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- 2022 -20 SeptemberClothing & Shoes
Unbound Group reports ‘encouraging’ H1 despite £0.3m lose
Hotter Shoes owner, Unbound Group, has reported an EBIT loss of £0.3m for the first half of 2022 after taking into account the costs accumulated by the launch of its new multi-brand platform. The group saw revenue growth of 10.4% to £27.6m compared with £25m for the same period the…
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16 SeptemberEconomy
Retail sales fall 1.6% in August as cost of living begins to bite
Retail sales fell by 1.6% in August this year, due to rising prices and cost of living which are affecting sales volumes, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). All main sectors, food stores, non-food stores, non-store retailing and fuel, fell over the month; which happened in July 2021,…
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15 SeptemberHigh Street
Mothercare profits hit £12m in FY22
Mothercare has revealed that the group’s profit for the 52 weeks to 26 March 2022 reached £12.1m, compared to its loss of £21.5m in the previous financial year. The group has also reported that its international retail sales reached £385.3m, which is just under last year’s total of £358.6m. The…
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14 SeptemberAnalysis
Is the rise in distressed M&As set to continue?
The number of merger and acquisition (M&A) deals targeting UK retailers has increased in the last year, up from 28 transactions to 34 in the last 12 months, as deals in the sector “buck the overall slowdown in M&A”, according to RPC, the international law firm. However, the UK has…
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6 SeptemberGovernment
Retailers call for strong leadership and high street support from new PM
The retail industry has urged Liz Truss to work alongside the sector and provide “strong leadership” amid the deepening cost-of-living crisis, as she succeeds the role of prime minister today (6 September). The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said that while the retail industry is ready to work with the new…
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6 SeptemberShopping Centres
Bon Accord owners placed in administration
The Guernsey-based owners and operators of the Bon Accord shopping centre in Aberdeen, Aberdeen Retail 1 Limited and Aberdeen Retail 2 Limited, have reportedly been placed in administration. It is reported that the administration has been caused by “unsustainable” cash flow problems stemming from the on-going impact of the Covid-19…
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Aug- 2022 -26 AugustM&A
Retail entrepreneur swoops to acquire Paperchase
Steve Curtis, an operating partner at Rcapital, the turnaround investor, has reportedly agreed to buy Paperchase as a private investor for an undisclosed sum, according to Sky News. Its sources said on Thursday (25 August) that the deal was expected to be confirmed before the end of the week. Curtis,…
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24 AugustClothing & Shoes
Apricot to exit CVA early
Creditors of Apricot have reportedly voted in favour of the retailer exiting its company voluntary process (CVA) 16 months earlier than planned due to an improvement in trade, according to Drapers. Apricot launched a CVA in January 2021 to move 13 of its 14 UK standalone stores to turnover rent…
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23 AugustAnalysis
Do staff cuts really help in a recession?
The European fashion retailer, Zalando, has predicted a return to growth of up to 3% in H2 despite a 58% profit drop during Q2, which reportedly brought the company’s operating profit down to £64.7m from £153.3m in the same period last year. In light of these results, and in spite…
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23 AugustPeople Moves
Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted to step down in 2023
Adidas AG has announced that it has initiated a CEO transition as its current chief executive, Kasper Rorsted, will step down and hand over the position in 2023 in order to “pave the way for a restart”. The search for a succession has started, and Rorsted will remain CEO until…
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