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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Sep- 2024 -23 SeptemberNews
Today’s news in brief-23/9/24
Frasers Group is facing audit issues with two brands, I Saw It First and Choice, revealing significant payroll data discrepancies. Auditors struggled to verify £7m in payments for I Saw It First due to lost data during system transitions. Similarly, Hart Shaw encountered missing crucial information for Choice. These revelations…
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23 SeptemberClothing & Shoes
Hugo Boss profits drop to £12.3m in FY23
Hugo Boss has reported a 50% decline in profits to £12.3m and a 39% decrease in operating profit to £19.7m for the year ended 31 December 2023. Its turnover also decreased by 3% during the year to £392m. Retail sales decreased from £206.9m to £204.2m, while wholesale turnover dropped from…
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6 SeptemberNews
Today’s news in brief-6/9/24
Burberry, a fixture in the FTSE 100 for the past 15 years, has been demoted to the FTSE 250 following a steep decline in its share price, which has plummeted by around 50% over the last six months. The luxury fashion house has been hit hard by a slowdown in…
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6 SeptemberGovernment
CBI boss calls for gov to fix ‘antiquated’ rates system
CBI CEO Rain Newton-Smith has called on the government to fix the “antiquated” business rates rules in England to boost investment and grow the economy. Ahead of the Autumn Budget, the CBI convened firms from 12 sectors, including retail and manufacturing, to develop cross-economy solutions for a competitive and transparent…
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Aug- 2024 -19 AugustSupermarkets
Morrisons hit by raft of senior staff departures
Morrisons has been hit by an “exodus” of senior staff after seven directors left the supermarket over the summer, including convenience director Miles Foster, property director Mark Nowak and productivity director Jonathan Bell, according to the Sunday Times. The news comes after almost a third of the top 60 employees…
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8 AugustOnline & Digital
Asos secures three-year Microsoft deal to expand AI use
Online fashion retailer Asos has signed a new three-year agreement with Microsoft in a bid to enhance its operations, efficiency and “data-driven” decision making. The news comes as Asos has already taken advantage of AI features integrated into Microsoft solutions, including process automation through Power Automate, Teams Premium, and Microsoft…
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6 AugustSupermarkets
Sainsbury’s to ‘transform customer experience’ with new AI deal
Sainsbury’s has announced it has signed a seven-year deal with NCR Voyix to help “transform its shopping experience”. The deal will see the supermarket upgrade its checkout technology by rolling out the NCR Voyix Commerce Platform, Point of Sale Solutions (POS) and Next Generation Self-Checkout systems to 22,500 checkouts. Sainsbury’s…
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5 AugustFeatures
All aboard for retail’s automation revolution
The retail sector stands at the cusp of a transformation. In an era where economic uncertainty reigns, consumer demand remains unpredictable, yet the expectation for personalized service is unwavering and intensifying.Retailers are grappling with stubborn inflation, supply chain disruptions, and escalating costs, all of which are eroding already thin margins.…
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2 AugustClothing & Shoes
Hugo Boss sees profits and revenues fall in Q2
Hugo Boss has reported a 42% drop in operating profit (EBIT) to €70m (£59m) in Q2 2024 due to lower revenues in the three month period as well as higher operating expenses. Its sales also dropped by 1% to €1.01bn (£858.5m) and EBIT margin decreased by 490 basis points to…
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Jul- 2024 -30 JulyFeatures
How retailers can prepare for the golden quarter
This is a pivotal time for retailers. With just months to go until the “golden quarter” running up to Christmas, staff have their hands full showcasing products to buyers and influencers, while IT managers do their best to build resilience into back-end systems ahead of the seasonal surge in web…
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