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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Nov- 2020 -24 NovemberHigh Street
Pets at Home ‘optimistic’ as sales rise in H1
Pets at Home has announced that group revenue grew by 5.1% to £574.4m in the half-year ended 8 October 2020, noting that the underlying pet care market remains “in good health” despite the pandemic. While the group saw pre-tax profit fall by 5.1% to £39.6m in the period, down from…
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23 NovemberCoronavirus
PM outlines Covid Winter Plan
Boris Johnson has unveiled his ‘Covid Winter Plan’ in the House of Commons this afternoon, whilst outlining England’s return to a three tier system. He confirmed that national restrictions in England will end on 2 December and will “not be renewed”. This will mean that non-essential retail, gyms and the…
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23 NovemberLuxury Goods
Cake Box reports sustained recovery in H1
Cake Box said it has made “sustained recovery” since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic when its stores were closed for six weeks. During the six months to 30 September, EBITDA slightly edged up 0.5% to £1.98m, although pre-tax profit fell by 4% to £1.66m. The specialist cake retailer’s online…
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23 NovemberHigh Street
Third of consumers to shop this Black Friday
More than a third of UK shoppers are planning to participate in this year’s Black Friday, with 36% stating they will make a purchase during the annual event, according to new research by KPMG. Its latest study polled 2,000 consumers about their spending intentions for Black Friday, and found that…
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20 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Jaeger and Peacocks fall into administration, 4,700 jobs at risk
Jaeger and Peacocks have fallen into administration, placing 4,700 jobs at risk. It comes as owner EWM Group failed to secure a buyer for the brands before a set deadline, despite “constructive discussions” with buyers in recent weeks. Tony Wright and Alastair Massey, partners at FRP Advisory, have been appointed…
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19 NovemberNews
Black Friday online sales set to rise 50%
Black Friday online sales are set to increase by around £2bn this year, with total online sales predicted to rise by 52.9% from £3.8bn to £5.8bn. Nonetheless, overall consumer spending figures are predicted to be down 12.4% against last year due to ongoing lockdown measures prohibiting high street trade. A…
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19 NovemberNews
Naked Wine revenue soars 80% in H1
Naked Wines saw revenues soar by 80% to £157.1m in the half-year ended 28 September 2020. The group also reported a narrower adjusted pre-tax loss of £3.2m, against a loss of £4.5m reported the prior year. It noted that the reduction was achieved despite a “substantial” uplift in investment in…
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18 NovemberSport & Leisure
Halfords profits double in ‘very strong’ H1
Halfords has welcomed a “very strong” half-year of trading, with pre-tax profit soaring 116.2% to £56m in the half-year ended 2 October. The group also reported group revenue growth of 9.6%, and despite the ongoing pandemic, all its product areas and businesses returned to growth towards the end of the…
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18 NovemberComment
Planning for the new digital saltation
Digital evolution, over the last 10 years, has been a steady move from offline to online. Since the mid-noughties until very recently, we’ve seen gradual increases in online sales compared to overall retail sales. Then COVID-19 happened, and the world changed. But our desire to purchase didn’t. We still needed…
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17 NovemberEconomy
Consumer confidence falls with Covid restrictions
Consumer confidence in the UK has dropped significantly with the introduction of further pandemic restrictions, according to new data from PwC. Recent measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 have seen consumer sentiment fall from -1 in to -10 in October. This is the sharpest decline since the initial lockdown…
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