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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Aug- 2021 -18 AugustAdvice
In-store retail is due for a comeback: how to succeed in the post-vax reopening
Bricks and mortar retail has had a difficult year, and while the situation is improving as vaccines roll out, it’s clear that business as usual is still a long way off. The sector is still reeling from the impact of the Covid crisis, and retailers of every size have been…
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18 AugustSport & Leisure
Angling Direct sees 19.5% H1 revenue rise
Angling Direct, the fishing tackle and equipment retailer, saw revenues rise 19.5% year-on-year to £38.4m in H1 FY22. The figure for the six months ended 31 July 2021 represents a 44.8% spike when compared to H1 FY20’s £26.5m revenues. Physical retail sales comprised 51.8% of total group sales during the…
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18 AugustEconomy
Inflation slows to 2% in July
Inflation slowed to 2% in July down from 2.5% the previous month, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). It found that clothing and footwear, and a variety of recreational goods and services made the largest downward contributions to the change, with inflation now hitting…
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18 AugustClothing & Shoes
Bravissimo FY20 revenues plummet 30.5%
Lingerie retailer Bravissimo has reported a 30.5% year-on-year decline in group revenues to £41.9m in FY20. The group also saw losses before tax widen to £4.4m for the year to 31 October 2021, up from losses of £628,000 the previous year. Net assets also decreased from £14.7m to £10m in…
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17 AugustHigh Street
RSC to tackle sustainably amongst retailers with new initiative
The UK’s Retail Sector Council (RSC) has announced the launch of a national online initiative to help small independent retailers cut their carbon footprint and become more environmentally friendly. Led by RSC member Victoria Robertshaw and receiving ministerial support, Green Street is an informative and accessible hub, built by retailers…
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17 AugustAnalysis
Consumers prefer face to face when it comes to buying cosmetics
There’s no doubting e-commerce’s convenience. Next-day delivery used to be the pinnacle of fast, efficient service but with the growing range of same-day delivery options and even within-the-hour services in the grocery space, any whim can be sated in a matter of minutes. But convenience isn’t everything and despite e-commerce…
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17 AugustHealth & Beauty
The Body Shop owner sees revenue rise 36.2% in Q2
Natura and Co, the Brazilian owner of The Body Shop, saw consolidated net revenues grow 36.2% year-on-year to R$9.5bn (£1.3bn) in Q2 FY21. The group also reported an adjusted EBITDA of R$811.2m (£111.8m) in the quarter at a margin of 8.5%, as “inflationary pressures in the quarter were largely offset…
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17 AugustSupermarkets
Grocery sales fall 4% as pre pandemic habits return
Grocery sales fell by 4.0% during the 12 weeks to 8 August 2021 compared with the same time last year as consumers have started to return to pre-pandemic spending habits, according to the latest figures from Kantar. In the shorter term, Kantar found sales are declining much more slowly: by…
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17 AugustEconomy
Unemployment falls to 4.7% as job vacancies hit record high
UK unemployment fell to 4.7% for the quarter to 30 June 2021, a drop of 0.2% when compared to the previous three month period. According to the ONS, this was coupled by a 0.3% rise in the UK employment rate to 75.1% in the same period, closing the gap with…
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13 AugustDepartment Stores
Harrods to remove plastic carrier bags
Harrods has announced plans to remove all plastic carrier bags from across its stores from next month. The announcement forms part of Harrods’ wider plastic reduction strategy. The luxury department store said the bags would be replaced with a sustainably-sourced paper carrier bag made from 40 per cent recycled materials,…
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