Halloween 2015 could be worth as much as £400m to retailers October 29, 2015 We're used to grinches complaining Halloween is an American import they wish would go away, but it looks like Halloween in all its (fake)blood-soaked sugary glory is here to stay, bringing a welcome boost to retailers. Sainsbury's says Halloween is now the third biggest retail event of the year, after Christmas and Easter. Last year Planet [...]
Black Friday 2015: What UK retailers need to do to make the most of the retail bonanza on 27 November October 28, 2015 Last year, shoppers in the UK spent a staggering £810m during Black Friday and this year is set to break all previous records. For the first time ever, consumer spending across the nation is forecast to top £1bn in one day, representing an enormous opportunity for UK retailers. The impact of Black Friday for retailers [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK: Last year’s chaos at Tesco, Asda, John Lewis, Currys and Argos has put bargain hunters off October 27, 2015 Is last year’s mayhem putting a dampener on Black Friday this year? New figures would suggest yes. Black Friday sales drew shoppers in their millions last year as the American shopping extravaganza came to the UK. But the unprecedented throngs left many with a bad taste in their mouth – and this could be a [...]
West End retailers poised for £2.3bn Christmas and Black Friday 2015 shopping bonanza October 27, 2015 West End retailers are bracing themselves for a £2.3bn shopping bonanza this Christmas, with spending set to reach its highest level since 2007, as higher disposable incomes and lower prices help boost consumer confidence. London’s main shopping streets – Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street – are expecting a 1.2 per cent uplift in sales [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK date: Why the crazy discount and deal day chaos is coming early this year (and will last longer) October 26, 2015 Be prepared for Black Friday to come early this year. There's a month to go until the day which brought us frenzied scenes of bargain shoppers, but one company believes retailers will begin their discounting even earlier than 27 November when it falls. "Retailers are likely to discount earlier than Black Friday but spread the offers over [...]
September retail sales smash economist expectations paving the way for a record UK Black Friday 2015 October 22, 2015 There was good news for the high street after retail sales surged in September, boosted by the late August bank holiday weekend and beer sales related to the Rugby World Cup. Retail sales volumes jumped by 1.9 per cent on the month, smashing economist expectations of a 0.3 per cent rise, the Office for National [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK deals: What retailers can expect from the biggest shopping day of the year October 22, 2015 Black Friday is now big news in the UK. Last year according to Barclaycard, more was spent on Black Friday than on any day of last year’s shopping season, making it the biggest spending day on record. Black Friday this year is likely to herald a similar frenzy and signals a change in customer shopping [...]
Argos owner Home Retail Group hits back at claims it could be the next Comet October 21, 2015 Home Retail Group’s boss hit back at claims that Argos was at risk of becoming the next Comet, the collapsed electronics chain, after a profit warning sent shares crashing yesterday. The FTSE 250 retailer, which also owns Homebase, said investment in its new same day delivery service, weak sales of electrical goods, and uncertainty around [...]
Transport for London: Uber and London’s private hire trade need new regulations October 20, 2015 On Friday, the High Court declared that smartphones used by some private hire drivers were not taximeters. This confirmed the view that Transport for London (TfL) has held all along. It was right to seek clarity on the matter at the High Court because, as the regulator of the taxi and private hire trades, we [...]
Retailers should “play Black Friday down”, warns John Lewis boss October 19, 2015 The boss of John Lewis – one of the UK's most vocal supporters of Black Friday – has urged other retailers to “play it down” in future years after the sales bonanza led to havoc on the high street. Although the business reported record sales for the week in which Black Friday (November 28) [...]