Waitrose and Morrisons to crack down on plastics in recycling boom January 28, 2019 Two of the UK’s largest food retailers, Morrisons and Waitrose & Partners, will today announce new measures to tackle high quantities of plastic pollution and waste both within stores and nationwide. Waitrose has established a £1m grant fund, raised through 5p carrier bag sales, for organisations pursuing projects designed to reduce unnecessary plastic waste and [...]
Confidence hits 18-month low as Brexit jitters fuel uncertainty January 28, 2019 Consumer confidence has plunged to its lowest level in 18 months, as uncertainty over Brexit takes its toll on shoppers’ spirits despite rising wages and record low unemployment. Confidence among consumers fell for the second consecutive quarter in the final three months of 2018, sliding from -7 per cent to -9 per cent, according to data [...]
Tesco set to ‘axe up to 15,000 jobs’ January 27, 2019 Fears that Tesco will axe 15,000 jobs emerged over the weekend, amid reports that Britain’s largest grocer is planning to overhaul some of its store operations as part of a £1.5bn cost-cutting plan. Reports in the Mail on Sunday said today that thousands of employees in Tesco’s meat, fish and delicatessen counters face the firing [...]
January retail sales hit new low as Brexit uncertainty hits consumer spending January 25, 2019 Sales hit their lowest levels in more than seven years in January as Brexit uncertainty continues to rock the retail sector, according to a new CBI survey. The survey of 103 firms, just under half of which were retailers, showed sales in January were well below the average for the month and marked the lowest levels since [...]
Customers left in limbo as Scottish-government backed energy supplier goes out of business January 25, 2019 Around 38,000 customers were been left in limbo today after a Scottish energy supplier became the eleventh provider to go out of business in just a year. Ofgem has encouraged those affected by Our Power’s collapse to sit tight as it works to find a new supplier to take over their accounts. Customers’ credit balances are [...]
Christmas sales slump at Bonmarché January 25, 2019 Women’s fashion retailer Bonmarché reported a drop in sales over the crucial Christmas trading period this morning. Total sales at the value fashion chain tumbled 8.1 per cent in the 13 weeks to 29 December, as the firm came in line with its recently reduced expectations. Like-for-like sales in the Christmas quarter slumped 11.1 per [...]
Jardine Matheson briefly loses $41bn in value following mystery trade January 24, 2019 Hong Kong-British conglomerate Jardine Matheson briefly lost $41bn (£31.5bn) in its share value today with the company blaming an electronic trading error. Jardine Matheson’s Singapore-listed shares traded down 83 per cent before rebounding, in what was originally suspected to be a so-called fat-finger trade. Around 167,500 shares in the company traded at $10.99 versus Wednesday’s [...]
Struggling retailer Paperchase exploring sale or store closures January 24, 2019 The owner of stationery and greeting card chain Paperchase is exploring a possible sale as its feels out landlords about a potential company voluntary arrangement (CVA). According to Sky News, Paperchase’s adviser KPMG has been contacting potential buyers this week about a deal which could include a pre-pack administration. The company is also sounding out [...]
Here’s how retailers can enhance the customer experience in-store in 2019 January 24, 2019 The pressure on Britain’s high street is intensifying with shopkeepers preparing themselves for yet another year of declining footfall, driven by low consumer confidence and the growth of online competitors. Against this backdrop, we’re seeing a number of high street retailers revamping their customer experience in-store and trialling new creative strategies to encourage shoppers back [...]
Household spending reaches pre-crisis levels as labour market strengthens and inflation falls January 24, 2019 Household spending rose to pre-crisis levels last year and family spending power grew at its fastest rate in more than two years. Weekly spending rose to £572.60 in the year ending March 2018, the highest since 2005 after adjusting for inflation, the Office for National Statistics said today. Family spending power was also £11.37 – [...]