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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Jul- 2025 -29 JulySupermarkets
Aldi lifts hourly pay for shop workers to £13
Aldi has announced it is set to become the first supermarket to pay store assistants at least £13.00 an hour. The new minimum rate, which increases to £14.33 within the M25, will take effect from 1 September 2025 and further exceeds the Real Living Wage of £12.60 an hour that…
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29 JulyHigh Street
Card Factory acquires Funky Pigeon from WH Smith for £24m
Card Factory has agreed to acquire online personalised greeting cards group Funky Pigeon from WH Smith for £24m. Once the deal is complete, Card Factory will be the second largest online card and attached gift retailer in the UK market, according to the group. It added that over time, Funky…
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24 JulyDIY
IKEA opens first new small-format store in Harlow as part of UK expansion
IKEA has opened a new small-format store in Harlow, Essex, the first of three such sites due this year, just over 100 days after acquiring the lease. The new store, which opened on 24 July, is located in a retail park and designed to offer a quicker and more accessible…
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22 JulySupermarkets
Spending power falls for 40% of UK households, Asda finds
Some 40% of UK households have seen their spending power growth fall in June, according to the latest Asda Income Tracker. The decrease comes as inflation rose to a near 18-month high of 3.6% in June, driven in part by the rising cost of transport and food. According to the…
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21 JulyHigh Street
UK profit warnings jump 20% in Q2 as retailers feel the strain
Profit warnings issued by UK-listed companies rose by 20% in the second quarter of 2025, as policy and geopolitical uncertainty weighed on business confidence, according to new figures from consultancy EY-Parthenon. Companies issued 59 warnings between April and June, up from 49 in the same period last year. Nearly half…
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17 JulyComment
What will separate supply chain winners and losers in the years to come
For decades, logistics and supply chain operations have been the unsung heroes of commerce—efficiently humming behind the scenes, away from public attention. But in a world shaped by pandemic shocks, geopolitical tensions, and shifting consumer expectations, supply chains have stepped into the spotlight. For Emile Naus, Partner at BearingPoint, this…
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17 JulyHigh Street
Dunelm Q4 sales rise amid Spring heatwave
Dunelm has revealed that its sales rose 4% to £415m for the 13 weeks ended 28 June 2025, driven by the Spring heatwave. Overall, the homeware retailer has seen its full year sales increase 3.8% to £1.77bn. As a result the company expects its full-year gross margin to be up…
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11 JulyHigh Street
Update: Poundland denies reports of stock shortages
Poundland has denied that it is facing issues to stock certain items following reports major suppliers like Proctor and Gamble and Nestle tightened their credit lines amid uncertainty over the retailer’s future. The retailer called the reports “false” and added that it is has received strong support from suppliers as…
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11 JulyEconomy
Economy unexpectedly shrinks 0.1% in May
Monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) unexpectedly fell 0.1% in May 2025, following an unrevised fall of 0.3% in April 2025 and growth of 0.4% in March 2025, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.5% in the three…
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9 JulySupply Chain
DHL Supply Chain to invest £550m in UK and Ireland automation
DHL Supply Chain is to invest £550m to expand its infrastructure and speed up automation across operations in the UK and Ireland, targeting growth in e-commerce and life sciences healthcare. The move builds on the €1bn (£861m) the contract logistics firm has spent on automation over the past three years.…
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