UK retail saw surprisingly strong sales growth last month as “unseasonal discounting” kicked in. But analysts are predicting tougher times for “squeezed” mid-level retailers while premium and value specialists do well.
AZ Factory, the fledgling fashion house created by the late Alber Elbaz, has announced plans for a series of collections by ‘Amigos’ of the house. It will debut with Thebe Magugu, the house said on Friday.
IKEA, the world's biggest furniture brand, is closing all its stores in Russia, and pausing all its sourcing in Russia and Belarus, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Seen by many as downmarket eyesores, Oxford Street’s raft of candy stores in London, alongside tourist shops and phone repair shops, could soon disappear if Westminster Council gets its way.
Carnaby’s Christmas butterflies are up for sale with proceeds supporting humanitarian aid in the Ukraine. They will go on sale on 10-11 March between 12-2pm, priced from £5, to support charity partner Choose Love.
Amazon shot to the top of the UK ranking for spending on ads last year, rising from third place in 2020. Behind it were consumer products giant Procter & Gamble and TV giant Sky.
Shares in JD Williams and Simply Be owner N Brown plunged over 22% in early trading Thursday after it predicted weaker profits in the 53 weeks to March 4 next year, due to issues from the supply chain to inflation.
Improving…could have been better…but will gains continue? That’s UK retail footfall, which strengthened in February. Figures improved to 20.7% below the 2019 benchmark and slightly up from -20.8% in January.
We hear a lot about the headline inflation figure, but more important for many consumers is the price of goods in stores and the latest BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index showed annual store prices rising 1.8% last month.
Pepco’s British budget retailer Poundland has acquired online peer Poundshop.com and said the purchase would “power a national rollout of its own pilot e-commerce operation”.
Hammerson has completed the super-quick disposal of its Victoria Gate and Victoria Quarter shopping centres in Leeds. Only last week, the UK property giant said it was still in early stages of negotiations.
With stable weather patterns returning to the UK in the final full week of February, normality also returned to retail footfall. Visits across all UK retail rose 11.1% week-on-week in the seven days (20-26 February).
Danish e-bike brand Mate has opened a store in London’s Seven Dials, its first UK location. On Neal Street, it covers two floors and features the brand’s full collection.
Management of the failed Studio Retail Group (SRG) business has come in for scathing criticism from its new owner Frasers Group. It also called for urgent reform in UK corporate governance.
Supermarket clothing and homewares brand George at Asda has appointed Karl Doyle its new vice-president. The former Reiss director will join the George brand on 1 March, replacing Zoe Matthews.
