Office
This coverage examines Office’s strategy, operations, and role within the UK footwear retail sector. Reporting highlights store performance, online initiatives, product trends, marketing campaigns, financial results, and leadership decisions. Focused on commercial outcomes and brand positioning, it offers insights for retail professionals managing footwear, fashion, and multi-channel retail businesses.
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Jan- 2022 -17 JanuaryFeatures
Customer service needs for the post-covid consumer
Nurturing customer service continues to be a primary focus of businesses. Even pre-covid, retailers naturally updated their offerings to out-perform competing brands – why the groundwork concerning competition within retailers is said to have entered into discussion as early as the 20th Century; ‘assessing the complexity of competition’, ‘distinguishing its…
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14 JanuaryEconomy
UK economy surpassed pre-Covid levels in November
Gross domestic product (GDP) has surpassed its pre-pandemic level for the first time as it grew by 0.9% in November 2021, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. In the latest release, output in consumer-facing services grew by 0.8%, mainly because of a 1.4% increase in retail…
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11 JanuaryFeatures
Diversification – the pandemic lifeline
Business diversification is not a novel notion. Renowned e-commerce website Amazon is said to be one of the early companies that diversified its offerings, transitioning from a marketplace of reading material to the commercial giant it is now. The eruption of coronavirus demanded more innovation from businesses. Many firms across…
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Dec- 2021 -17 DecemberEconomy
November retail sales rise by 1.4%, ONS reveals
Retail sales volumes rose by 1.4% in November 2021, and were 7.2% higher than pre-Covid levels in February 2020, according to the latest Office of National Statistics (ONS) data. Non-food stores sales volumes rose by 2% during the period due to growth in clothing stores (2.9%) and other non-food stores…
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14 DecemberNews
Footfall slows as impact of Plan B begins to show
Overall, footfall across UK retail destinations declined by -1.1% last week, wholly driven by a -2.7% drop in activity in high streets, according to Springboard. It said that although Plan B restrictions had not yet come fully into force, the first effects were already being felt last week with a…
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7 DecemberEconomy
Footfall shows signs of Omicron hesitancy
Footfall rose by only 0.7% in UK retail destinations last week against the week before, according to new data from retail expert Springboard. It said that the uplift was derived from rises in shopping centres that saw an increase of 2.3%, and retail parks where footfall increased by 1.3%. Meanwhile,…
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3 DecemberGovernment
Retailers welcome proposed tougher sentencing for shopworker abuse
The retail industry has welcomed proposed changes put forward by the government that would see tougher sentencing for those that assault shopworkers. Policing minister Kit Malthouse confirmed the government has tabled an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which states that courts must treat assaults committed “against…
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Nov- 2021 -19 NovemberEconomy
Retail sales return to growth in October
October Retail sales volumes rose by 0.8%, according to the latest data by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Non-food stores also saw a rise in sales volumes by 4.2% during the period, with second-hand stores, toy stores and sports equipment stores growing by 6.2%. Meanwhile, clothing stores sales volumes…
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11 NovemberEconomy
UK recovery slows to 1.3% in Q3
UK economic growth slowed to 1.3% in Q3, down from 5.5% in the second quarter of the year. According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the level of quarterly GDP is now 2.1% below where it was before the coronavirus pandemic at Quarter 4 (Oct…
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9 NovemberHigh Street
Footfall drops 11.6% as half-term boost ends
Footfall across UK retail destinations declined -9.3% last week from the week before, according to the latest data from Springboard. High streets (-10.9%) and shopping centres (-11.6%) suffered the greatest drop, versus a drop of -3.1% in retail parks. The decline in footfall averaged -11.7% between Monday and Friday compared…
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