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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Feb- 2021 -10 FebruarySupermarkets
Tesco fights shareholder challenge over UK obesity crisis
Tesco is preparing to face a shareholder resolution from a coalition of institutional and retail investors, who are calling on the company to set targets to increase the proportion of healthy products in its sales. Coordinated by NGO ShareAction, the resolution is being supported by seven institutional investors managing over…
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10 FebruaryHigh Street
Dune launches CVA targeted at cutting rent costs
Dune has announced the launch of a CVA prospal targeted at cutting rent costs across its 43 stores and 175 concessions. According to Daniel Rubin CEO and founder of the Dune Group, before the pandemic the high street chain was “trading robustly”- however continuous stop-start lockdowns had a “severe financial…
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10 FebruaryComment
David Berkley QC: Interruption and insurance in the age of Covid
As we emerge from one of the most tumultuous periods in living memory, it perhaps comes as little surprise that insurance has been thrust into the spotlight. The unprecedented impact of the pandemic has brought a renewed focus to the issue of business security and, more specifically, business interruption coverage. …
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9 FebruaryCoronavirus Featured Content
How the fashion industry can survive and thrive post-lockdown
Back when the effects of the coronavirus pandemic first hit in March 2020, everyone seemed to expect the worst for both physical and online retail. Fast forward to 2021 and initial predictions for online retail could not have been more wrong. Propelled primarily by a surge in demand for makeup…
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9 FebruaryDepartment Stores
John Lewis Partnership introduces more than 50 fashion brands
John Lewis Partnership has announced it will be introducing more than 50 new fashion and beauty brands as part of its plans to continue modernising its fashion offering. Last week, the group launched high street brand Mango across its womenswear, shoes and accessories. Additionally the company revealed it will be…
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9 FebruarySupermarkets
Ocado sees annual earnings soar by 69%
Ocado has seen its annual earnings rise by 69% as the pandemic strengthened the demand for online grocery shopping. The virtual supermarket revealed that group earnings were £73.1m for the year ending on 29 November 2020, up from £43.3m the previous year. Earnings in Ocado Retail, the company’s joint venture…
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9 FebruaryNews
Consumer spending sees ‘sharpest’ fall at 16.3% in January
Consumer spending fell 16.3% in January, the “sharpest” decline since May 2020 which was attributed to the current lockdown restrictions and Covid-19 pandemic. The data was gathered from the Barclaycard report which combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending.…
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9 FebruaryOnline & Digital
Notonthehighstreet acquired by US investment firm
Notonthehighstreet has been acquired by Great Hill Partners, an American investment firm. The online gift retailer was founded in 2006 by Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish, employs more than 150 and manages a marketplace of more than 5,000 small businesses selling more than 250,000 products. The business has seen a…
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9 FebruaryCoronavirus Featured Content
January retail sales slump to lowest level since May 2020
January saw retail sales growth decline to its lowest level since May of last year, figures by the BRC and KPMG show. According to the pair’s sales monitor, total retail sales dropped by 1.3% in January compared to 0.4% in January 2020 as national lockdown measures continue to disrupt trading. …
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8 FebruaryCoronavirus
Three in 10 SMEs could be forced to shut if lockdown is extended
At least three in 10 (30%) SMEs will be forced to close for good by the end of the year if the current lockdown is extended until the end of March, according to the latest research from Nucleus Commercial Finance. The firm said this equates to just under 1.8 million…
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