Ulta Beauty, Inc. announced a 7.8 percent decline in third-quarter net sales on Thursday as it continues to be impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and its efforts to contain it.

In the first half of the current financial year, sales at L’Occitane International (the owner of L'Occitane en Provence and Erborian) dropped by 15.2%, to €616.6 million, affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

More and more UK digital consumers are shopping with a conscience, with 57% now worrying the rise of online shopping is a threat for the environment, according to shipping platform Sendcloud.

There was big growth in online consumers taking advantage of ‘buy-now-pay-later’ (BNPL) services across Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with shoppers shying away from using credit product payments.

​Good but not spectacular. UK online retail sales across the Black Friday weekend were “very strong” this year, although they failed to match forecasts in spite of England being confined to lockdown shopping, IMRG said.

​Yoox Net-A-Porter said it saw two orders placed every second from customers around the world on its full-price and outlet luxury webstores during the long Cyber Weekend.

Zara has radically upsized its presence at Landsec’s giant Bluewater mall in Kent with the 37,000 sq ft space also representing the UK debut for its global flagship concept.

​The British government is under increasing pressure to come up with extra support for retail jobs with recent company failures leading to tens of thousands of current and potential job losses.

​Next is continuing the expansion of its still-new Next Beauty & Home chain with an opening on Thursday at Hammerson’s Reading mall, The Oracle.

Function of Beauty said the investment will accelerate the company's product development, support its continued worldwide expansion, and build upon its already industry-leading customized manufacturing capabilities.

​Stores in England were ultra-busy on Wednesday as non-essential shops were allowed to reopen, retailers went the extra mile to make their locations appealing and consumers rushed to buy bargains or to do Xmas shopping.

French perfume maker Interparfums on Wednesday forecast slightly better-than expected sales for 2020, helped by a summer business rebound that accelerated over the fall.

It’s become something of a 2020 tradition for retailers to coincide new store openings with post-lockdown reopenings and on Wednesday, as England’s stores welcomed shoppers back, there were three fashion-linked debuts.

It’s being dubbed ‘Welcome-Back Wednesday’ but the anticipated shopping frenzy on England’s high streets is likely to be short-lived, forecasts ParcelHero.

The UK's business secretary, has pledged support for those affected by the Arcadia administration filing. He didn’t mention Debenhams, but it's to be assumed there will also be support for those hurt by its failure. 

​Supermarkets giant Tesco said it’s repaying the £585m worth of business rates relief it received as part of the retailer support offered during lockdowns this year. Rivals Sainsbury's and Morrisons then did the same.