MPs urge government to slap penny tax on new clothes in bid to cut fashion industry waste February 19, 2019 An influential group of MPs has called for a 1p tax on new clothes in a bid to tackle consumer waste within the fashion industry. The penny tax, which would be levied on every new item of clothing sold by Britain’s retailers, has been proposed this morning by the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee to raise [...]
Britain’s first all-vegan cheese shop causes a stink as dairy industry demands it changes branding February 19, 2019 First, it was Marks & Spencer’s cauliflower steak. Then it was Gregg’s vegan sausage rolls. Now, just when you thought you had survived Veganuary, there’s chease. Read more: On a roll: Vegan sausage roll sales help Greggs seek higher profits Yes, you read that right – chease. But, no matter how it's spelled, the dairy industry [...]
The secret to saving the high street? Fewer shops February 19, 2019 Rarely does a day pass without another report about the high street’s seemingly never-ending struggles. However, the tendency to focus purely on the ups and downs of retailers masks a more nuanced picture about what is happening in city and town centres. To properly understand its problems – and, more importantly, come up with some [...]
On a roll: Vegan sausage roll sales help Greggs seek higher profits February 19, 2019 Greggs has hailed its vegan sausage roll for driving “exception sales performance” at the start of 2019 as it told investors that full-year profit is likely to beat expectations. Read more: Cherry on the cake: Greggs shares climb as baker lifts profit outlook The bakery chain began the year with total sales up 14.1 per [...]
London high streets beat UK vacancy rates despite pressure from rising rents February 19, 2019 Signs of health within the London economy emerged today, with a new study showing that the capital was among the British cities with the fewest empty stores on its high street. Despite pressure from rising rents and higher business rates, many retailers on London’s high streets have bucked the wider trend of closures across Britain’s [...]
Meet the startups tapped by John Lewis & Partners in its experiential retail accelerator February 18, 2019 John Lewis & Partners has lined up six startups for its Jlab innovation programme, after more than 160 businesses applied to its experiential technology accelerator. A panel of judges heard pitches from 11 startups earlier this month, offering up new ways to navigate stores from a mobile phone or interact with digital screens without needing [...]
McColl’s profits plummet after supply chain disruption but investors welcome recovery signs February 18, 2019 Profits halved at McColl’s in 2018 as like-for-like sales also slipped, it said today, blaming supply chain disruption as a key partner went under, even as overall revenue grew. But shares grew 13 per cent to 57.2p as investors welcomed the retailer cutting debt as like-for-like sales improved. The figures Profit before tax plunged to [...]
Footasylum shares rocket as JD Sports snaps up stake in retailer February 18, 2019 Footasylum's share price surged 81 per cent this morning after JD Sports bought up an 8.3 per cent stake in the embattled retailer. Footasylum's share price soared to 52.5p, up from a 29p close on Friday as it recovered from lows last month when the firm warned over challenges to its full-year earnings. While JD Sports said [...]
Reeling in the sales: Angling Direct posts surging revenue on back of international growth February 18, 2019 The UK’s largest fishing equipment retailer said this morning that it was forecasting a spike in full-year revenue, as the group ramped up its online operations and enjoyed a bump in sales from anglers in Germany, Russia and France. Angling Direct is expecting to post revenues of £42m for the 12 months to the end [...]
DEBATE: Should the government be intervening to help struggling high streets? February 18, 2019 Should the government be intervening to help struggling high streets? Rupert Pick, co-founder of Hot Pickle, says YES. There’s more to the high street than just shopping. It’s about belonging, human interaction, community. And in a muddled, pre-Brexit, polarised, insular environment, we need vibrant public places more than ever for people to congregate. Yet, in the [...]