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 -10 MarchDepartment Stores
M&S reveals redevelopment plans for flagship store
M&S has announced a proposal to redevelop its flagship Marble Arch store on Oxford Street as part of its Never the Same Again programme. As part of the proposal, the department store chain is set to consult with local stakeholders on the best course of action, with the aim of…
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9 MarchOnline & Digital
Online retail sales up 70% in February
Online retail sales reportedly increased 69.5% year-on-year in February 2020, as Boris Johnson’s ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown supported consumer confidence. While the figure is slightly lower than January’s 74% growth, it is above the three, six, and 12-month rolling averages of 57.1%, 42.5%, and 42.7% year-on-year respectively. According to the…
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9 MarchHigh Street
DFS revenues jump 17.3% in half-year results
DFS Furniture has announced its revenues increased by 17.3% to £572.6m in the 26 weeks to 29 December 2020, due to a rise in demand for living room furniture during lockdown. The retailer reported a strong trading performance over the period, which included a series of tiered lockdowns across the…
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9 MarchOnline & Digital
M&S launches online business in 46 overseas markets
M&S has announced that its online international operations will expand to over 100 markets as it launches in 46 new countries, nearly doubling the number of international markets where it has a pureplay online presence. The expansion forms part of the group’s focus to “turbocharge” its online business under its…
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8 MarchPeople Moves
BCC appoints new director general
The Board of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has announced the appointment of Shevaun Haviland as its new director general. She will succeed Dr Adam Marshall who will step down on Wednesday 31 March after five years at the helm and 12 years with the organisation. Haviland joined the…
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8 MarchHigh Street
Card Factory seeks fresh funding to aid survival
Card Factory has reportedly drafted in restructuring experts to help secure news funds to support the group through the pandemic. According to the Sunday Times, consultants from Deloitte initially contacted specialist lenders on behalf of the group in efforts to borrow £100m. Half of the funding would reportedly be used…
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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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