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Displaying 1-30 of 47 results
Exclusive
Investors bet on London's Oxford Street bouncing back
- 16 Feb 2024
- Elina Ganatra, Katie Linsell
Oxford Street's shops have seen a steady recovery, with visitors bouncing back strongly in 2023. The recovery is attributed to improved retail and leisure offerings, as well as the opening of new stores and the introduction of the Elizabeth Line. While footfall remains below pre-Covid levels, investors are showing interest in the area, and retailers including HMV, Ikea and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts have opened or are due to open new stores.
Exclusive
Brits can't stop buying cakes and cheap clothes
- 23 Jan 2024
- Leonard Kehnscherper
December 2023's drop in retail sales and the unexpected rise in inflation caused some industry experts to fear that consumers' resilience is wilting. But it seems that doesn't apply to cheap fashion and sweet treats. Primark reached its highest ever market share in the final months of 2023, while a jump in Cadbury cake sales helped Premier Foods deliver a 21% jump in its sweet treats division.
Exclusive
UK Christmas retail sales disappoint as shoppers pull back
- 09 Jan 2024
- Elina Ganatra, Katie Linsell
UK Christmas retail sales were disappointing, growing only 1.7% in December compared to almost 7% growth the previous year. Weak consumer confidence and higher inflation were cited as reasons for the sluggish sales. However, food sales increased by 6.8% in the three months leading up to December, and discount retailers like Aldi and Lidl performed well. The difficult retail environment is expected to continue due to higher living costs and other factors.
Exclusive
Europe's mobile payments muddle
- 01 Jan 2024
- Dominic O'Neill
Article on the development of mobile payment schemes in Europe and the efforts to establish a cross-European payments company to compete with big US players like Visa and Apple Pay. The European Payments Initiative (EPI) was created by large European banks to strengthen Europe's control over its financial systems. However, differing domestic interests have limited its reach, and a rival Spanish/Italian/Portuguese joint scheme is also moving forward.
Exclusive
UK retailers report weak Christmas trading, CBI survey finds
- 21 Dec 2023
- Tom Rees
UK retailers have reported a decline in sales during the Christmas 2023 trading period, indicating a potential weakening of the UK economy. Retailers anticipate a contraction in sales during January 2024 and are expected to reduce their orders in January.
Exclusive
Weaker UK retail data puts risk of recession back on table
- 18 Dec 2023
- Tom Rees
The threat of a recession looms over the UK economy as weaker retail sales data may lead to a downgrade of previous GDP estimates. The UK's near-term outlook ranges from tepid growth to a minor recession. However, there are signs of potential recovery, such as easing inflation, real wage growth, and improved consumer and business confidence.
Exclusive
Mixed picture
- 01 Dec 2023
- Johanna Thomson
A look at some trends in UK retail during 2023. These include price-marked packs (PMP) ranges to build consumer confidence, healthier versions of favourite ranges, plant-based offerings and meal deal items to make 'fake-aways' with.
Exclusive
Unattended retail options pegged as a secure saviour for small businesses, survey reveals
- 01 Nov 2023
Vending machines and unmanned retail services are growing in popularity with UK consumers, giving small businesses a lifeline to much needed ancillary revenue, according to the results of a newly released survey. For the consumer, it’s clear that convenience and availability are the primary drivers of unattended retail usage, with consumers increasingly relying on these services to meet out-of-hour or unplanned needs - and also to avoid social interactions.
Exclusive
Rental and second-hand markets contribute nearly £7bn to UK economy
- 19 Oct 2023
A study by Barclaycard Payments has found that UK retailers are benefiting from the growing recommerce economy, with 76% of retailers now offering more sustainable shopping formats that include rental, reuse and resale offerings. The rise of the resale market shows no signs of slowing, with four in ten UK consumers more likely to buy used or rented items than new compared to a year ago.
Exclusive
Making tech the basis of a better experience
- 01 Oct 2023
- Angela Hanson
Convenience store retailers are investing in various technologies to enhance their customers' experience, despite facing resource shortages and deployment challenges. The article takes a look at the most popular additions, from consumer-facing technology like social media, digital loyalty programs, and petrol pump digital monitors to backend improvements such as enhanced inventory management and better use of loyalty data. Graphs are included showing the percentage uptake of key technology investments and those which stores plan to add.
Exclusive
There's a new way to prove a $1,500 designer bag is real
- 30 Aug 2023
- Anna Irrera
Several major luxury fashion houses are investing in high-tech ways to track their most coveted and most expensive products. The article takes a look at why brands including Prada Group and Louis Vuitton have launched services built on the Aura consortium's blockchain technology, to allow customers to verify that their item is authentic. However, some experts are sceptical about the robustness of such blockchain solutions in real-life scenarios.
Exclusive
Retailers ask for review on UK bottle recycling scheme
- 22 Aug 2023
- Henry Mathieu
British retailers have spoken out against the UK government's upcoming bottle deposit return scheme (DRS), claiming it could cost the industry at least £1.8bn ($2.29bn) per year from 2025.
Exclusive
The battle of Britain's luxury department stores
- 17 Aug 2023
- Hikmat Mohammed
London's luxury department stores are having a 'seesaw summer', says Mohammed Hikmat. Harrods' stellar 2022/23 financial results reflects its appeal to wealthy crowds shopping for mega brands in one place, whereas in Oxford Street Selfridges faces more than £1.7bn debt as a result of rising interest rates.
Exclusive
Even tiny website slowdowns can cost you sales
- 01 Jul 2023
The article describes how website performance can impact retailers' brand reputation and profitability. It summarizes research presented in the article “Need for Speed: The Impact of In-Process Delays on Customer Behavior in Online Retail,” published in the journal 'Operations Research', 2023. Suggestions for reducing check-out time for online shoppers are given, including offering faster payment options such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Exclusive
Elliott-backed lender Bantry Bay dares to take on distressed UK retailers
- 09 Jun 2023
- Katie Linsell, Giulia Morpurgo
Many firms are afraid to invest in struggling UK retailers for fear insolvency strikes, but there's one notable exception that keeps coming back for more: asset-backed lending specialist Bantry Bay Capital. The London-based firm has become a lender of last resort for British retailers struggling to stay afloat - but the costs are high.
Exclusive
UK's Montezuma's Chocolate scooped up by Paramount Retail Group
- 05 Jun 2023
- Henry Mathieu
The deal - an undisclosed fee - sees the chocolate company's husband-and-wife founders Simon and Helen Pattinson return to the helm. The Pattinsons have now said they want to 'quickly restore the company to its former glory'.
Exclusive
Cautious consumers still willing to pay for Big Macs and Huggies as prices rise
- 25 Apr 2023
- Leslie Patton, Daniela Sirtori-Cortina
Consumers are still spending on certain retail brands, such as McDonalds hamburgers, Nestlé SA coffee creamer and Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s Huggies nappies, even as prices for those products rise. This brand loyalty is helping boost sales for some of the biggest companies in the US and Europe, though there are questions about how resilient consumers will remain in the coming months.
Exclusive
Muted rebound
- 10 Apr 2023
- Cathy Roberson, Mark Szakonyi
An update on the state of US retail imports and inventory, including the factors hindering a significant recovery in retail imports, plus overly high inventory levels for furniture, appliances, building materials and garden retailers, and retailers' efforts to optimize their inventory management.
Exclusive
John Lewis cancels employee bonus as losses mount
- 16 Mar 2023
- Katie Linsell
John Lewis Partnership Plc has cancelled staff bonuses for the second time in three years. The retail group warned of potential job cuts after reporting a large loss amid intense competition in the British retail market. John Lewis has appointed a CEO for the first time to boost its overhaul effort - new CEO Nish Kankiwala has led previous turnarounds at Hovis and Burger King.
Exclusive
Top trends in tech, and retail's early adopters
- 07 Mar 2023
- Ben Sillitoe
Computer Weekly magazine identifies the retail industry’s early adopters of 14 top tech trends announced by McKinsey & Co in 2022. Examples include Currys trialling the use of solar to help power its delivery vehicles and Boots' trialling of airborne drones for deliveries. Cosmetics company Avon is taking advantage of immersive reality technologies to launch a virtual try-on online shopping experience.
Exclusive
Confectionery market: high turnovers and highly competitive
- 01 Feb 2023
An overview of the European confectionery industry market, which is one of Europe's most dynamic and largest sectors in terms of production and exporting. The feature also takes a look at the challenges of packaging chocolate at high speeds and creating sustainable confectionery packaging.
Exclusive
Credit binge sees UK shoppers use debt to buy TVs and milk
- 20 Jan 2023
- Tom Rees, Lucy White
The highest increase in consumer credit card activity in over 18 years appears to have helped the UK's retail sector, as Britons borrow to buy products ranging from high-ticket electronic items to basics such as milk. A quarter of UK adults now use credit cards to pay for everyday essentials such as groceries, according to research from Forbes Advisor.
Exclusive
Luxury's play in a challenging world economy
- 19 Jan 2023
- David Moin, Jean E.Palmieri
At the National Retail Federation's January 2023 Big Show in Manhattan, leaders from LVMH, Neiman Marcus Group and Harrods discussed what's ahead for their brands. Women's Wear Daily magazine reports on the themes of the conference, including an increase in Americans shopping in Europe.
Exclusive
Retailing on the front line
- 01 Jan 2023
- Malachy O'Connor
Retail executives from Ukraine's Silpo Supermarkets chain discuss how they are coping with the logistics of keeping their stores running since the initial shock of the Russian invasion. Difficulties they have faced include missile bombing, looting and destroyed energy infrastructure. The supermarket chain is focusing on three P's: Provenance, Price and Positivity.
Exclusive
Mapping the rise in checkout-free shopping
- 18 Oct 2022
- Ben Sillitoe
There has been a boom in the number of checkout-free retail stores globally, but will that growth continue and which retailers are interested? Technology allowing customers to pick up items, purchase and leave without visiting a till is already live in twenty countries and set to grow significantly. Checkout-free tech's potential benefits include reducing theft, reducing queues for consumers and optimising inventory management.
Exclusive
The online shopping bust
- 17 Oct 2022
- Matt Day, Carolina Millan, Matthew Townsend
US e-commerce companies made a costly bet that the pandemic would permanently change consumer shopping behaviour - but it seems customers are returning to physical stores instead. For the past five quarters, online growth has trailed growth for the overall retail industry, according to US Census Bureau data.
Exclusive
Big gap in retailer customer engagement, claims research
- 03 Aug 2022
There is a significant gap in how retailers are engaging with customers - at a time when delivering exceptional experiences is more critical than ever to retention and revenue. Yet less than half of 317 global business leaders surveyed rate their customer engagement strategies as good or excellent.
Exclusive
Fast retailing reaffirms confidence in London's West End
- 21 Apr 2022
- Zhang Tianwei
Brexit and the Ukraine crisis have not seemed to dent retailers' confidence in London's West End. Fast Retailing Co. is opening its "most significant store to date" for the Uniqlo and Theory brands in Regent Street, marking the first time that the two brands will occupy the same store in the UK and Europe. To demonstrate Fast Retailing Co.'s commitment to sustainability, the flagship store will have the company's first repair studio, encouraging customers to mend, embellish and upcycle clothes.
Exclusive
Appealing to the senses
- 01 Apr 2022
- Lenise Willis
In order to create the most welcoming store environment, retailers must think through the five senses and how to use them to attract customers - or, at the very least, not repel them. Here's how to engage all five senses to create a welcoming physical retail atmosphere.
Exclusive
Helping retailers go that extra mile
- 01 Jan 2022
- Maev Martin
Buymie co-founder and CEO Devan Hughes shares his view of the online grocery retail market in Ireland and outlines buymie's strategy for growth in Ireland and the UK. Buymie operates a same day grocery delivery service, allowing consumers in Dublin and nearby large commuter towns to order groceries and have them delivered in as little as one hour. The retailer has established successful partnerships with Lidl, Dunnes Stores and the Co-op.
Displaying 1-30 of 47 results
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