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- 2022 -24 NovemberDIY
Kingfisher lowers upper end of FY guidance
Home improvement retailer Kingfisher has lowered its upper guidance for its FY 22/23 pre-tax profit range despite seeing an increase in sales for the three months to October 31. The B&Q owner said it now expects its FY adjusted pre-tax profits to come in between £730m to £760m. However, overall…
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23 NovemberPeople Moves
The Fragrance Shop appoints Peter Cowgill as first NE chairman
The Fragrance Shop has announced former JD sports boss Peter Cowgill as its first ever non-executive chairman. Cowgill suddenly quit his role at JD in May and will take up this new role with immediate effect. He will work closely with CEO Sanjay Vadera and his leadership team. The appointment…
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23 NovemberNews
Pets at Home H1 profits dented by rising freight and energy costs
Pets at Home has seen underlying profit before tax fall by 9.3% to £59.2m in the first half of the year, largely driven by increased freight and energy costs over the period. According to the group, profits were also hit by a year-on-year increase in investment in digital assets, which…
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21 NovemberClothing & Shoes
H&M closes one in five UK stores amid sales hit
H&M has closed around one in five of its shops in the UK, according to The Mail on Sunday, as sales have continued to be impacted by changing consumer behaviour. The chain has reportedly closed 56 stores since its peak in the months before the pandemic, leaving only 192 outlets…
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18 NovemberEconomy
October sales rise 0.6% but remain behind pre-Covid levels
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that retail sales volumes rose by an estimated 0.6% in October, following a 1.5% drop in September, which the government body supposes was due to the additional bank holiday for the queen’s funeral. However, it is also reported that sales volumes dropped 2.4%…
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18 NovemberOnline & Digital
Job cuts will continue into 2023, warns Amazon CEO
Amazon has confirmed that further cuts to its workforce should be expected in 2023, as the group continues its annual operating planning review, following reports it was planning to cut up to 10,000 jobs. In an open letter to staff, CEO Andy Jassy said team leaders across the group were…
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17 NovemberSupermarkets
Lidl sees pre-tax profits quadruple to £41.1m
Budget supermarket chain Lidl has revealed its pre-tax profits quadrupled to £41.1m, up from £9.8m, during the year ending February 2022. Lidl also reported revenues of £7.8bn up from £7.7bn for FY20/21, a rise of 1.5%. This was also a 13% increase on its pre-pandemic revenue which was £6.9bn. The…
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16 NovemberComment
Consumers are feeling the pinch – but so are retailers. Can Black Friday even happen this year?
Black Friday traditionally marks the start of the festive shopping season, with big ticket promotions that seem to get bigger every year. Black Friday is now fast approaching, and many retailers are reassessing their strategies for this year’s event in light of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The cost-of-living crisis is…
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16 NovemberAdvice
Retail faces multiple challenges – A key one is fixing the data layer
As the UK consumer battles rising inflation, interest rates, scary heating bills and even considering back-up generators to avoid potential power cuts, retailers have needed to consistently up their games to maintain customer loyalty. On the supply side, the latest uncertainties are an unwelcome addition to the disruption from…
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15 NovemberSupermarkets
Supermarkets see sales improve as they head into Christmas
In the last four weeks supermarkets’ total till value growth increased to 5.3% from 4.7% last month, despite inflation accelerating and shoppers purchasing less, according to NielsenIQ data. Across the industry, it found average spend per visit increased to £18.50 compared with £18.20 last month but is still lower than…
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