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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Jun- 2021 -8 JuneDepartment Stores
M&S partners with English heritage this summer
M&S has announced a new partnership with English Heritage to give customers 50% off at over 130 historic sites, properties and landmarks this summer. The partnership is the latest example of the retailers’ efforts to create a personalised loyalty programme with relevant offers, experiences and donations to causes. Customers will…
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8 JuneHigh Street
MaxiSaver reveals store expansion plans
MaxiSaver, a value goods retailer, has revealed its intentions to expand across England with another 20 stores this year. The strategy of portfolio extension is set to create “hundreds of jobs” from Bedford in the south to Sheffield in the north. A provider of discount products from areas that span…
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7 JuneHigh Street
ACS calls on gov to ensure DRS scheme is ‘workable’ for local shops
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has called on the government to ensure that the deposit return scheme (DRS) which will be introduced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is workable for local shops and does not leave them out of pocket. The scheme is currently scheduled to be introduced…
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3 JuneAnalysis
Why increasing the plastic bag charge won’t be enough to reduce consumption
In a bid to stop the environmental damage caused by plastic bags, the government has recently increased the charge for “single-use” bags from 5p to 10p. The increase, albeit minor, has been touted as a major step in changing consumer behaviours by the media. However, our behaviours are shaped by…
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May- 2021 -26 MayGovernment
BRC calls for increased protection as shop worker abuse jumps 7%
The BRC is continuing to push the government for a “statutory offence” for assaulting, threatening, or abusing retail workers, after staff report on average 455 incidents of violence and abuse each day. A study, which was conducted by the group as part of its ‘2021 Retail Crime Survey’, showed that…
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26 MaySupermarkets
The Spar Group sees H1 profits rise 28%
The Spar Group has revealed that its operating profit for the six months ended 31 March 2021 grew 28% to R1.7bn (£86.8m) from R1.3bn (£66.4m) the previous year, reflecting “exceptionally strong performances” in European countries. Turnover also increased by 7.5% to R64.2bn (£3.2bn) from R59.7bn (£3.05bn) despite sales slowing “significantly”…
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21 MayHigh Street
Retail sales climb 9.2% in April
Retail sales across the UK increased 9.2% in April 2021 when compared to the previous month, as the easing of restrictions included the opening of non-essential retail across England, Wales, and Scotland during the period. According to the ONS’s retail sales data, sales grew 42.4% year-on-year due to April 2020…
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17 MaySupermarkets
Aldi to trial ‘soft plastic’ collection at select stores
Aldi has revealed that it will be trialling its first collection facilities for soft plastics in select stores in the North of England and East Midlands, with a view to helping customers recycle “problem materials”. The supermarket will provide collection bins at 20 of its stores across Yorkshire, Derbyshire and…
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13 MayHigh Street
Retail sales up by 7.3% in April after reopening
Retail sales increased substantially between 4 April and 1 May 2021, around the time non-essential retail was allowed to reopen, compared to April 2019, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG’s survey of retailers in the UK. Due to 2020 being a “turbulent time” for the sector, BRC…
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12 MayEconomy
UK economy shrinks 1.5% in Q1 despite signs of recovery
The UK economy shrank by 1.5% during the first three months of the year due to the impact of the national lockdown. According to the latest figures by the ONS however, the contraction shows a marked improvement on the first lockdown last year when gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by…
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