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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Aug- 2025 -6 AugustSupermarkets
Aldi to open one new store a week for rest of 2025
Aldi is set to open one new store a week between now and the end of the year, expanding its UK presence with a wave of new sites and refurbishments. The discounter, now the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket, has already confirmed several openings over the next two months, including in Fulham…
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5 AugustShopping Centres
Network Rail sees retail sales hit record £915m in 2024/25
Network Rail has reported that its 19 managed stations saw retail sales rise by a “record” 8.7% to £914.7m in 2024/25, driven by growth and convenience outlets. During the period, like-for-like sales rose 5.8%, with London Waterloo generating £107.5m and London Bridge £100.1m, making them the first two stations in…
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1 AugustClothing & Shoes
Next acquires Seraphine brand out of administration
Next has acquired the brand and intellectual property of maternity fashion retailer Seraphine, following its collapse into administration at the beginning of July. Seraphine ceased trading on 7 July when Will Wright and Chris Pole of consultancy Interpath were appointed joint administrators. The move resulted in the closure of its…
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Jul- 2025 -29 JulySupermarkets
Co-op launches rail apprenticeships in prison to tackle skills gap and reoffending
Co-op and the City and Guilds Foundation have launched the UK’s first rail engineering apprenticeships in a prison, aiming to address skills shortages and reduce reoffending. The scheme, based at the Centre of Excellence skills hub at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk, will enable prisoners to complete Level 2 qualifications in…
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25 JulyHigh Street
Shoplifting cases jump 20% to record 530,000, ONS finds
Shoplifting offences in England and Wales have surged 20% to their highest level in more than two decades, according to the latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). According to data for the year to March 2025, police recorded exactly 530,643 shoplifting offences, which spells a 20%…
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15 JulyFeatures
From darling to downfall: what went wrong at Seraphine
Seraphine, once the darling of maternity fashion, has collapsed into administration. Known for its stylish bump-friendly dresses and famously worn by the Princess of Wales during her pregnancies, the brand entered administration this July, shuttering operations and making most of its staff redundant. For a label that grew from a…
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9 JulySupermarkets
Lidl to trial self-scanning feature in loyalty app
Lidl GB is to test a new self-scanning feature integrated into its Lidl Plus app, as part of its ongoing investment in digital shopping tools. A friends and family trial will begin at four stores in September, with a phased national rollout planned from 2026. The feature will allow customers…
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9 JulyHigh Street
M&S boss confirms DragonForce behind cyber attack
Marks and Spencer chair Archie Norman has confirmed to a Parliamentary select committee that hacker group DragonForce was behind the cyber attack which forced the company to halt online orders and left customers with empty shelves. Norman told MPs that he believed the group was motivated by “partly, undoubtedly, ransom…
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8 JulyHigh Street
Retail footfall rises 1.5% amid warm weather and Oasis revival
Retail footfall rose by 1.5% week-on-week across all retail locations, primarily driven by a 2.9% increase in retail parks, followed by a 1.3% rise in high streets and a 0.9% uplift in shopping centres, according to the latest MRI Software’s data. Warmer weather, seasonal demand and the early momentum of…
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8 JulyClothing & Shoes
Seraphine enters administration after sales slump
Maternity fashion retailer Seraphine has ceased trading and entered administration, with most of its 95 employees made redundant. It comes after the retailer officially appointed Will Wright and Chris Pole from consultancy firm Interpath as joint administrators yesterday (7 July). According to the administrators, they are now exploring options for…
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