Vinyl purchases at highest level since 1990 with ABBA and Amy Winehouse classics leading the comeback December 29, 2021 Physical records have made a 2021 comeback, with over five million LP vinyls purchased over the past 12 months – a jump of eight per cent or higher on 2020 and a 14th consecutive year of growth since the format’s low point in 2007.
Twitter users ‘disgusted’ with John Lewis after dismissal of seasonal workers December 28, 2021 John Lewis came under fire yesterday after choosing to dismiss temporary workers ahead of Christmas sales owing to a lower than expected demand. The retailer was called out by a mother on social media, after her son was hired to in a warehouse to prepare online orders. Temporary staff were told on 23 December they [...]
Best of 2021: The unstoppable rise of NFTs December 27, 2021 You could scarcely of made it through 2021 without hearing about NFTs, otherwise known as non-fungible tokens.
Merciless Omicron beating: Retail sector in shock as Boxing Day sales in central London plummet by nearly 70 per cent December 27, 2021 Retailers in central London and across the UK are in shock as the number of bargain hunters looking for Boxing Day sales on the high street plummeted to almost half of pre-pandemic levels. In central London, footfall was 67 per cent lower than 2019 numbers, while it was 58 per cent below 2019 in other [...]
A British icon is now Thai: Weston family pockets £4bn after completing sale of Selfridges December 24, 2021 The sale of luxury retail group Selfridges to Thai family-owned retail and hospitality Central Group and European real estate group Signa has been completed by the Weston family. A statement released early this morning by Central Group said the acquisition would “create one of the world’s leading omni-channel luxury department store groups”. The sale was [...]
Omicron delivers ‘chilling’ blow to UK retail sales December 21, 2021 UK retail sales have slowed to a crawl driven by the emergence of Omicron chilling consumer confidence, according to new research published today. Retail sales growth slowed over the last year, rising eight per cent annually in December, down sharply from 39 per cent in November, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Brits [...]
Hospitality sector ‘bleeding out’ with looming £1.5bn Christmas Eve rent bill December 21, 2021 A £1.5bn rent bill and the sudden drop in seasonal shopping means the hospitality sector faces a flood of bankruptcies in the new year, according to reports. The £1.5bn payment for rent is due on Christmas Eve, according to the Telegraph, which first reported the news. But a third of pubs, bars and restaurants have [...]
Not happening: Sadiq Khan cancels New Year’s Eve events in central London as Omicron cases surge December 21, 2021 As cases of the Omicron Covid variant in the capital surge, London’s New Year’s Eve celebration event in Trafalgar Square will not take place this year, it was announced this evening. London mayor Sadiq Khan has said the event, which was set to be open to around 6,500 key workers and members of the public, [...]
‘We’ve been thrown under the bus’: hospitality demands government support as the UK faces further restrictions December 20, 2021 Business owners have called for greater government support and stronger communication as the UK heads towards another lockdown.
Fast-fashion giant Missguided edges closer to a rescue deal December 19, 2021 Fashion retailer Missguided is on the cusp of a rescue deal, after a challenging pandemic period for the fast-fashion machine.