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.
-
Sep- 2020 -25 SeptemberClothing & Shoes
Hong Kong’s Lion Rock joins race for Clarks
A Hong Kong-based private equity firm, which backs a number of companies such as Taxi hailing app Hailo and Serie A football giant Internazionale, has reportedly entered the race to acquire Clarks. According to Sky News, Lion Rock is one of the remaining two potential bidders vying for a majority…
Read More » -
23 SeptemberSupermarkets
Waitrose to remove shrinkwrap plastic from all tinned goods
Waitrose has begun the total removal of shrinkwrap plastic from its own-label tinned grocery products in a bid to axe single-use plastic in its stores. The supermarket trialled the removal of shrinkwrap plastic, used to attach tinned multibuys, last year. Waitrose said that removing this non-recyclable plastic from some of…
Read More » -
23 SeptemberClothing & Shoes
Nike online sales surge in Q1
Nike has announced a significant increase in digital sales in its first quarter fiscal report for this financial year. The sportswear retailer saw digital sales rise by 81% in the three-month period ended 31 August, offsetting falling revenue in its stores due to the pandemic. Despite Nike not releasing a…
Read More » -
22 SeptemberDIY
Kingfisher sales boosted by DIY boom
Kingfisher has welcomed a “resilient” performance in the first-half of the year, with sales down by 1.1% to £5.9bn. The group said this reflected the adverse impact of Covid-19 in Q1, which was later partially offset by “strong recovery” in the second quarter. Pre-tax profit was up 23.1% to £415m,…
Read More » -
21 SeptemberSponsored Articles
Is COVID-19 making retailers adopt packaging automation faster?
If you’re an online retailer you are likely to have witnessed a peak in sales during the lockdown as more consumers switch to e-commerce. According to the latest Online Retail Index from IMRG and Capgemini, the overall retail sales in June surged an impressive 33.9% year-on-year. Sounds great, but the…
Read More » -
21 SeptemberCoronavirus
Government launches £95m recovery fund for high street
A new £95m government-funded scheme will support 68 “historic” high streets in England to recover from “declining footfall” and the impact of the pandemic. The initiative, High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ), will work with local authorities to convert disused buildings into new shops, workplaces and community spaces. HSHAZ will…
Read More » -
21 SeptemberComment
The window of opportunity for pop-ups
The Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent events of this year have exacerbated the ongoing decline of the British high street, with footfall falling by 81% in April and 48% in July, according to the British Retail Consortium. From John Lewis to Carphone Warehouse to House of Fraser, it seems that no…
Read More » -
21 SeptemberClothing & Shoes
Superdry swings to £42m loss in full-year results
Superdry announced it has swung to a pre-tax loss of £41.8m in the full-year ended 25 April, 2020, with underlying profit before tax down by 210% against the prior year. In addition, total revenue fell by 19.2% to £704.4m in the period, reflecting a “planned move away” from persistent discounting,…
Read More » -
18 SeptemberShopping Centres
Westfield owner announces £8.1bn ‘reset’ plan
Westfield owner Unibail-Rodamco Westfield (URW) has announced an €9bn (£8.1bn) ‘reset’ plan which will see it attempt to raise £3.2bn in capital and make a number of European disposals. Along with capital raising URW said it will be limiting cash dividends through scrip and/or a lower payout ratio, resulting in…
Read More » -
18 SeptemberCoronavirus
Mayor of London urges government to extend business rates holiday
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and London Councils have joined together to urge the Government to extend the business rates holiday and help protect thousands of jobs in London and across the country. Businesses in the retail, hospitality, leisure and childcare sectors are currently benefiting from 100% relief from…
Read More »
