Northern Ireland
This coverage focuses on retail developments in Northern Ireland, including store openings and closures, local consumer trends, investment initiatives, and regional market performance. Reporting examines how retailers adapt strategy, site selection, and operations to the region’s economic, cultural, and demographic context — providing insights for executives, managers, and professionals overseeing retail activity across Northern Ireland.
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Dec- 2020 -7 DecemberAdvice
Re-energising retail in 2021: Three challenges and one solution
The story of retail in 2020 is one of extreme contrasts. On the one hand, the Amazons, Asos and supermarket operators of the world have all enjoyed tremendous success; on the other, almost every other segment of the industry has been decimated. More than 11,000 chain outlets shut in the…
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4 DecemberClothing & Shoes
Primark posts £430m sales hit amid second lockdown
Primark was hit with a £430m sales loss following international lockdowns this autumn, according to Associated British Foods (ABF). Primark stores in the group’s major markets, including England, the Republic of Ireland, France and Belgium reopened in the last week, however, with ABF noting that sales have been “very strong”…
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1 DecemberCoronavirus
Footfall surges for second week thanks to Black Friday
Footfall on Black Friday increased by 8.7%, helping to mark the first time since late August that the figures have increased in two consecutive weeks, according to the latest data from Springboard. The data shows that footfall in the UK rose by 4.8% across all retail destinations last week, which…
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Nov- 2020 -16 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Arcadia Group enters ‘urgent’ borrowing talks
Arcadia Group, the parent company of Topshop, has reportedly entered “urgent” borrowing talks in a bid to secure funding and “aid its survival prospects”. According to Sky News, the group, owned by Sir Philip Green, has sought several potential lenders in its efforts to borrow around £30m to support the…
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5 NovemberCoronavirus
Chancellor extends furlough scheme to March
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the furlough scheme will be extended until the end of March, amid increased measures for business support as the UK enters a four-week lockdown. Payments are set to remain at 80% of employee’s wages. It comes as the chancellor said that it was “right…
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Oct- 2020 -28 OctoberClothing & Shoes
Next Q3 sales fall 17%
Fashion retailer Next has reported a 17.9% decline in Q3 amid the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The firm said its markdown sales were 12.3% lower than last year attributing to “lower footfall” in retail stores and “capacity constraints” in the online warehouses. Cash flow forecast increased by £25m,…
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27 OctoberEconomy
UK weekly retail footfall drops by 1.2%
Retail footfall in the UK has dropped by 1.2% in the last week from the previous seven days, according to recent figures released by Springboard. This continues a growing trend of decreasing footfall figures, with the prior week clocking in a decline of 3.1% Springboard’s data revealed the majority of…
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20 OctoberCoronavirus
Footfall continues decline following tiered restrictions
Footfall fell by 3.1% across all retail destinations last week from the week before, following tiered restrictions being introduced across the UK. According to the latest figures from Springboard, footfall saw largely similar rates of decline in all three destination types, with footfall down by 2.8% in high streets, 3%…
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9 OctoberCoronavirus
Gov to cover 67% of wages for firms forced to shut
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that businesses forced to shut due to local restrictions will be eligible for a grant that pays two-thirds of staff salaries. The government will pay two-thirds, or 67%, of each employee’s salary, up to a maximum of £2,100 a month, if the business is forced…
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Jul- 2020 -13 JulyCoronavirus
Footfall suffers despite June reopening
Footfall in June saw a “significant improvement” against the 73.3% decline reported in May, but was still less than half the level of last year, with an annual decline of 56.6%. According to the latest figures from Springboard, footfall fell by 65.1% in high streets and 62.3% in shopping centres,…
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