Covid restrictions in China take dent to Mulberry shop and online sales June 29, 2022 Mulberry has said Covid restrictions in China have resulted in a one per cent dip in sales across its retail and digital channels so far this financial year. Stringent pandemic measures in mainland China meant the designer handbag maker was forced to temporarily shutter the majority of its stores, as well as its Shanghai distribution [...]
Moonpig sales fall after lockdowns but card biz remains confident in gift market June 29, 2022 Moonpig has posted plummeting sales as shoppers started buying gifts and greetings cards elsewhere once bricks-and-mortar shops reopened once more over the past year. In full year results to 30 April 2022, the firm admitted its group revenue had tumbled 17.3 per cent year-on-year, standing at £304.3m versus £368.2m in 2021. The online retailer pointed [...]
Boots’ owner ditches plans for £5bn sale of chemist as market conditions ‘beyond our control’ June 28, 2022 Boots’ US owner has confirmed it has given up on its ambitions to sell the UK chemist after a beleaguered sales process. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has opted to retain ownership of Boots, with the firm citing “unexpected and dramatic change” felt by the global financial markets in the past few months. A statement from [...]
Outgoing lottery operator Camelot faced with falling ticket sales and Brits ‘tightening their belts’ June 28, 2022 Falling sales of tickets and instant win games amid signs that players had “tightened their belts” in the face of soaring costs are hitting outgoing UK National Lottery operator Camelot hard. Camelot, which recently launched legal action against the Gambling Commission after losing the lottery’s next licence to rival Allwyn, saw sales drop 3 per [...]
Supermarket shoppers turn to frozen and canned meats in a bid to slim cost of weekly shop June 28, 2022 Supermarket shoppers are swapping out traditional meat products for cheaper frozen and canned alternatives, in a bid to cut down on costs. According to freshly published data from NielsenIQ, volume sales across all categories at UK supermarkets dropped 5.5 per cent over the past four weeks. With household bills sky-rocketing in recent months, shoppers have [...]
Cake Box plans to swell to 200 stores after e-commerce boost gives profits a 83 per cent jump June 27, 2022 Cream cake retailer Cake Box has outlined plans to open more stores as it reported a pre-tax profit of £7.7m for the latest financial year. This marked a 83.3 per cent jump from the previous years as it continued its post-pandemic recovery. Revenue rose by 50.7 per cent from £21.9m to £33m. Neil Sachdev, non-executive [...]
Fast-growing spectacles boutique Kirk & Kirk eyes UK-wide launch with chain of pop-up shops June 27, 2022 Kirk & Kirk – founded by husband and wife duo Jason and Karen Kirk 30 years ago – confirmed this morning it is planning to make its first “foray into retail” this autumn. The British eyewear designer favoured by celebrities including Robert Downey Jr revealed plans to launch a chain of pop-up shops after seeing [...]
Arts and crafts giant Hobbycraft’s expansion drift undiminished with new stores and recruitment drive planned June 27, 2022 Several new stories and a recruitment drive are on the agenda of arts and crafts retail chain Hobbycraft as the company confirmed this morning it plans to continue its expansion after a lift in profits for the past year. The company said its adjusted pre-tax profit for the 2022 financial year was £15 million, which [...]
Week ahead: City eyes housing stats and BoE governor Bailey remarks June 26, 2022 The UK’s red hot housing market is set to revert to more normal territory driven by the cost of living crunch chilling demand for homes, fresh data released this week that will be closely watched by the City. London’s premier FTSE 100 index has rebounded after suffering bruising losses of late caused by investors around [...]
Retail sales volumes fell last month as the cost of living crunch eats into April’s gains June 24, 2022 Retail sales volumes fell by 0.5 per cent last month, according to the latest figures, as the cost of living crisis eats away at gains made in April. While the figures suggest current inflation levels and concerns over a recession have Brits’ pinching their purse strings, sales volumes were 2.6 per cent above pre-pandemic levels, [...]