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 -10 AugustLuxury Goods
Watches of Switzerland Q1 revenues soar 96.2%
Watches of Switzerland Group has revealed its revenues climbed 96.2% year-on-year to £297.5m for the 13 weeks ended 1 August 2021. Comprising £221.7m in UK revenues and £75.8m from US operations, the Q1 FY22 figure represents a 42.1% jump when compared to the same period in 2019. The group’s luxury…
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10 AugustGovernment
Bira in talks with metro mayors to help retailers post-pandemic
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has said it is involved in discussions with mayors of UK metropolitan cities to discuss “new ways” of supporting independent retailers post-pandemic. The talks, which are being led by the group’s CEO Andrew Goodacre, have been looking at support for reforms to business rates…
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9 AugustHR
Ocado to allow staff to work from anywhere for one month a year
Ocado has reportedly told its staff members that they can now work wherever they want, including abroad, for one month a year. According to The Times, the opportunity has arisen following numerous requests from employees at the online grocer who worked from home during the pandemic. The decision has supposedly…
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9 AugustAdvice
Retail in the age of data: What we can learn from Netflix
Have you ever wondered how Netflix ‘knows’ which movies to recommend? Or how does the entertainment giant choose themes for some of the most popular productions in the film industry? Data. Data. And some artificial intelligence (AI) – that would be the answer in a nutshell. Data lies at the…
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6 AugustEconomy
Scottish footfall remains subdued
Figures provided by the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Sensormatic IQ data. show footfall for retailers is down 27.1% in July on the same month in 2019. Scottish shopping centre footfall declined by 34.1% in July, while footfall in Glasgow was down 26.1% compared to the same month in 2019.…
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6 AugustProperty
Hammerson to redevelop empty retail units for new purposes
Hammerson has announced that it is looking to redevelop its empty retail units, with a medium to long-term view of using them for alternative uses, such as residential, hotels or workspaces. The landlord said there are opportunities to “reinvigorate the assets and grow revenue by filling void units, generating additional…
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5 AugustHigh Street
Mike Ashley confirms plans to step down as head of Frasers
Mike Ashely has confirmed that he will step down as head of Frasers Group, as the business revealed its most recent full year trading profits, which showed a 84.1% decrease in pre-tax profits due to Covid-19. The group which owns brands such as Jack Willis and Evan Cycles said that…
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4 AugustLuxury Goods
Hugo Boss reaches near-pre-pandemic sales levels
Hugo Boss has reported a near-return to pre-pandemic sales of €629m (£536m) in Q2 FY21, falling 4% when compared to the same quarter in 2019. The currency-adjusted figure represents a 133% year-on-year rise, with sales in group currency also climbing 129% from €275m (£235m) in Q2 FY20. The luxury fashion…
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4 AugustComment
Why the coming economic boom will be bigger than we think
The world has been turned upside down in the past 18 months, making predictions a tougher game than ever. Economists are used to using metrics like inflation, consumer spending or job markets to predict what would happen. In this new world of Covid, furlough and post-Brexit trade, traditional measures are…
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3 AugustClothing & Shoes
VF Corp H1 revenues soar 104% to $2.2bn
VF Corporation, the apparel and footwear group, saw revenues increase 104% year-on-year to $2.2bn (£1.58bn) in H1 FY22. The owner of Vans, The North Face, and Dickies also reported a swing to $324m (£232m) net income for the period, up from net losses of $286m (£205m) in FY21. In turn,…
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