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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Nov- 2019 -22 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Skopes receives £6m investment to fund 15-store expansion drive
Leeds-based menswear retailer, Skopes, is set to “significantly expand” its national high street presence with 15 new stores, after securing a £6m funding package. The brand, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, plans to open the 15 stores across the UK over the next two to three years. The…
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20 NovemberDIY
Kingfisher sales take a tumble in Q3
Kingfisher, the parent company of B&Q and Screwfix, has announced a poor quarter of sales in its latest trading update. Total sales slumped by 3.2%, in what CEO Thierry Garnierd called a “disappointing” result. Like-for-like sales were also down 3.7% for the quarter. Kingfisher said that disruption from new product…
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14 NovemberHigh Street
Card Factory sales boosted by group expansion
Card Factory welcomed a strong performance this financial year, with a 5% rise in group sales in the year to 31 October. Its latest trading update, posted today, also revealed a yearly growth of 0.9% in like-for-like sales. Sales in the quarter fell 0.4%, though this was due to weaker…
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11 NovemberSupermarkets
Lidl eyes 230 new stores by 2023
German discount supermarket chain Lidl is set to increase its rate of expansion by opening 230 new stores in the next three years. According to the Sunday Times, Lidl’s UK chief executive Christian Hartnagel said he plans to take the company’s store state to 1000 by 2023. This would see…
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5 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Primark profits top £900m in 2019
Fashion retailer Primark has reported an 8% increase in operating profits to £913m, for the year ended 14 September 2019. The fashion chain also saw a 4.2% increase in year-on-year sales to £7.79b, and Primark’s owner ABF hailed the year of “resilient performance” from the high street retailer. Despite like-for-like…
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5 NovemberPeople Moves
Topps Tiles CEO to exit
Matt Williams, group CEO of tile retailer Topps Tiles, has announced his decision to step down from the group’s board, effective 29 November 2019. Rob Parker, currently chief financial officer, will be appointed as group CEO effective from the same date. According to the retailer, to ensure a “smooth handover”…
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5 NovemberNews
Shop Direct appoints ex-Clarks president as new CFO
Shop Direct has appointed former European president of Clarks Shoes, Ben Fletcher, as its new group chief financial officer. He will commence his role on 6 January 2020 and will report to CEO Henry Birch as a member of Shop Direct’s executive board. Fletcher, who is currently a non-executive board…
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4 NovemberComment
How retail outlet destinations have evolved
Outlet shopping was born in the US in the 1930s through the development of standalone stores that enabled brands to sell-through damaged or excess goods. This evolved into the concept of a multi-store outlet shopping mall in the 1970s; a significant step for both retailers and shoppers alike. Large-scale US…
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Oct- 2019 -17 OctoberHigh Street
WH Smith to acquire US travel retailer in £312m deal
WH Smith has agreed a deal to acquire US-based travel retailer Marshall Retail Group (MRG) in a £312m deal. WH Smith said that the acquisition of MRG represents a “rare and compelling opportunity to accelerate its expansion in the large and fast growing US travel retail market”. The transaction is…
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Sep- 2019 -25 SeptemberAdvice
Retail Lessons from DTC challenger brands
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands are shaking up entire categories. It’s now nearly impossible to find a single product category left unaffected by the arrival of this new wave of challenger brands. Even categories that have been stagnating for decades are finding themselves being disrupted. So how can your brand win in…
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