Wales
This coverage highlights retail developments and economic trends specific to Wales, examining store openings and closures, regional sales performance, employment issues, and policy changes affecting the retail sector. Reporting provides retail managers and executives with insights into the unique challenges and opportunities shaping retail operations across Welsh towns and cities.
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Feb- 2021 -18 FebruarySupermarkets
Iceland sacks director over offensive comments about Wales
Iceland has sacked its director of corporate affairs, Keith Hann, after he made a series of offensive comments about Wales. Hann who joined the supermarket in 2017 was fired from his position after he stated on Twitter: “Your periodic reminder that the inhabitants of the UK’s Celtic fringe loath all…
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Jan- 2021 -19 JanuaryHigh Street
Footfall continues to decline but stays above Lockdown 1 levels
Footfall across UK retail destinations declined by -10.9% last week from the week before, but has managed to stay above levels seen during the first lockdown last year. According to the latest data from Springboard, the 10% decline was less than half the drop of -27.1% in the previous week.…
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Dec- 2020 -24 DecemberCoronavirus
Boxing Day sales set to plummet for third year in a row
Retailers must prepare to be “hard hit” during this year’s Boxing Day sales period, with spending expected to be down for the third year in a row, according to a new retail report by VoucherCodes.co.uk. Its latest Shopping for Christmas 2020 report, carried out by the Centre for Retail Research,…
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17 DecemberCoronavirus
Non-essential retail to close in Wales
The First Minister of Wales has confirmed that the country will move to alert level four amid rising Covid-19 cases, with all non-essential retail ordered to close at the end of trading on Christmas Eve. Close contact services and all leisure and fitness centres will also close on 24 December,…
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7 DecemberAdvice
Re-energising retail in 2021: Three challenges and one solution
The story of retail in 2020 is one of extreme contrasts. On the one hand, the Amazons, Asos and supermarket operators of the world have all enjoyed tremendous success; on the other, almost every other segment of the industry has been decimated. More than 11,000 chain outlets shut in the…
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1 DecemberCoronavirus
Footfall surges for second week thanks to Black Friday
Footfall on Black Friday increased by 8.7%, helping to mark the first time since late August that the figures have increased in two consecutive weeks, according to the latest data from Springboard. The data shows that footfall in the UK rose by 4.8% across all retail destinations last week, which…
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Nov- 2020 -20 NovemberSupermarkets
Aldi expands delivery trial to 130 stores
Aldi has announced it is expanding its on-demand delivery trial with Deliveroo to 130 stores across the UK, with the service set to now be available in Scotland and Wales. Last month, the supermarket chain confirmed it had expanded the trial to 42 stores, including sites in Bristol and Liverpool.…
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17 NovemberCoronavirus
Lockdown footfall ‘more resilient’ than in March
Footfall across UK retail destinations showed signs of resilience when compared with the first national lockdown last week, with footfall 57.7% lower than the same week in 2019, according to the latest figures from Springboard. Springboard said this is “demonstrably more resilient” than it was in the first complete week…
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16 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Arcadia Group enters ‘urgent’ borrowing talks
Arcadia Group, the parent company of Topshop, has reportedly entered “urgent” borrowing talks in a bid to secure funding and “aid its survival prospects”. According to Sky News, the group, owned by Sir Philip Green, has sought several potential lenders in its efforts to borrow around £30m to support the…
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6 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Superdry H1 revenues fall 23.3%
Superdry has announced that total revenue fell by 23.3% in the half-year period ended 24 October 2020, reflecting the challenging trading environment attributed to the continued disruption from Covid-19. Like-for-like store trading in the last six weeks of H1 was down 32.4%, with UK trade impacted by continued social distancing…
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