Retail Week
October 7 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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Aldi losses edge up after store disposals but sales grow strongly
Hard discount grocer Aldi has reported its pre-tax losses edged up in 2010 after it suffered impairment charges from a store disposal programme, but sales grew strongly. -
Aldi’s sales jump as shoppers tighten belts
Aldi, the German grocer which has surged back into popularity this year as consumers tighten their purse strings, reported a loss last year after a store disposal programme but sales grew solidly. -
Aldi's views on new debit fees upheld
Aldi has had its views on new debit fees upheld by the Australian Federal Court, it has been reported. The discounter went to court to stop banks and its rivals Coles and Woolworths from making what it says are misleading comments about the effects that new fees on the Eftpos debit sc -
Alexon ‘must act to reposition brands’
Alexon needs to revamp its brands to survive in the highly competitive fashion market after it was bought out of pre-pack administration last week. -
Amazon on track to be the world's second largest retailer
Few retailers can touch Amazon at present in terms of growth, innovation, opportunities and pure excitement. -
Amazon’s new tablet PC will ignite global sales
Amazon’s sales will be on fire with the launch of its new tablet PC. -
Asda posts full-year profit rise
Asda’s operating profit rose almost five per cent to £998.6m last year, excluding charges such as royalties to parent Walmart. -
Asda's Roger McLaughlan to join Toys R Us
Asda Living retail director Roger McLaughlan is leaving the retailer to take up the role of UK managing director for Toys R Us. -
Aurora rolls out 90 minute delivery to another six cities
Aurora Fashions is rolling out its 90 minute delivery service to another six cities around the UK. -
Big grocers avoid worst of price falls
Store stocks were down across the board over the week but food and general merchandisers’ declines were limited versus the wider market, although that was ahead of a Mothercare profit warning. -
Blockbuster launches subscription movie service
Blockbuster has launched its own subscription movie service which it claims will compete against rival Netflix. Blockbuster Movie Pass will be available from October 1 for a monthly subscription of $10 (£6.40). The service includes DVD movies, TV shows and video games. It will be launched initially to customers of parent company Dish Network, although the company expects to expand -
Boots CIO Andy Haywood leaves to join Co-op
Boots’ chief information officer (CIO) Andy Haywood is leaving to become group CIO at the Co-operative Group. -
Cameron does U-turn on credit card debt
Prime Minister David Cameron has rewritten his speech to the Conservative conference removing a key passage which was interpreted as a call for households to pay off their credit card debts. -
Cameron urges households to pay off credit and store card debt
Prime Minister David Cameron will today warn millions of cash-strapped households that they should pay off their credit card and store card debt as Britain aims to rebuild itself. -
Carrefour hypermarkets not matching performance of pilot stores
Carrefour said its new Carrefour Planet hypermarkets weren’t matching the performance of the format’s pilot stores. Compared with the pilots sales at newer Carrefour Planet stores have not been increasing as strongly.However, group chief commercial officer José Carlos Gonzalez-Hurtado has said the results were still ahead of the September 2010 targets. Since the pilot, Carrefour has been able to halve investment c -
Chinese whispers hit Burberry
For evidence of shareholder short-termism, look no further than luxury goods retailer and brand Burberry. -
Claire's Stores appoints Beatrice Lafon European boss
Accessories retailer Claire’s Stores has appointed Beatrice Lafon as president of the European division. -
Co-buying shopping sites
There’s been a raft of co-buying sites launched recently, encouraging shoppers to use collective buying power to get discounts. Should retailers embrace the trend? -
Comment: Are recessions as much about psychology as economics?
Show faith in the worth of your offer and it’ll rub off on consumers, says Simon Burke -
Consumers experiencing crisis of confidence, top retailers say
Leading retailers feel the squeeze as shoppers tighten their belts further and consumer confidence plummets, and fear no immediate improvement on the horizon. -
DIY operator Hornbach reports net sales increase
DIY operator Hornbach reported net sales up 7.5% to e1.78bn (£1.53bn) for the six months to August 31. Total second-quarter sales rose 3.9% although net income was down 8.3% to e50m (£44.3m). Like-for-like sales dipped 0.2%. Hornbach’s international business was its main revenue driver, with second-quarter sales up 7.3%at its 43 overseas stores compared with 1.6% for its 91 stores in Germany. -
Dunelm like-for-likes drop 2% in first quarter
Value homewares retailer Dunelm like-for-likes declined 2% in the 13 weeks to October 1. -
Dunelm store in flames on Coventry retail park
A large fire has broken out in a Dunelm store on the Orchard Retail Park, in the Willenhall area of Coventry. -
Ebay director moves to senior adviser role
Ebay senior vice president and general manager of eBay Marketplaces Europe Doug McCallum is to move to a new role as senior adviser to eBay Inc’s president and chief executive John Donahoe. -
EBay launches ad campaign to promote its Fashion Outlet
EBay has unveiled a new advertising campaign to promote its Fashion Outlet. -
Edeka plans store openings in 2012
Grocery operator Edeka says it plans to open about 200 new full-assortment stores in 2012, maintaining its expansion pace of the past two years. The company will invest about e1bn (£860m) next year in the expansion and modernisation of its store network. Most of Edeka’s full-assortment stores are operated by around 4,500 independent retailers, which are supplied by Edeka’s seven regional co-operatives. -
EU legislation prevents UK retailers opening stores in Europe, says BRC
Unnecessary legislative barriers are preventing UK retailers opening stores in other EU countries, according to the British Retail Consortium. -
Facebook to develop personalisation on retailers' websites
Facebook is seeking to develop closer partnerships with retailers to deliver personalised customer experiences on their websites. -
Former Dixons boss Clare advises on Comet deal
Former Dixons chief executive John Clare is advising private equity firm OpCapita on its potential takeover of number two electricals retailer Comet, it is understood. -
Foyles to shut One New Change store
Bookseller Foyles is to shut its store at One New Change, the shopping centre located in the City of London. -
Gideon Lask
Chief executive, BuyaPowa -
Government needs to lift shopper confidence
As David Cameron sat down on Wednesday morning to make the finishing touches to his speech to the Tory conference, he could have done worse than take a look at that day’s statements from Tesco, Mothercare, SuperGroup and Sainsbury’s. -
H&M opens at Westfield Stratford City
H&M has opened its second-largest store in the UK at Westfield Stratford City. -
Harvey Nichols Birmingham celebrates 10th birthday
Harvey Nichols’ Birmingham store has had a facelift to celebrate its 10th birthday. -
House of Fraser revamps men’s formalwear department
House of Fraser has invested £1m into revamping its men’s formalwear department to create a destination for shoppers, featuring new brands, a bar and its first bespoke suiting service. -
Hunkemoller appoints head of design
European lingerie retailer Hunkemöller has appointed Zoe Price Smith as head of design. -
Iceland hits the right note with Solomon
Getting celebrity endorsements right can be tricky as many retailers struggle to make the link between the star and brand credible, however Iceland has struck gold with Stacey Solomon. -
In focus: Laura Ashley
Laura Ashley has had a turbulent history since its launch in the 1960s by the eponymous fabric designer and her husband. -
In pictures: Morrisons unveils M Kitchen range
Morrisons has launched its M Kitchen range into stores this week, the first of the relaunch of some 11,000 of its own brand products. -
Intermarché to grow convenience format
Intermarché is to increase its presence in big French urban centres by growing its Intermarché Express convenience format. The retailer has 22 convenience stores and expects to operate 50 by the end of 2012. Eight Express stores will open in the next four months, said Philippe Manzoni, president of ITM Alimentaire, which operates Intermarché grocery formats. In central Paris, the retailer expects to double its store count to 10. In the suburbs, it is working on creating larger stores, of betw -
Jack Wills to double US store numbers
Young fashion chain Jack Wills is to double its presence in the US. -
Jessie J entertains at HMV annual conference
HMV held its annual store manager’s conference on Monday, and once again treated managers to an array of artists at the HMV Apollo in Hammersmith. -
John Lewis sales hammered by Indian Summer
Sales fell at every John Lewis store open for more than a year in the week to 1 October, with the hot weather keeping customers out of the shops. -
Laura Ashley’s impressive revival
Despite a chequered history, descending from quintessential UK design icon of the 1960s and 1970s, enjoying international acceptance in the 1980s to spending much of the 1990s in deep trouble, Laura Ashley’s originally faltering but impressive 2000s revival is a textbook example of retail really being detail. -
M&S launches click and collect dining
Marks & Spencer has moved into selling food online with the launch a Click and Collect service for a range of 100 “foodhall favourites”. -
Magnus Olsson
Modest by nature, the head of H&M in the UK and Ireland is also justly proud of his store’s recent results. Tim Danaher discovers his plans for more openings and different formats -
Marks & Spencer asks suppliers for contribution to store overhaul programme
Marks & Spencer is seeking a contribution from suppliers towards the cost of its £600m store revamp programme. -
Marks & Spencer to recruit 200 graduates
Marks & Spencer aims to recruit 200 people as part of its 2012 graduate and business placement programme. -
McQueen hires former retail analyst John Richards
Corporate finance advisor McQueen has appointed former retail analyst John Richards as a consultant. -
More Sunday street closures envisaged to boost West End
Top retail streets in London’s West End, the country’s premier shopping destination, should close to traffic on a frequent basis to draw in more custom, it has been proposed. -
Mothercare warns on profits as UK like-for-likes plummet
Maternity retailer Mothercare has issued a profits warning as consumer confidence continues to deteriorate following the riots in England. -
Mulberry expands worldwide reach with distribution deal
Luxury brand and retailer Mulberry has inked distribution deals for South East Asia, China and Australia in a bid to continue its worldwide expansion. -
New Look boosts mobile with new app
New Look has launched a new iPhone and iPod touch application that provides users with fashion content and style advice. -
Officers Club set to help Blue Inc to sixth year of record growth
Fashion specialist Blue Inc expects a sixth year of record growth in 2011, despite punishing trading conditions. -
Pick n Pay enters Mauritius
Pick n Pay has entered Mauritius with the launch of a 43,000 sq ft franchise superstore and plans to add two further outlets in 2012. The move is part of the retailer’s foreign growth strategy across the sub-saharan region. Having withdrawn from Australia this month, Pick n Pay now has a presence in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Head of group enterprises Dallas Langman said Pick n Pay chose Mauritius as it had “one of the most successful -
Retail sales fall at Halfords
A second quarter like-for-like sales fall at car parts and bikes specialist Halfords’ retail division was counterbalanced by a strong showing from the Autocentres service business. -
Retail Week Knowledge Bank bonanza
Congratulations to Arden Partners’ Nick Bubb, Barracuda Search’s Peter Jones and FSP Retail’s Bekki Bedford who are the three winners of our Retail Week Knowledge Bank competition – the champagne is on its way. -
Retailers urge businesses to hire ex-offenders
Leading retailers including Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland have written a letter to the Financial Times urging businesses to back the government’s plans to provide work and training for ex-offenders. -
Rite Aid plans introduction of iPad tablets to stores
Drugstore operator Rite Aid plans to introduce iPad tablets to 300 stores in 2012 following positive customer feedback. Rite Aid brought the iPads to 40 stores this year and they are being used by the chain’s Wellness Ambassadors – trained sales associates who provide customers with information on over-the-counter medications. Rite Aid group vice-president of strategy Matt Schroeder said: “Although we are very early in the process, we are seeing improved sales results in the first group of re -
Sainsbury's warns "very competitive" market here to stay
Sainsbury’s like-for-like sales rose 1.9%, excluding fuel, in the 16 weeks to October 1 as total sales advanced 4.4%. -
Shop price inflation stable in September
Shop price inflation was unchanged month-on-month in September, when the overall rate remained 2.7%. -
Steamer Trading: Recipe for success
Cookware specialist Steamer Trading has continued its trend for unique stores by refurbishing a Grade II building in the North. John Ryan tours the store with managing director Ben Phillips -
SuperGroup supply chain glitch ‘shows risks of rapid expansion’
SuperGroup’s warehouse malfunction, which could hit profits by as much as £9m, demonstrates the risks of rapid store expansion, according to broker Espirito Santo. -
Ted Baker profits up 12.7%
Ted Baker has reported pre-tax profit up 12.7% to £8.5m in its interim results, but the quirky fashion retailer remains cautious given the uncertain macroeconomic environment. -
Tesco reports "subdued" UK growth
Tesco has reported a 6.2% rise in underlying pre-tax profit to £1.9bn for the 26 weeks to August 27 with strong growth overseas helping it prop up the “subdued” UK market. -
Tesco to open online clothing delivery to international markets
Tesco’s online clothing business is to extend its delivery service to international markets. -
The online battle for traffic
Which websites have lost or gained the most visitors in the past year? Charlotte Hardie considers the usefulness of unique visitor numbers analysis -
The shifting battleground on price
Tesco announces a new price initiative and the media proclaim a price war. -
Thorntons reports first-quarter sales fall
Chocolatier Thorntons has posted a first-quarter sales fall at all its main divisions but directors are confident in a strong Christmas product line-up. -
Toys R Us to open first store in Poland
Toys R Us is to open its first store in Poland next month – its first market entry for 10 years. The store will be in Warsaw’s Blue City shopping centre. Toys R Us has signed leases for four further stores in Poland, averaging 25,835 sq ft. Toys R Us president of central Europe Wolfgang Link said the stores might also serve as a bridge into other markets in eastern Europe. -
USC boss Jim McGonigle exits
USC chief executive Jim McGonigle has exited after nearly a decade at the chain, Retail Week has learned. -
Waitrose launches 'biggest ever' value campaign
Supermarket group Waitrose has launched its “biggest ever” value campaign to emphasise its competitiveness as shoopes keep a close eye on spending. -
Waitrose 'You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find'
Waitrose has a bit of a challenge on its hands when it comes to its food, fashion and home store in Canary Wharf. -
Walmart announces resignation of key executives
Walmart has announced the resignation of key executives from its online business. Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice-chairman of global sourcing operations, is to retire in July and Wan Ling Martello, vice-president of ecommerce, is to leave the company to take up a new position at Nestlé. The departures come amid a drive by Walmart to push more customers to make purchases on the internet. Walmart chief -
Warehouse woes to hit SuperGroup profits
SuperGroup, owner of the Superdry brand, has warned that full-year profits will be hit by as much as £9m after warehouse problems. -
Waterstone's unveils its new board of directors
Bookseller Waterstone’s, which was bought by Russian investor Alexander Mamut from HMV in June, has unveiled its new board, which includes the appointment of Miranda Curtis as chairman. -
We’re getting back on track, insists Clarke
As Tesco reports dip in like-for-likes, ‘confident’ Sainsbury’s goes on attack. -
Weekday, Mitte, Berlin
Weekday in Berlin’s Mitte district stands as an example of why this part of the German capital is always worth a visit and how it is one of the more important places to grab a slice of the retail zeitgeist currently. -
What does 'shopper marketing' mean?
I keep hearing the term ‘shopper marketing’. What does it mean? -
What should I look out for when outsourcing my data centre hosting?
I’m looking to outsource our data centre hosting to an external supplier. What should I look for in a potential provider and how do I ensure that I receive true value from the relationship? -
White Stuff heads off to Denmark
Lifestyle fashion chain White Stuff makes its first foray abroad next month with the opening of a store in Copenhagen and the launch of a transactional website in Denmark. -
Why Steve Jobs changed retail
The Apple founder, who died this week, may not have been best known as a retailer. But the brand he created profoundly changed our industry. Here Retail Week explains why. -
Wickes hires ex Sainsbury's executive as operations director
DIY retailer Wickes has hired former Sainsbury’s executive Martin Roberts as its new operations director. -
Wiggle attracts private equity interest as it gears up for sale or float
Bikes etailer Wiggle has attracted several private equity firms and trade buyers as the retailer mulls a sale or float. -
World Retail Congress: The view from the top
The industry’s biggest names from across the globe met at the fifth World Retail Congress to tackle the big issues of the day. George MacDonald and Rebecca Thomson report from Berlin.
