Scotland
This coverage explores retail developments and economic conditions across Scotland, featuring reporting on store openings and closures, regional sales trends, employment challenges, and policy decisions affecting the sector. Insights are tailored for retail managers and executives seeking to understand the specific dynamics shaping retail operations in Scottish markets.
-
Sep- 2018 -13 SeptemberHigh Street
New retail park specialising in ‘bulky goods’ to create 260 jobs
A new retail park in East Kilbride, Scotland specialising in “bulky goods” such as furniture, carpets, DIY, kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, beds and homeware, will create 260 jobs according to its developers. Peel Park is set to cost developers London & Scottish Investments (LSI) £35m stretching across 125,000 sq ft. The…
Read More » -
11 SeptemberComment
The escalating issue of ‘serial returners’
Retailers are already under intense pressure, from reduced margins to competition from online giants, and now they face another woe: the rise of the so-called ‘serial returners’, who deliberately buy more items than they intend to keep and return them days later. Brightpearl we recently surveyed 2,000 consumers across the…
Read More » -
4 SeptemberEconomy
Footfall ‘better than expected’ in August
Footfall fell by 4.1% in August compared with the same month last year, according to the Ipsos retail footfall tracker. Despite the drop, analysts described footfall levels as “better than expected” as the pace of year-on-year footfall decline slowed in August. Ipsos said this might be down to the success…
Read More » -
4 SeptemberClothing & Shoes
M&Co reports rocketing online sales
M&Co has reported a rapid rise in its online sales of 18.3% in the year to February which contributed to an overall sales rise of 5.4% up to £211.4m. The group saw pre-tax profit grow by £320,000 to over £3.6m, while like-for-like sales grew by 2.4% across the same period.…
Read More » -
Aug- 2018 -10 AugustHealth & Beauty
Superdrug brings HIV tests to the high street in UK first
HIV tests are available to purchase on the UK high street for the first time as health and beauty retailer Superdrug will now sell the BioSURE tests in its pharmacies. The self-testing kit retails for £33.99 and has been available online since 2015. It was the first legally approved test…
Read More » -
8 AugustHigh Street
New charity shop count shows over 11,000
New research into charity shop volume on UK high streets has found there are currently 11,249 charity outlets across the country. The research, which the Charity Retail Association (CRA) told Retail Sector was the “first of its kind”, found that England alone has 9,437 charity shops on its streets. CRA…
Read More » -
6 AugustHigh Street
Footfall drops in July as customers avoid high street in heatwave
The heatwave drew customers away from the high street in July, as footfall fell by 10.8% compared with the same month in 2017. According to the Ipsos Retail Traffic Index, footfall was down in all regions compared with July 2017 with Scotland and Northern Ireland seeing 6.5% less shoppers on…
Read More » -
2 AugustEconomy
Scotland sees ‘disappointing’ retail sales rise
Scottish government figures have found that retail sales in the country have risen by 0.3% between April and June compared with the three previous months. The UK as a whole saw a retail rise in sales volume of 2.8% according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the value of…
Read More » -
Jun- 2018 -13 JuneHigh Street
Almost 133,000 business rates appeals from 2010 still remain unresolved
More than 133,000 businesses are still waiting for an appeal of their business rates valuation from 2010 to be resolved, council leaders have revealed. The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils have been forced to divert £2.5bn away from stretched local services over the past five years to cover the…
Read More » -
4 JuneHigh Street
Footfall drops 8.6% as sunshine fails to attract shoppers
The UK high street saw an overall 8.6% year-on-year drop in footfall despite the warm May bank holidays, figures show. According to Ipsos’ UK Retail Traffic Weathermap, London and the south east saw the sharpest decline with 13.3% fewer shoppers on the high street compared with the same period last…
Read More »
