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 -10 NovemberShopping Centres
Landsec posts £835m loss
Real estate firm Landsec, which owns the Bluewater shopping centre and a number of other retail destinations, has reported a loss before tax of £835m for the six month period ending 30 September. It comes after the firm said the impact on its results from unpaid rent and service charges…
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9 NovemberCoronavirus
Pfizer reveals Covid-19 vaccine candidate is 90% effective
A successful Covid-19 vaccine is a step closer after Pfizer/Biontech revealed its vaccine candidate is 90% effective, according to its first interim analysis. The findings, which are well above the 50% effectiveness for a vaccine to be approved, comes following a clinical trial which involved over 43,000 people. Some 42%…
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9 NovemberDepartment Stores
Harrods forced to reorganise £200m credit
Harrods has been forced to reorganise its £200m credit line due to the second national lockdown causing the closure of its flagship Knightsbridge store. According to The Sunday Times, the department store negotiated a revolving credit facility with the Qatar National Bank in August, to avoid breaching covenants it made…
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6 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Superdry H1 revenues fall 23.3%
Superdry has announced that total revenue fell by 23.3% in the half-year period ended 24 October 2020, reflecting the challenging trading environment attributed to the continued disruption from Covid-19. Like-for-like store trading in the last six weeks of H1 was down 32.4%, with UK trade impacted by continued social distancing…
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5 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Clarks agrees £100m rescue deal with LionRock Capital
Clarks has been rescued in a £100m deal with LionRock Capital – the Hong-Kong-based private equity firm. Announcing its new partnership, LionRock Capital said it will acquire a majority stake in Clarks, with the Clark family to remain invested in the business. The £100m investment will enable Clarks to “position…
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5 NovemberCoronavirus
Bank of England unveils £150bn covid support package
The Bank of England (BoE) has unveiled it will give the UK economy a further £150bn in crisis support and keep interest rates at a record low, due to the rapid rise in Covid-19 restrictions across the country. At the Banks latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), members stated that the…
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5 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Joules trading exceeds expectations
Joules’ recent sales are exceeding expectations, according to the group’s trading update in the financial year to 31 May 2021. The clothing retailer is reporting “strong” year-on-year e-commerce growth of 35%, which accounts for 70% of the group’s overall sales for the period. Stores performed “ahead of the board’s expectations”…
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4 NovemberHigh Street
Covid-19 could shutter 18,000 stores permanently, report shows
18,000 more retail stores face permanent closure in 2020 as Covid-19 restrictions continue to damage the UK highstreet. According to the Guardian, a report published by the Local Data Company (LDC) has revealed that it predicts nearly 15,000 more outlets will be left empty in 2020, compared with 9,169 net…
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4 NovemberDepartment Stores
M&S swings to first loss in 94 years
Marks and Spencer has swung to a pre-tax loss of £87.6m in the half-year ended 26 September, down from the £158.8m profit reported the year before, marking its first ever loss in 94 years of trading as a public company. The group saw its profit plummet by 77% to £61.8m,…
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3 NovemberClothing & Shoes
ABF profit slumps as Primark hit by £2bn loss
Associated British Foods, the parent company of Primark, has announced that statutory operating profit tumbled 40% to £810m in the full-year ended 12 September 2020. In the same period, group revenue fell by 12% to £13.9bn following the impact of the ongoing pandemic. The full year decline in group revenue…
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