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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Nov- 2020 -23 NovemberHigh Street
Third of consumers to shop this Black Friday
More than a third of UK shoppers are planning to participate in this year’s Black Friday, with 36% stating they will make a purchase during the annual event, according to new research by KPMG. Its latest study polled 2,000 consumers about their spending intentions for Black Friday, and found that…
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20 NovemberNews
M&S to keep stores open until midnight
Marks and Spencers has announced it is keeping its stores open until midnight over the Christmas period to ensure shoppers and staff can upkeep a safe level of social distancing. These new measures will apply to 400 of the brand’s stores, except those in travel locations, such as airports and…
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20 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Jaeger and Peacocks fall into administration, 4,700 jobs at risk
Jaeger and Peacocks have fallen into administration, placing 4,700 jobs at risk. It comes as owner EWM Group failed to secure a buyer for the brands before a set deadline, despite “constructive discussions” with buyers in recent weeks. Tony Wright and Alastair Massey, partners at FRP Advisory, have been appointed…
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19 NovemberDIY
Kingfisher reports 17.6% sales growth in Q3
Kingfisher has announced that sales rose by 17.6% to £3.5bn in the third quarter ended 31 October. In light of the return of regional and national lockdowns across the UK, ecommerce sales soared by 153% in the period, which contributed towards 17% of the group’s overall sales. The B&Q owner…
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19 NovemberNews
Black Friday online sales set to rise 50%
Black Friday online sales are set to increase by around £2bn this year, with total online sales predicted to rise by 52.9% from £3.8bn to £5.8bn. Nonetheless, overall consumer spending figures are predicted to be down 12.4% against last year due to ongoing lockdown measures prohibiting high street trade. A…
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19 NovemberNews
Naked Wine revenue soars 80% in H1
Naked Wines saw revenues soar by 80% to £157.1m in the half-year ended 28 September 2020. The group also reported a narrower adjusted pre-tax loss of £3.2m, against a loss of £4.5m reported the prior year. It noted that the reduction was achieved despite a “substantial” uplift in investment in…
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18 NovemberHigh Street
British Land profits slump 29% in half-year results
British Land has reported that underlying profit slumped 29.6% to £107m in its latest half-year results, down from £152m the prior year, attributable to the impact of Covid-19 on the retail sector. Simon Carter, incoming CEO of British Land said the results reflected the “challenges” in retail against the backdrop…
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18 NovemberSport & Leisure
Halfords profits double in ‘very strong’ H1
Halfords has welcomed a “very strong” half-year of trading, with pre-tax profit soaring 116.2% to £56m in the half-year ended 2 October. The group also reported group revenue growth of 9.6%, and despite the ongoing pandemic, all its product areas and businesses returned to growth towards the end of the…
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18 NovemberComment
Planning for the new digital saltation
Digital evolution, over the last 10 years, has been a steady move from offline to online. Since the mid-noughties until very recently, we’ve seen gradual increases in online sales compared to overall retail sales. Then COVID-19 happened, and the world changed. But our desire to purchase didn’t. We still needed…
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17 NovemberEconomy
Consumer confidence falls with Covid restrictions
Consumer confidence in the UK has dropped significantly with the introduction of further pandemic restrictions, according to new data from PwC. Recent measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 have seen consumer sentiment fall from -1 in to -10 in October. This is the sharpest decline since the initial lockdown…
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