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 -5 MarchSupermarkets
Morrisons could drop out of FTSE 100, say analysts
Morrisons is reportedly set to fall out of the FTSE 100 for the first time in half a decade, according to The Guardian. Retail analysts predict that the public’s overspending on groceries, resulting from consumer shifts during the pandemic, will begin to wane in the coming months. With the quarterly…
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4 MarchNews
Waitrose to open new fulfilment centre
Waitrose has announced the opening of a new customer fulfilment centre in Greenford, West London, which will create 800 new jobs when fully operational. When fully running later this year the centre will aim to deliver 25,000 Waitrose.com orders each week, helping to offer five times more online slots each…
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4 MarchHigh Street
B&M raises FY21 guidance amid strong Q4 trading
B&M has raised its full-year guidance for the financial year ended 27 March 2021, as revenue has risen 22.5% in its fourth quarter to date, despite “uncertainties” remaining regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. Following this strong trading, B&M expects its EBITDA for the full-year to be in the range of £590m…
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3 MarchSupermarkets
Grocery sales soar 15% in February
Grocery sales rose by 15.1% in February, the fastest rate of growth since June 2020, as UK consumers continued to remain home during lockdown. According to the latest figures from Kantar, UK grocery sales also rose by 12.5% in the 12 weeks to 21 February 2021. Nearly a quarter of…
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3 MarchGovernment
Sunak to extend furlough scheme until September
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to extend the furlough scheme until September as part of his March Budget which will be announced today (3 March). According to The Times, Sunak will state that the country is in a “moment of crisis” as he extends furlough for another five months, taking…
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2 MarchShopping Centres
Dobbies’ FY20 turnover soars to £235m
Dobbies Garden Centres has reported a pre-pandemic turnover of £235m for the 53 weeks ended 1 March 2020, a year-on-year rise of £73.5m. In addition, total sales rose by 51% to £252m in the period. However, the group also announced a loss before tax for the period of £22.9m, down…
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1 MarchSupermarkets
Sainsbury’s hikes pay of frontline staff
Sainsbury’s has announced it is increasing the pay for its frontline employees this month, and is awarding them a third one-off payment in “special recognition of their incredible efforts to help to feed the nation through the pandemic”. From March onwards, the hourly rate of pay for Sainsbury’s and Argos…
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1 MarchSupermarkets
M&S creates 360 new roles to back Gov’s Kickstart scheme
Marks and Spencer is supporting the government’s Kickstart programme by creating 360 youth work placement roles, to help young people “gain invaluable experience” and step onto the work ladder. The scheme, in partnership with The Prince’s Trust, will deliver two Kickstart cohorts with 180 placements each in April and June…
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Feb- 2021 -26 FebruarySupermarkets
Waitrose partners with FareShare to redirect farm food surplus
Waitrose has announced that it has teamed up with FareShare in a new trial that will redirect surplus farm food to families in need in the next phase of its Give A Little Love Campaign. The trial will run from 1 March through to 30 June 2021 with the grocer…
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26 FebruaryHealth & Beauty
Boots to axe 300 jobs in Nottingham head office
Boots has confirmed its plans to get rid of 300 jobs in its Nottinghamshire head office, citing the pandemic as a major factor in its decision. The health and beauty retailer’s head office, based in Beeston, is set to lose 10% of its workforce with various position levels expected to…
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