Ireland
This coverage focuses on retail trends, developments, and performance in Ireland, with attention to both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Reporting includes store activity, regional economic factors, consumer behaviour, property developments, and strategic moves by local and international retailers. Tailored for executives and managers, it offers insights into operating successfully in Ireland’s retail market.
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Jan- 2021 -22 JanuaryPeople Moves
EG Group appoints Lord Stuart Rose as chair
The Issa Brothers’ EG Group has announced the appointment of Lord Stuart Rose as non-executive chairman with immediate effect. Lord Rose is currently chairman of Ocado plc, a post from which he will retire in May after more than eight years as chair. He previously served as chief executive and…
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21 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
Apricot switches to turnover rent after CVA
Apricot, the women’s fashion retailer, has changed the lease agreements for the majority of its UK portfolio to turnover-based rents, according to Drapers. The decision, which will impact 13 of the brand’s 14 UK stores, was reportedly given the green light on 15 January. The move came as a result…
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19 JanuarySupermarkets
Aldi increases minimum wage to £9.55
Aldi has announced it is increasing its minimum hourly rate to £9.55 an hour nationwide, exceeding the Living Wage Foundation’s latest recommended pay rates. According to the supermarket, these changes mean that store colleagues across the UK will earn a minimum of £0.83 more per hour than the current national…
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14 JanuaryCoronavirus
£95m Northern Ireland retail voucher scheme put on hold
A £95m high street voucher scheme, first announced by the Northern Ireland economy minister in November, has been referred to the next financial year, according to the BBC. The scheme is intended to support retailers that have been hardest hit by the pandemic, possibly through a pre-paid card system. Similar…
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Dec- 2020 -22 DecemberNews
Card Factory appoints new CEO
Card Factory has announced the appointment of Darcy Willson-Rymer as CEO, which will come into effect on 8 March 2021. Willson-Rymer will join the company from Costcutter Supermarkets, where he has served as CEO for the last eight years. During his time at Costcutter, Willson-Rymer steered the multi-site owned and…
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21 DecemberNews
Hammerson seeks admission to Euronext Dublin
Retail property management group Hammerson has revealed its intention to seek admission to Euronext Dublin and to trade on the main securities market of Euronext Dublin before Britain leaves the EU. In a statement the company which owns London’s Brent Cross shopping centre said it is “seeking a secondary listing…
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16 DecemberElectrical
Dixons Carphone sales soar in half-year results
Dixons Carphone has announced that like-for-like electrical sales soared by 17% in the half-year ended 31 October 2020, despite the fact that stores in the UK, Ireland and Greece were shut for “substantial” periods throughout the year. In the same period, statutory profit before tax rose to £45m, up from…
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7 DecemberAdvice
Re-energising retail in 2021: Three challenges and one solution
The story of retail in 2020 is one of extreme contrasts. On the one hand, the Amazons, Asos and supermarket operators of the world have all enjoyed tremendous success; on the other, almost every other segment of the industry has been decimated. More than 11,000 chain outlets shut in the…
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4 DecemberClothing & Shoes
Primark posts £430m sales hit amid second lockdown
Primark was hit with a £430m sales loss following international lockdowns this autumn, according to Associated British Foods (ABF). Primark stores in the group’s major markets, including England, the Republic of Ireland, France and Belgium reopened in the last week, however, with ABF noting that sales have been “very strong”…
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1 DecemberCoronavirus
Footfall surges for second week thanks to Black Friday
Footfall on Black Friday increased by 8.7%, helping to mark the first time since late August that the figures have increased in two consecutive weeks, according to the latest data from Springboard. The data shows that footfall in the UK rose by 4.8% across all retail destinations last week, which…
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