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 -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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9 JuneLuxury Goods
LVMH launches £26m global support fund for employees
LVMH has announced the launch of its Heart Fund, a global emergency and support fund for its 150,000 employees, with an initial endowment of €30m (£25.7m). The group has implemented the fund with the aim of supporting all its staff around the world who are faced with a “serious personal…
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9 JuneOnline & Digital
Toy retailer secures seven-figure funding package
A Manchester-based online children’s toy and games retailer has secured a seven-figure funding package from HSBC UK to support its expansion plans. Bargainmax.co.uk is planning to use the money to increase its product range and stock by over 60% in the next year. Currently, the toy brand offers over 2,500…
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8 JuneHigh Street
Half term and warm weather boosts footfall
Footfall across UK retail destinations rose by 11.6% last week from the week before, including a 17.4% increase in high streets, according to the latest figures from Springboard. Across last week Springboard also found a 8.7% increase in footfall in shopping centres and a 2.3% increase in retail parks. In…
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8 JuneSupermarkets
Tesco reveals new pay deal increasing hourly rate by 2.7%
Tesco has announced a new pay deal for hourly-paid store and customer fulfilment centre (CFC) colleagues which will see their hourly rates increase 2.7% from £9.30 to £9.55 from 5 September 2021. The one-year pay deal has been developed in partnership with the stores elected Usdaw colleague representatives and Usdaw…
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8 JuneGovernment
Gov launches new workers’ rights watchdog to clamp down on abuse
The department for business, energy and industrial strategy has announced that a new watchdog will be created to protect the rights of UK workers. The news follows several calls from trade bodies which have been advocating for workers’ protective rights since the pandemic saw an 80% spike in verbal abuse.…
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8 JuneHigh Street
Majority of young shoppers name social media as gateway to local retailers
Over a third (37%) of shoppers have named social media as one of the primary ways they would discover a new local retailer, a number which rose to 55% for 18-34-year-olds. The findings come from a new survey commissioned by NFU Mutual, which has partnered with Maybe to provide retail…
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8 JuneHigh Street
Consumer spending up 7.6% in May
Consumer spending rose by 7.6% in May compared to the same period in 2019, the highest level of growth since coronavirus restrictions began. According to new data from Barclaycard, spending on essential items grew 11.4% compared to May 2019, the sharpest increase since before the onset of the pandemic. This…
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7 JuneAdvice
How retailers can reduce returns through the use of Google Shopping and AR
The pandemic has significantly accelerated the adoption of e-commerce, with the total proportion of UK online sales remaining considerably higher than pre-lockdown levels. In fact, research has found that digital sales in 2020 accounted for a third of total retail sales in the UK for the first time ever. By…
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