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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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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15 JanuaryAnalysis
Is New Look right to close up shops?
The tax increases unveiled in the October 2024 budget have further complicated the outlook for retailers in the new year. One such high street retailer, New Look, which has managed to narrow its pre-tax loss to £21.7m in the year to March 2024, now faces the difficult task of balancing…
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7 JanuaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-7/1/25
Quiz has announced plans to delist from the London Stock Exchange, citing regulatory costs and financial pressures. The move requires a 75% shareholder majority, with founder Tarak Ramzan and key investors supporting the decision. Quiz reported a £4.7m pre-tax loss in the six months to 30 September, driven by inflationary…
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7 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
Next raises profit guidance as festive sales beat expectations
Next has revealed that it has raised its full-year pre-tax profit guidance by £5m up to £1.01bn after a better than expected quarter. In this quarter, full price sales rose 6% in the nine weeks to 28 December, beating the previous guidance for the fourth quarter of 3.5%. It stated…
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6 JanuaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-6/1/25
Fast-fashion retailer Shein is set to face scrutiny from a Parliamentary Committee over labour practices in its supply chain. The inquiry, part of the government’s employment rights initiative, also involves Chinese firm Temu. The committee, chaired by ex-Labour minister Liam Byrne, aims to tackle forced labour concerns and inadequate protection…
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6 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
New Look to speed up planned closures ahead of tax changes
New Look is reportedly set to permanently shutter roughly a quarter of its 364 stores when leases expire, putting some of its 8,000 staff at risk, according to The Times. While the retailer has restructured its store portfolio twice in the past six years and downsized from 600 UK stores…
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