financially support its retail employees in UK and Ireland customer-facing roles in a bid to encourage staff to self isolate when they test positive for Covid-19 for the foreseeable future. Additionally, the company is reportedly encouraging its retail staff who test positive to…
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23 FebruaryHealth & Beauty
Boots to launch ‘affordable’ lateral flow tests
Boots is set to launch affordable Covid-19 lateral flow tests in its stores and online, following the government’s announcement to limit free Covid testing from 1 April. Customers will be able to purchase a pack of four lateral flow tests for £17, or one test for £5.99, from boots.com, with…
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23 FebruaryHigh Street
New report indicates extent of high street challenge, says Bira
A report released by PwC about a study on how the high street is fairing shows how “challenging the high street continues to be”, according to The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira). The report, released this week, highlighted how store closures for chains and multiples slowed versus the last two…
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22 FebruarySport & Leisure
Angling Direct ups guidance following year of strong sales
Angling Direct has upped its full-year guidance following a full year of strong trading, expecting to report a 7.2% increase in revenue for FY22 to £72.5m, against FY21 sales of £67.6m, representing a 36.3% increase on a two-year basis. The group said this “strong performance” was achieved despite all of…
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18 FebruaryEconomy
Overseas appetite soars for UK retail sector M&A
Overseas interest has created a surge in deal activity in the UK retail sector in 2021, with overseas acquirors presenting 43% of deals across the year, which is reportedly the highest level of activity seen in a decade. According to research from Grant Thornton UK, this is a “significant” increase…
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18 FebruaryEconomy
End of free Covid tests will harm workers, Union warns
Ending free tests and self-isolation rules, along with no masks, represents a “triple whammy” for Covid safety in stores, according to Usdaw Shoppers Union. It comes after news that government ministers are planning to stop supplies of coronavirus tests to universities in England, in the first case of ending the…
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18 FebruaryNews
Retail sales up 1.9% in January 2022
Retail sales volumes rose by 1.9% in January 2022 following a fall of 4.0% in December 2021, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. It also revealed sales volumes were 3.6% above their pre-coronavirus (Covid-19) February 2020 levels. Non-food stores sales rose by 3.4% as home…
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15 FebruaryEconomy
UK labour market sees recovery as unemployment falls to 4.1%
The UK labour market has seen “continuing recovery” as the unemployment rate decreased by 0.2% on the quarter to 4.1%, and employment rates increased by 0.1% in November 2021 to January 2022 to 75.5%. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the ratio of vacancies to every 100 employee…
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11 FebruaryEconomy
UK GDP rises 7.5% in 2021, largest increase since WW2
The UK economy increased by a “better-than-expected” 7.5% in 2021 to record the “fastest” incline since the Second World War, following the 9.4% contraction in 2020. Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shows that the UK is on track to be the “fastest growing economy” in the…
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10 FebruaryLuxury Goods
Watches of Switzerland sales soar amid ‘thriving’ market demand
The Watches of Switzerland Group PLC has reported its revenues surged 27.9% year-on-year to £348.1m in the 13 weeks to 30 January 2022 (Q3 FY22), and 36.5% from pre-Covid levels. The group’s year-to-date revenues for the 39 weeks to 30 January 2022 (9M FY22) also rose by 38% year-on-year from…
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