Retailers unite to warn Treasury on ‘perfect storm’ of costs February 11, 2025 A heavyweight group of retailers has warned the Treasury that hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk in the retail sector due to unsustainable cost hikes this year. It’s the latest in a long string of warnings from the retail sector, which has been vocal about the coming damage to jobs and investment on [...]
Hyper-personalisation: Has AI finally made retail’s ‘holy grail’ possible? February 8, 2025 Hyper-personalisation has long been the holy grail of retail: to recreate the customer experience of a local, everyone-knows-your-name store on a global scale. Now, with the combination of data tracking, AI and our ever-increasing tendency to consume online content, genuinely personally-tailored ads are just about within touching distance. These ads, introduced in their earliest form [...]
Shein set to slash target valuation for London Stock Exchange float February 7, 2025 Fast fashion giant Shein is poised to slash the target valuation for its planned float in London as it grapples with new trade barriers in the US and growing political concerns in the UK, according to reports. The Chinese founded retailer, which is expected to list in London later this year, is set to be [...]
M&S revamps leadership team in next chapter of transformation February 7, 2025 Marks and Spencer has announced significant changes to its non-food leadership team as it enters the next phase of its turnaround project. Clothing and home director, Richard Price, will be replaced by ex-Boohoo CEO, John Lyttle. Lyttle headed Boohoo for five years, but left last Autumn amid claims of “corporate espionage”, with allegations he was [...]
Gucci design chief De Sarno steps down as Kering targets turnaround February 6, 2025 Kering has parted ways with Gucci’s creative director Sabato de Sarno, two years after he was hired to lead a turnaround at the beleaguered brand. Sarno joined the brand in 2023 to replace Alessandro Michele, whose maximalist and genderfluid designs had defined the fashion house during his seven-year run. However, Sarno’s more paired-back direction failed [...]
Tesco considers franchise of axed Post Office branches February 6, 2025 Tesco has shown an interest in acquiring a number of axed Post Office branches as part of a franchise model, according to reports. Post Office chairman Nigel Railton told a group of MPs earlier this week that the UK’s biggest grocer had expressed interest in the 108-site Crown Post Office network, according to Sky News. [...]
Battersea Power Station: How London’s newest village was brought back to life February 6, 2025 From the UK’s biggest power station to international cultural fame on Pink Floyd’s tenth album, to near-ruin, Battersea Power Station has claimed multiple identities over the years. Now, the power station has entered its newest – and quite possibly cleanest – phase, as a multi-use residential, arts and office hub. A £9bn project has transformed [...]
Watches of Switzerland: Rolex retailer bolstered by US sales February 6, 2025 Watches of Switzerland has expressed optimism about the European luxury market and noted momentum in the US, in the latest signs the global luxury market is beginning to recover from a two-year downturn. The watch retailer said the luxury market, which has been under pressure from lower disposable income and changing trends, has stabilised. The [...]
Discounts push retail footfall to first January rise in nearly a decade February 6, 2025 Retail footfall rose year on year in January for the first time since 2016, although the boost was likely due to Brits delaying festive spending in favour of discounted goods in the new year sales. Footfall rose by 1.4 per cent in January 2025 compared to 2024 in all UK retail destinations, according to data [...]
LK Bennett: Luxury fashion brand loved by Princess of Wales slumps into the red February 5, 2025 LK Bennett, the luxury fashion brand loved by the likes of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has slumped into the red. The London-headquartered retailer has reported a pre-tax loss of £3.1m for the 12 months to 27 January, 2024, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The loss comes after LK Bennett posted a pre-tax profit [...]