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 -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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24 MarchHigh Street
Tui to close 48 high street sites
Tui, the travel operator, has announced that it is closing 48 of its UK high street sites, impacting 273 jobs in the process. The group’s decision follows the proposed shutting of 166 Tui sites, in turn affecting 900 jobs, that was announced in July 2020 as the pandemic continues to…
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24 MarchCoronavirus
Over 11,000 high street shops shut in 2020, study finds
Over 11,000 stores closed on UK high streets last year and another 18,000 could follow in 2021, according to the latest research from the Local Data Company. The figures come as 9,887 chain stores were forced to close last year with an additional 1,442 independent stores shuttering their doors for…
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24 MarchDIY
Wickes demerger to commence following FCA approval
Travis Perkins has “marked the next milestone” in the demerger of Wickes from the group after submitting a proposal of the move to the FCA for approval. Following approval, Wickes shares are set to be admitted to the premium listing segment of the FCA and admitted to trading on the…
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24 MarchCoronavirus
Local shops and online groceries see lockdown retail boom
Online shopping and local retailers have benefited from shifting consumer behaviour during the pandemic, according to new research by Barclaycard Payments. In its data research, Barclaycard partnered with futurist Tom Cheesewright to discover what these shifts mean for the future of British retail. It found that online grocery shopping has…
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