Productivity
This coverage explores productivity in the UK retail industry, focusing on workforce effectiveness, operational efficiency, process innovation, and cost control. Reporting provides insight into how retailers optimise resources and performance to remain competitive — supporting executives, managers, and professionals driving improvement initiatives.
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Nov- 2025 -11 NovemberComment
Flexible working: the new norm retailers can’t afford to ignore
Flexible working changed during the pandemic and for many it offered a newfound sense of balance. But five years on, flexibility is under pressure. Across the sector, “return-to-office” mandates are on the rise. John Lewis is one example, now requiring its commercial teams to spend “at least three days a…
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6 NovemberLuxury Goods
Watches of Switzerland HY revenues up 10% to £845m
Watches of Switzerland has revealed that its revenues rose 10% to £845m for the half year ended 26 October 2025. The retailer said that demand for luxury watches remained robust and continued to exceed supply, with consistent additions to and conversions of the client Registration of Interest lists. As a…
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Oct- 2025 -23 OctoberDIY
Wickes welcomes strong Q3 as retail sales rise 6.7%
Wickes has welcomed a “strong” Q3 as its retail sales outperformed the market, with group revenues up by 6.9% year-on-year to £420.1m, bolstered by volume-led growth. Retail revenues rose by 6.7% to £312.5m, driven by a sustained increase in volumes, combined with stable pricing, while Design and Installation revenue growth…
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23 OctoberEconomy
Usdaw welcomes 6.7% rise in real Living Wage
Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed a 6.7% increase in the real Living Wage, describing it as “a welcome boost for the lowest-paid workers”. It comes as the Living Wage Foundation announced yesterday (22 October) that the new rates will rise to £13.45 per hour across the UK and £14.80…
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Sep- 2025 -30 SeptemberHigh Street
Card Factory profits fall despite revenue uplift
Card Factory has announced that its adjusted profit-before-tax has fallen 46.4% to £7.5m for the six months ended 31 July, compared with £14m in HY25. The company put this down to the timing of efficiency-focused investments including an upgrade to its point of sale till system. Despite this, the group’s…
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22 SeptemberFeatures
Journey to AI: build strong foundations for retail success
While AI has been grabbing headlines and presenting a vision of what is to come, AI is real and effective right now, and it forms the keystone of the retail industry’s future. But for many businesses, the journey to AI feels like a daunting one. Fragmented data systems, legacy processes,…
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22 SeptemberSupermarkets
Asda announces renewed AI and Cloud Collaboration with Microsoft
Asda has agreed a new collaboration deal with Microsoft, marking one of the largest technology deals in UK retail, which will see it accelerate Asda’s transition to a cloud-first operational model, powered by Microsoft’s artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The supermarket giant said Microsoft Azure will “serve as the…
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18 SeptemberHigh Street
Next CEO warns UK economy faces ‘anaemic growth’ despite HY profit uplift
Next has revealed that its profit-before-tax rose 13.8% to £515m for the half year ended July 2025 as its CEO warned that the UK is facing “anemic growth”. It comes as the group’s revenues rose 10.3% to £3.25bn, helped by favourable weather and business gained during the M&S cyber attack…
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Aug- 2025 -28 AugustComment
How retailers can keep frontline staff from feeling undervalued and overstressed
In retail, the shop floor is where the customer experience comes to life. It’s where expectations are met — or missed. Yet for decades, frontline employees, the people most directly responsible for shaping that experience, have often been left without the tools, recognition, and support they need to thrive. For…
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14 AugustEconomy
UK quarterly GDP beats expectations despite slowdown
UK GDP grew 0.3% in the three months to June, behind the 0.7% it grew in the first quarter, as a result of US tariffs and higher business costs, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, it is better than expected growth as economists polled by…
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