London
This coverage focuses on retail activity, trends, and developments in London, a central hub of the UK retail industry. Reporting highlights flagship store openings, property developments, regional economic factors, consumer behaviour, and strategic moves by both international and domestic brands. Tailored for retail executives and managers, it offers insights into operating and competing in one of the world’s most dynamic retail markets.
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Feb- 2019 -15 FebruaryOnline & Digital
Amazon ‘to launch checkout-free shops’ in London
Online retail giant Amazon has reportedly secured property to open checkout-free stores in London, making it the first openings of the concept outside of America. According to trade publication The Grocer, the sites will compete with food outlets such as Eat and M&S and will be located in areas with…
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13 FebruaryDepartment Stores
Liberty London ‘could be sold for £300m’
The owner of Liberty London has reportedly brought the luxury department store to market for a potential £300m price tag. According to Sky News, private equity firm BlueGem Capital Partners – the store’s largest shareholder – is said to be looking to offload its share in the department store and…
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12 FebruaryHigh Street
West End retailers face £45m rates hike in April
Retailers located in London’s West End are set to face a £45m rates tax increase in April, according to a report by real estate advisor Altus Group. Business rates help announced at the Autumn Budget last year, which promised to slash bills by a third for high street business in…
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7 FebruarySupermarkets
Ocado warehouse blaze leads to 7% shares drop
A fire which broke out at Ocado’s distribution warehouse in Andover has led to a 7% drop in the company’s shares. An Ocado statement on the London Stock Exchange said the site was providing approximately 10% of its current delivery capacity, and as a result of this incident there would…
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4 FebruaryAdvice
How UK retailers can make the most of Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year falls on the 5th of February this year and ushers in a week-long, national holiday in China. This major holiday, known as Golden Week, is a prime time for Chinese people to travel abroad, and the UK is one of their top destinations. Why is the UK…
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1 FebruaryAdvice
Reduce waiting times and improve customer experience
It is no secret that competition among brick-and-mortar retailers is at an all-time high. Even after a relatively busy Christmas period, the high street has seen a number of store closures, with M&S and House of Fraser among the major names to announce swathes of their portfolios shutting their doors.…
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Jan- 2019 -31 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
Shop Direct consulting with 225 members of staff over job cuts
Shop Direct, the group which owns online retailers Very and Littlewoods, is in consultation with 225 members of staff over job cuts. The group plans to merge its businesses as part of a transformation strategy which will see teams for men’s and women’s fashion consolidated and its design team moved…
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29 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
M&Co to cut 59 head office jobs
Clothing retailer M&Co has announced it is to cut 59 jobs from its head offices in London and Inchinnan. The majority of redundancies are said to come from the retailer’s Inchinnan offices however it says it will also cut “four or five” roles from a workforce of 120 at its…
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25 JanuaryHigh Street
Smiggle to hold talks over rent reductions following poor trading experience
Australian stationer, Smiggle, is to hold talks over rent reductions following reports that some stores were not meeting expectations. In 2014, the retailer began a mass expansion in the UK and currently operates 130 stores nationwide. A source close to the retailer told Property Week that it had been “fully…
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25 JanuaryHealth & Beauty
L’occitane launches same day delivery across UK
French beauty retailer L’occitane has partnered with retail delivery startup On The Dot to launch its same day delivery service proposition ‘Ship From Store’ across the UK. The service has launched in London and there are plans to it extend across the remaining 86 UK stores in early 2019. On…
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