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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Aug- 2021 -17 AugustSupermarkets
Grocery sales fall 4% as pre pandemic habits return
Grocery sales fell by 4.0% during the 12 weeks to 8 August 2021 compared with the same time last year as consumers have started to return to pre-pandemic spending habits, according to the latest figures from Kantar. In the shorter term, Kantar found sales are declining much more slowly: by…
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17 AugustEconomy
Unemployment falls to 4.7% as job vacancies hit record high
UK unemployment fell to 4.7% for the quarter to 30 June 2021, a drop of 0.2% when compared to the previous three month period. According to the ONS, this was coupled by a 0.3% rise in the UK employment rate to 75.1% in the same period, closing the gap with…
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17 AugustSupply Chain
Post Office and DPD partner for ‘click and collect’ services
The Post Office and DPD have announced a new partnership that will see parcels delivered directly to its branches for click-and-collect services, opening up its network to external carriers for the first time in its 360-year history. The service will initially be available at around 250 Post Offices this month…
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12 AugustSupermarkets
The Midcounties Co-op to tackle food poverty with local partnerships
The Midcounties Co-operative has announced that it has partnered with three local councils to help feed more than 7,000 children over the summer holidays as part of its mission to tackle food poverty. The society has joined forces with Dudley CVS and Dudley MBC, Walsall Council and Shropshire Council to…
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12 AugustAdvice
Building customer experiences that evolve with the user
The Covid-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst in the growth of online sales for the retail sector – which for some companies was a move they simply, and understandably, were not prepared for. This unprecedented shift to online meant that a basic e-commerce function on a website in many cases…
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12 AugustEconomy
UK economy surges 4.8% in June
The UK economy grew by 4.8% in June as Covid-19 restrictions surrounding retail and leisure were eased across the UK, according to figures published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown for a fifth consecutive month in June 2021, by 1.0%,…
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11 AugustSupermarkets
Morrisons to close on Boxing Day for the first time ever
Bosses at Morrisons have told staff they can have Boxing Day off this year as a thank you for their hard work during the Covid-19 pandemic. The supermarket made the announcement to its 111,000 workers today. The news comes just weeks before the conclusion of a takeover battle that will…
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10 AugustLuxury Goods
Watches of Switzerland Q1 revenues soar 96.2%
Watches of Switzerland Group has revealed its revenues climbed 96.2% year-on-year to £297.5m for the 13 weeks ended 1 August 2021. Comprising £221.7m in UK revenues and £75.8m from US operations, the Q1 FY22 figure represents a 42.1% jump when compared to the same period in 2019. The group’s luxury…
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9 AugustAdvice
Retail in the age of data: What we can learn from Netflix
Have you ever wondered how Netflix ‘knows’ which movies to recommend? Or how does the entertainment giant choose themes for some of the most popular productions in the film industry? Data. Data. And some artificial intelligence (AI) – that would be the answer in a nutshell. Data lies at the…
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6 AugustProperty
Hammerson to redevelop empty retail units for new purposes
Hammerson has announced that it is looking to redevelop its empty retail units, with a medium to long-term view of using them for alternative uses, such as residential, hotels or workspaces. The landlord said there are opportunities to “reinvigorate the assets and grow revenue by filling void units, generating additional…
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