England
This coverage focuses on retail developments, trends, and performance across England. Reporting includes store openings and closures, regional economic factors, consumer behaviour, property developments, and strategic initiatives by national and local retailers. Designed for executives and managers, it offers insights into operating successfully within England’s diverse retail landscape.
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Mar- 2022 -17 MarchEconomy
BoE raises interest rates to 0.75%
The Bank of England has raised interest rates back to the pre-pandemic level of 0.75% as it tries to mitigate the effect of the rising costs of living and the impact that the conflict in Ukraine is having on the global economy. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted with a…
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15 MarchOnline & Digital
Annual quest to find the UK’s fastest growing online retailers begins
Despite restrictions easing, the pandemic appears to have altered our shopping habits forever. The boom in online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic has seen many of us become increasingly more comfortable shopping online, with global e-commerce jumping to $26.7trn (£20.4trn). New data from Brightpearl, a popular operating system for retailers,…
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2 MarchEconomy
UK retail prices rise to highest rate since 2011
Retail price annual inflation accelerated to 1.8% in February, up from 1.5% in January, marking the highest rate of inflation since November 2011, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NielsenIQ. The BRC said that food inflation remained the “key driver” behind the price rises. Food inflation remained unchanged…
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Feb- 2022 -22 FebruaryCoronavirus
Gov’s living with Covid strategy ‘first step to normality’, says CBI
The CBI has called the government’s ‘living with Covid’ plan the “first step to normality” but warned that businesses still need further guidance on issues such as sick pay and employer liability. The news comes after prime minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday (21 February) that the legal requirement for people…
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18 FebruaryEconomy
End of free Covid tests will harm workers, Union warns
Ending free tests and self-isolation rules, along with no masks, represents a “triple whammy” for Covid safety in stores, according to Usdaw Shoppers Union. It comes after news that government ministers are planning to stop supplies of coronavirus tests to universities in England, in the first case of ending the…
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8 FebruaryOnline & Digital
Ocado FY21 losses widen amid labour shortages and robotics roll-out
The Ocado Group has reported a loss before tax of £176.9m for the 52 weeks ending 28 November 2021 (FY21), down from £52.3m in FY20, following the group’s investment in robotics and AI technology and the opening of five global fulfilment centres. Ocado said it was hit by labour market…
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3 FebruaryEconomy
BoE raises interest rates to 0.5%
The Bank of England (BoE) has raised interest rates for the second time in three months to 0.5%, up from 0.25% previously. The BoE Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) confirmed it voted by a majority of 5-4 to increase Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 0.5%. Interestingly, it revealed those…
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3 FebruaryEconomy
Energy price cap to rise 54% from April
Retail bosses are braced for a spending squeeze after it was revealed the energy price cap is set to increase by 54% from 1 April amid a “record” increase in global gas prices, in a move that is set to affect approximately 22 million customers. Energy regulator Ofgem announced that…
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Jan- 2022 -28 JanuaryHigh Street
Store vacancy rate improves for first time since 2018
New research has found the number of vacant stores has decreased for the first time since 2018, according to the latest BRC-LDC Vacancy Monitor. In Q4, the GB store vacancy rate fell to 14.4%, 0.1 percentage points below the Q3 level. Shopping Centre vacancies improved to 19.1% for Q4, a…
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7 JanuaryHigh Street
Poundland unveils plans to open four larger stores
Poundland has announced plans to open four new large format stores this year as part of its “ambitious” transformation targets. The retailer also revealed plans to bring its chilled and frozen food ranges to around 100 more stores between now and the end of its financial year in September. The…
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