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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Oct- 2023 -24 OctoberNews
Today’s news in brief-24/10/23
Furniture retailer ScS has agreed to be acquired by Italian brand Poltronesofà in a £99.4m deal. This acquisition, representing a premium of 66% to the closing price per ScS share in October, has been recommended to shareholders and is expected to be completed in early 2024. Poltronesofà views this as…
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24 OctoberSupermarkets
Lidl becomes third largest supermarket in London
Lidl GB has overtaken Asda to become the third largest supermarket in London with a market share high of 9.1%, double the market share of any other discount supermarket in the capital. It reported the fastest growth out of all supermarkets in the city, while Kantar named it the fastest-growing…
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24 OctoberNews
Sephora to open second UK store next month
Following the success of its first opening in the UK, Sephora has now announced that its second UK site will open in Westfield Stratford on 15 November. The store will offer 125 brands across makeup, skincare, haircare and fragrance categories. As well as its own brand collection, the shop will…
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23 OctoberNews
Today’s news in brief-23/10/23
John Lewis is facing criticism from city planners over its affordable housing plans. Initially, the company aimed to make 20% of the housing in its Bromley development affordable. However, recent revelations indicate that only 10% of the flats will be designated as affordable. The Greater London Authority’s Planning Unit deems…
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23 OctoberFeatures
How the FatFace deal lines up with Next’s aggressive acquisition strategy
This year has been a year full of big mergers and acquisitions and October has continued in that vein. The latest of these acquisitions has come in the form of Next’s £115m takeover of lifestyle brand FatFace. This deal is the latest in a long line of acquisitions by Next…
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23 OctoberDepartment Stores
London planners blast John Lewis over affordable housing plans
London planning officials have accused John Lewis of planning to build “executive housing” which will not help local families. In planning documents, the company stated that it aimed to make 20% of the housing at its Bromley development affordable. However, John Lewis revealed that as little as 10% of the…
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20 OctoberNews
EE ventures into ecommerce with new brand launch
EE has announced that it is broadening its horizons from traditional telecommunications services to venture into the ecommerce market. In this landmark shift for the brand, EE has rebuilt its business from inside out based on the current and future needs of its customers. Following extensive customer research, the four…
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18 OctoberClothing & Shoes
Kurt Geiger owner eyes £400m sale
The private equity backers of Kurt Geiger are reportedly considering a £400m sale of the brand. According to Sky News, Cinven, which has owned the footwear company since 2015, is now working with advisors at Bank of America on a prospective auction. Sources told Sky that a sale process was…
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17 OctoberSponsored Articles
How to ‘sleigh’ your holiday campaigns
It’s time to expect the unexpected. The way consumers shop during the holidays has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Not only are they starting earlier, but as the UK’s cost-of-living crisis continues, they’re also spending less across all categories. Customers are buying seasonal items earlier, focusing more on…
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17 OctoberClothing & Shoes
Fred Perry reports record year as profits surge
British heritage brand Fred Perry has reported a “record year” as its profit before tax increased by 34% to £15.6m for the 12 months to 31 December 2022. Its revenues also increased by 20.8% year on year to £135.7m. Fred Perry said that 2022 saw a more stable year after…
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