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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Sep- 2020 -30 SeptemberOnline & Digital
Studio reveals strong autumn retail performance
Studio Retail Group has reported strong retail trading in the early weeks of its autumn season, with gifting and early Christmas ranges performing well. The company’s product sales have grown by 30% in the six weeks since the announcement of its full year results on 24 August. First half product…
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30 SeptemberClothing & Shoes
Boohoo raises forecast as profits soar
Boohoo has reported that pre-tax profit soared by 51% to £68.1m in its latest half-year results. In addition, revenue soared by 45% to £816.5m in the six months ended 31 August 2020. Strong revenue growth was seen across all geographies and brands, with revenue up by 37% in the UK…
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29 SeptemberHigh Street
Card Factory swings to half-year loss
Card Factory has swung to a half-year loss after Covid-19’s economic downturn affected its trading. The retailer saw a £22m statutory pre-tax loss in the six months to 31 July, against the £24.3m profit reported last year. Sales dropped by 48.6% to £100.5m during the six-month period and like-for-like sales…
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29 SeptemberDIY
B&M raises guidance following ‘strong’ H1
B&M has welcomed “strong” revenue growth in its first-half of trading, reporting group revenue growth of 25.3% in the period ended 26 September 2020. In its latest first-half trading update, the group said B&M UK stores generated revenue growth of 29.5%, including like-for-like growth of 23%. Trading momentum at B&M…
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25 SeptemberSupermarkets
Morrisons reveals new delivery measures as restrictions return
Morrisons has revealed a set of new home delivery measures as lockdown restrictions return following the government’s announcement earlier this week. As of today (25 September), customers can sign up for weekly, fortnightly or monthly food boxes, without needing a delivery slot. Those who opt for the supermarkets’ “subscription service”…
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24 SeptemberCoronavirus
Pets at Home welcomes ‘sustained’ momentum
Pets at Home has welcomed “sustained momentum” across both its retail and veterinary operations in its latest trading update. The group had previously reported that sales momentum was returning across all areas of the business in its first quarter results published 31 July. According to the group, this reflected a…
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22 SeptemberCoronavirus
Latest Covid-19 restrictions now legal requirements, PM says
Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced a series of new measures to curb the increase in coronavirus cases, including making Covid-secure rules for businesses a legal requirement. Retail and indoor hospitality staff will also be legally required to wear masks while working. The penalty for not wearing a mask or…
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22 SeptemberDIY
Kingfisher sales boosted by DIY boom
Kingfisher has welcomed a “resilient” performance in the first-half of the year, with sales down by 1.1% to £5.9bn. The group said this reflected the adverse impact of Covid-19 in Q1, which was later partially offset by “strong recovery” in the second quarter. Pre-tax profit was up 23.1% to £415m,…
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21 SeptemberSponsored Articles
Is COVID-19 making retailers adopt packaging automation faster?
If you’re an online retailer you are likely to have witnessed a peak in sales during the lockdown as more consumers switch to e-commerce. According to the latest Online Retail Index from IMRG and Capgemini, the overall retail sales in June surged an impressive 33.9% year-on-year. Sounds great, but the…
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21 SeptemberHigh Street
Aldo UK sold to BIG
Aldo UK confirmed it has been sold to the Bushnell Investment Group (BIG). Administrators from accountancy firm RSM were appointed to the footwear retailer back in May. During this time, Aldo has managed to trade during the economic downturn resulting from Covid-19 and has opened three new sites. According to…
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