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 -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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15 NovemberEconomy
Unemployment rate rises to 3.6%
The unemployment rate for July to September 2022 increased by 0.2% on the quarter to 3.6, according to the latest statistics from the ONS. The UK employment rate for July to September 2022 was 75.5%, largely unchanged from the previous quarter and 1.1% lower than before the coronavirus pandemic. Over…
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11 NovemberDIY
The Works sales rise in H1 despite online slowdown
The Works has reported total sales for the half-year increased by 2.1%, with total like-for-like sales having increased 0.6%. Store trading was also positive, having increased by 3.5% on a like-for-like basis. However, the group’s online sales declined by 16.9% over the period, though results show it is still 50%…
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