The Hut Group ramps up growth plans with £300m takeover spree December 29, 2020 The Hut Group has forked out more than £300m to acquire three companies as the online fashion and beauty retailer pursues an aggressive growth plan after its stock market float. The Manchester-based ecommerce group today said it will snap up skincare brand Dermstore from US retail giant Target for $350m (£259m). It has also acquired [...]
John Lewis and Waitrose launch in-store Covid testing December 18, 2020 John Lewis is set to launch rapid Covid testing sites in select Waitrose and retail shops around the country in a bid to ensure its 16,000 staff are fit for work. Coronavirus testing will now be available at 40 partnership locations in England, including Waitrose and John Lewis supply chain sites, customer fulfilment centres, textiles [...]
Retail sales dip in November as lockdowns bite December 18, 2020 Retail sales remained above their pre-pandemic levels in November despite a month-on-month fall, new figures reveal. The closely watched retail sales figures from the Office for National Statistics show a 3.8 per cent drop in November compared to October, with many stores particularly in England forced to close for much of the month. Online retailing [...]
UK inflation drops to 0.3 per cent as clothes and food prices sink December 16, 2020 The UK’s inflation rate fell sharply to 0.3 per cent as food and clothes prices eased during England’s month-long lockdown, according to the latest official figures. The headline CPI rate sank from 0.7 per cent in October to 0.3 per cent in November, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed. Clothes and footwear [...]
Shakespeare: John Lewis ad tugs at our purse strings December 16, 2020 John Lewis’ Christmas advert is undoubtedly a highlight of the festive season for many, with the retail department store’s commercial broadcast increasing in budget, production value and celebrity soundtracks every year. However, as with many things this year, there was uncertainty as to whether there would even be an advert. According to Waitrose’s executive director, [...]
Amazon becomes world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy December 10, 2020 Amazon has announced 26 new utility-scale wind and solar energy projects, making it the largest-ever corporate purchaser of renewable energy.
Sunday’s shopping surge beats Black Friday to largest shopping day of the year December 8, 2020 In what will be seen as a big boost for retailers, this past weekend has beaten Black Friday to the current crown of busiest shopping day of the year so far. This follows data released by Barlcayard Payments, which processes nearly £1 in every £3 spent in the UK, revealing that this weekend was the [...]
Joules sales hit by lockdowns and country show cancellations, sending shares lower December 8, 2020 Sales at Joules sunk in the six months to the end of NOvember due to lockdowns and Covid-19, sending shares lower
Goin’ underground: Tube journeys jump a third as lockdown ends December 3, 2020 The number of Tube journeys jumped a third yesterday compared to last week as the national lockdown restrictions were finally lifted. According to data from Transport for London (TfL), there were 2.64m taps in-and-out of Tube stations yesterday, 33 per cent higher than on the same day last week. That’s roughly a third of the [...]
Lockdown batters UK footfall but retailers hope for Christmas boost December 3, 2020 Retail footfall plummeted in November amid the closure of non-essential shops, though the decline was less severe than the first lockdown earlier this year. Visitor numbers were down more than 51 per cent year on year last month as tighter Covid-19 restrictions took their toll on the high street. The decline was steeper than the [...]