Manchester
This coverage highlights retail activity, trends, and developments in Manchester, a key UK retail hub. Reporting includes store openings and closures, property developments, local economic impacts, retail performance data, and insights into regional strategies by national and independent brands. Tailored for executives and managers, it supports strategic planning for those engaged in retail operations and expansion in the North West.
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May- 2020 -21 MayComment
Dealing with true demand today to help customers for the coming months
With the COVID-19 novel coronavirus on the rise worldwide, retailers are being forced to rethink their supply strategies on the fly. Demand for sundries and medical essentials is booming – especially via “buy online, pick up in store” (BOPIS) as well as curbside and home delivery channels that aid with…
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15 MayCoronavirus
Sainsbury’s expands Chop Chop delivery service to outside of London
Sainsbury’s has announced the expansion of its Chop Chop bicycle delivery service to 20 cities in the UK, as it rolls out the scheme outside of London for the first time. The service, which enables customers to order up to 20 products from the ‘Big four’ grocer via the Chop…
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Apr- 2020 -7 AprilSupermarkets
Tesco to launch NHS Nightingale pop-up stores
‘Big 4’ grocer Tesco has announced plans to open pop-up convenience stores at NHS Nightingale sites across the UK, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The NEC in Birmingham has been selected as Tesco’s first NHS Nightingale Hospital pop-up store, which is due to open later this week. Discussions are also in…
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Mar- 2020 -26 MarchCoronavirus
Intu receives only third of rent
Intu revealed that it has received only 29% of its second quarter rent that was due from tenants on 25 March. For the same period last year, it had received 77% on the quarter day, and the group is now in discussions with its customers regarding the outstanding rents. In…
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13 MarchShopping Centres
Intu warns of its future amid £2bn loss
Shopping centre owner Intu has warned of its future if it cannot raise extra funds, after it reported a £2bn loss for the year ending 31 December 2019. In the update announcing the news, the owner of Intu Lakeside and Manchester’s Old Trafford centre, said there is “material uncertainty” in…
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4 MarchShopping Centres
Intu abandons £1bn equity raise plans
Intu revealed it has abandoned plans to raise between £1bn and £1.5bn in emergency cash, citing “current uncertainty” in the equity markets. The retail property group had previously announced it was reviewing a “range” of options to fix its balance sheet and establish a “more appropriate” long-term capital structure. In…
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2 MarchAdvice
Entrepreneurs relief may be scrapped by Sunak
The new chancellor, Rishi Sunak, may scrap entrepreneur’s relief to raise £3bn a year as a means to bring in some extra dosh for the Treasury. Sunak will undoubtedly be looking for ways to raise extra revenue given the government’s infrastructure spending plans as it seeks to make a visible…
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Feb- 2020 -11 FebruarySport & Leisure
Shoppers could ‘lose out’ in JD Footasylum merger, says CMA
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally found that the proposed £90m takeover of Footasylum by sportswear rival JD Sports “could leave shoppers worse off, both in-store and online”. After its initial Phase 1 review raised potential competition concerns, the CMA’s in-depth Phase 2 investigation has provisionally found that…
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Jan- 2020 -28 JanuaryComment
How ‘Ostrich Shops’ are blighting the high street
The state of the high street isn’t to blame for the closure of shops and growing number of UK retailers entering into Company Voluntary Administration (CVA) schemes. It’s a trend of ‘Ostrich Shops’ which is killing high street retail. It’s all too easy to read about struggling high street shops.…
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20 JanuaryProperty
Intu seeks £1bn of emergency funds
Intu has announced it will seek to raise equity in its efforts to fix its balance sheet. The commercial real estate giant said it was a “number one priority” to make progress in its strategy to fix the balance sheet, which included targeting an equity raise alongside its full year…
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