Interest Rates
This coverage explores UK interest rate movements and their impact on the retail industry, focusing on monetary policy decisions, borrowing costs, consumer spending, and retailer financing strategies. Reporting highlights how rate changes affect sales dynamics, investment planning, and operational budgets — providing insight for executives, finance leads, and business strategists navigating economic volatility.
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May- 2024 -10 MayClothing & Shoes
Mothercare enters refinancing talks amid sales decline
Mothercare is exploring its refinancing options after sales fell by 13% to £281m in the year ended 30 March 2024, down from £323m the prior year.According to the group, retail sales were affected by global economic uncertainties, as well as partners still clearing inventory due to suppressed demand during Covid.…
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7 MayHigh Street
Retail sales fall 4% in April
UK total retail sales decreased by 4% YOY in April, against a growth of 5.1% in April 2023, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. This was below the 3-month average growth of 0.5% and the 12-month average growth of 2.2%. However, when correcting for the distortion created by…
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Apr- 2024 -8 AprilHigh Street
Number of retailers going insolvent jumps to 2,195, says Mazars
The number of insolvencies of retailers increased 19% in the past year to 2,195 in 2023/24, up from 1,843 in 2022/23, Mazars, the international audit, tax and advisory firm has found. High profile retail insolvencies include The Body Shop in February, as well as fashion brand Ted Baker and online…
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Mar- 2024 -27 MarchClothing & Shoes
H&M H1 profits beat expectations despite sales dip
H&M has revealed that its operating profit increased to SEK2.077bn (£155m), up from SEK725m (£54m) despite net sales decreasing to SEK53.6bn (£376m) during the first quarter of the year ended on 29 February 2024. The group has said that sales from 1-25 March increased by 2% in local currencies compared…
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5 MarchNews
Today’s news in brief-5/3/24
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), total retail sales rose by 1.1% in February year-on-year, attributed partly to February being the wettest on record. While food sales increased by 6%, non-food sales decreased by 2.5%, both below previous averages. In-store and online non-food sales also experienced declines. Despite positive…
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5 MarchEconomy
Deal activity in F&B recovered in 2023, Grant Thornton finds
Deal activity in the food and beverage sector rebounded last year compared with 2022, when dealmaking was put on pause due to the emerging cost of living crisis, according to new research from Grant Thornton. According to the firm’s research, there was an uptick in M&A activity across the sector…
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5 MarchSupermarkets
Issa brothers scale back EG Group investment to cut debts
Asda owners the Issa brothers have reportedly scaled back investment in their petrol forecourts business EG Group in a bid to reduce debts. According to the Telegraph, EG Group reduced its growth capex by 37% last year to £191m in what executives called a “controlled reduction” to maximise liquidity. The…
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Feb- 2024 -29 FebruaryHigh Street
Half-term boost fails to save Feb footfall
Half-term failed to save footfall figures in February as it declined by -2.2% across UK retail destinations for the second consecutive month, largely driven by a drop in footfall of -3.5% in high streets, according to the latest figures from MRI Springboard. MRI said the start of the month was…
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2 FebruaryNews
Today’s news in brief-2/2/24
The overall percentage of UK-listed companies issuing profit warnings reached 18.2%, surpassing the levels observed during the 2008 financial crisis. Particularly, the FTSE retail sector struggled, with two in every five retailers issuing profit warnings. The retail industry issued a total of 24 profit warnings in 2023, indicating a notable…
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2 FebruaryEconomy
Two in five FTSE retailers issued profit warnings last year
The percentage of UK-listed companies issuing profit warnings last year hit 18.2%, exceeding the levels seen at the peak of the financial crisis in 2008, according to new findings from EY. In particular, the rate of profit warnings remained high for FTSE retailers, with two in every five FTSE retailers…
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