Dunelm reports post-lockdown sales boom on pent-up demand September 1, 2020 Dunelm today said its sales jumped in July and August as pent-up demand helped boost revenue following the coronavirus lockdown. The furnishings retailer reported year-on-year sales growth of 59 per cent in July and 24 per cent in August. The Leicestershire-based firm said the rise was due to pent-up demand following store closures, as well [...]
Plastic carrier bag charge to double from April August 31, 2020 The price of plastic carrier bags will double from next Spring and extend to all shops in England, as the government ramps up its efforts against plastic pollution. The charge for single-use carrier bags will increase from 5p to 10p and small retailers – those employing 250 people or fewer – will no longer be [...]
Former Saga chief to return and invest £100m as part of equity raise plans August 30, 2020 Saga, the over-50s travel and insurance specialist, will welcome back former chief executive and chairman Roger de Haan as part of plans to raise £150m in fresh capital. De Haan sold Saga for £1.3bn in 2004 to private equity group Charterhouse. He will inject up to £100m into the company as part of the equity [...]
Moss Bros calls on KPMG to help with restructuring plans August 30, 2020 Menswear retailer Moss Bros is heading towards a restructuring that could result in the closure of some of its stores and rent reductions on others. Moss Bros has reportedly called in KPMG, according to the Sunday Times, which could pave the way for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA). A CVA allows companies to settle debts [...]
The nation’s health is priority number one, but we must continue the great work we’ve done to reduce plastics use August 28, 2020 Recent government figures revealed that since the introduction of the 5p carrier bag charge, new carrier bag sales have fallen by 59 per cent in the past year in England’s major supermarkets. This translates to shoppers buying, on average, just four new bags per year compared to 10 the previous year. This is a significant [...]
Exclusive: Sky to open first retail stores as it takes on high street rivals August 28, 2020 Sky is set to open its first ever brick-and-mortar retail stores in the UK as the broadcaster and telecoms giant defies faltering footfall to turn up the heat on its rivals. The media group is poised to open its first outlets in the coming months, providing a physical point of sale for its mobile, TV [...]
Waitrose launches Deliveroo trial as Ocado partnership ends August 28, 2020 Waitrose has launched a partnership with Deliveroo as its deal with online supermarket Ocado comes to an end. The grocer said that more than 500 products will be available to order through Deliveroo as part of an initial 12 week trial. Customers will be able to order from stores in Bracknell and Clifton from Tuesday, [...]
Gap posts surprise jump in sales as online business doubles August 28, 2020 Fashion retailer Gap posted a surprise jump in quarterly sales as its online business almost doubled due to consumers buying comfortable “stay at home” clothes during the coronavirus pandemic. The US firm said same-store sales were up 13 per cent in the second quarter, compared to analysts’ forecast of a 20.97 per cent drop. The [...]
Pret a Manger to axe 2,800 jobs as sales fall to lowest level in a decade August 27, 2020 High street stalwart Pret a Manger said today that it would cut 2,800 jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen sales drop to levels last seen a decade ago. The announcement comes after Pret earlier this year revealed that it would not reopen 30 of its restaurants after the lockdown ended. [...]
Brewdog’s Aldi IPA to go on sale as soon as October August 27, 2020 Brewdog has confirmed it will sell its ALD IPA in Aldi stores as soon as October after the budget supermarket ripped off the craft brewery firm’s signature beer. Aldi launched a beer named Anti-Establishment IPA, with a striking similarity to Brewdog’s flagship Punk IPA. In response the brewery joked on Twitter that it could launch [...]
