Minimum Wage
This coverage examines the impact of minimum wage policies on UK retail businesses, with reporting on legislative changes, compliance obligations, cost management, and workforce strategies. Insight focuses on how retailers adapt operations, staffing, and pay structures to meet legal requirements while maintaining commercial performance — supporting executives, HR managers, and owners navigating wage regulation challenges.
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Mar- 2025 -10 MarchDepartment Stores
John Lewis staff could miss out on bonus amid missed profit target
John Lewis employees could reportedly miss out on their staff bonus for the fourth time in the group’s history, amid news it could miss its full-year profit targets of £131m following weak festive sales.According to internal documents seen by The Telegraph, John Lewis said “lower consumer confidence and weaker than…
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7 MarchNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-7/3/25
Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners in a deal worth £23.7bn. The transaction is expected to close in late 2025 and will see WBA become a private company, delisting from Nasdaq.WBA shareholders will receive $11.45 per share in cash, with potential…
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7 MarchFeatures
WHSmith’s high street exit: what it means for the retail industry
After more than 230 years as a staple of British high streets, WHSmith is considering selling off its entire high street business. With around 500 stores facing an uncertain future, the company is shifting its focus to travel retail — airports, railway stations, and motorway service areas — where it…
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7 MarchSupermarkets
John Lewis invests £114m in workers’ pay
John Lewis has announced a £114m investment in pay for 65,000 employees across the business this year. Some 77% (£88m) of the pay investment is voluntary and is beyond the requirements of the National Minimum Wage. From 1 April, the minimum rate of pay for partners outside London will increase…
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7 MarchHigh Street
HMV halts UK expansion amid rising wage costs
HMV has halted its UK expansion in anticipation of the rising wage costs due to commence next month, and will open stores in Ireland and Belgium instead, The Guardian has reported. According to managing director Phil Halliday, HMV had ambitions to open as many as 10 additional stores in the…
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Feb- 2025 -24 FebruaryFeatures
The decline of UK department stores: can they survive?
The decline of department stores in the UK has been one of the most significant shifts in the retail sector in recent years. High street giants that once defined the shopping experience have faced unprecedented challenges, leaving behind empty storefronts and a stark reminder of how much the landscape has…
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12 FebruaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-12/2/25
Kering, the luxury conglomerate behind Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta, reported a challenging fiscal 2024, with revenue falling 12% to €17.2 billion (£14.3 billion) and EBITDA plummeting 29% to €4.6 billion (£3.8 billion). Gucci’s 23% sales decline to €7.65 billion (£6.37 billion) significantly impacted the group, alongside a…
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12 FebruaryHigh Street
Beales to shutter last remaining store amid budget changes
Beales, one of Britain’s oldest department stores, will shutter its last remaining store after more than 140 years of trading amid cost pressures arising from the latest budget. The business, which opened in Bournemouth in 1881, will close its last remaining store in Poole’s Dolphin Centre at the end of May.…
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Jan- 2025 -29 JanuaryDepartment Stores
Next CEO uses Lords status to lodge amendments to NI bill
The CEO of Next, Lord Wolfson, has reportedly used his position in the House of Lords to table amendments aimed at phasing in the upcoming changes to employers’ national insurance contributions, The Times has reported.The measures outlined in the budget will see employers’ national insurance contributions rise from 13.2% to…
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22 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
River Island drafts in AlixPartners to tighten costs
River Island has brought in AlixPartners to work on a cost reduction and profit improvement exercise ahead of the planned tax rises in April, according to reports from Sky News. Precise details of the exercise were not clear but is not believed to encompass formal restructuring work that could lead…
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