Expansion
This coverage examines retail expansion strategies and activities within the UK market. Reporting highlights store openings, market entry plans, international growth, investment in new formats, and leadership decisions driving growth. With a focus on commercial opportunities and competitive positioning, it provides insights for executives and managers overseeing strategic development and operational rollout.
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Aug- 2025 -15 AugustSupermarkets
Lidl announces fifth pay rise in two years
Lidl GB will increase hourly pay rates for store and warehouse staff from September, marking its fifth wage rise in two years. Entry-level pay will rise from £12.75 to £13.00 nationally, increasing to £13.95 depending on length of service. In London, hourly rates will increase from £14.00 to £14.35, rising…
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14 AugustClothing & Shoes
DBT’s secures £40k funding for national expansion
Kent-based sustainable clothing brand DBT’s has received a £40,000 funding package from HSBC UK to support national growth. Founded in 2022 by husband-and-wife team Sarah and David Blake, DBT’s designs and produces t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies inspired by the idea of living in the moment and promoting well-being. All products…
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14 AugustEconomy
UK quarterly GDP beats expectations despite slowdown
UK GDP grew 0.3% in the three months to June, behind the 0.7% it grew in the first quarter, as a result of US tariffs and higher business costs, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, it is better than expected growth as economists polled by…
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12 AugustHigh Street
Waterstones secures £125m to fund growth
Waterstones has secured £125m in syndicated financing to support its operations and expansion plans. The UK-based bookseller said the package, jointly arranged by Barclays UK Corporate Bank and HSBC UK Bank, includes a £75m term loan and a £50m revolving credit facility. The funding will go towards the company’s ongoing…
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12 AugustPeople Moves
AO World appoints Sophie Tomkins as non-executive director
AO World has announced that Sophie Tomkins has been appointed as an independent non-executive director of the Company with effect from 1 September 2025. AO World said Tomkins brings “extensive” board-level experience, currently serving as a non-executive director at Wilmington PLC, Virgin Wines UK PLC, and System1 Group PLC and…
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12 AugustSupermarkets
EG Group to sell Italian business for €425m
EG Group has agreed to sell its Italian business to a consortium of local operators in a deal worth €425m (£366.9m). The consortium includes PAD Multienergy, Vega Carburanti, Toil, Dilella Invest and GIAP. The sale will mark the Blackburn-based convenience retail, foodservice and fuel station operator’s exit from Italy. According…
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8 AugustHealth & Beauty
John Lewis to open new Beauty Hall concept store in Liverpool
John Lewis has kickstarted the national rollout of its reimagined Beauty Halls, starting with the reopening of its Liverpool store, following a multi-million-pound investment in physical retail. The Liverpool store is the first of six Beauty Halls scheduled for transformation this year and will serve as the blueprint for the…
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7 AugustClothing & Shoes
Mango opens first UK Teen store in Scotland
Fashion retailer Mango is set to open its first standalone Mango Teen store in Scotland as part of an accelerated UK expansion of the line. The new store, which opened on 1 August at Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow, will be the brand’s third standalone Mango Teen location in the UK…
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7 AugustHigh Street
Specsavers to invest £5m in manufacturing facility
Specsavers has unveiled a “significant” investment in its UK supply chain, with plans to invest £5m over a two year period in its Vision Labs manufacturing facility in Kidderminster. The investment will fund the expansion and upgrade of the Worcestershire site, which produces prescription lenses for more than 900 Specsavers…
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7 AugustClothing & Shoes
Adanola secures investment from American PE firm
Womenswear brand Adanola has announced it has received minority investment from LA-based private equity firm Story3 Capital Partners, which values the business at $530m (£369.4m). The brand believes this partnership will help its international expansion, enabling it to strengthen its position in the activewear market. Adanola’s DTC model is complemented…
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