Supply Chain
This coverage examines supply chain strategy and performance within the UK retail industry. Reporting highlights logistics innovation, inventory management, sourcing practices, supplier relations, technology adoption, and responses to disruption. Focused on efficiency, resilience, and commercial impact, it provides insights for retail executives and managers optimising operations and ensuring continuity.
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Mar- 2020 -19 MarchAnalysis
Huge increase in online sales across Italy offers hope for struggling retailers in the UK and Ireland
Global financial markets continue to suffer from the impact of coronavirus, with economists predicting the slowest rate of global growth since 2009. However, the current lockdown taking place in Italy has actually instigated a significant boom in e-commerce sales. With people quarantined at home, and schools, universities, theatres, cinemas, museums,…
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19 MarchHigh Street
Next warns on coronavirus despite full-year sales growth
Fashion retailer Next has warned that sales could plummet in the coming weeks and months as the UK battles the coronavirus pandemic, despite posting strong results for the year ended January 2020. Next full price sales were up 4% during the period, and brand total sales (including markdown sales) were…
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18 MarchNews
Morrisons ‘takes action’ amid coronavirus pandemic
Morrisons has announced its steps to take “immediate action” as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds. These include its promise for a pay guarantee for all “sick and affected” colleagues, and more flexibility around shifts and annual leave. It also announced plans to expand its online delivery capability to more than 100…
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17 MarchAdvice
Bracing for coronavirus’ impact on supply chain and e-commerce
As the coronavirus continues to spread across continents, new ramifications of the deadly outbreak are being revealed daily. Supply chain distribution With the quarantine of Wuhan, China, and more than a dozen other cities in a region known as a manufacturing hub, more than 45 days of manufacturing have been…
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13 MarchClothing & Shoes
Gap sales increase despite ‘challenging year’
Fashion retailer Gap has reported a 1% increase in net sales to $4.7bn (£3.7bn) in its fourth quarter results, despite a “challenging year”. Interim CEO Bob Fisher said the company began to see “stabilisation” in Q4, driven “primarily by improvements in Old Navy’s performance”. However, Gap, the parent company of…
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10 MarchHigh Street
DFS sales slide amid ‘challenging’ conditions
DFS has announced that its group revenue fell by 5.7% to £488m in the half-year period ended 29 December 2019. The furniture retailer said that such results were “as expected” against a “strong” comparative period, however, which was bolstered by “latent demand” and a higher opening order book. Meanwhile, gross…
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5 MarchClothing & Shoes
H&M launches global supply chain initiative
H&M announced it will be launching a new initiative to provide other retailers access to its global supply chain, in what it says is a bid to “accelerate sustainable change”. The initiative, entitled Treadler, will begin to offer access to its global supply chain as a service to external companies…
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4 MarchComment
Three tip for warehouse transformation
It wasn’t very long ago when fulfillment was described as: “Just logistics.” How times change. And with the speed and accuracy of deliveries enabling competitive advantage, warehousing is high on boardroom agendas. While this change is good news, it comes with challenges. Along with consumers’ expectations for ever faster delivery,…
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3 MarchHigh Street
Greggs hails ‘exceptional’ record-breaking year
Bakery chain Greggs has reported a 13.5% increase in total sales to £1.1m for the year ended 28 December 2019. In what was a ‘record-breaking’ year for the group, company-managed shop like-for-like sales were also up 9.2%. Pre-tax profit excluding pre-tax charge was up 27.2% to £114.2m, with an overall…
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Feb- 2020 -25 FebruaryHigh Street
Hotel Chocolat revenues soar in half-year results
British chocolatier Hotel Chocolat has reported a 14% increase in revenues to £91.7m for the half-year period ended 29 December 2019. The retailer said the strong sales growth reflected “continued brand appeal and ongoing product innovation”. It also opened nine new stores in the UK, bringing its portfolio to 125…
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