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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Jun- 2020 -26 JuneNews
Tesco sales soar as online business booms
Tesco saw sales surge in the first quarter of trading, with like-for-like sales up 8.2% despite the pandemic and nationwide lockdown. In the quarter ended 30 May, total sales were up by 9.2%, while online sales soared by 48.5% as more shoppers shifted online. The group doubled its online capacity…
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25 JuneClothing & Shoes
N Brown profits slump amid year of transition
N Brown has announced that its profits before tax plunged 28.8% to £59.5m in the year ended 29 February 2020. This was largely driven by lower gross profit and “lower than expected” IFRS9 provision benefit, according to the group. In the same period, group revenue was down by 6.1% to…
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24 June
Amazon launches small business accelerator to support over 200,000 small retailers
Amazon and Enterprise Nation, the small business support network, have launched the ‘Amazon Small Business Accelerator’, a major support package for more than 200,000 small businesses and startups across the UK. In response to Covid-19 and the “impact of the economic lockdown on small businesses”, the Amazon Small Business Accelerator…
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24 JuneCoronavirus
Naked Wines reports £200m revenues in FY results
Naked Wines has reported a 14% increase in revenues to £203m for the full-year period ended 30 March, up from £178.4m the previous year. The company also revealed that losses before tax also reduced to £5.4m, compared with £10m in 2019. Naked Wines said the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic…
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23 JuneCoronavirus Featured Content
Three ways that Covid-19 will change British retail forever
In the midst of a global pandemic the UK high street is suffering more than ever before with many ailing big names, from fashion retailer French Connection warning it will run out of cash within the next few months unless it secures a cash injection, to the ongoing struggles of…
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23 JuneCoronavirus
Shoe Zone to make redundancies as 20 shops close
Footwear retailer Shoe Zone has revealed that 20 of its stores will not open post-lockdown, resulting in a number of its staff being made redundant. The news comes after the company reported a loss of £2.5m for the 26 weeks to 4 April 2020, compared with a profit of £1m…
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22 JuneClothing & Shoes
JD Sports in talks to appoint administrators for Go Outdoors
Sports fashion retailer JD Sports is reportedly lined up to bring in administrators for its Go Outdoors business. In a statement released this morning, JD Sports said: “The group can confirm that it has considered a number of strategic options for Go and that Go’s directors have lodged the notice…
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22 JuneComment
The perfect storm?
There is something of a ‘perfect storm’ for our town centres… Fewer shops trading than a few months ago, big brands announcing further closures, plans already on the table for repurposing retail space no longer viable, travel restrictions making it harder for people to reach town centres, now fewer people…
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22 JuneHigh Street
Mothercare seeks new lenders amid franchising plans
Mothercare has confirmed it remains “on track” to become a “profitable” international franchise operation, with plans to operate in around 40 international territories. In its latest update, the retailer confirmed that discussions are ongoing with existing franchise partners in efforts to “establish a more sustainable and less capital-intensive business” going…
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19 JuneAdvice
How e-commerce can maintain business continuity in the face of Covid-19
Covid-19 and the government stay-at-home and shutdown orders have wreaked havoc on the retail industry. Footfall was down 44.7% in March. High street stores without ecommerce operations saw sales collapse. Primark, for instance, saw its monthly sales of £650m a month evaporate. And whilst ecommerce retailers have the advantage of…
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