Zara boss calls for crackdown on fast-fashion tax loophole May 9, 2025 The head of Zara’s parent company has called for a US-style crackdown on shipments of small goods in Europe to “level the playing field” between Chinese and European firms. Chinese giants Shein and Temu have heavily disrupted the global fashion market in the last few years, putting pressure on older companies. Part of their meteoric [...]
M&S will ‘need to go on a charm offensive’ to win customers back May 8, 2025 Analysts have warned that Marks and Spencer (M&S) faces an uphill battle to win back customers when it has dealt with its ongoing cyber attack. The high street darling told markets it had suffered a “cyber incident” at the end of April. Around £1bn has been wiped off its market value since 1 April, and [...]
Co-op breach a ‘stark reminder of why cash remains essential’ May 8, 2025 The disruption to card payments at Co-op stores last week is a warning to Brits on over reliance on digital payments, according to a leading consultancy firm. The Co-op shut down parts of its IT systems last week and suspended contactless payments at nearly 10 per cent of stores after detecting a potential breach. “The [...]
How did Next become an online shopping behemoth? May 8, 2025 A better-than-expected set of first-quarter results from Next this morning has highlighted its growing reputation as an online fashion platform. Online sales, which account for around 30 per cent on overall sales, grew by 8.9 per cent in the UK and 29.6 per cent internationally. Internet-based sales have been a bigger driver of revenue over [...]
Why M&S, Harrods and the Co-op were hit by cyber attacks May 8, 2025 Cyber security experts have warned that retail’s lack of investment in IT protection, as well as the amount of consumer data it has access to, has put a bullseye on the sector. The warnings follow a trio of serious attacks at major UK households names – Harrods, Marks and Spencer (M&S) and the Co-op. “Retailers [...]
H&M Group takes minority stake in e-commerce firm Centra May 7, 2025 H&M has taken a minority stake in e-commerce firm Centra as it looks to deepen its relationship with the company. The stake, which is less than 10 per cent, values Centra at just over half a billion Swedish kronor, according to Di Digital. H&M will invest SEK 50m (£3.9m) in the company, which supports retail [...]
Vinted launches venture capital arm with eye on UK start-ups April 29, 2025 Vinted, the Lithuanian-founded secondhand marketplace, has launched its own venture capital (VC) arm and is eyeing UK start-ups. The move adds new competition to the UK’s fast expanding, re-commerce and resale market, now worth already £7bn, as major platforms look to capitalise on shifting consumer habits driven by inflation and sustainability concerns. Vinted Ventures will [...]
Asos: Losses narrow as e-commerce giant drives turnaround April 24, 2025 Struggling ecommerce giant Asos has reported reduced losses as its turnaround plan begins to take shape. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) moved into positive territory at £42.5m in the 26 weeks to March 2, from a loss of £16.3m last year. Its share price dipped by nearly two per cent in [...]
Asos shares plunge as investors lose confidence March 17, 2025 Asos shares have slumped more than eight per cent in early deals this morning, extending losses recorded over the past few months as investors have lost confidence in the retailer’s turnaround plan. The e-commerce firm’s share price has dropped by a third in the last month and has fallen by half since the start of [...]
Child labour cases once again found in Shein’s supply chain February 27, 2025 Fast-fashion giant Shein found two cases of child labour in its supply chain last year, the company has told MPs. Shein’s general counsel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Yinan Zhu, disclosed the cases in a letter to MPs, according to The Guardian. One of the incidents involved a child aged 11 years and [...]