Retail Week
December 16 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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£1.20 pricing structure in Poundland's Dealz store
Single price retailer Poundland is selling products at a brand new price point of £1.20 through its new Dealz store on the Isle of Man. -
01. January
It was the start of a difficult year. -
02. February
Mary Portas’ undercover Secret Shopper customer service programme resulted in an official complaint. -
03. March
Tesco’s attempts to go head-to-head with Asda’s Price Guarantee backfired after it was forced to issue a flood of refunds. -
04. April
April provided ample evidence of the structural changes hitting retailers throughout 2011. -
05. May
The polarisation of the retail market was a key theme in May. -
06. June
Sign upSource: Michael Walter/TroikaJohn Lewis, Westfield Stratford CityJohn Lewis hauls the sign for its new Westfield Stratford store into place. The store overlooks the Olympi -
07. July
The gloom of June’s multiple administrations was compounded in the first week of July. -
08. August
It was a dark month for retail, against a violent and costly backdrop of the riots. -
09. September
Amazon hit the headlines when Retail Week revealed that it too was to have a physical presence in the UK with the launch of order collection lockers. -
10. October
Among the headline-grabbing stories of the month was the news that Selfridges had struck a deal with Primark. -
11. November
It was a defining month for the electricals market. -
12. December
Mary Portas finally revealed her 28 recommendations to revive the high street. -
2011: The year in retail
It’s been a roller-coaster year for retail, with many having to pull out all the stops to battle tough trading. Rebecca Thomson and Charlotte Hardie look back over the highs and lows. -
Amazon introduces e-book fund
Amazon has introduced a $6m (£3.85m) fund under the Kindle Direct Publishing Select scheme for authors who make their e-books exclusive to Amazon Kindle for at least 90 days.The etailer expects to pay authors from the pot when their books are borrowed under the Kindle Lending Library, which is part of Amazon Prime.The monthly royalties paid will be based on the book’s -
Amazon’s Price Check app
Amazon’s app has provoked controversy in the US, where retailers fear becoming showrooms for the etailer. -
Analysts confident of Carpetright recovery
Analysts believe Carpetright is well positioned for when the recovery comes despite the floorings retailer reporting a first-half loss. -
Asos to open data to external web developers
Online fashion giant Asos is opening up its product and basket services data to external web developers in a bid to extend its wider online presence by allowing others to build Asos-related services. -
Aurora bolsters brand management teams
Aurora Fashions has made four high-profile appointments across its Warehouse, Coast and Oasis fashion brands, bolstering design, marketing and ecommerce functions. -
B&Q launches 'most aggressive' price campaign yet
B&Q has launched its longest-ever winter sale following a £60m price investment. -
B&Q spreads festive cheer
B&Q organised a guerrilla Christmas decorating stunt on the London Underground this week to bring a bit of Christmas cheer to commuters. -
Big retailers are acting on Portas’s best idea
If the Portas review were a high street it would look quite familiar – a cheek by jowl mix alternately appealing or a turn-off. -
Blacks faces post-Christmas administration as Hilco circles
Blacks Leisure could face a post Christmas administration and break-up following Sports Direct’s decision not to buy the business. -
BRC welcomes efforts to tackle business rate rises and parking
Prioritising action on business rate rises and parking in the Portas Review is “exactly right”, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) believes. -
Carpetright IT and e-commerce director Ian Woosey made redundant
Carpetright group IT and e-commerce director Ian Woosey has been made redundant following a review of the business. -
Carpetright reports first half loss
Carpetright has reported a first half pretax loss of £800,000 against a £9.8m profit last year as the “very challenging trading environment” hit performance. -
Carrefour may sell stake in Altis to fund new venture
Grocery retailer Carrefour could sell its 50% stake in franchisee Altis to fund part of the takeover of its main franchisee Guyenne & Gascogne.Altis is a joint venture between Carrefour and Spanish grocer Eroski. The latter would reportedly buy Carrefour’s stake and sell it to a French retailer that has already expressed its interest. Carrefour declined to comment.Altis currently operates six Carrefour -
Christmas Day shopping? It’s better than DIY
The presents are opened, you’ve just finished your turkey, ruminated over the Queen’s speech, so how do you spend the rest of your Christmas Day? -
'Christmas on a knife edge' as footfall dips last week
High street footfall dipped in the week beginning December 5, down 2.6% year-on-year. -
Clintons FD Paul Salador quits
Clinton Cards group finance director Paul Salador has stepped down after 15 years at the business. -
CPI inflation falls in November
The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation has fallen during November. -
Demandtec strikes merger agreement with IBM
Walmart’s vendor of price optimisation software Demandtec has struck a merger agreement with IBM worth $440m (£281.6m).Demandtec’s cloud-based analytics solution helps retailers to adjust pricing according to customer buying patterns. Demandtec serves about 450 clients worldwide, including some of the biggest names in retail such as Casino, Ahold, Delhaize and Target. The transaction is su -
DFS invests in growth despite earnings fall
Sofas giant DFS has posted a fall in quarterly sales and earnings but is continuing to invest in expansion and confident in longer-term prospects. -
Dollar Tree introduces transactional mobile-optimised website
Discounter Dollar Tree has introduced a transactional mobile-optimised website powered by Usablenet.The new site allows users to search for a specific item by keyword, product number or category and features a store locator.It also leverages social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, enabling Dollar Tree to build its brand awareness and enhance its customer relationship. -
Dwell to open first Welsh store at St David's
Furniture retailer Dwell is to open its first Welsh store at St David’s, Cardiff. -
Essex shopping centre wins rates break
The Exchange shopping centre in Essex has won a 20% business rate reduction due to the threat to trade posed by Westfield Stratford City. -
Etailer Pro Bike Kit wins backing
Private equity firm Encore Capital has taken a majority stake in online bike accessories retailer Pro Bike Kit and brought in former M and M Direct chief executive Steve Robinson as chairman. -
Fiddling while Rome burns
Retailers suffer at the hands of bureaucrats and get nothing in return, says Malcolm Walker. -
First British boss for Ikea UK and Ireland
The UK’s largest furniture retailer Ikea has appointed a new boss to replace Martin Hansson who is relocating to Shanghai to run its Asia Pacific region. -
Focus DIY's customers, shoppers and unsecured creditors receive nothing
Landlords, suppliers, customers and employees owed £821.1m following the collapse of Focus DIY have received nothing. -
Footfall up as shoppers make last minute purchases
Footfall increased during the week ending December 18, up by 10.7% compared to the previous week. -
Foyles, Westfield Stratford City
Westfield Stratford City can overwhelm as you are assaulted by retail brand messages at every turn across all three of its long, long floors. -
Game set to appoint Deloitte to plot turnaround
Game Group is set to appoint the restructuring team at Deloitte to help it devise a plan to turn around the business next year. -
Gap has its sights set on Europe for future growth
US clothing retailer Gap is confident it can weather the fallout from Europe’s sovereign debt crisis. -
Go Outdoors and Mountain Warehouse join Sports Direct in race to buy Blacks
Sports and outdoor specialists including Sports Direct, Go Outdoors and Mountain Warehouse are lining up to takeover up-for-sale retailer Blacks Leisure. -
Good customer service is key
Something wasn’t quite right last Saturday when we went to our nearest shopping centre to find inspiration for those remaining ‘difficult’ Christmas presents. -
Government minister to be allocated high street remit
The Government is set to allocate a minister for town centres on the back of Mary Portas’ review into the future of the high street. -
Government response to Portas review planned for Spring, reveals Cameron
Prime Minister David Cameron vowed that the Government would do “all that we can” to ensure our high streets thrive and it will respond to Mary Portas’ recommendations in the Spring. -
Grocers: The final countdown
The fight for food spend at Christmas is a retail battle like no other. Alex Lawson looks at how the big grocers are positioned for the last week of festive trading. -
Group buy-in
Why retailers won’t be surprised to hear Groupon is facing an OFT investigation. -
Hamleys changes gender-oriented store layout
Hamleys has changed its ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ store layout but says it is coincidental to a campaign on Twitter accusing it of operating “gender apartheid”. -
Hammerson welcomes Portas Review
Landlord Hammerson, owner of malls including the Bull Ring, has welcomed The Portas Review into high streets. -
Harvey Nichols Walk of Shame
It was starting to look like Christmas advertising would be dominated by schmaltz this year, what with the M&S X Factor campaign and John Lewis’s heart-warming offering. -
Headhunter Shipley to join Miles Partnership
Headhunter Sue Shipley is to join search firm the Miles Partnership after leaving Odgers Berndtson, where she was global practice leader for retail. -
HMV considers sale of live music arm after first-half loss
Entertainment group HMV is considering selling its live music business and has posted a first-half loss. -
HMV to double Oxford Street sales (perhaps)
Fewer stores on our high streets in 2012 means those that remain will have to look better and perform more strongly. -
HMV vows to turn around its fortunes
HMV chief executive Simon Fox said “we are doing everything we can” to turn the business around after revealing a loss of £36.6m for the first half today. -
Housing minister Grant Shapps given responsibility for reviving town centres
Housing minister Grant Shapps, has been allocated responsibility for implementing retail consultant Mary Portas’ recommendations for reviving the UK’s high streets. -
Ideal Shopping poaches M&M Direct's IT chief
Ideal Shopping has poached M&M Direct’s IT chief John Allen who becomes the TV shopping channel’s new IT director. -
In pictures: Argos Christmas pop up shops in London train stations
Argos has opened pop up gift shops in London train stations Paddington and Waterloo this week. -
In pictures: Superdry flagship store, Regent Street
Superdry opened its central London flagship on Saturday, on the site of the former Austin Reed flagship. -
Interested parties circle Barratts
A number of retailers have expressed interest in shoe business Barratts and Priceless’ stores after it collapsed into administration last week. -
Is valid insurance protection against a claim?
My company has valid insurance in place, which I reviewed last year. Is that enough to ensure I’m covered in the event of a claim against the company? -
John Lewis enjoys record sales
John Lewis has recorded its largest ever sales week, driven by Christmas shopping and cold weather. -
John Lewis revenue jump 10.6% as it posts record sales
Department store John Lewis revenue jumped 10.6% year-on-year over the last week as sales broke through the £130m mark for the first time. -
John Lewis sales jump 4.7% as it gears up for last minute rush
Department store John Lewis’ sales jumped 4.7% year-on-year in the four days to the end of Wednesday, December 14. -
Kate Jones
Head of commercial product offer, The Co-operative Food -
Kesa shareholders give Comet sale to OpCapita the green light
Kesa Electricals shareholders have given the go-ahead for the sale of Comet to private equity firm. -
La Senza calls in restructurers
Lingerie retailer La Senza has appointed KPMG to restructure the business. -
Landlords embrace Portas' call for them to invest in high street
Landlords have embraced Mary Portas’ recommendation to allow them to become high street investors. -
Lidl reprimanded by Swedish Advertising Ombudsman
Schwarz Group-owned discounter Lidl has reportedly been reprimanded by the Swedish Advertising Ombudsman for misleading advertising.An article in Esmerk said that a consumer lodged a complaint about a TV commercial in which the retailer claims to travel the world to buy produce directly from local farmers.The complainant argued that the advertisement wrongly gives the -
Like-for-likes rise at Laura Ashley
Home and fashion retailer Laura Ashley has posted a rise in like-for-like sales as it progressed with plans to shut unprofitable shops. -
M Savers to hit Morrisons shelves in January
Morrisons has confirmed its new M Savers value range is to launch in January. -
M&S extends opening times in run-up to Christmas
Marks & Spencer is to extend its opening hours from today until Christmas Eve with 242 of its stores across the UK and Ireland open until 10pm or later and 23 of these staying open until midnight. -
Making out-of-town trading difficult will not save the high street, warns CBRE
Property giant CBRE has warned the Portas’ measures will not be sufficient to save the high street. -
Martyn Phillips
As B&Q launches its biggest ever winter Sale, Nicola Harrison asks its recently appointed chief executive what the future holds in store -
Mary Portas: High street review - What are your views?
What are your views on the Portas Review? Please share them in the comment section below. -
Media-Saturn launches Media Markt online shop
Metro Group-controlled Media-Saturn in Switzerland has launched its Media Markt online shop.The site currently offers 1,000 items but the range is to be expanded to 1,500 products in the future. Saturn’s ecommerce presence is due to follow next year. -
Mixed reactions to Tesco results
Opinion was divided in the City when Tesco revealed its third-quarter update last week. -
Morrisons plans 2012 expansion
Morrisons is to create 7,000 new jobs and open 25 stores in 2012 as it goes on an expansion drive. -
Moss Bros like-for-likes soar
Moss Bros like-for-likes soared 10.5% in the 19 weeks to December 10, despite being up against tough comparables. -
Neville-Rolfe to step down from Tesco board
Tesco director of corporate and legal affairs Lucy Neville-Rolfe is to retire from its board after 14 years with the company. -
New year brings no joy for store stocks
At the end of the year general retailers had sadly underperformed the All-share index, while food groups were also down but not by as much as the market. -
Ocado warns on profits
Ocado has warned its profits are likely to be hit because to capacity problems at its warehouse. -
Out-of-town bad, high street good?
Out of town developments do not deliver the kind of experience shoppers deserve. -
Pandora raids footwear chain Deichmann for new chief executive
Jeweller Pandora has appointed footwear retailer Deichmann managing director Björn Gulden as its new chief executive. -
Portas reveals her 28 recommendations to revive the high street
Mary Portas has revealed her 28 recommendations to revive the high street. -
Portas Review to be published this morning
Mary Portas is expected to focus on planning and parking reforms when she reveals her plan to revive the high street this morning. The report is due to be published at 10.30am. Visit Retail-week.com to find out her key recommendations and share your views. -
Portas sets out new high street vision
Mary Portas has called for a “shift to a new, multi-functional, social high street”. -
Power from the people
Christmas shopping can be an arduous task, pounding the pavements for hours on end, rushing from shop to shop to find the perfect present. -
Private equity firm Cinven weighs up Mothercare bid
Private equity houses including Cinven are vying to take over struggling maternity retailer Mothercare. -
PwC questions timescale and practicality of Portas review
The timescale and practicality of implementing Mary Portas’ recommendations need to be addressed, PricewaterhouseCoopers has said in response to the Portas Review. -
Retail gets ready for make or break Christmas week
Retailers bank on promotions to drive people into shops in the final few days. -
Retail sales grow in December for first time in seven months, says CBI
Retail sales volumes grew in the year to December for the first time in seven months however sales were considered poor for the time of year according to the CBI. -
Retail sales volumes fall month-on-month in November according to ONS
Retail sales volumes dipped 0.7% in November from the previous month according to the Office of National Statistics despite the Christmas shopping season kicking off. -
Retail Week Conference goes interactive as sponsor The Cloud offers free internet for all
Retail Week Conference is to become a digital forum next year as headline sponsor, wifi provider The Cloud, supplies free internet for all at the event. -
Retail Week Interiors
Read Retail Week Interiors as a fully digital edition. -
Retailers including Asda and Morrisons overturn OFT tobacco price-fixing decision
A consortium of retailers have overturned a controversial decision from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) over tobacco price-fixing. -
Robert Dyas boss exits after five months
Robert Dyas chief executive Steve McVey has stepped down from the homewares and hardwares retailer after just five months and has been replaced by finance director Graham Coles. -
Sainsbury's marketing bosses exit
Sainsbury’s is to lose two key marketing bosses. -
Saks Fifth Avenue relaunches SaksPOV website
Upmarket department store group Saks Fifth Avenue has relaunched the SaksPOV website after five months of development.SaksPOV offers shoppers insight on fashion, culture and art and includes multimedia content, Saks brand coverage and lifestyle pieces. Saks Direct chief marketing officer and president Denise Incandela said: “We will use SaksPOV as an outlet to engage with our customers and as a portal for our fashion lifestyle content.” -
Schlecker closes 400 stores
Drugstore operator Schlecker had to close about 400 stores in November and a further 200 will follow this month, according to Spiegel.Chief executive and owner Anton Schlecker is said to have already invested a double-digit million euro sum of the company’s private assets to restructure the chain, which lost its position as the market leader in German drugstore retailing to its aggressively expanding competitor dm in 2011. -
Scottish retail sales drop worst since 1999
Scottish retail sales in November fell at their steepest rate since 1999, with total sales down 1.3% year-on-year as consumers put off their Christmas shopping. -
Selfridges launches last-minute Christmas shopping services
Department store group Selfridges has brought forward the launch of a mobile-optimised website to help last-minute Christmas gift buyers make their purchases and is introducing an in-store SOS shopping service. -
Sports Direct abandons interest in Blacks
Sports Direct has abandoned its plans to bid for up-for-sale outdoor specialist Blacks. -
Sports Direct sales up in first half
Sports Direct has reported flat pretax profits at £100.3m as sales grew in the first half. -
Strong management key to funding
With the Christmas season now well and truly upon us, we have entered the most crucial period of the year for retailers. -
Sun European Capital snaps up American Golf
Private equity firm Sun European Capital has snapped up specialist retailer American Golf. -
Sun European makes offer for Jacques Vert
Private equity firm Sun European Partners has made an offer for womenswear retailer Jacques Vert. The deal values Jacques Vert at £41.2m -
Supergroup profits dip despite like-for-like growth
Supergroup underlying profit before tax dipped £0.5m to £13m as like-for-likes grew 4% in its half year to October 30. -
Tengelmann buys 10% stake in Neonga
Retail group Tengelmann has bought a 10% stake in Berlin-based online game provider Neonga via Tengelmann Ventures. The deal is part of the retailer’s strategy to build a portfolio of financial investments in technology start-ups.Tengelmann Ventures told Planet Retail that investment would be focused on mobile, software and gaming companies in addition to ecommerce operations. -
Tesco results top off another tough week
As Christmas loomed, store stocks headed south. Food specialists and general merchandisers alike underperformed the All Share index and were sharply down over the year. -
Town centre retail to lose share, Portas study shows
The proportion of retail sales through town centres is expected to decline significantly in the next three years, as Mary Portas attempts to reverse a “crisis” situation. -
'Trading down' to characterise consumer buying habits
Cautious, smarter spending, buying inexpensive, non-essential items, ‘trading down’ and home entertaining will dominate consumer buying habits in the coming months, according to the inaugural Deloitte Consumer Review, published today. -
Victoria's Secret owner front-runner to buy La Senza
Victoria’s Secrets owner Limited Brands is believed to be close to buying the La Senza brand. -
Waitrose weekly sales rise on demand for festive season drinks
Food retailer Waitrose has reported a 6.3% weekly sales rise, assisted by shoppers stocking up with drinks ahead of the Christmas holiday. -
West End takings rise during traffic-free weekend
Takings in London’s West End were at their highest of the year as a result of a traffic-free promotion designed to entice Christmas shoppers to the area. -
What should I consider when questioning store closures?
Are we better to close stores that are trading OK as the leases are up for renewal, or close poorly trading stores with years left on the lease? -
Wickes like-for-likes plummet over past eight weeks
Wickes like-for-likes have plummeted 6.8% over the past eight weeks. -
Wickes opens first high street store
Wickes has opened a convenience store on a high street in Tumbridge Wells. -
Word Cloud: Mary Portas: High Street Review
A word cloud of the Portas review into the state of the UK high street. -
X5 Retail Group plans ecommerce launch
Grocery retailer X5 Retail Group is thought to be planning to launch an ecommerce banner called E5 in the second half of 2012.The website would allow consumers to order goods online and pick them up in Pyaterochka, Perekrestok and Karusel stores.
