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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Jun- 2021 -15 JuneOnline & Digital
BNPL spending to reach $1trn by 2026
Global spending through buy-now-pay-later schemes is set to reach $995bn (£705bn) by 2026, up from $266bn (£188bn) in 2021, according to a new study from Juniper Research. The 274% growth will reportedly be fuelled by a “greater appetite” from users for credit to spread costs when purchasing, especially as the…
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11 JuneGovernment
Bira calls for extension of Gov’s TCR scheme
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) is calling for an extension in the government’s Trade Credit Reinsurance (TCR) scheme. CEO of Bira, Andrew Goodacre said the removal of the scheme as planned on June 30, 2021, could “not come at a worse time for independent retailers”. In May, the government…
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11 JuneDepartment Stores
Selfridges owners considering £4bn sale
The owners of Selfridges department store, The Weston family, are reportedly considering a £4bn sale of the property. According to reports first revealed by React News, the Weston family have been approached by an unknown buyer and have lined up Credit Suisse as advisers to explore a potential sale. It…
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11 JuneEntertainment
Hornby sales soar as lockdown drives hobbies
Hornby has announced that revenue soared by 28% to £48.5m in the year ended 31 March 2021, up from £38.7m the year before, as lockdown saw that the “old adage that people turn to hobbies in times of recession proved correct”. The group returned to profit for the first time…
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11 JuneOnline & Digital
Naked Wines sees revenues soar 68%
Naked Wines has seen its revenues increase by 68% to £340.2m in the year ending 29 March 2021 – following a surge in new customers and sales. In a trading update, the pure play e-commerce wine retailer thanked an “accelerated shift” in online wine purchasing due to Covid-19 for the…
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11 JuneEconomy
Retail sector boosted by ‘buoyant’ sales
The UK’s retail sector in May has been boosted by “buoyant” sales, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Over the period, sales increased by 10% on a year-on-two-years basis, against a decline of 2.7% in May 2019. This represents a rise from the three-month average growth of 8.5%. Due…
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10 JuneHigh Street
Card Factory swings to £16.4m loss in 2020
Card Factory has reported a pre-tax loss of £16.4m for the full-year ending 31 January 2021, down from £65.2m profit the previous year, as the company continued to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing lockdowns. Revenue plummeted 36.9% to £285.1m in the period, down from £451.5m in 2020,…
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10 JuneDepartment Stores
DFS FY21 revenues climb 10.4%
DFS Furniture has revealed its revenues increased by 10.4% during the first 49 weeks of FY21 when compared to FY19 levels. In a trading announcement made ahead of the group’s full-year results on 27 June 2021, the furniture retailer claimed that it expects profit before tax for the period to…
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9 JuneCoronavirus
RSM retail head calls for ‘more flexible furlough scheme’
Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM, has called for a more “flexible furlough scheme” to allow retailers to “manage peaks and troughs of activity”, as the UK comes out of lockdown. In her plea, which comes ahead of the government’s coronavirus select committee this afternoon, Baker said that retailers…
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9 JuneHigh Street
May sees online retail sales fall 9.1%, latest data reveals
Online retail sales fell 9.1% year-on-year last month compared with 2020 which saw a growth of 61% according to the latest IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index. Despite this, when measured against May 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, last month’s figures represent an overall 46% increase in sales volume. At a category level,…
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