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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May- 2021 -6 MayClothing & Shoes
Next increases full-year profit guidance to £720m amid sales surge
Next has increased its pre-tax profits guidance for the full year to £720m from £700m after seeing a surge in sales. The retailer previously forecasted that in its 13 weeks to 1 May, sales would be down by 10%, however due to a 65% increase in online sales and Covid-19…
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6 MayClothing & Shoes
Superdry revenue slumps 21% in full-year results
Superdry saw revenue fall 21% to £556.6m in the full-year ended 24 April 2021, despite witnessing a slight growth of 0.8% in its final quarter as restrictions began to ease across the UK. While store revenue was down by 50.9% to £140.9 amid ongoing store closures in the period, this…
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6 MayCoronavirus
Retail workers suffer worst mental health of any employee group
Retail staff in the UK are currently suffering among the worst mental wellbeing of any employee group, according to the industry charity retailTrust. The survey of nearly 1,300 retail employees revealed their average wellbeing levels are much lower than in people who work in other industries, with 84% of workers…
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4 MayHigh Street
Frasers Group to launch £60m share buyback scheme
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has announced that it is set to commence a £60m shares buyback scheme commencing today (4 May 2021). Lasting until the end of the group’s financial year on 25 April 2021, the programme will see up to 10 million ordinary shares purchased at an aggregate price…
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Apr- 2021 -30 AprilHealth & Beauty
Unilever Q1 sales rise 5.7%
Unilever has announced that its underlying sales growth (USG) represented a 5.7% year-on-year rise for the first quarter of FY21. However, turnover for the first quarter of FY21 was £10.7bn, a 0.9% year-on-year decrease due to a negative currency related impact of 8%. The spike in sales was underpinned by…
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30 April
Amazon sees Q1 profits surge to $8.1bn
Amazon has revealed that net income soared to $8.1bn (£5.8bn) in its first quarter results, up from a net income of $2.5bn (£1.8bn) the year prior, as more customers turned to online shopping amid the global pandemic. In the same period, its net sales increased 44% to $108.5bn (£78bn) in…
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30 AprilEconomy
One in seven retail units remain vacant, says BRC
Retail vacancies in the UK have increased across all shopping destinations, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Local Data Company’s (LDC) Vacancy Monitor. The trade association’s data revealed that one in seven of the country’s retail shops remain empty due to the pandemic. In the first quarter of…
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29 AprilShopping Centres
Westfield owner sees Q1 shopping centre turnover drop 42.8%
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), the owner of Westfield, saw a 30.1% year-on-year decline to £313.6m for its shopping centre revenues in Q1 2021. The group’s total turnover for the period fell 42.8% to £393.2m, as the company’s operations remained strongly impacted by ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. According to the group, the quarter saw…
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29 AprilHigh Street
WH Smith launches fundraise to open 100 new travel stores
WH Smith has unveiled plans to open around 100 new travel stores after launching a £325 bond offering in convertible bonds, despite reporting losses in its half-year results. The group, which also secured a £250m revolving credit facility with an extended maturity to 2025, said the funds will aid the…
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29 AprilClothing & Shoes
French Connection FY21 revenue drops 40.4%
French Connection saw its revenues plummet 40.4% year-on-year to £71.5m in the 12 months to 31 January 2021. The fashion retailer and wholesaler’s underlying losses for the period also expanded to £11.7m, from £2.9m the year before, as Covid-19 caused store closures and a reduction to wholesale demand. The group…
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