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 -13 AugustHigh Street
UK charities turning to selling online to ‘plug’ funding gap, report finds
UK charities are turning to online shop sales to help plug a large funding gap in the wake of the pandemic, according to data from the Charity Retail Association (CRA). The data found that the average charity shop in the UK lost over £33,000 in income when high streets closed…
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13 AugustSupermarkets
McColl’s H1 losses widen to £2.1m
McColl’s Retail Group, the convenience shop and newsagent operator, saw its losses before tax widen to £2.1m for the 26-week period ended 30 May 2021, up from H1 FY20’s £500,000 losses. The company also reported a 5.3% year-on-year fall to total revenues of £572.7m in H1 FY21. McColl’s claimed that the…
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13 AugustSupply Chain
Dixons Carphone launches campaign for 7.5t drivers
Dixons Carphone has announced a nationwide campaign to recruit, retain and retrain 7.5t drivers across the UK. It comes as a response to the current industry-wide shortage of drivers, and will see the group offer a sign-on bonus of £1,500 to new 7.5t drivers as well as paying a £1,500…
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12 AugustClothing & Shoes
Gerry Weber sees H1 sales fall 23.4% to £91m
Women’s fashion brand Gerry Weber saw group sales fall 23.4% year-on-year to €107.7m (£91.2m) in H1 FY21. Gross profits at the group also declined 18% to 67.3m for the six month period, compared to H1 FY20’s €81.6m (£69.1m). However, due to lower costs in the period, the fashion retailer reduced…
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12 AugustHigh Street
Pret a Manger staff to consider strike action over pay cuts
Pret a Manger staff are reportedly considering strike action after the temporary reduction in pay they suffered during the lockdown period was going to be made permanent. According to The Guardian, staff were told the reductions that were first installed last year, including not being paid for breaks and service…
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12 AugustAdvice
Building customer experiences that evolve with the user
The Covid-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst in the growth of online sales for the retail sector – which for some companies was a move they simply, and understandably, were not prepared for. This unprecedented shift to online meant that a basic e-commerce function on a website in many cases…
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12 AugustEconomy
UK economy surges 4.8% in June
The UK economy grew by 4.8% in June as Covid-19 restrictions surrounding retail and leisure were eased across the UK, according to figures published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown for a fifth consecutive month in June 2021, by 1.0%,…
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11 AugustSupermarkets
Morrisons to close on Boxing Day for the first time ever
Bosses at Morrisons have told staff they can have Boxing Day off this year as a thank you for their hard work during the Covid-19 pandemic. The supermarket made the announcement to its 111,000 workers today. The news comes just weeks before the conclusion of a takeover battle that will…
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11 AugustOnline & Digital
Online retail sales decline eases in July, IMRG finds
The IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index released today has found that after recording the steepest drops in history for two months in a row, the fall in online retail sales appears to be slowing, which could reportedly signal a return to stability in the near future. The report, which tracks…
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10 AugustHigh Street
July sales increase 6.4% but remain below yearly average
On a total basis, sales increased by 6.4% in July, against a growth of 3.2% in July 2020, according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG retail sales monitor. Despite the rise in sales, however, the monitor found that this was below the three-month average growth of 14.7% and the…
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