Guidance
This coverage focuses on trading guidance, financial outlooks, and performance updates issued by UK retail businesses. Retail Sector reports on company forecasts, profit warnings, earnings revisions, and strategic updates that shape investor sentiment and corporate planning across the retail industry. Coverage includes analysis of market reactions, executive commentary, and sector-wide trends influencing guidance from leading retailers. For retail professionals, this category provides critical insights into financial health, market expectations, and business confidence driving decision-making within the UK retail economy.
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Dec- 2020 -18 DecemberCoronavirus
Retail sales down 3.8% in November
Retail sales in November were down 3.8% compared to the previous month, according to the latest figures published by the ONS. The office reported that the decline in sales was a result of many stores’ decisions to cease trading following government guidance during the coronavirus pandemic. Figures show that in…
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17 DecemberLuxury Goods
Watches of Switzerland profits soar in H1
Watches of Switzerland has reported an increase in its half-year profits, with profit rising to £36.2m in the 26 weeks ended 25 October, up from a £9m loss reported the prior year. Total sales fell 2.6% on a constant currency basis to £428.7m in light of forced lockdowns and other…
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17 DecemberNews
Lidl adverts ‘misleading’, rules ASA
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that the recommended retail prices (RRP) in a series of Lidl adverts were “misleading”, after the authority received a complaint from competitor chain Aldi. The adverts, which ran between April and May of this year, were featured across national press as well as…
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10 DecemberSport & Leisure
Frasers Group reports 30% rise in half-year profits
Frasers Group has reported a 29.1% surge in after-tax profit to £84m in the 26 weeks to 25 October. The Mike Ashley-owned retail group said lockdown closures across its non-essential stores have resulted in a 7.4% drop in group revenue to £1.9bn. Over this period, Frasers Group’s sport retail business…
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7 DecemberOnline & Digital
The Hut Group ups revenue guidance for second time this year
The Hut Group has upped its revenue guidance for the second time since its listing earlier this year, with it now expecting revenue to increase up to 40% YOY. In its latest trading update, the group said it has seen new customer acquisition trends “further accelerate” into Q4 across all…
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Nov- 2020 -26 NovemberCoronavirus
New Tier system announced
The Government has announced a new Tier system for when England leaves lockdown on 2 December, with only areas in Tier 1 allowed to revert back to the ‘rule of six’. Making the announcement to the House of Commons, health secretary Matt Hancock revealed that the new Tier 3 restrictions…
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9 NovemberAdvice
How retailers can change the way they make decisions
How often have we heard of the demise of a retailer being linked to poor decision-making? For a long time (at least pre-pandemic), an inability to combat the rise of ecommerce was often positioned as the reason for many retailers’ struggles. Just look at Blockbuster – we’ve all heard how…
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Oct- 2020 -29 OctoberOnline & Digital
Ebay raises guidance as Q3 revenues soar
Ebay has announced that revenue soared by 25% to $2.6bn (£2bn) in the third quarter ended 30 September, 2020. In the same period, annual active buyers grew by 5% for a total of 183 million global active buyers, while gross merchandise volume was up by 22% to $25bn (£19.2bn) on…
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29 OctoberClothing & Shoes
Shoe Zone to close fifth of stores over next two years
Shoe Zone has announced it expects to close a further 90 stores in the next 18 to 24 months, attributing the closures to the continued impact of Covid-19. The shoe retailer said it will close up to 45 stores by April 2021 in a move that will create “numerous” redundancies,…
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28 OctoberComment
How temporary workers could make the difference to Covid-19 workforce planning
Today, on average just one in six firms (15%) rely on a flexible workforce; with 1.5 million temporary employees working in the UK today. In comparison, eight in 10 (80%) retail businesses have hired more agency workers during COVID-19, as unpredictable demand forces brands to re-think their staffing strategies and…
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