Productivity

Halfords profits rise 6.4% to £38.4m in FY25

Halfords has reported that its underlying profit before tax rose 6.4% to £38.4m for the year ended 28 March 2025, above the previously guided £32m to £37m range. Alongside this, its group sales rose 2.5% on a like-for-like basis while its overall revenues inched up 0.1% to £1.72bn. However, the…

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John Lewis Partnership to reduce staff committee to boost efficiency

The John Lewis Partnership is set to cut its partnership council by a quarter this autumn, reducing the number of members from 57 to 43, according to reports from The Telegraph. The committee is an important part of the partnership’s democratic structure as staff that are elected to the council…

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One in 10 part-time retail jobs at risk by 2028, warns BRC

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that around 160,000, or more than one in 10, part-time retail roles are in danger of being lost over the next three years. The warning follows a new report published by the BRC which lays bare the threats to retail employment, which has…

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Lidl, Halfords and The Range repay staff over minimum wage breach

Lidl, Halfords and The Range are among a number of UK companies named and shamed by the Department for Business and Trade for paying some workers less than minimum wage between 2015 and 2022. Lidl failed to pay £286,437.18 to 3,423 workers, Halfords failed to pay £140,829.79 to 4,341 workers…

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Retailers at risk: how cyber threats are shaping the future of commerce

In recent weeks two major UK retailers – Marks and Spencer and Co-op – have fallen victim to high-profile cyber attacks that sent ripples through the entire retail sector. These breaches were a stark reminder that no company, no matter how established or trusted, is immune from cyber threats.  As…

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Hugo Boss holds guidance despite 2% fall in Q1 sales to €999m

Hugo Boss is maintaining its sales outlook for the year, despite having reported that sales fell by 2% to €999m (£850m) during the first quarter of 2025.  Q1 sales dipped by 1% in both EMEA and the Americas. In the Asia Pacific region, sales dropped by 8% due to persistently…

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Card Factory sales and profits rise in FY25 amid growth strategy

Card Factory has welcomed a year of “resilient” trading, with both revenues and profits rising as the group implemented its growth strategy and expanded its store portfolio and product offerings over the period.  In the full-year ended 31 January 2025, adjusted profit before tax rose by 6.3% to £66m, while…

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Retail’s staffing crisis: why jobs are disappearing and what’s next

Across the UK, retail employment remains 5% below pre-pandemic levels, according to Deputy’s Big Shift 2025 report. The decline is steady, pushed along by automation, e-commerce, and shifting worker expectations. In contrast, London’s hospitality sector is booming – fuelled by the city’s night-time economy, now worth a quarter of all…

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JD Sports FY PBT to meet expectations

JD Sports has revealed that it expects its FY26 profit-before-tax to be in line with analysts expectations at £920m, but has warned that the year will be “challenging” due to market volatility and tariffs. The retailer also expects its total revenue to grow around 10% due to the impact of…

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Why the hiring experience in retail is so key

In retail, the customer experience is paramount, and justifiably so. However, this can be dependent on the ability and enthusiasm of frontline staff. Strongly influencing their aptitude and desire to fulfil their roles in this way, is the experience that they themselves have when applying for their positions. How they…

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