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- 2023 -14 FebruaryOnline & Digital
Online sales growth slows to pre-pandemic levels
Online sales have slowed down to pre-pandemic levels, according to new analysis from the IMRG’s online retail index. The analysis attributed this to lockdowns, during which huge volumes of orders were made online. In 2019, growth for the total online market was up 5% year-on-year, while in 2020 it increased…
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13 FebruaryHigh Street
Paperchase unsecured creditors left with £20m bill
Paperchase’s unsecured creditors have been stuck with a £20m bill from its period in administration, according to The Times, after the company collapsed for the second time. The stationary retailer’s creditors have been notified that they will be receiving dividends of 2.52% from the sale of assets that has been…
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10 FebruaryEconomy
UK narrowly avoids recession as economy flatlines in Q4
The UK economy narrowly avoided recession as the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows there was no growth in the fourth quarter from Oct to Dec 2022. It comes as monthly estimates show that GDP fell by 0.5% in December 2022, following an unrevised growth of…
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10 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
New Look closes more UK stores
New Look has confirmed that several stores across the UK have been closed by the retailer, which noted the closures were a “normal course of business”. Four of its sites stopped trading in January, with three further stores closing their doors this month. Last month, the retailer’s sites in Fort…
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9 FebruaryHigh Street
Boux Avenue and Ryman face ‘uncertainty’ over refinancing
Theo Paphitis Retail Group, the parent company of Boux Avenue, Ryman and Robert Dyas, has warned that some of its businesses face “material uncertainty” in the coming year, despite reporting a 5.5% growth in store sales in FY22. According to The Guardian, Ryman is struggling to refinance a £10m government-backed…
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9 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
Under Armour unveils ambitious UK expansion plans
Under Armour will open three new brand-owned stores in key cities throughout the UK over the next couple of months, following what it called “significant growth and consumer demand in the market”. The stores are part of Under Armour’s overall strategy to strengthen its direct-to-consumer channel, a key element of…
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9 FebruaryAdvice
Five factors driving purchase behaviour in the current climate
The last few years have seen a series of unprecedented events that have created a new paradigm where consumer expectations and needs have been radically redefined. In this new world, retailers need to respond with a new approach in tune with our changed times. So how did we get here?…
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8 FebruarySupermarkets
Lidl to scale back store openings and focus on warehouse capacity
Lidl is reportedly planning to slow down its store opening programme as it instead focuses on growing its warehouse capacity. According to The Grocer, the supermarket intends to only open 25 new stores this year, having previously opened around 50 stores a year for several years, with 54 new openings…
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7 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
Crew Clothing to open 40 brick-and-mortar stores by 2025
Crew Clothing has plans to open 40 new brick-and-mortar stores by 2025 across market towns and coastal resorts in the UK, according to The Times. The group’s decision to expand its portfolio of in-person stores comes as it recovered post-pandemic, as it revealed that online and store sales both increased…
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6 FebruaryOnline & Digital
Amazon to sublet UK warehouses as growth slows
Amazon is reportedly planning to sublet its empty warehouses across the UK, as it has continued to halt growth plans after its full-year profits halved to $12.2bn (£9.9bn) in FY22. According to the Telegraph, Amazon has started subletting unused warehouse space across the country, despite estimations it opened hundreds of…
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