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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May- 2025 -20 MaySupermarkets
M&S MD welcomes EU-UK summit deal
Marks and Spencer’s managing director has welcomed the results of yesterday’s (19 May) EU-UK summit announcement, which will allow the EU to remove checks on food exports while adding £9bn to the UK economy.The agreement, following a meeting between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der…
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9 MayNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-9/5/25
The UK and US have struck a “first-of-a-kind” trade deal, slashing tariffs for UK carmakers, steel, and farmers while maintaining a 10% levy on other goods. Car export tariffs will drop from 27.5% to 10%, benefiting Jaguar Land Rover, while steel and aluminium tariffs fall to zero. The deal includes…
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9 MayEconomy
UK footfall jumps 7.2% in April
UK footfall increased by 7.2% in April (YoY), up from -5.4% in March, the BRC has revealed. During the four weeks from 6 April to 3 May, footfall increased across all segments – high street by 5.3%, retail parks by 7.5% and shopping centres by 5.6%. Across nations, footfall also…
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7 MayHigh Street
The Range unveils new set of format stores amid Homebase acquisition
CDS Superstores, parent company of The Range and Wilko, has confirmed the next raft of openings for its new-format superstores, following the acquisition of the Homebase brand and up to 70 of its stores. Building on earlier plans to convert 45 former Homebase stores across the country as The Range…
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Apr- 2025 -11 AprilEconomy
Footfall sees sharp 5.4% drop in March due to late Easter
Total year-on-year footfall in the UK dropped sharply by 5.4% in March, up from a 0.2% fall in February, according to BRC-Sensormatic data, which has been attributed to the timing of Easter later this April. Due to last year’s Easter falling in March, the calendar change has distorted the year-on-year…
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8 AprilClothing & Shoes
Primark to double footprint at White Rose Leeds
Primark has announced that it is set to double its presence at White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds from from 26,200sq ft to 55,700sq ft. The expansion commenced this week (7 April) and is expected to be completed by 2027. The value retailer follows in the footsteps of JD which…
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Mar- 2025 -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 MarchHigh Street
Retail parks lead the way as footfall sees small bounce in February
UK footfall edged up 0.2% in February as the performance from UK retail parks helped footfall increase for the second consecutive month, according to the latest BRC-Sensormatic data. Footfall increased by 0.1% at UK high streets, down from 4.5% in January, while Shopping Centre footfall increased by 0.1% in February…
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Feb- 2025 -28 FebruarySupermarkets
M&S to open 20 food stores in Ireland with Applegreen
M&S will be opening 20 food stores throughout the year in Ireland with Applegreen as part of a multi-million-euro investment to further roll out their partnership. Each of the 20 new ‘shop-in-shop’ locations will undergo a “bespoke” upgrade to introduce the M&S brand, and will feature a range of more…
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21 FebruaryHigh Street
Primark to open first standalone homewares store in March
Primark has announced that it is set to open its first standalone homewares store in Belfast on 6 March 2025. The 8,700 sq ft one floor store is located in the iconic Fountain House building on Donegall Place in Belfast. Primark’s homeware offering will move out of the Bank Buildings,…
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