Pandemic
This coverage examines the impact of pandemics on the UK retail industry, focusing on operational disruption, financial challenges, consumer behaviour shifts, and recovery strategies. Reporting highlights store closures, safety measures, supply chain pressures, leadership decisions, and lessons learned to enhance resilience. Tailored for executives and managers, it provides insights to navigate crisis situations and strengthen preparedness.
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Mar- 2021 -31 MarchClothing & Shoes
H&M swings to £92m pre-tax loss in Q1
H&M has announced it has swung to a pre-tax loss of SEK 1.1bn (£92m) in its first quarter trading update ending 28 February 2021. As the group continues to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, at the most, it saw around 36% of its total number of stores (1,800 stores)…
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30 MarchLuxury Goods
Watches of Switzerland signs lease for new Trafford Centre store
The Watches of Switzerland Group has announced it has signed a new 10-year lease with The Trafford Centre, for a flagship store in a new location, which is expected to open in the summer. The retailer will relocate its Goldsmiths store to The Trafford Centre’s Main Dome on the upper…
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30 MarchSupermarkets
Grocery sales growth slows in Q1 2021
Grocery sales reportedly rose 7.4% during the 12 weeks to 21 March 2021, representing a slowdown in growth as sales are annualised against 2020 spending. According to research conducted by Kantar, sales across the most recent four weeks marked a 3% year-on-year decline. The study found that although shopping had…
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30 MarchHigh Street
Relaxing of restrictions boosts retail footfall by 6.6%
Footfall across UK retail destinations increased by 6.6% last week from the week before, according to the latest data from Springboard. Last week, Springboard found that footfall was 68.1% higher than in the same week in 2020, but remained 57.3% lower than in the same week period for 2019. Footfall…
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30 MarchM&A
SKG targets £20m retail acquisition spree
SKG Capital, the owner of bedding and linen retailer Julian Charles, has announced that it is looking to invest £20m in retail and consumer firms across the next 12 months. The acquisitions will target retailers that the pandemic has adversely impacted, with the intentions to turn the businesses around in…
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29 MarchComment
Clean Sweep: The great supermarket sustainability drive
For years now, the dangers of plastic to the environment and an impetus to reduce our use of it has been present. The non-biodegradable substance can hang around the environment for hundreds of years after its use, becoming a danger to animals and ecosystems across the world. According to the…
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26 MarchFeatures
E-commerce trends can’t outweigh a flotation’s individuality
Moonpig, The Hut Group, and In The Style. These are just a few of the e-commerce retailers to have gone public since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. But are they just a few successful outliers, or are they the beginning of a trend of London Stock Exchange e-commerce listings…
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26 MarchEconomy
Retail sales begin to recover in February
Retail sales volumes witnessed a partial recovery in February with an increase of 2.1% when compared with the 8.2% fall seen in the previous month, according to the latest figures from the ONS. In total, sales were still down by 3.7% against last year before the impact of the coronavirus…
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25 MarchHigh Street
Santander announces 111 branch closures
Santander has announced plans to close 111 of its branches by the end of August 2021, impacting 5,000 jobs and representing another blow to the UK high street. The bank claimed the streamlining of its portfolio is in response to the ongoing shift to mobile and online banking, as the…
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24 MarchFeatures
How FMCG brands can thrive post-Covid
Food shopping during the pandemic has been an ongoing source of stress and anxiety for many. While demand for online shopping has sky-rocketed, the limited availability of delivery slots – particularly during national lockdowns – has meant in-store shopping maintains its crucial role. Every minute counts in a busy supermarket,…
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