Waitrose
This coverage examines Waitrose’s operations, strategy, and position within the UK retail market. Reporting includes store performance, product innovation, supply chain developments, marketing initiatives, sustainability efforts, and leadership decisions. With a focus on commercial impact and competitive strategy, it provides actionable insights for retail executives, managers, and professionals engaged in grocery and premium food retailing.
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Jan- 2020 -9 JanuaryDepartment Stores
John Lewis boss steps down amid poor Christmas sales
John Lewis Partnership has announced its managing director, Paula Nickolds, will step down amid “weak” sales over the Christmas period. Nickolds has worked at the company for 25 years, and will step down from the board in February. The group said she had “played a central role” in a variety…
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Dec- 2019 -13 DecemberAnalysis
Should retailers be banking on the concept store?
Pop-up and concept stores could be key to boosting profitability over the festive season and throughout the year ahead, allowing businesses to take advantage of growing appetite for experiential retail, particularly at key trading periods. But are these agile stores likely to stick around or is it a case of…
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12 DecemberSupermarkets
Ocado sees sales slow in Q4
Online supermarket Ocado has revealed that sales its sales growth had slowed slightly in Q4, coming in line with its expectations at 10.8%. For the 13-week period ending 1 December, Ocado’s revenues reached £429.1m, down from third quarter growth of 11.4%, after it was revealed that a 10.4% growth in…
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Nov- 2019 -18 NovemberDepartment Stores
John Lewis and Waitrose to launch first ever concept store
John Lewis and Waitrose have announced the launch of a new ‘concept’ store, set to open in Southampton later this week. The John Lewis Partnership said the store hopes to create “experience playgrounds” for customers, with greater focus on increasing hands-on experiences whilst shopping. The store will incorporate multiple new…
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Oct- 2019 -25 OctoberTechnology
Robots could take half a million UK retail jobs within the next five years
UK retail is set to lose over half a million jobs to robots, according to the 2019 Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey. According to the study, the move towards automating the retail sector is being “driven from the top”, with almost half (44%) of IT leaders reporting that using automation to…
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1 OctoberHigh Street
John Lewis announces wave of senior job cuts
The John Lewis Partnership has announced a wave of senior job cuts as part of a new plan that will see both John Lewis and Waitrose managed and operated as a single business. It is anticipated that there will be a reduction of around 75 senior management head office roles…
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Sep- 2019 -24 SeptemberComment
The rise of loyalty schemes in the retail sector
E-vouchers are increasing in popularity. While at a relatively steady pace, the sector has grown 10% over the past two years. Hawk Incentives recently published The Loyalty Evolution Report which looked at customer loyalty and what’s driving it. Currently a massive 82% of Brits subscribe to at least one loyalty…
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12 SeptemberDepartment Stores
John Lewis warns of no-deal Brexit amid £26m loss
John Lewis Partnership has reported a loss of £25.9m for the first half of the year, warning that a no-deal Brexit may lead to “significant” impact it may not be able to mitigate. For the half-year period ending 27 July 2019, the department store chain revealed that revenues slipped by…
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11 SeptemberHigh Street
Most valuable UK retailers ‘falling behind’ global rivals, study finds
The value growth of the UK’s top retail brands is “falling behind” that of the leading global retail brands, according to Kantar’s ‘2019 BrandZTM Top 75 Most Valuable UK Brands’ ranking. While the UK retailers in the Top 75 grew their combined value by 4% over the last year, their…
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Aug- 2019 -30 AugustAdvice
Looking beyond a loyalty card
Conventional loyalty schemes can work, there’s no doubt about that. Among consumers using loyalty programmes, almost half (47%) spend more with a brand whose scheme they are a member of (YouGov). But shoppers have long since become savvy about the true value of loyalty schemes for them. According to TCC…
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