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 -5 AugustHigh Street
Mike Ashley confirms plans to step down as head of Frasers
Mike Ashely has confirmed that he will step down as head of Frasers Group, as the business revealed its most recent full year trading profits, which showed a 84.1% decrease in pre-tax profits due to Covid-19. The group which owns brands such as Jack Willis and Evan Cycles said that…
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4 AugustClothing & Shoes
New Look posts Q1 profits of £15m
New Look has swung to a £15m adjusted EBITDA profit in the first quarter of FY22, compared with losses of £16m in Q1 FY21. The group reported that total revenue increased 181.7% year-on-year to £194.4m during the 13 week period ended 26 June 2021. However, the fashion retailer also announced…
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4 AugustPeople Moves
Ted Baker appoints two new non-executive directors
Ted Baker has announced the appointment of Fumbi Chima and Meg Lustman as independent non-executive directors of the company. Fumbi Chima is currently executive vice-president and chief information officer at BECU, the US-based credit union. She has also previously served similar roles at Adidas, Fox Network Group, Burberry, Walmart Asia’s…
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2 AugustOnline & Digital
Amazon growth slows in Q2
While sales in Amazon’s second quarter soared by 27% to $113bn (£81bn) against 2020, growth slowed down from a 44% climb in the first quarter, as Wall Street had forecast sales of $115bn (£83bn). The deceleration is expected to continue, according to Amazon, as it guided for a 10% to…
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Jul- 2021 -30 JulyHigh Street
One in seven UK shops still remain vacant, BRC reveals
More than one in seven shops on UK high streets, retail parks and shopping centres are currently vacant, according to the latest data from the Local Data Company and the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The data revealed that fashion stores were amongst the “hardest hit” as customers primarily shifted to…
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30 JulyClothing & Shoes
Dr Martens Q1 revenues soar 52%
Dr Martens has reported revenue growth of 52% year-on-year to £147.3m in the three months ended 30 June 2021. Although comparisons on a yearly basis are skewed by FY21’s Covid-19 impact, the Q1 FY22 figure represented a 31% jump when compared to the same period in FY20. While stores in…
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29 JulyHigh Street
NI to boost high street spending with £100 voucher
Northern Ireland economy minister Gordon Lyons has announced a £145m scheme that will give everyone aged 18 and over a prepaid card worth £100 to spend on their local high street. It is planned that the registration process will open to the public this September. Lyons stated that the new…
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29 JulyHigh Street
Mothercare losses widen to £21.4m
Mothercare has reported a wider pre-tax loss of £21.4m for the full-year ended 27 March 2021. Turnover also plummeted 47.9% to £85.8m, down from £164.7m the previous year, largely due to the continued impact of Covid-19 on trade in the key markets of Russia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. Looking ahead,…
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28 JulyFeatures
What would protective shopworkers’ legislation mean?
“I’ve been sworn at, spat at and had a knife pulled on me all in the last 10 months,” says a shop worker responding to the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) 2020 survey. This response is just one of many negative reports experienced by workers across the…
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27 JulyOnline & Digital
Moonpig sees revenues double in FY21
Moonpig has seen its full-year revenues more than double, soaring by 113% to £368.2m in the year ended 30 April 2021, up from £173.1m the previous year, as it delivered 50.9 million orders over the period as customers increased their spending over lockdown. EBITDA also more than doubled in the…
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