Turnaround
Turnaround in the UK retail sector refers to the strategies and interventions businesses deploy to recover from financial distress, operational challenges, or market disruption. For store owners, retail executives, and supply chain professionals, understanding turnaround efforts is crucial to navigating periods of change and identifying opportunities for growth or collaboration. Retail Sector’s coverage of turnaround includes breaking news on struggling retailers, analysis of restructuring plans, insights into leadership changes, and case studies of successful recovery strategies. We provide retail professionals with the information they need to anticipate market shifts, assess risks, and learn from the operational and strategic decisions driving transformation across physical stores, ecommerce, and omnichannel retail.
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Mar- 2025 -11 MarchClothing & Shoes
Boohoo rebrands to Debenhams Group
Boohoo has announced that it is rebranding as Debenhams Group, having rescued the high street department store out of administration in 2021 and initially relaunched it as an online-only business. News of the rebrand comes as Boohoo incurred a one-off non-cash cost of roughly £40m on surplus stock in its…
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10 MarchNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-10/3/25
WH Smith is nearing a decision on the sale of its high street business, with two bidders, Alteri Investors and Modello Capital, remaining in the race. The retailer, which has seen its Travel business outperform high street outlets, confirmed in January it was exploring strategic options, including a potential sale.…
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10 MarchSupermarkets
Asda eyes sale of car parking space to finance debt
Asda has reportedly launched a process to sell off almost 10 acres of car parking space as a way to reduce its debt, according to The Telegraph. Newsteer, which is advising Asda on the sales, has informed potential developers that Asda has identified surplus space at its stores in Slough,…
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3 MarchNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-3/3/25
Asda is set to scrap bonuses for over 10,000 managers as part of cost-cutting measures amid challenging trading conditions. The decision comes shortly after chairman Allan Leighton returned to lead the supermarket after more than two decades, aiming to steer a turnaround for the struggling retailer. Leighton has already initiated…
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3 MarchSupermarkets
Asda to scrap 10,000 bonuses for managers amid cost-cutting plans
Asda is reportedly set to axe the bonuses of thousands of workers as it looks to cut costs amid troubled trading. According to The Telegraph, more than 10,000 managers were told that they will not receive the payouts, having usually expected to receive bonuses in the first three months of each…
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Feb- 2025 -19 FebruaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-19/2/25
Inflation in the UK reached its highest level in 10 months, hitting 3% in January 2025, up from 2.5% in December 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Key drivers included rising air fares, private school fees, and food and drink prices. Air fares did not fall as…
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19 FebruaryPeople Moves
UK retail CEO appointments fall sharply as female leadership halves
UK retail CEO appointments dropped by 20% in 2024 to just 22, continuing a decade-long decline in leadership appointments within the sector, according to a new report by Korn Ferry. The country also saw a halving of the number of female CEOs, with only six being appointed in retail in…
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6 FebruaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-6/2/25
Tesco is reportedly considering a takeover of over 100 Crown Post Office branches, potentially safeguarding them from closure as the state-owned Post Office reviews its directly managed network. Post Office chairman Nigel Railton informed MPs that Tesco expressed interest in acquiring the loss-making branches, part of a broader strategic review…
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6 FebruaryPeople Moves
Asda recruits former Matalan CEO as non-exec director
Asda has announced the appointment of Jo Whitfield, the former CEO of Matalan, to the role of non-executive director. Until last year, she led Matalan’s business turnaround strategy and a refocus on value. Whitfield, who has previously spent eight years with Asda and its clothing brand George from 2008, had…
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Jan- 2025 -30 JanuaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-30/1/25
Retail crime in the UK has surged to record levels, with theft losses hitting £2.2bn in 2023/24, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The trade body warned that organised crime groups are “systematically” targeting stores, while violence and abuse against retail workers spiked by over 50%, averaging 2,000 incidents…
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