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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Mar- 2022 -3 MarchComment
Why buying into digital transformation makes good business sense for retailers
It’s an understatement to say that COVID-19 – and the restrictions imposed on businesses as a result of it – have triggered change within the retail sector. Over 15,000 shops and 188,000 retail jobs were lost in the first twelve months of the pandemic, and 2020 has since been confirmed…
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2 MarchComment
Live shopping: a fad or the future of retail?
Just a few short years ago the concept of live-stream shopping felt somewhat like an anachronism, conjuring up visions of the ‘teleshopping’ trend of yesteryear, in the days before online shopping had become the consumer norm. But, in recent years, the concept has been entirely reinvented. The live shopping phenomenon…
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2 MarchEconomy
Retail is the UK’s fastest growing sector, Companies House data reveals
A total of 119,948 new retail businesses were founded in 2021, with 46,972 of the businesses comprising online e-commerce start-ups and 7,965 new clothes shops, overtaking any other industry. According to research by Yell Business, 16% of all new businesses founded last year were in retail, making it the fastest…
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Feb- 2022 -28 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
Primark H1 sales surge 60%
Associated British Foods (ABF) said it expects sales and adjusted operating profit to be ahead of the pre-Covid levels that were achieved in H1 of FY20 for the 24 weeks to 5 March 2022, driven by an expected 60% increase in sales at Primark. Like-for-like sales improved compared to Q4…
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28 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
Asda confirms £27.8m pay bonus for staff
Asda has confirmed that 103,000 hourly-paid store colleagues across the UK will share a £27.8m bonus pot in February’s pay packet, after working through what the company called ‘challenging circumstances’ during the pandemic. While the amount each colleague receives depends on their individual circumstances, the average bonus for a store…
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24 FebruaryComment
Why retail sector leaders need to adopt a transformational mindset
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused untold disruption to the business world, turning it completely on its head. It has changed long-established working practices, the fortunes of entire industries and even deeply embedded mindsets. With all the uncertainty that began in early 2020, some retail leaders have, quite understandably, lost a…
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23 FebruaryClothing & Shoes
Ted Baker Q4 sales jump 35%
Ted Baker Plc has announced its group sales increased 35% year-on-year in the 12-week period from 7 November 2021 to 29 January 2022 (Q4), and up from 18% reported in Q3, despite Omicron headwinds. Compared to pre-pandemic levels for the period, retail sales were running at -10% before Omicron warnings,…
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23 FebruaryHigh Street
New report indicates extent of high street challenge, says Bira
A report released by PwC about a study on how the high street is fairing shows how “challenging the high street continues to be”, according to The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira). The report, released this week, highlighted how store closures for chains and multiples slowed versus the last two…
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21 FebruaryEconomy
Bira welcomes sales rise, but warns ‘all is not well’
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has said it is “pleased to see a rise in retail sales”, but warned retailers against “falling into the trap of thinking all is well”. It was commenting on the recently released figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the UK retail…
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18 FebruaryEconomy
Overseas appetite soars for UK retail sector M&A
Overseas interest has created a surge in deal activity in the UK retail sector in 2021, with overseas acquirors presenting 43% of deals across the year, which is reportedly the highest level of activity seen in a decade. According to research from Grant Thornton UK, this is a “significant” increase…
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