Retail Week
February 4, 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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Alexon takes a step in right direction
Womenswear group Alexon generated a big like-for-like sales rise over Christmas but brokers were split about the message on profitability. -
Amazon bolsters fashion offer with lingerie launch
Online giant Amazon launched a lingerie range on its UK site last week as it seeks to widen its fashion offer. -
B&Q signs up Kirstie Allsopp and George Clarke as part of home improvement campaign
DIY giant B&Q has signed up TV property experts Kirstie Allsopp and George Clarke as part of its campaign to make home improvement easier. -
BDO High Street Sales Tracker
BDO High Street Sales Tracker data for the week ending January 30 , 2011 -
Biedronka to open 200 new stores and two new distribution centres
POLAND -
Bolland spreads M&S’s wings
M&S boss Marc Bolland started to make his presence felt with last week’s rejig of the general merchandise senior management structure. The rationale for the changes was to create the right framework for delivery of M&S’s business plan. -
Buyers size up HMV
Entertainment retailer back on private equity’s radar after poor trading raises prospect of a break-up -
Carpetright cautions prices will rise in 2011
Floorings giant Carpetright is to hike up its prices by about 8% this year as it seeks to mitigate soaring costs including freight and petrol. -
Changes at Best Buy as Wheway goes
This week’s change of leadership at Best Buy Europe reflects a shift of focus from strategy to operations as the retailer prepares for a new phase, departing chief executive Scott Wheway claimed. -
Concept stores: Let it roll
What happens when a concept store needs to be rolled out and what needs to be done to keep the spirit of the original, asks John Ryan -
Cumberland Farms opens its first drive-thru store
Cumberland Farms has opened its first drive-thru store, at an existing convenience store in Kingston, Boston.The convenience store retailer said a “wide variety” of the 3,000 items sold at the store were available at the drive-thru window, including groceries and staple goods.The store has been opened on a pilot basis but Cumberland Farms said it planned to open more drive-thru stores in the future. -
Disney to open first store in China by mid-2012
Disney Stores is planning to open its first store in China by mid-2012.The company said its strategy would be to secure locations in upscale shopping centres and department stores, where it will open Disney Stores similar to those in Europe and North America.Disney Stores did not say how many stores it aimed to open in China but did say it would be adding more than 25 new and remodelled global stores throughout 2011. -
Dixy Group revenue increases 19.4% to £1.4bn
Dixy Group posted a 19.4% increase in its 2010 revenues to RUB64.7bn (£1.4bn).Like-for-like sales grew by 2.8%, boosted by strong like-for-like growth in the Urals, which were up 5.5%.The grocer closed the year with 646 stores, including 623 Dixy supermarkets, 15 Megamart hypermarkets and eight Minimart stores, located in three Russian federal districts - central, northwest and Urals. -
Egypt riots close stores and ground shipments
The anti-government rioting and unrest in Egypt has led to some retail and supply problems for British retailers. -
Experian Footfall: Week 4, 2011
Experian Footfall index data for the week ending January 30, 2011 -
Experian Footfall: Week 5, 2011
Experian Footfall index data for the week ending February 6, 2011 -
Facebook shopping
Asos’s move to make its Facebook page transactional signals exciting opportunities for retailers to leverage their social network ‘fans’ into hard sales -
Finding and keeping the best
High staff turnover in stores can be costly, so how do you deal with it, asks Rebecca Thomson -
Former Borders boss plans new retail business
Philip Downer, the former boss of defunct bookseller Borders UK, is mulling a new retail venture. -
Fresh & Easy hunts small stores to extend its reach
Fresh & Easy, Tesco’s US business, is considering smaller stores as it seeks out new locations in northern California. -
Game poaches M&S director Dave Hughes
Game has poached senior Marks & Spencer director Dave Hughes as its chief marketing officer. -
Gill Politis
Managing director, High & Mighty -
Go Outdoors reveals record year
Outdoor specialist Go Outdoors has notched up a record year, with sales soaring 57%. -
Going, going... gone
As Icelandic investors consider exiting high-profile retailers, George MacDonald asks whether the stores sector can look forward to a raft of deals in the year to come -
Grocers slow as discounters return to form
The grocery sector slowed last month in the four weeks to January 23, when the hard discounters returned to form in what was a tough consumer climate. -
H&M launches sustainable range
H&M is to launch a sustainable fashion range in April, made from eco materials such as organic cotton and recycled fabrics. -
H&M relaunches websites to make them easier to use
Fashion giant H&M is to relaunch its global websites in a bid to make them more consumer friendly. -
H&M sales up 7% to £10.5bn last year
H&M has reported sales excluding VAT were up 7% in the fiscal year ended November 30, up to SEK108.5bn (£10.5bn). Profit after financial items soared 13% to SEK25bn (£2.4bn).For 2011, H&M plans to open about 250 stores, including some in five new markets. The retailer will continue investment in online and catalogue sales where it sees great potential for future growth. -
Harrods rolls out UnionPay to pull in Chinese shoppers
Harrods, the iconic department store, is from today accepting domestic Chinese debit and credit card UnionPay in a signal of the growing importance of Chinese shoppers’ spending power to the luxury retail sector. -
HMV investor Mamut mulling shake-up of business
HMV shareholder Alexander Mamut, the Russian oligarch who has been building up his stake in the business, has appointed Credit Suisse to advise him on options for the embattled retailer. -
Home Depot exits Beijing to focus on two other regions of China
CHINA -
Impact Retail files for bankruptcy
Consumer electronics specialist Impact Retail has filed for bankruptcy. A note on its website states that an administrator will be appointed by a court, with the aim of examining possibilities for the future of the retailer.All 118 of the retailer’s stores have been “provisionally closed” while ecommerce activities have been suspended. -
In Focus: Edinburgh Woollen Mill
Edinburgh Woollen Mill, whose Retail Week Knowledge Bank profile has been updated, is an example of a maturing retailer that has been evolving against a background of market vagaries. Despite its diversification being questioned, it seems to be paying off. -
Inflation hides a multitude of sins
“Lies, damned lies and retailers’ Christmas trading statements.” As a retail analyst I always hated January and its seemingly never ending stream of sales updates. -
Investors see value in retail’s ugly ducklings
The City tends to see things in a very black and white way. And if the stock market continues to price established businesses at levels that assume they won’t exist much longer, then eventually someone else is going to see opportunity in them. -
Irish parties promise to end upward-only rents
Upward-only rent reviews are set to be banned on existing leases in Ireland if the highly anticipated coalition government is installed. -
Jack Wills to bolster its team with top hiring
Preppy fashion specialist Jack Wills is to strengthen its management with a top-level appointment to help steer growth. -
JD says chains will stay separate if talks with JJB are successful
JD Sports Fashion executive chairman Peter Cowgill has said that he plans to continue to run JJB Sports as a separate chain if he buys the business, and believes the JD management team can offer expertise to the struggling retailer. -
Joe Fresh, Vancouver
This store’s in Vancouver and is a two-floor, 14,000 sq ft flagship for Joe Fresh, the clothing brand set up by local retail entrepreneur Joe Mimran in 2006 to sit alongside Canadian supermarket Loblaw’s food offer as a shop-in-shop. -
John Lewis weekly sales dip
John Lewis has reported a slight dip in sales for the week ending January 29 and warned that the year ahead will be more “testing”. -
Kantar Worldpanel: Grocery market share data
Kantar Worldpanel Grocery market share data for the 12 weeks ending January 23, 2011 -
Kiddicare sets out to build repeat business
Up-for-sale nursery specialist Kiddicare is moving into consumable products such as nappies and food, in a bid to build repeat visits to its website. -
Kingfisher’s trade chain Screwfix opens up to public with showroom
DIY giant Kingfisher’s trade chain Screwfix is to trial a standalone bathroom store, called Watersmith. -
Korea’s Lotte is poised to be Asian powerhouse
Those with even a passing interest in the Asian grocery sector cannot have failed to notice the rise in recent years of South Korea’s Lotte Shopping. -
Landmark Group opens its first Spar hypermarket in northern India
Dubai-based Landmark Group has opened its first Spar hypermarket in northern India, with the inauguration of a 74,000 sq ft store in Delhi.The opening of the new store at Pacific Mall in west Delhi brings the total number of Spar hypermarkets in India to four.By the end of fiscal 2012 the chain aims to have 15 hypermarkets in operation across cities such as Chandigarh, Raipur, Noida and Ghaziabad. -
Loyal to the last
Loyalty cards are back in fashion but gaining competitive edge from the rich source of customer data they generate is easier said than done. -
Matt Brittin
Sainsbury’s has scored a coup by persuading Google’s UK chief to join its board. Jennifer Creevy profiles ‘the most influential person in the digital world’ -
Morrisons retail boss to step down
The retirement of Morrisons group retail director Mark Gunter will complete the overhaul of the Bradford-based grocer’s management team under new boss Dalton Philips. -
Morrisons to complain about Asda's 10% cheaper claim
Morrisons has said it plans to follow Tesco and complain about new adverts from rival grocer Asda which claim to be 10% cheaper. -
Netflix Q4 revenue rises 34% to £386m
Netflix has reported a 52% rise in net income to $47.1m (£31m) in the fourth quarter ended December 31, with revenues rocketing 34% to $596m (£386m).During the period the company had a gain of 3 million subscribers, up to a total of 20 million end users. This represents a 63% increase from the same period last year. The company said: “To summarise the fourth quarter, we would say that our huge subscriber growth, fuelled by the excitement of watching instantly, impressed even us.” -
Nomura kicks off food coverage with Tesco tip
Broker Nomura has begun coverage of food retailers with Tesco as a key stock pick. -
Ocado makes first quarterly profit as it bids to grow range
Online grocer Ocado has promised to focus on value, range and quality after it reported its first pre-tax profit of £300,000 in its fourth quarter. -
Office Depot ties up with Dixons to open PC World shop-in-shops
Office supplies giant Office Depot is testing shop-in-shops in electricals group Dixons Retail’s stores. -
RadioShack chief executive to retire in May
The chairman and chief executive of electronics retailer RadioShack, Julian Day, will retire in May after nearly five years.He will be succeeded as chief executive by current chief financial officer Jim Gooch, who was immediately promoted to president.Day led an overhaul of RadioShack operations that helped streamline the business while launching the campaign rebranding RadioShack as The Shack in order to reposition the retailer toward a younger, more modern consumer base. -
Restructing firm buys HPJ Jewellers out of administration
Two newly formed companies backed by restructuring firm Gordon Brothers has bought HPJ Jewellers out of pre-pack administration. -
Retail’s age concerns
Should retailers be worried now the retirement age has been officially scrapped, asks Joanne Ellul -
Retail’s age of the apprentice
Education is constantly in the news, whether it’s school league tables or university fees. -
Rick Bendel
The Asda marketing veteran has become a driving force at parent Walmart, but can he counter the criticism of his current ‘baby’, the Asda Price Guarantee? -
Robert Dyas chief executive Steven Round in shock exit
Chairman to run the business until new chief executive is appointed, while board is bolstered. -
Sainsbury's ramps up promotions
Sainsbury’s is offering romantics half price Champagne for Valentine’s Day alongside its other raft of promotions. -
Scottish Parliament blocks retail Levy
Retailers will not have to pay extra tax on larger stores in Scotland as the Scottish Parliament has blocked the proposed Large Retailer Levy. -
Takeover talks reflect tough week for stores
Plunging consumer confidence, signs of slowing trading at bellwether department store group John Lewis and a Carpetright profit warning meant general retailers were left on the shelf by investors. -
Tesco puts pressure on Asda’s Price Guarantee
The grocery war between the big four has been further stoked this week as Tesco lodged another complaint about Asda’s Price Guarantee. -
The like-for-like masquerade
A focus on short-term figures simply damages retailers’ prospects in the long run, says Neil Gillis -
Time for retail to come in from the cold
After three snowy, sales-depleting winters in a row, are the icy temperatures here to stay in the UK and can retailers do anything to lessen the impact of the weather? Charlotte Hardie reports -
Viscount's son jailed for defrauding Tesco
A viscount’s son has been sent to jail for using his credit card to defraud grocer Tesco out of £355,000 for a music festival. -
What does the end of cheque guarantee cards mean for retailers?
I’ve heard that cheque guarantee cards will cease to exist from June 11. What does this mean for retailers and do I need to prepare for it? -
What it’s like to work at Everything, Everywhere
The inside view from chief change officer Linda Kennedy -
What’s it like to work at High & Mighty
The inside view from managing director Gill Politis -
Will the equality act affect my disabled access obligations?
Will the Equality Act 2010 affect my disabled access obligations?
