Retail Week
May 27 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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120 Focus stores to be closed
UPDATED: The administrators of Focus DIY have confirmed the appointment of restructuring firm Gordon Brothers to advise on the sale of all stock with a view to “closing down the chain”. -
Asda to bring back imperial measures
Asda is to return to pounds and ounces on its strawberries for the first time in 16 years. -
At the margins
At every turn, retailers are staring at rising costs. With deflation a thing of the past, how can they manage their margins and remain profitable? Charlotte Hardie considers the challenges ahead. -
B&Q reveals locations of Focus stores bought from E&Y
B&Q owner Kingfisher has revealed locations of the 31 stores it acquired from the administrators of Focus DIY after it collapsed earlier this month. -
BDO High Street Sales Tracker
BDO High Street Sales Tracker data for the week ending May 22, 2011 -
Bob Darke
Despite job cuts and a steep fall in sales, new managing director Bob Darke insists Comet can survive in a tough sector. George MacDonald reports. -
Boots chief Gourlay champions high street improvement drive
Alliance Boots health and beauty chief executive Alex Gourlay has thrown his weight behind a blueprint to breathe new life into town centres. -
BRC fears Bill will push up grocery costs
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has hit out at the Government’s decision to press ahead with its draft Groceries Adjudicator Bill, which was published for pre-legislative scrutiny this week. -
Burberry focuses on flagships as profits leap
Luxury goods retailer and brand Burberry is to focus on high-profile flagship store openings and refurbs after reporting a surge in profits. -
Consumer confidence soars in May
Consumer confidence rose at the highest rate in almost two decades during May as the royal wedding and sunny weather heralded a return of the feelgood factor. -
Co-op puts the fizz back in its stores
Co-operative Group, the egalitarian retailer, has unveiled a format in London that will set the pattern for the future. John Ryan visits. -
Co-op relaunches Truly Irresistible in sales push
Co-operative Group has revamped its own-brand premium range this week to drive sales. -
Debenhams shares jump on talk of bid from Poon
Shares in Debenhams rose on speculation of a bid from Hong Kong-based Dickson Poon, the owner of Harvey Nichols. -
Debenhams to enter US market with Sears tie-up
Debenhams, the department store chain, could enter the US by opening space in Sears department stores. -
Dixons agrees £59m sale and leaseback deal
Electricals group Dixons, owner of chains including Currys and PC World, has agreed a £59m sale and leaseback of its Nordic distribution centre. -
Dixons to drive profit through its Knowhow service division
Electricals group Dixons could add “tens of millions” to profits with a push into services through its Knowhow division, group chief executive John Browett believes. -
Drapers editor joins Amazon UK to ramp up fashion offer
Etail giant Amazon UK has appointed fashion trade magazine Drapers executive editor Jessica Brown as head of fashion for its fledgling clothing business. -
Dune relaunches website in bid for 50% growth
The Dune Group is to overhaul its ecommerce offer, kicking off with the relaunch of eponymous footwear chain Dune’s website. -
EBay calls for better broadband coverage to boost m-commerce
Online marketplace eBay is calling for improvements in the quality of broadband coverage in the UK to boost mobile shopping as it reveals research showing m-commerce could deliver a £4.5bn boost to Britain’s economy in the next five years. -
Experian Footfall: Week 20, 2011
Experian Footfall index data for the week ending May 22, 2011 -
Fashion and beauty lead the way in better week for John Lewis
Strong performances from fashion and beauty helped John Lewis to a solid week’s trading in the week to 21 May, but Waitrose had a slower week. -
Flat market masks big risers and fallers
Retailers generally, like the market, were flat over the week, but that masked some big share price advances and falls. -
For M&S’s Bolland, success is in the detail
When Marc Bolland succeeded Sir Stuart Rose as chief executive of Marks & Spencer, there was fevered speculation about the extent to which he would change strategic direction. -
Gap needs fresh approach to reverse domestic fall
Gap chief executive Glenn Murphy has given himself five months to stop years of bleeding at the eponymous brand. -
George at Asda turns 21 and sparks new plans
George at Asda managing director Andrew Moore has set out three key planks for growth as the brand celebrates its 21st birthday this week. -
Green understood to be in talks to sell Bhs stores to Primark
Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green is reported to be in early talks to sell off a number of Bhs stores to Primark as part of a group cost cutting exercise. -
Halfords Autocentres potential impresses
Halfords’ Autocentres business is expected to offer “attractive medium-term earnings benefit” to the car parts and bikes retailer, said analysts that attended an investor trip last week. -
Happily ever after for Waterstone’s?
Rising ebook sales and the competition from grocers have made life tough for Waterstone’s. Nicola Harrison finds out how the bookseller can be turned around under new ownership. -
High street crusade ignores the facts
“The high street should be at the very heart of every community, bringing people together, providing essential services and creating jobs and investment; so it is vital that we do all that we can to ensure they thrive.” -
HobbyCraft unveils new branding and store concept
Arts and crafts retailer HobbyCraft has unveiled a new store concept and rebranding to appeal to a younger audience. -
Home shopping giants join directive fight
Two of the UK’s multichannel heavyweights have spoken out in support of Retail Week’s Ditch the Directive campaign warning provisions within the proposed EU Consumer Rights Directive could be counterproductive. -
House of Fraser closes £250m bond issue
Department store group house of Fraser closed a £250m bond issue yesterday. -
How to reduce checkout abandonment
Retailers with difficult web payment processes are losing customers. Rebecca Thomson considers how to keep online shoppers happy -
Iceland says private equity cash not needed
Iceland founder and chief executive Malcolm Walker said he does not need funding from a private equity backer to take full control of the frozen food retailer, which is being circled by rivals. -
In focus: Morrisons
So Morrisons is mulling over a bid for Iceland. Retail Week Knowledge Bank has just updated its profile of the UK’s fourth largest supermarket chain, analysing its performance in the first year under new chief executive Dalton Philips. -
JJB prioritises preserving cash margins as turnaround begins
JJB Sports is to focus on protecting its margins this year as it seeks to stem its losses. -
JJB Sports chairman warns turnaround will take up to five years as losses triple
JJB Sports chairman Mike McTighe has warned its turnaround will take up to five years as its losses before tax almost tripled to £181.4m in its full year to January 30. -
Kantar Worldpanel: Grocery market share data
Kantar Worldpanel Grocery market share data for the 12 weeks ending May 15, 2011 -
Kate Middleton's Reiss dress sells out
Reiss reported that the dress Kate Middleton wore to meet Barack and Michelle Obama has sold out after customers rushed to its shops and crashed its website. -
King of the castle
Disney Store has opened a new-look flagship on Oxford Street in the shop formerly occupied by Dutch casusalwear retailer Mexx. -
Locations of Focus stores acquired by Wickes and B&M Bargains revealed
Focus DIY administrators Ernst &Young have revealed the locations of all Focus stores purchased from retailers Wickes and B&M Bargains. -
Lord Myners questions Cameron's appointment of Portas
Doubts are growing over David Cameron’s decision to appoint TV star Mary Portas as his new retail advisor. -
M&S shopfloor staff gain power to improve customer experience
Food department staff to be given extra responsibilities as part of Bolland’s improvements -
Make Up Store, Carnaby Street
Make Up Store is a Swedish retailer with shops across Europe and North America, which has had a lone store in Westfield London for some time. -
Malcolm Walker’s next summit
As Iceland founder and chief executive Malcolm Walker returns from one feat - conquering Everest - he now faces another: the potential sale of failed bank Landsbanki’s 67% stake in the frozen food retailer. -
Mango changes logo to appeal to more mature customer
Spanish young fashion chain Mango has changed its logo as part of a process to revise the company’s image with the aim of appealing to a more mature female customer. -
Moss Bros on the rise as it simplifies
Menswear specialist Moss Bros posted a surge in total sales from continuing operations of 12.9% in the 15 weeks to May 14. -
My-Wardrobe.com sales soar 96%
Premium etailer My-Wardrobe.com said sales grew by 96% over the last 12 months. -
New Holland & Barrett store highlights beauty
Holland & Barrett has opened its first dedicated natural beauty floor to attract younger customers. -
New Peacocks chair forges ahead with UK and overseas expansion
Former Asda chief executive Allan Leighton, who was confirmed as chairman of value retailer Peacocks this week, will focus on overseas expansion and UK consolidation. -
Nick Wilkinson
Nick Wilkinson, Chief executive, Evans Cycles. -
Retail needs a touch of excitement
Invest in product innovation and you can fire up customer demand, says Jacqueline Gold. -
Retail valuations stay solid as confidence rises
Retail valuations remain attractive after consumer confidence showed another improvement in April despite the tough climate, broker Espirito Santo maintained. -
Retail Week Interiors Awards announce headline sponsor
The 14th annual Retail Week Interiors Awards have announced New Store Europe as the headline sponsors at this years leading interiors industry awards. -
Riddiford drafted in at La Senza
David Riddiford, the former chief executive of Arnotts and buying and merchandise director of Selfridges, has been drafted in to advise lingerie chain La Senza on an interim basis. -
Sainsbury's hires MD for the north
Sainsbury’s has hired Wickes operations director David Furness to be its new zone managing director for the north. -
Sainsbury's to roll out click and collect
Sainsbury’s is to roll out its click and collect service to 800 stores by Christmas. -
Sally Scott set to leave marketing role at Selfridges
Selfridges marketing director Sally Scott is to leave the department store business. -
Sheffield Meadowhall to expand
Property developers London & Stamford and British Land have outlined plans to turn Meadowhall shopping centre, Sheffield, into the UK’s largest out-of-town shopping destination. -
Shoe Zone stays positive despite slump in sales
Pre-tax profits dropped from £15.3m to £9.9m at value footwear retailer Shoe Zone Group, while sales fell 3% to £239m in 2010 because of tough trading conditions. -
Signet UK like-for-likes remain flat
US jeweller Signet UK like-for-likes remained flat in its first quarter but losses have narrowed year-on-year. -
Sources and updates
Retail Week Knowledge Bank sources its data from published reports and accounts (for publicly listed companies), Companies House filings (for privately ownedcompanies) or from companies themselves. -
Sports Direct appoints non-exec
Sports Direct has appointed a new non-executive director. -
Superdrug signs first million users for loyalty card
Superdrug has signed up one million customers to its new Beautycard loyalty scheme since launching on May 11. -
SuperGroup snaps up iconic Regent Street store from Austin Reed
Austin Reed is to exit its iconic store on London’s Regent Street to make way for trendy fashion retailer of the moment SuperGroup, Retail Week can reveal. -
Tesco launches £30 version of Kate Middleton's dress
Tesco is to launch a version of Kate Middleton’s £175 Reiss Shola dress next month for the bargain price of just £30. -
Tesco to launch new brands
Tesco is to launch a series of new brands over the next few weeks as it seeks to bolster its UK performance. -
The changing face of retail
Retailers are in a particularly challenging position when it comes to technology. -
The Outnet launches iPhone app
Discount designer etailer the Outnet.com will launch its first edition iPhone app this week, which rewards users with credit for introducing friends to the site. -
The rise of personalised offers
Faster, cheaper technology means personalised offers traditionally produced by the big grocers are now in reach of every retailer. Alison Clements finds out how retailers are doing it. -
Top of the market?
Superdry’s acquisition of the landmark Austin Reed store on Regent Street is a remarkable deal -
Topps Tiles profits and sales flat
Topps Tiles has reported adjusted pre-tax profit edged down from £7.8m to £7.2m in its interim report for the 26 weeks to April 2. -
Topshop launches 'secret' in-store pop-up shop
Topshop’s Oxford Circus and New York stores will this week launch in-store pop-up shops which offer specially-designed boutique and quirky collaboration pieces. -
Walmart gets green light for Massmart buy
Walmart has been given the green light for its proposed $2.4bn merger with South African retailer Massmart, subject to certain conditions. -
What does mobile mean for retail?
Hype around mobile continues to grow, but most retailers are still considering their approach. Rebecca Thomson finds out where the technology goes next -
What role will data play in a multichannel world?
As multichannel shopping continues to evolve, sources of customer data are multiplying. Rebecca Thomson looks at how to cope with the developments and what they could mean for retailers -
Why Berlin is better than London
If you want to see new, head for the German rather than the UK capital.
