Retail Week
Tim Danaher

Tim Danaher is the editor of Retail Week

  • Warm weather hits John Lewis half-term sales

    4-Nov-2011

    Sales at John Lewis fell in the week to 29 October, with takings down in all but one store and much slower growth from the website.

  • Consumer slowdown is accelerating change

    November 4 2011

    Sitting in a top fashion retailer’s office on Tuesday with the air-conditioning turned up to full blast, it wasn’t hard to see why selling clothes is hard at the moment.

  • Laying the retail foundations

    November 4 2011

    Oxford Summer School’s new course is set to be the starting point for tomorrow’s retail leaders.

  • Property and retail

    1-Nov-2011

    Over the past seven years the relationship between property and retail has improved and some stunning schemes have been built. But there remains much more to do.

  • Primark to open concessions in Selfridges

    28-Oct-2011

    High fashion and fast fashion combine as Primark opens concessions in Selfridges in Birmingham and Manchester.

  • Ocado to deploy savings pass card as shoppers feel pinch

    28-Oct-2011

    Saving Pass promises customers 10% off 600-plus branded products in bid to reflect price awareness

  • Is this the calm before the storm for retailers?

    28-Oct-2011

    Every time the ONS or BRC issues sales figures that are not as bad as expected, the retail industry is accused of crying wolf.

  • Uncharitable me

    25-Oct-2011

    Saying there should be fewer charity shops is viewed a bit like taking sweets from children or not giving up your seat to an old lady on the bus. But Mary Portas is right that too many of them can be a bad thing.

  • More bad news from Carpetright as sales continue to fall

    25-Oct-2011

    Carpetright has announced a 5.2% fall in second quarter sales, and warned that full-year profits will come in at “the lower end of current expectations.”

  • Rates rise could render Portas plan irrelevant

    October 21 2011

    It was standing room only in Committee Room 9 in the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday morning.

  • Retail suffers as bad news hits confidence

    October 21 2011

    The overall market was up but retail shares were down over the week, with a raft of bad news and concern about consumer confidence hitting the stores sector.

  • Behind the story: September's official retail stats

    20-Oct-2011

    They may have been less bad than they could have been but no-one will be popping champagne corks following the release of the official September sales figures by the ONS this morning.

  • Retail sales rise in September, but hot weather hits fashion

    20-Oct-2011

    Retail sales rose in September, with value growth being driven by food inflation, but fashion sales volumes experienced their biggest fall for three-and-a-half years, the ONS said this morning.

  • Make life tougher for out-of-town retail, Portas tells MPs

    18-Oct-2011

    Mary Portas has told MPs her review of the high street will be about “making life easier for town centres and tougher for out-of-town.”

  • North beats south in flat week at John Lewis

    14-Oct-2011

    Sales at John Lewis department stores were sluggish in the week week to October 8, when the continuing hot weather in the south at the start of the period proved a drag on sales.

  • There is still a future for Mothercare in the UK

    October 14 2011

    Brutal business, retail. For his first eight years at Mothercare, Ben Gordon could do no wrong.

  • Record travel performance helps WH Smith to higher profits

    13-Oct-2011

    WH Smith’s profits rose 4% in the year to 31 August, helped by record profits from its travel division.

  • Morrisons, Waitrose and the discounters are the grocery market winners in September

    11-Oct-2011

    Morrisons has once again posted the strongest growth of the ‘Big Four’ supermarkets in the Kantar market share figures, while the sales of hard discounters Aldi and Lidl continued to soar.

  • The future's multichannel

    11-Oct-2011

    The good news for retail property is it’s becoming very clear that - with a handful of the very largest exceptions - the future is multichannel, not pure-play.

  • Sainsbury's buys online entertainment business

    11-Oct-2011

    Sainsbury’s has bought online digital entertainment business Global Media Vault, which supplies the supermarket’s entertainment ecommerce platform.

  • Sales improve slightly in September, but heat hits fashion

    11-Oct-2011

    Like-for-like sales rose 0.3% in September according to the BRC, but the hot weather at the end of the month hit fashion sales, which showed their largest fall since August 2009.

  • John Lewis sales hammered by Indian Summer

    7-Oct-2011

    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.

  • Government needs to lift shopper confidence

    October 7 2011

    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.

  • M&S launches click and collect dining

    6-Oct-2011

    Marks & Spencer has moved into selling food online with the launch a Click and Collect service for a range of 100 “foodhall favourites”.

  • Why Steve Jobs changed retail

    6-Oct-2011

    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.

  • Magnus Olsson

    6-Oct-2011

    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

  • Past Times moves back into loss, but plans 60 pop-up shops

    30-Sep-2011

    Gift retailer Past Times made a loss of £1.5m last year, on sales of £46.5m.

  • Jacques Vert sales edge up, but trading weakens in September

    30-Sep-2011

    Sales at AIM-listed womenswear retailer Jacques Vert rose fractionally in the first 22 weeks of its financial year, but the company warned that trading has softened in the past three weeks.

  • Slow week for John Lewis, but Waitrose still growing

    30-Sep-2011

    John Lewis sales fell on a VAT-exclusive basis last week, but Waitrose continued to grow its sales strongly.

  • Grocery retailing isn’t just about price

    September 30 2011

    It would have been hard for Tesco’s Big Price Drop to live up to the hype that built up before its launch.

  • Leighton: ‘Cut VAT now’

    September 30 2011

    Former Asda boss Allan Leighton has called on the Government to reverse the VAT rise to stimulate activity in the economy.

  • Tesco’s Price Drop hits other grocers

    September 30 2011

    Tesco’s share price rose in the week that it launched its Big Price Drop, but the move hit the value of its food retail rivals.

  • Birmingham's BID to get shoppers back

    27-Sep-2011

    Birmingham’s Style Live event showed the role Business Improvement Districts can play in creating excitement which brings shoppers back.

  • Portas guilty of unfairness to ScS, OFCOM says

    26-Sep-2011

    Broadcasting watchdog OFCOM has found self-styled ‘Queen of Shops’ Mary Portas guilty of unfair treatment of furniture retailer ScS in her last series, Mary Portas, Secret Shopper.

  • Slower week for John Lewis but Waitrose does well

    23-Sep-2011

    John Lewis experienced a slower week in the seven days to 17 September, but Waitrose had a good week as the weather tuned cooler.

  • Flying Brands warns it could breach banking covenants

    23-Sep-2011

    Flying Brands this morning warned that trading had been below management expectations, and that it will breach its banking covenants next month unless it takes further action.

  • Harris mounts audacious assault on beds market

    September 23 2011

    Floor coverings giant aims to take share from bed specialists Dreams and Bensons

  • Sales soar 10% at Selfridges in Oxford Street

    September 23 2011

    Selfridges’ Oxford Street flagship has bucked the retail trend by recording a sales increase of 10% excluding VAT in the year so far.

  • In pictures: Multiyork shifts to more up to date look

    September 23 2011

    Furniture chain Multiyork has embarked on a revamp of its stores, product and pricing strategy as it seeks to present a more contemporary image.

  • Self-help retailers show how to buck the gloom

    September 23 2011

    You’d expect Kingfisher to know a bit about do-it-yourself. But the self-help initiatives espoused by B&Q’s owner extend far beyond painting a wall or fitting a kitchen – it’s helping itself to strong results.

  • Younger shoppers’ crisis of confidence hits River Island

    22-Sep-2011

    Investment in keeping prices down hits profits but chief executive Ben Lewis ‘pleased’ at performance

  • The new shape of retail

    20-Sep-2011

    These are pivotal times for the retail property world.

  • What makes a successful retail scheme?

    September 16 2011

    Development largely disappeared in the wake of the recession and remains subdued. What will be the characteristics of those schemes that get off the ground? Tim Danaher reports

  • Improvement in sales continues for John Lewis

    16-Sep-2011

    John Lewis continued its better start to September with another week of improved trading in the seven days to September 10.

  • M&S’s strongest brand is Marks & Spencer

    September 16 2011

    An £8.99 jar of peaches in moscato or a £4.99 bag of pasta might sound more at home in Harrods food hall than in Stratford E15.

  • Mary’s regal retail roadshow in Rotherham

    September 16 2011

    Mary Portas is touring the country on her review of the high street. Tim Danaher joins her in Rotherham for an insight into her thinking

  • Breaking the mould

    13-Sep-2011

    Plans to regenerate the Stratford City site have been a long time coming and with the Olympics round the corner, Tim Danaher explains why the retail industry has confidence in the scheme

  • The positive power of retail

    13-Sep-2011

    After a summer of economic uncertainty and civil unrest, UK retail needs a lift. The opening of the £1.45bn Westfield Stratford City is exactly that tonic.

  • Legislate to revive empty shops, says Portas

    September 9 2011

    High street tsar Mary Portas will recommend legislation to force landlords and banks to be more flexible about bringing empty shops back into use, she said this week.

  • Amazon launches new front in fulfilment war

    September 9 2011

    Etail giant makes physical debut with lockers in London shopping centre

  • Retail excellence will make all the difference

    September 9 2011

    The 0.6% like-for-like sales decline recorded by the BRC this week was reassuringly not too bad.

  • The Oxford Summer School: A week immersed in retail

    September 9 2011

    The Oxford Summer School is a once-in-a-career experience, says Tim Danaher

  • Amazon to launch order collection lockers in UK shopping centres

    6-Sep-2011

    Amazon is poised to launch order collection lockers in London shopping centres, Retail Week has learnt, in what will be the etail giant’s first physical manifestation in UK retail.

  • Retail Week On The Road: Scotland

    5-Sep-2011

    We visit Livingston, Paisley, Glasgow and Langholm

  • Oracle Retail Week Awards 2012 now open for entries

    2-Sep-2011

    The Oracle Retail Week Awards 2012 are now open for entries. The Awards - the biggest event in the retail calendar - will be held on March 15 next year at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

  • A tough four months to Christmas lie ahead

    September 2 2011

    It’s the time of year when the holiday season comes to an end, and the focus across retail turns to Christmas. Unusually there’s been no shortage of retail news in August this year. The problem is it’s mostly been bad.

  • New owner sets out stall to revamp Jane Norman

    August 26 2011

    Edinburgh Woollen Mill to revive 50-year-old brand by doubling number of stores

  • Confidence in our cities won’t return overnight

    August 26 2011

    The launch of the High Street Fund to support small retailers affected by the riots is a welcome initiative.

  • Grocers must adjust to new consumer mindset

    August 19 2011

    It would be easy to interpret this week’s news from the supermarket world as a sign that the powerhouses of UK retail are floundering.

  • Retailers’ spirit will not be crushed by riots

    August 12 2011

    This week’s riots across the UK weren’t just an attack on our cities. They were an attack on retail. Retailers have been in the front line of sickening theft and violence on an industrial scale.

  • Consumer law changes could damage retailers, warns BRC

    11-Aug-2011

    Plans for a shake-up of consumer law risk adding complexity to the system for retailers and creating a less business-friendly environment, retailers have been warned.

  • Retailers hit by third night of rioting

    9-Aug-2011

    UPDATED: Retailers across London and beyond found themselves under attack in a third night of rioting.

  • Met holding briefing for retailers hit by riots

    8-Aug-2011

    The Metropolitan Police is holding an emergency briefing for major UK retailers to update them on the riots taking place in London, Retail Week has learnt.

  • Portas to meet Justin King to discuss future of high street

    8-Aug-2011

    Mary Portas is to meet Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King as part of her high street review.

  • Retail destinations of tomorrow take shape

    August 5 2011

    One of the unknown effects of multichannel revolution has been what it means for the shape of physical retail.

  • Retail Week On The Road: North West

    1-Aug-2011

    We visit the Lake District, Liverpool and Manchester

  • Wet weather helps John Lewis, while Waitrose notices shift to value

    29-Jul-2011

    John Lewis enjoyed a strong week in the seven days to 23 July, helped by the week’s wet weather.

  • Red Tape Review has to be the start, not the finish

    July 29 2011

    Remember the Gerry Murphy red tape review, led by the then-Kingfisher chief executive, in January 2005? Thought not.

  • Fund offering £250m to help retailers gets Green’s support

    28-Jul-2011

    Sir Philip Green has lent his backing to a new fund that has at least £250m to invest in taking minority stakes in retail businesses.

  • Dunstone’s dream comes of age

    July 22 2011

    21 years after its first store opened, Carphone Warehouse founder Charles Dunstone last week returned to where it began. Tim Danaher meets him

  • Primark ‘over worst now’ as cotton price inflation reduces

    July 22 2011

    Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) has flagged that the worst of the cost inflation in cotton prices is over for the value fashion retailer.

  • The party is over for the supermarkets

    July 22 2011

    The past five years have been a story of almost unbroken growth for the big four supermarkets. Since the mid-decade recoveries at Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons, general retailers have looked on in envy as the grocers appeared immune to fluctuations in the economy, while everything new that they tried seemed to work.

  • Superquinn bought out of receivership by Musgrave

    19-Jul-2011

    Irish supermarket chain Superquinn has been bought by rival Musgrave, a day after falling into receivership.

  • Cooler weather helps John Lewis grow sales

    15-Jul-2011

    Cooler weather in the second half of last week helped John Lewis to grow sales, while sales at Waitrose also grew despite tough World Cup comparatives.

  • Morrisons plans lab store format roll-out

    July 15 2011

    Morrisons is planning to roll out its fresh lab store format after a successful trial at its shop in Kirkstall, Leeds.

  • Local hero

    July 15 2011

    Morrisons is dipping its toe into the convenience market, the latest in a series of bold initiatives under new chief executive Dalton Philips. Tim Danaher travels to Yorkshire to see the results

  • M&S in good shape, but tougher times lie ahead

    July 15 2011

    If he didn’t know already, this is the week when Marc Bolland will have discovered what running Marks & Spencer is all about.

  • Primark reports strong growth in sales, but margins fall

    14-Jul-2011

    Primark has defied the downturn in the fashion market to post strong growth in total sales.

  • Property panic

    12-Jul-2011

    The retail property industry is worried that they might be made the whipping boys in the Portas high street review

  • Waitrose boss says that impact of food inflation is being overstated

    July 8 2011

    Waitrose managing director Mark Price has criticised figures released this week claiming that food price inflation soared in June

  • Youth of today will still want stores tomorrow

    July 8 2011

    Understanding how customers behave today is vital for retailers

  • WH Smith sales fall, but margins up

    7-Jul-2011

    WH Smith has reported a 4% fall in like-for-like sales in the 18 weeks to 2 July.

  • Knight Vinke: no objection to sale of Comet

    5-Jul-2011

    Activist investor Knight Vinke has said it has no objection to Kesa selling its UK electrical chain Comet.

  • Start of Clearance fires John Lewis sales

    1-Jul-2011

    John Lewis sales soared 18.2% excluding VAT in the week to 25 June, with the start of its Clearance sale driving a strong week.

  • Tesco row hits supplier profits

    1-Jul-2011

    Food giant Premier Foods has partly blamed a proft warning on the delisting of some of its Hovis products by Tesco.

  • Ex-Tesco man McCann resurfaces at Ahold

    1-Jul-2011

    Highly rated former Tesco and Carrefour man James McCann has joined Dutch grocer Ahold in a new role of chief commercial and development officer.

  • Retail’s week of woe could be just the start

    July 1 2011

    In bad times, weak retailers fail. None of the names that have hit difficulty in the past week will have come as a surprise to anyone who follows the sector.

  • Dixons subsidiary to develop Carrefour web offer

    30-Jun-2011

    Dixons subsidiary Pixmania has signed a deal to develop an online non-food offer for French retail giant Carrefour.

  • Mamut completes Waterstone's deal

    29-Jun-2011

    Russian tycoon Alexander Mamut has completed the £53m purchase of Waterstone’s.

  • Reaping what you sow

    28-Jun-2011

    It’s no coincidence that a flurry of retailers have hit the wall in the past week

  • Thorntons to slash number of company-owned stores

    28-Jun-2011

    Thorntons plans to close at least 120 stores, and may close a further 60 more, following the completion of its strategic review.

  • Edinburgh Woollen Mill 'enters race for Jane Norman'

    24-Jun-2011

    Edinburgh Woollen Mill has entered the race to buy womenswear chain Jane Norman, according to reports in two of this morning’s papers.

  • Asda should be doing better in tough times

    June 24 2011

    It hasn’t been a good week for Asda. To lose a COO after six months might be considered bad luck, to have lost 0.4% of market share as well starts to look a bit careless.

  • Chief leaves Land Securities retail venture as ambitions scaled back

    June 24 2011

    Land Securities has parted company with the head of its Brand Empire venture, designed to help new retailers open in the UK, and dissolved an agreement to open stores with one of its partners.

  • Solid year for Dixons, but balance sheet takes a hit

    23-Jun-2011

    Dixons has announced a 6% fall in underlying profits for the year to 30 April, and warned of a “challenging” economic backdrop.

  • Power List 2011: All change for retail’s high-flyers

    22-Jun-2011

    This is the sixth year of Retail Week’s Power List, but the first time we’ve had a change at the top.

  • Can't get no satisfaction?

    21-Jun-2011

    The only was to let landlords know you’re a dissatisfied tenant is to tell them

  • What lies in store for Argos?

    20-Jun-2011

    Sales at the catalogue chain are falling, but an ICM poll for Retail Week shows customers have confidence in the model. Tim Danaher reports

  • Jurek Piasecki interested in Aurum despite management resistance

    June 17 2011

    The former chairman of jeweller Aurum is eager to regain control of the business and is talking to backers with a view to making a move for the company

  • Retailers must travel beyond UK for growth

    June 17 2011

    International expansion has traditionally been seen as an opportunity to take advantage of exciting new territories and the growing consumer economies of emerging markets.

  • Subdued week for John Lewis, Waitrose rises again

    10-Jun-2011

    John Lewis sales fell in the week to 4 June on a VAT-exclusive basis, with the bank holiday and warm weather disrupting trade.

  • HMV buys time but hard work starts now

    June 10 2011

    That HMV has succeeded in renegotiating its debts and selling Waterstone’s is good news.

  • Leeding the way

    June 10 2011

    It may be the only major scheme that is being built outside of London, but Trinity Leeds is letting well. Tim Danaher pays a visit

  • Monsoon etail chief Kristine Kirby quits

    June 10 2011

    Monsoon Accessorize ecommerce and multichannel director Kristine Kirby has left the business after a year with the company

  • Sales slump at Argos, but Homebase holds up

    9-Jun-2011

    Argos has suffered a big drop in first quarter sales, but sister DIY chain Homebase managed a resilient performance.

  • Agents of change?

    7-Jun-2011

    Agents mega-mergers are leading to a smaller pool of retail property advisers, but it’s still all about the individuals

  • Sales fall in May

    7-Jun-2011

    Sales fell in May according to the BRC, with like-for-likes down 2.1% and total sales down 0.3%.

  • Weather helps Kingfisher to strong first quarter

    2-Jun-2011

    DIY giant Kingfisher has recorded a strong first quarter, helped by good weather, the late Easter and the run of Bank Holidays in the UK.

  • Top of the market?

    31-May-2011

    Superdry’s acquisition of the landmark Austin Reed store on Regent Street is a remarkable deal

  • Fashion and beauty lead the way in better week for John Lewis

    27-May-2011

    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.

  • King hits back at supermarket critics

    20-May-2011

    Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King last night hit back at critics who accuse supermarkets of damaging the UK high street, describing their criticisms as “tubthumping”

  • Boots ramps up tailored offers for Advantage Card customers

    May 20 2011

    Boots is working on a major upgrade of its Advantage Card programme as it plans for another tough year in the health and beauty market.

  • EU legislation will stop etailers in their tracks

    May 20 2011

    The internet is a great leveller. From Asos to Ocado, it has allowed entrepreneurs with an idea to take on the established order with imaginative concepts. These two businesses have grown into giants of the online world, but there are many thousands more online retailers that are still small businesses hoping to make it to the big time.

  • Nick Wilkinson returns to UK as new boss of Evans Cycles

    18-May-2011

    Former Dixons and Maxeda director Nick Wilkinson is returning to UK retail as the new chief executive of Evans Cycles.

  • Survival of the biggest

    17-May-2011

    The best shopping centres are attracting visitors, but the challenge is converting visits to sales

  • Sainsbury’s is great again: now what?

    13-May-2011

    It wasn’t that long ago that Justin King was the plucky upstart of the grocery world. Now, after a year of upheaval at its rivals, he’s now the elder statesman.

  • Sales down again at John Lewis as calendar returns to normal

    13-May-2011

    John Lewis sales fell in what was effectively the first genuine like-for-like week of its financial year, as the calendar returned to normal following the run of Bank Holidays.

  • Haldanes and Co-op in legal battle over former Somerfield stores - UPDATED

    11-May-2011

    Independent grocery retailer Haldanes has begun legal proceedings of its own against the Co-operative Group after the Co-op started an action to recover unpaid rent.

  • Focus shows why CVAs are wrong

    10-May-2011

    The collapse of Focus into administration shows why landlords were wrong to back its CVA.

  • Bank holidays spell big sales fall for John Lewis

    6-May-2011

    John Lewis sales fell 10.7% excluding VAT in the week to last Saturday, affected by store closures for Easter Sunday and the Royal Wedding.

  • A false dawn for the two-speed market?

    May 6 2011

    After two bank holidays, a royal wedding and some cracking weather, this week had a bit of a back to school feeling.

  • Farmfoods

    May 6 2011

    Low-profile Farmfoods has come up trumps in the face of economic adversity. But what is the secret of its success during a period that has proved challenging for many retailers?

  • First quarter sales up at Morrisons

    5-May-2011

    Morrisons like for like sales rose by 2.5% in its first quarter to 1 May, excluding fuel and VAT.

  • Sunday trading laws are not sustainable

    28-Apr-2011

    Politicians have long talked about reducing retail regulation, but the Government’s Red Tape Challenge is the first sign of action.

  • Waterstone's: no deal this week, no year-end deadline

    27-Apr-2011

    Any deal to sell Waterstones to Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut is unlikely this week, and could be several weeks off, according to sources familiar with the situation.

  • Second profit warning in a month from Carpetright

    27-Apr-2011

    Carpetright has issued its second profit warning of the month and third of the year, after sales fell further in the 11 weeks to April 16

  • Primark's growth slows in first half

    27-Apr-2011

    Primark’s profits grew 5% in the first half, and the company said trading in the UK had shown signs of improvement after a disappointing start to 2011.

  • Calendar helps John Lewis to better week

    21-Apr-2011

    Sales were up 2.9% at John Lewis (excluding VAT) last week, but the retailer warned that the calendar will make meaningful comparisons difficult for “a few weeks yet”

  • Tesco needs to rekindle UK shoppers' affection

    April 21 2011

    In his short time in charge of Tesco, Phil Clarke has already shown he’s one for straight talking.

  • The Sainsbury's plan for growth

    April 21 2011

    Sainsbury’s has defied the odds by having a good recession, now it’s on the expansion trail, Tim Danaher finds out more about its plans.

  • Ideal Shopping to be sold in £78m deal

    20-Apr-2011

    Home shopping group Ideal Shopping Direct is set to be sold to private equity firm Inflexion and its management in a £78.3m deal.

  • Timing of Easter helps John Lewis and Waitrose

    15-Apr-2011

    John Lewis and Waitrose both reported better weeks of trading, but the improved results were heavily influenced by the timing of Easter

  • Better week for John Lewis, but sales fall at Waitrose

    8-Apr-2011

    John Lewis recorded its highest weekly sales of its first half so far last week, but Waitrose experienced a rare fall in sales, which it attributed to the timing of Easter.

  • M&S appoints Morrisons man to head convenience and catering

    8-Apr-2011

    Marks & Spencer has poached the executive who designed Morrisons’ convenience stores to run its Simply Food and catering operations.

  • Bad news hammers store stocks yet again

    April 8 2011

    General retail stocks had a poor week as a raft of bad news from non-food retailers brought home just how tough trading is.

  • M&S posts steady update but warns of drop in confidence

    April 8 2011

    Consumer confidence has stabilised at a low level but will fall further this year, Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland warned this week, as the company issued a robust fourth-quarter update.

  • Carpetright warns on profits

    7-Apr-2011

    Carpetright has issued a profit warning, its second of 2011.

  • HMV issues another profit warning

    5-Apr-2011

    Beleaguered entertainment and book retailer HMV has issued its third profit warning this year, but its lenders have extended the period over which its banking covenants will be tested by two months.

  • Oddbins in administration

    4-Apr-2011

    Off-licence chain Oddbins has entered administration.

  • Fortnum boss demands protest crackdown

    April 1 2011

    Fortnum & Mason chief executive Beverley Aspinall has demanded tougher action to manage marches in London after the attacks on West End shops last weekend.

  • Alliance Boots in no rush to replace departed CEO Hornby

    April 1 2011

    Alliance Boots is unlikely to appoint a successor to departed group chief executive Andy Hornby in the near future, following his sudden exit last week.

  • Dixons not alone as the freeze sets in

    April 1 2011

    At least the Nordics were OK. You can always rely on that from a Dixons trading update. But there was no disguising the awfulness of the UK and Ireland performance that prompted Wednesday’s profit warning.

  • Consumer confidence remains low, GFK says

    31-Mar-2011

    Consumer confidence remained at the same low level in March as it was in February, according to GFK/NOP’s respected Consumer Confidence Monitor.

  • UK remains tough for Mothercare, but international strong

    31-Mar-2011

    Mothercare’s like-for-like sales in the UK slipped in its fourth quarter, but the performance of its international business remained strong.

  • Discounters the winners as grocery growth slows sharply

    29-Mar-2011

    Grocery sales growth has slowed sharply in the past month according to the latest market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel.

  • Retailers urge Boris to crack down on West End violence

    28-Mar-2011

    The New West End Company, the body which represents retailers in the area, has written to London Mayor Boris Johnson to demand a crackdown on protests in the West End following Saturday’s riots.

  • Where is the market heading?

    March 25 2011

    Changing fashion isn’t just a problem for those selling clothes. The wider trends, issues and pressures facing retailers also come and go over time.

  • How Leahy made Tesco a global giant

    March 18 2011

    With its razor-sharp focus on the customer wherever they might be, Tesco now operates in 14 countries. Tim Danaher and Jennifer Creevy trace how a UK grocer now bestrides the globe

  • Leahy: All in a day’s work

    March 18 2011

    Sir Terry Leahy’s legacy at Tesco is formidable. He invented Clubcard, took the grocer into non-food and online, and propelled it to become one of the world’s leading retailers. In an exclusive interview, Tim Danaher speaks to the man who changed the face of retailing.

  • Two all-time retail greats

    March 18 2011

    At the Oracle Retail Week Awards 2011, we recognised the careers of Sir Terry Leahy and Sir Stuart Rose, and this special coverage is dedicated to celebrating their remarkable achievements in this industry.

  • RETAIL 2011

    16-Mar-2011

    The definitive report on the state of the retail industry, from the leaders in UK retail

  • Mulberry profits to "exceed expectations"

    11-Mar-2011

    Upmarket handbag brand Mulberry has announced that sales and profits for the year to 31 March are going to “exceed market expectations”

  • Flat week for John Lewis, but Waitrose up

    11-Mar-2011

    John Lewis sales were flat in the week to 5 March, while sister department chain Waitrose managed a 9.3% increase.

  • The UK still holds the key to JLP’s expansion

    March 11 2011

    Wednesday was a big day for Mick Murphy, John Lewis delivery driver and partner for 25 years.

  • Karen Millen targets £500m sales as it splits off from Aurora

    March 4 2011

    Karen Millen is aiming to double sales to £500m in the next five years after parent company Aurora Fashions revealed this week it will be spun off from the rest of the group.

  • If Primark’s suffering, what about the rest?

    March 4 2011

    Even during the worst of the recession, one thing that remained consistent was that Primark continued to power on as if nothing was wrong.

  • TK Maxx bolsters top team and slows openings to regain focus

    March 4 2011

    TK Maxx is to slow its store opening programme and has bolstered its management team in an attempt to turn its business around following a collapse in profits.

  • Jan Heere

    3-Mar-2011

    Having impressed at Inditex’s Russian division with his relationship building it seems M&S couldn’t have picked a better international chief, says Tim Danaher

  • Sales fall at John Lewis, but Waitrose continues strong run

    25-Feb-2011

    Sales fell at John Lewis last week, with the department store chain blaming the timing of school half-term for the decline.

  • Restructure at House of Fraser claims brand director Chambers

    February 25 2011

    House of Fraser brand director Matt Chambers has been made redundant as part of a restructure of the department store’s support functions.

  • New Tesco chief Clarke’s delicate balancing act

    February 25 2011

    The term ‘end of an era’ is overused. But next week undeniably marks one, when Sir Terry Leahy - the most successful retailer of his generation - departs Tesco’s austere Cheshunt headquarters for the last time after 14 years in charge, and Phil Clarke takes over.

  • TK Maxx parent to slow pace of growth in Europe as profits collapse

    24-Feb-2011

    The parent company of TK Maxx and HomeSense is to slow its pace of growth in Europe in a bid to get back on track after a 52% fall in full year profits.

  • Sales fall in all but two stores in another tough week for John Lewis

    18-Feb-2011

    John Lewis reported another tough week, with sales only edging into positive territory thanks to the VAT rise, and all but two stores recording a decrease in sales.

  • CVAs penalise retailers that do the right thing

    February 18th 2011

    History has a habit of repeating itself, as those landlords that hold the fate of JJB Sports in their hands will be only too aware. It was only two years ago that the sportswear retailer came cap-in-hand to them, pleading for their support for a CVA, which the company claimed would secure its long-term future.

  • Mary Portas: Queen of shops or enemy of retailers?

    February 11 2011

    Mary Portas’ new series, Secret Shopper, has incurred the wrath of retailers. But the ‘queen of shops’ remains defiant.

  • Wade-Gery points the way to future of M&S

    February 11 2011

    Today’s multichannel leaders are tomorrow’s retail leaders.

  • Duplication isn't what you need

    8-Feb-2011

    HMV’s announcement last month that it is closing 60 stores is a sensible response to the company’s problems.

  • Investors see value in retail’s ugly ducklings

    February 4, 2011

    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.

  • 'Little Waitrose' convenience fascia trialled

    28-Jan-2011

    Waitrose is trialling a new fascia for its convenience stores, Little Waitrose.

  • Scottish government has it wrong on retail

    January 28 2011

    You might expect that politicians would be thankful that retailers are creating jobs and prosperity, but there’s one part of the UK where the government seems hell-bent on an anti-big business agenda.

  • Interest rate rise could knock retailers for six

    January 21 2011

    There’s only so much you can do if the weather stops customers getting to your stores, or you delivering to their homes.

  • Leading record companies lend backing to HMV

    20-Jan-2011

    The chiefs of seven leading record companies have come out in support of HMV, saying that they are continuing to supply the retailer as normal and praising the unique role it plays in supporting the music industry in the UK.

  • Tax campaign backfires on Australian retailers

    January 14 2011

    It’s taken a lot to push Australia’s Ashes humiliation and the floods in Queensland off the front pages Down Under. Yet Australia’s retailers have managed it, after a campaign aimed at creating a level playing field between physical and online retailers spectacularly backfired.

  • Families are £6 a week worse off, Asda claims

    30-Dec-2010

    The average UK family has £6 less per week to spend than it did a year ago, according to Asda’s latest Income Tracker report.

  • ITV man to be HMV FD

    29-Dec-2010

    HMV Group has appointed David Wolffe, the finance director of ITV Studios, as its new finance director

  • Superdrug to absorb VAT rise on own-brand products

    29-Dec-2010

    Superdrug is to absorb the January 4 VAT increase on all its own brand beauty, toiletries and household products.

  • Record Christmas for Waitrose

    29-Dec-2010

    Waitrose enjoyed its best Christmas on record despite the freezing weather, with like-for-like sales up 5.4% in the first 23 days of December.

  • Strong start to clearance for John Lewis

    29-Dec-2010

    John Lewis has enjoyed a strong start to its post-Christmas clearance.

  • Best Buy insists plans are on track despite pulling out of deal

    29-Dec-2010

    Best Buy has insisted its plans for the UK are still on course despite it pulling out of a deal to open a store in the north-east of England.

  • Most retailers expect sales to fall in 2011, BRC says

    29-Dec-2010

    Most retailers expect sales to fall in 2011, with weak consumer confidence and inflationary pressures hitting the sector’s performance, according to a BRC survey.

  • Record sales for Go Outdoors

    24-Dec-2010

    Fast-growing outdoor retailer Go Outdoors has reported record sales, with even the cold snap not derailing its growth.

  • Irish retailers fear record low sales in December

    23-Dec-2010

    The body representing Irish retailers expects December will be “the weakest period of trading in recent history.”

  • IMRG predicts record Christmas Day online sales

    23-Dec-2010

    Online spending on Christmas Day is set to pass the £150m mark for the first time this year, online retail group IMRG has predicted.

  • Tesco launches online 'Boxing Day' sale

    22-Dec-2010

    Tesco has attempted to get a headstart in the race for non-food sales by launching its ‘Boxing Day’ Sale online today.

  • Tillman calls for VAT increase to be delayed

    22-Dec-2010

    Jaeger and Aquascutum owner Harold Tillman has called for the government to delay the January VAT increase

  • Progress on monthly rents too slow, BRC claims

    22-Dec-2010

    There has been no increase over the past year in the proportion of retail leases where rents are paid monthly, the BRC said this morning.

  • Retailers need a thaw for a happy Christmas

    December 17 2010

    Retailers are in the habit of blaming the weather when things don’t go to plan, but this Christmas it’s a genuine excuse.

  • Sales rise in November

    16-Dec-2010

    Retail sales rose 3.6% by value and 1.8% by volume in November compared to the same month last year.

  • Tesco poised to start search for new chairman

    16-Dec-2010

    Tesco is preparing to start the search for a new chairman to replace David Reid.

  • United Kingdom?

    14-Dec-2010

    Plans to levy an extra business rate on the biggest retailers in Scotland are another sign of why devolution is bad news for retailers

  • West End stores open as normal after riots

    10-Dec-2010

    Stores on Oxford Street and Regent Street are trading as normal this morning despite rioting last night by student protesters.

  • The heat is on to make up lost sales

    December 10 2010

    A successful retail Christmas is all about planning, but even the best laid plans can’t take account of the extreme cold snap that has paralysed large parts of the country over the past fortnight.

  • Carphone and Best Buy secure Google exclusive

    6-Dec-2010

    Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy UK have secured an exclusive deal for the launch of Google’s new Nexus S smartphone.

  • Fears for discretionary spending strike shares

    December 3 2010

    The festive season may be in full swing but it is worries about next year that are hitting general retail shares, which underperformed the market this week.

  • Time for Oxford Street to become traffic-free

    December 3 2010

    Between tube strikes, snow and students being kettled in Oxford Circus, it’s not been a great week for West End retailers. Thank goodness for the traffic-free day on Saturday, the one day a year that shows Oxford Street could actually be a pleasant place to shop.

  • Kingfisher profits up but B&Q sales down

    2-Dec-2010

    Kingfisher has reported an 8.2% increase in third quarter profits, but like for like sales were down 4.2% in the UK.

  • Shopping centres in demand

    30-Nov-2010

    The £1.6bn sale of the Trafford Centre is set to shake up the shopping centre world

  • A white-knuckle ride into Christmas

    November 26 2010

    It’s ironic that while Christmas decorations come into stores earlier every year, customers are leaving their spending even later.

  • Morrisons United

    November 26 2010

    Retail transformation projects have a habit of causing disruption and falling short of their goals. Halfway through a radical four-year systems overhaul, how has Morrisons avoided the pitfalls? Tim Danaher speaks to the key players in the biggest transformation project in retail

  • Arcadia boss Green warns on rising costs of doing business

    November 19 2010

    Rates, raw materials and wages worry Sir Philip Green despite jump in the fashion group’s profits

  • Rising costs puts focus firmly back on product

    November 19 2010

    UK consumers have never had it so good. In fact, thanks in large part to sourcing from the Far East, we have been in such a long period of deflation that shoppers have got used to a world in which prices fall consistently.

  • Making tracks

    16-Nov-2010

    The multichannel age offers some interesting opportunities for travel retail.

  • Will Bolland’s caution be enough for M&S?

    November 12 2010

    Marc Bolland showed when he succeeded Sir Ken Morrison that he knew how to manage a legacy. And while the Dutchman was unmistakably in charge as Marks & Spencer announced its interim results this week, Sir Stuart Rose’s M&S will live on, because Bolland’s eagerly awaited vision wasn’t very radical at all.

  • Slow sales growth in October

    9-Nov-2010

    Like for like sales grew 0.8% in October, with total non-food sales falling in real terms according to the BRC.

  • Bolland plans clearout of brands as M&S profits rise

    9-Nov-2010

    Marks & Spencer is to rationalise its clothing sub-brands and reduce the number of branded foods stocked as new chief executive Marc Bolland refocuses the business around the core M&S brand.

  • Strong year for DFS as it grows market share

    5-Nov-2010

    An increase in market share helped DFS grow sales 13% and EBITDA over 10% in the year to July 31, despite the difficult furniture market.

  • Half term and Halloween help John Lewis and Waitrose

    5-Nov-2010

    John Lewis and Waitrose both secured double digit sales growth last week, with half-term and Halloween helping the partnership’s chains.

  • Etail is redefining the retail property market

    November 5 2010

    The names of the retailers taking stands at this year’s British Council of Shopping Centres said everything about today’s retail property market. Five of the top six supermarkets were there competing for sites, as were value retailers Wilkinson, Poundland and Store Twenty One, vying for space in an increasingly crowded market.

  • The influence of online on global retail

    November 5 2010

    The digital revolution was the hot topic at the World Retail Congress last week and is changing every aspect of the industry.

  • Morrisons posts 1.3% like-for-like growth in third quarter

    4-Nov-2010

    UPDATED 11AM Supermarket group Morrisons notched up sales growth of 2.8%, excluding petrol, in the third quarter.

  • Segal: ‘I can’t open in UK’

    29-Oct-2010

    Crate & Barrel’s legendary founder says rents and lease structures are a barrier to new entrants

  • A world of international retail opportunities

    October 29 2010

    Emerging markets globally have retail potential, but could any be the new China? By Tim Danaher

  • It’s all about quality

    October 29 2010

    Rather like the BCSC and MAPIC events we preview in this special supplement, celebrating the best retail environments is at the heart of what Retail Week is about.

  • Stores’ future hinges on multichannel success

    October 29 2010

    You know the retail world is changing when Sir Stuart Rose stands on a podium and starts talking about Twitter and Facebook. Yet there he was at this week’s World Retail Congress (WRC) in Berlin sharing the stage with a man from Google.

  • Retailers neglecting succession planning

    27-Oct-2010

    Only 17% of retail CEOs and board directors are actively engaged in succession planning, according to a report published today at World Retail Congress.

  • Funding is out there, but only for the best deals

    27-Oct-2010

    Funding is out there for deals involving large retailers with dominant market positions, but is still harder to come by for smaller deals and distressed situations, the World Retail Congress heard this morning.

  • Rose: internet will be Marks & Spencer's international launchpad

    25-Oct-2010

    The web will be an “advance guard” into new markets for Marks & Spencer, chairman Sir Stuart Rose told the World Retail Congress in Berlin this morning.

  • Argos needs to build on multichannel strategy

    October 22, 2010

    The job losses spelt out in Wednesday’s Comprehensive Spending Review can’t be good news for retailers. While at least we now know how bad the impact will be, the uncertainty created in the minds of those affected will do nothing for their propensity to spend.

  • Canary Wharf: Shopping for suits comes of age

    October 22, 2010

    Canary Wharf faces fresh challenges from two new developments, but as Tim Danaher discovers, its shopper base remains unique.

  • Retailers’ crime watch pays off

    October 22, 2010

    In the UK, shrinkage levels are finally falling, but how have retailers tackled theft and does it mean the battle against retail crime is finally being won?

  • Price alone not enough for value specialists

    October 15, 2010

    One of the many things we’ll miss about Sir Stuart Rose when he retires next year is the frequency with which he says “value is a function of price times quality”. Never has that been truer than today.

  • Profits up, sales down at WH Smith

    14-Oct-2010

    WH Smith has announced a 9% increase in full-year profits this morning.

  • Pop-up shop or temporary let?

    12-Oct-2010

    Anyone care to define the difference?

  • Ocado confirms plans for second warehouse

    12-Oct-2010

    Ocado has confirmed plans to open a second distribution centre, signing a deal for a 350,000 sq ft warehouse in the Midlands.

  • Uniqlo owner expects profits to fall

    8-Oct-2010

    Fast Retailing, the company which owns Uniqlo, expects its profits to fall next year as global competition toughens.

  • Strong week for John Lewis and Waitrose

    8-Oct-2010

    Both John Lewis and Waitrose recorded strong sales growth in the week to October 2.

  • Age of food discounter over as Aldi racks up £54m loss

    8-Oct-2010

    Aldi, the German discounter that became a byword for the shift to value in the recession, has suffered a dramatic reversal of fortune, turning a £93m pre-tax profit in the UK and Ireland into a £54m loss last year.

  • Asia and Fresh & Easy give Tesco a little help

    October 8, 2010

    Food retail stocks lagged both their general retail peers and the market as a whole again despite a robust set of half-year results from Tesco.

  • Sir Terry Leahy points the way to a steady retail recovery

    October 8, 2010

    While some may harbour doubts about the retail recovery, they don’t seem to be haunting Sir Terry Leahy.

  • Whitbread boss joins Kesa board

    4-Oct-2010

    Whitbread chief executive Alan Parker has joined the board of Anglo-French electricals giant Kesa.

  • In-store strengths are online strengths too

    October 1, 2010

    Rivals may tire of hearing it, but when it comes to innovation in retailing today, no one is doing more than the John Lewis Partnership.

  • Signet appoints new chief executive

    29-Sep-2010

    Jewellery giant Signet has appointed the president of watch brand Fossil as its new chief executive.

  • Waitrose to price match Tesco on 1,000 branded products

    27-Sep-2010

    Waitrose has announced that it will price match Tesco on 1,000 branded products from today.

  • Hold retail back and hold the recovery back

    September 24, 2010

    As the politicians become fixated on the party conference season, let’s hope they caught at least a glimpse of London Fashion Week.

  • Investments eat into River Island’s profits

    September 24, 2010

    River Island grew its sales nearly 8% last year, but profits fell as the company invested in the business, and trading conditions so far this year have proved challenging.

  • Time for a gesture of goodwill

    21-Sep-2010

    The way business rate increases are calculated makes no sense and is unfair on retailers

  • Retailers warn over business rate rises

    21-Sep-2010

    Looming increases in business rates could threaten the ability of retailers to create jobs, the BRC warned today.

  • Morrisons’ raft of experiments to include online and c-stores

    September 17, 2010

    New Morrisons chief executive Dalton Philips unveiled a raft of experimental initiatives last week as he started to outline his vision for the Bradford-based grocer.

  • Promotions are vital in today’s retail world

    September 17, 2010

    Promotions have never been more important in retailing than in today’s ultra-competitive market.

  • Profits fall but sales rise at River Island

    16-Sep-2010

    Pre-tax profits at young fashion giant River Island fell 14% to £138.6m in the year to 26 December 2009, as the company invested in developing its online presence, stores and supply chain.

  • Time for new thinking on old stores

    14-Sep-2010

    The rate of growth in store vacancy rates has slowed, but that’s little consolation to those towns where nearly a third of shops are empty.

  • Supergroup sales continue to soar

    14-Sep-2010

    Supergroup’s sales continued to rocket in the three months to 1 August, with total sales up just under 60% on the same period last year.

  • Redbrick Mill: At home in the North

    September 10, 2010

    Going head to head with competitors under the same roof may seem quite unusual for furniture retailers, but as Tim Danaher discovers at Yorkshire’s Redbrick Mill it just happens to work

  • Shareholders approve Dixons name change

    8-Sep-2010

    DSG International will revert to being called Dixons Retail after shareholders approved the plans at the electricals group’s AGM today.

  • Food inflation hits one-year high

    8-Sep-2010

    Food inflation in August hit 3.8%, its highest level for a year, according to the BRC.

  • Aspiration perspiration

    7-Sep-2010

    Do shopping centres dedicated to aspirational brands work? The evidence suggests not.

  • Ocado sales up 30%, but shares fall in early trading

    7-Sep-2010

    Ocado has revealed strong sales growth this morning in its first trading update as a quoted company, but its shares fell following the update.

  • Back to school for retail’s rising stars

    September 3, 2010

    The Oxford Summer School may be steeped in tradition but it is moving with the retail times

  • Tough times will sort men from the boys

    September 3, 2010

    There will doubtless be the usual gloomy predictions, but Christmas will be OK because Christmas always is.

  • Body of evidence

    31-Aug-2010

    Non-disclosure of rents does nothing to encourage an open retail property market

  • A new era of calm on the cards at M&S

    August 27, 2010

    Following Marks & Spencer is probably going to become less interesting over the next few years - which is bad news for us journalists but good news for investors.

  • John Lewis opens second At Home store

    26-Aug-2010

    John Lewis today opens its second At Home store, in Croydon

  • Woolies' lasting legacy

    24-Aug-2010

    The new occupants of some Woolworths stores have breathed new life into the streets on which they’re located, but those which are still empty are likely to remain that way

  • Focus on food will be key to Asda’s recovery

    August 20, 2010

    Spare a thought for Asda’s new chief executive Andy Clarke.

  • Low prices alone won’t help Asda’s recovery

    August 20, 2010

    Spare a thought for Asda’s new chief executive Andy Clarke. Struggling along without either a trading director or an operations chief, on Tuesday he was put in the awkward position of both parent company Walmart revealing another fall in Asda’s comp sales and Kantar showing it had lost further market share to its rivals.

  • Sales up in July, but food volumes down, ONS says

    19-Aug-2010

    Retail sales rose 2.9% by value and 2.4% by volume in July compared with the same month last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

  • Value's growing value

    17-Aug-2010

    As the new breed of value retailers reach maturity, there’s no reason they should be restricted to in-town locations.

  • Sir Philip Green appointed government efficiency czar

    13-Aug-2010

    Sir Philip Green has been appointed to lead an efficiency review of government spending.

  • Retail outlook on the edge of a precipice

    August 13, 2010

    Rather like the summer weather, dark clouds have gathered over retail over the past fortnight.

  • The Primark effect

    10-Aug-2010

    Anyone who remains sniffy about the impact of Primark on a town needs their head examining.

  • Councils must invest in high streets or they’ll die

    July 30, 2010

    The pressure on budgets means councils are going to be tempted to wring every last penny out of their town centres. But ultimately if they fail to invest in making their high streets attractive places to shop, they’ll only have themselves to blame when retailers walk away

  • Aldi co-founder Theo Albrecht dies

    28-Jul-2010

    The co-founder of German hard discounter Aldi has died at the age of 88.

  • An important Act

    27-Jul-2010

    As retailers demand more flexible terms, will landlords start questioning the principle of security of tenure?

  • Four M&S stores set to close

    23-Jul-2010

    Marks & Spencer is set to close four of its unmodernised high street stores, three of them in Lincolnshire.

  • A sobering lesson for Ocado’s founders

    July 23, 2010

    Well, they got it away, but there won’t have been too many champagne corks being popped in Ocado’s Hatfield headquarters on Wednesday morning.

  • Leeds: The holy Trinity?

    July 23, 2010

    Work is recommencing at Land Securities’ Trinity Leeds development, but does this bode well for the development pipeline or is it too soon to call an upturn in retail property?

  • Local business rates relief

    July 23, 2010

    The Government plans to let local authorities subsidise business rates in certain areas. Will this help stimulate local economies and reduce vacancy rates?

  • Retailers join forces with Prince Charles to set up new Countryside Fund

    22-Jul-2010

    Retailers including Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons and Booths have signed up to support a new fund set up by the Prince of Wales to help British farmers.

  • Silly Season

    20-Jul-2010

    Listing the Milton Keynes shopping centre is a victory for pressure groups over the public at large.

  • Tough times lie ahead but retail looks resilient

    July 16, 2010

    An early exit from the World Cup and weather that was more suited to the beach than the shopping mall didn’t augur well for a bumper June in the shops. Yet this week’s BRC sales figures, backed up by anecdotal evidence from leading retailers, suggest a steady recovery is continuing.

  • Flexible friends

    13-Jul-2010

    Proposals that local authorities should be allowed to offer discounts on business rates to encourage investment in struggling high streets are a good idea.

  • Ocado critic Philip Dorgan loses job

    9-Jul-2010

    The analyst who was one of the most outspoken critics of Ocado’s IPO plans has lost his job.

  • Tesco eyes West End for standalone F&F fashion shop

    9-Jul-2010

    Grocery giant Tesco is looking for a standalone store for its clothing brand F&F in central London.

  • Focus on margins will be key to higher profits

    July 9, 2010

    It should be a statement of the obvious that selling more stuff but not making any more money out of it is no strategy for retailing. Yet in the relentless vanity-driven obsession with market share and like-for-like growth, the basics of making money sometimes get forgotten.

  • Whole Foods UK sales fall, but losses reduce

    7-Jul-2010

    Sales fell at upmarket grocer Whole Foods’ five UK stores in the year to last September, but the company managed to slash its operating loss in the period.

  • Tough talks ahead

    5-Jul-2010

    Retailers are going to be talking tough when it comes to lease renewals over the next few years.

  • Corporate brands

    July 2, 2010

    Brands are key in building recognition and relationships, so retailers need very compelling reasons to rebrand

  • Ocado investors should be in it for the long haul

    July 2, 2010

    “EBITDA should not be considered a substitute for gross profit/(loss), operating profit/(loss), profit/(loss) before tax.” Wise words from an unexpected place - none other than the very small print at the end of Ocado’s announcement of its intention to float, released last Thursday.

  • A tale of two markets

    29-Jun-2010

    Now more than ever, the retail property market is becoming polarised.

  • VAT increase will not derail retail’s recovery

    June 25, 2010

    Everyone in retail knows that balancing the books and getting the economy back on track is going to be vital

  • Gap reveals plans for China

    24-Jun-2010

    Gap has revealed plans to enter into the Chinese market, starting with four stores and an online site to launch towards the end of this year, and has poached senior executives from Tesco and Best Buy to lead its charge into the country.

  • Profits up at DSGi after strong second half

    24-Jun-2010

    Electricals giant DSG International grew underlying profits by 61% to £90.5m in the year to 1 May, helped by a much-improved second-half performance.

  • Rental realism required

    22-Jun-2010

    Retail rents have fallen in the past year but still have further to go.

  • Retailers hit out over Crossrail delays

    21-Jun-2010

    A group of retailers and property owners have signed a letter demanding that the proposed Bond Street Crossrail station must go ahead.

  • Baptism of fire awaits the new grocery chiefs

    June 18, 2010

    Falling inflation isn’t the only reason why it feels a golden age of grocery retailing is coming to an end. Three of the big four are either under new chief executives or soon will be.

  • Power List 2010: A year of change at the top of retail

    June 18, 2010

    This is the sixth year Retail Week has run its annual power list, but rarely can there have been quite so much change in the upper echelons of the industry in the space of 12 months.

  • Why turnover rents work

    15-Jun-2010

    If turnover based deals work in airports, why aren’t they used more widely?

  • Sir Stuart Rose’s pay grows to £2.6m

    11-Jun-2010

    Marks & Spencer executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose had a 47% increase in pay and bonuses to £2.6m last year.

  • Uncertainty hits food and general retailers

    June 11, 2010

    The week in retail was dominated by the surprise announcement of Sir Terry Leahy’s plans to retire as chief executive of Tesco next March. Tesco shares fell more than 2% on Tuesday as the City digested the news, but analysts were happy with the appointment of Tesco veteran Phil Clarke as his replacement.

  • Ocado to sell shares to customers if float proceeds

    7-Jun-2010

    Ocado has written to its customers today saying it will give them the opportunity to buy shares in the company if it goes ahead with its widely-anticipated float.

  • Asda’s swoop on Netto could be just the start

    June 4, 2010

    Few stories in retail come completely out of the blue, but last week’s £778m takeover of Netto’s UK business by Asda took everyone by surprise.

  • Property on the board

    1-Jun-2010

    The crossover of retailers and landlords on each other’s boards can only be a good thing.

  • Bolland needs to make most of his honeymoon

    May 28, 2010

    With Dyson off at the end of August and Rose unlikely to be far behind, the next three months will be crucial.

  • Asda buys Netto

    27-May-2010

    Asda has bought the Netto business in the UK for £778m.

  • Is Crossrail worth the hassle?

    25-May-2010

    Crossrail is going to disrupt West End retail for years. Is it really worth it?

  • John Lewis and Waitrose continue to build sales

    21-May-2010

    John Lewis and Waitrose both recorded sales increases in the week to May 15, with the department store business particularly strong.

  • Private ownership has turbocharged Boots

    May 21, 2010

    Have a conversation with Stefano Pessina and it won’t be long before he utters the phrase “double-digit growth” in his distinctive Italian accent. People who work with him probably hear him saying it in their sleep. It is his mantra and Alliance Boots has pulled it off again this year despite the ravages of the recession.

  • Prime time

    18-May-2010

    Demand for shops might be coming back, but only in the very best locations.

  • Volatile shoppers show job ahead of David Cameron

    May 14, 2010

    Talk to retailers about the market at the moment and there is one word they are using to describe trading, and that’s volatile.

  • Mohamed Al Fayed sells Harrods

    8-May-2010

    Mohamed Al Fayed has sold Harrods to the Qatari royal family for around £1.5bn.

  • Time to protect retail and ensure stability

    May 7, 2010

    But whichever party or parties make up the new government, it’s vital that the profile the industry’s leaders have engineered for retailing ahead of the election with their National Insurance campaign is maintained.

  • Reflections on Lakeside

    4-May-2010

    It may be one of the older regional shopping centres, but the refurbished Lakeside looks good - with a few quibbles.

  • Poundland sold in £200m deal

    4-May-2010

    Value retailer Poundland has been bought by US private equity house Warburg Pincus.

  • Decade essays: 10 years of retail progress

    April 30, 2010

    The first decade of the 21st century was one of enormous change for UK retail. Here, Retail Week’s commercial partners review the changes in their area of the market, outlining the key innovations that have enabled their industries to support retailers in their growth plans.

  • Best Buy will have an electrifying effect on UK

    April 30, 2010

    From the electric cars to the manically excitable Blueshirts, there’s something almost evangelical about Best Buy. But behind the cult is a steely determination to crack the UK market and get its proposition here absolutely right.

  • Carphone Warehouse riding high on back of demerger

    April 30, 2010

    The launch of US electricals giant Best Buy in the UK grabbed the headlines this week, but it was also parent company Carphone Warehouse’s first trading update since its demerger last month.

  • Decade essays: 10 years of progress

    April 30, 2010

    The first decade of the 21st century was one of enormous change for UK retail. Bricks-and-mortar retailers have had to work harder than ever to get customers through their doors and spending,while online retailing has grown from almost a standing start.

  • Sir Philip Green and Richard Caring back David Cameron

    23-Apr-2010

    Sir Philip Green this afternoon gave David Cameron his support in the forthcoming election.

  • Northern Foods to close factory after Sainsbury’s row

    23-Apr-2010

    Ready meal supplier Northern Foods is to close a factory in Swansea after a dispute with Sainsbury’s.

  • Tesco primed for economic recovery

    April 23, 2010

    Sir Terry Leahy may be many things, but you won’t often hear him accused of being a ray of sunshine. So when you hear him speaking as positively as he was this week about how UK consumers have left the recession well and truly behind them, you know he is not trying to spin anyone a line.

  • The land of plenty?

    20-Apr-2010

    The supermarkets seem to think there’s unlimited opportunity to open convenience stores. But is there?

  • Primark sales and profits soar

    20-Apr-2010

    Primark grew sales 19% to £1.26bn and profits 18% to £144m in the 24 weeks to 27 February.

  • Andy Bond to advise Walmart on new international markets

    April 16, 2010

    Outgoing Asda chief executive Andy Bond is to advise parent company Walmart on conquering Russia and other new markets when he steps up to the role of chairman.

  • Richard Bradbury steps down as River Island chief

    April 16, 2010

    The chief executive of young fashion giant River Island stepped down this week after 20 years with the company.

  • The big questions for Andy Bond’s successor

    April 16, 2010

    Andy Bond will leave his successor with two big headaches: How Asda can arrest its underperformance and can a food retailer prosper on Everyday Low Prices alone?

  • Asda plans 150 Living stores in bid to be UK’s leading non-food retailer

    15-Apr-2010

    Asda has confirmed that it is aiming to become the UK’s biggest non-food retailer by growing the number of Asda Living stores fivefold to 150.

  • Reinventing the retail park

    13-Apr-2010

    H&M’s move to open more retail park stores shows how the nature out of town retailing is changing.

  • River Island chief executive Richard Bradbury steps down

    12-Apr-2010

    The chief executive of young fashion giant River Island is to retire after more than 20 years with the company.

  • Andy Bond steps down as Asda chief executive

    12-Apr-2010

    Andy Bond is stepping down as chief executive of Asda.

  • Oddbins bounces back with strong trading

    9-Apr-2010

    Wine merchant Oddbins has issued a positive trading update, saying it has “moved on from its troubled past.”

  • Conran Shop pop-up trial could pave way for small-format stores

    April 9, 2010

    The Conran Shop is trialling a smaller store format that could be used to extend the brand into new locations in the UK or overseas.

  • M&S Q4 sales beat expectations

    8-Apr-2010

    Marks & Spencer has revealed a 5.1% increase in fourth quarter like-for-like sales, well above expectations, driven by a strong performance from general merchandise.

  • Tesco to be official supermarket of England World Cup team

    6-Apr-2010

    Tesco has been confirmed as the official supermarket of England’s World Cup team.

  • West End retailers call for longer Boxing Day trading hours

    3-Apr-2010

    Retailers including Arcadia, Debenhams and Selfridges have backed a campaign to allow stores to open for a full trading day on Boxing Day, which this year falls on a Sunday.

  • HMV: Music to investors’ ears?

    April 1, 2010

    HMV continues to diversify its offer but will its new ventures pay off?

  • What’s the big idea for Waterstone’s?

    April 1, 2010

    When Simon Fox took the reins at HMV most people didn’t give him a prayer. But his focus on reinventing the brand and creating imaginative revenue streams has given the old dog a new lease of life.

  • Ugly word, ugly concept?

    30-Mar-2010

    Commercialisation of malls is a concept hated by retailers but becoming more and more important to centre owners. But if they’re going to do it, they have to think of their tenants.

  • Carpetright warning a sign of things to come

    March 26, 2010

    This week’s profit warning from Carpetright should be taken seriously as an indication that no one can bank on a rapid, unbroken recovery.

  • John Lewis at Home wants high street site

    March 26, 2010

    John Lewis is seeking a site to trial its John Lewis at Home format in a town centre after the success of its first retail park store in Poole.

  • Clinton Cards profits soar after buying back Birthdays

    25-Mar-2010

    Clinton Cards has reported a 28.8% increase in interim profits, on the back of group sales up 20.8%, driven by the re-acquisition of the Birthdays business.

  • The unsustainable growth in property costs

    23-Mar-2010

    Rents may not be rising at the speed they were, but the growth in overall costs of occupying retail property is still out of control.

  • Strong results galvanise John Lewis and Waitrose

    19-Mar-2010

    John Lewis and Waitrose both produced strong performances in the week of their annual results announcement.

  • Capital Shopping Centres opens Eldon Square extension

    March 19, 2010

    Capital Shopping Centres may not be a high profile developer but it owns more of the UK’s top 30 centres than any other landlord.

  • Why Superdry boss will need 2020 vision

    March 19, 2010

    An unscientific survey admittedly, but an analysis of the branded hoodies on a flight back from the French Alps last week revealed that even Abercrombie & Fitch was being left in the wake of Superdry.

  • Unlikely bedfellows

    16-Mar-2010

    The property debate at the Retail Week Conference revealed that landlords and retailers actually have a greater level of common interest than might first be thought.

  • Driving store performance

    March 5, 2010

    Many of the biggest challenges retailers face - like ensuring consistently excellent customer service and making sure that stores are as efficient as they can be - don’t always require big investment on sophisticated systems.

  • Primark: the fashion retailer for our supermarket age

    March 5, 2010

    Primark celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, and its double success at the Oracle Retail Week Awards last night perhaps represented its coming of age.

  • A sensible Game

    2-Mar-2010

    Game’s decision to close a total of 43 stores and concessions is the right move for a difficult market.

  • No guarantee of success for foreign retailers

    February 26, 2010

    Cortefiel’s decision to come to the UK is positive news for the high street. While there is a need for a clearout of brands that have had their day, our shopping streets and malls need to be continually refreshed with new names that will draw the shoppers.

  • Building the brand

    23-Feb-2010

    Land Securities’ Brand Empire is a bold venture, but the hard work starts now.

  • Cortefiel to launch in UK via new Land Securities venture

    23-Feb-2010

    Spanish fashion giant Cortefiel is to bring three of its brands to the UK in the first deal for property company Land Securities’ Brand Empire venture.

  • Morrisons to back England World Cup bid

    22-Feb-2010

    Morrisons has joined forces with the Football Association to be official supermarket of the England bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

  • SuperGroup confident of IPO success as others falter

    February 19, 2010

    Directors of SuperGroup, which aims to raise £125m through an IPO, are confident of the retailer’s longevity despite some potential investor concerns about fashion’s volatility.

  • One New Change: Big change in the big City

    February 19, 2010

    Can Land Securities’ soon to open, mixed-use development wake the City up to a new kind of retail offer?

  • Retailers will need a watertight story to float

    February 19, 2010

    Increasing scepticism means that those retailers that want to get IPOs away will need a watertight story and be floating for the right reasons

  • Weak comps help John Lewis to strong week

    12-Feb-2010

    John Lewis sales were up 31.9% last week, helped by weak comparatives from last year when heavy snow hit most of the country.

  • Weak retailers need to be weeded out

    February 12, 2010

    UK retail, particularly fashion, has too many weak brands and too many stores. If consolidation does turn out to be the theme of 2010, that won’t be such a bad thing.

  • When good news is bad news

    9-Feb-2010

    Croydon has been waiting years for the arrival of John Lewis. The fact it’s going out of town is a hammer blow to the town centre.

  • New Look reveals global ambitions as it lines up float

    February 5, 2010

    Fashion giant sets sights on expanding international presence as it aims to raise £650m through IPO

  • The challenges facing Dalton Philips and Marc Bolland

    February 5, 2010

    The scale of the job awaiting Bolland means that if he pulls it off people will quickly stop worrying about what he’s being paid

  • Time for positive thinking

    2-Feb-2010

    Our Manifesto for the High Street campaign is off to a good start, with some interesting comments coming through from our readers.

  • A manifesto for change on the high street

    January 29, 2010

    For too long the UK’s town centres have been crippled by taxes, plagued by crime and neglected by central and local government. Launching Retail Week’s Manifesto for the High Street, Tim Danaher explains what needs to be done to draw shoppers back

  • Politicians must act to save our high streets

    January 29, 2010

    A good high street is at the heart of its community. If it’s taken over by anti-social gangs of youths and swathes of empty shops, it can’t serve that role.

  • Too many stores?

    26-Jan-2010

    Alexon has put about 20% of its stores on the market, but who will take them?

  • Selling up will be no easy task in 2010

    January 22, 2010

    Private buyers will be hampered by not being able to take on the levels of borrowing they did before the banking crisis

  • Primark powers on

    19-Jan-2010

    There can be few more enjoyable jobs in retail property than being Primark’s property director.

  • Seven lessons from a blockbuster Christmas

    January 15, 2010

    It was clearly a stormingly good Christmas for the sector, in most cases more than making up for last year’s losses.

  • It’s right to put town centres first

    12-Jan-2010

    The government is right to put town centre developments first, but will its strengthening of PPS4 achieve that?

  • A taxing problem that won’t go away in 2010

    January 8, 2010

    Whoever is in government needs to be careful the recovery isn’t stifled by taxing spending further

  • Farewell January Sales

    5-Jan-2010

    The January Sales are becoming so condensed that retail destinations are going to have to work hard to drive footfall.

  • Good Christmas for mid-sized retailers

    31-Dec-2009

    Mid-sized retailers enjoyed a decent Christmas with both sales and margins improved, according to BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker.

  • VAT returns to 17.5%

    31-Dec-2009

    VAT returns to 17.5% on New Year’s Eve, but many retailers are not intending to pass on the increase immediately.

  • Footfall growth slows compared to weekend

    31-Dec-2009

    Footfall in UK shopping centres was up 2.5% this Monday to Wednesday compared to the same days last year.

  • Fashion chain D2 in administration

    30-Dec-2009

    Fashion chain D2 has become the first post-Christmas retail casualty, falling into administration on Wednesday.

  • Government reveals plans to strengthen high street

    30-Dec-2009

    The government has unveiled plans to give local councils more power to put town centres first ahead of out-of-town developments.

  • Retailers raise prices before ‘VAT freeze’

    30-Dec-2009

    Leading retailers have increased their prices on key lines just weeks ahead of announcing a VAT freeze, a report this morning claims.

  • Tesco plans new year VAT freeze

    29-Dec-2009

    Tesco announced today it is planning to freeze VAT on thousands of products into the new year.

  • Strong post-Christmas shopper numbers

    29-Dec-2009

    The post-Christmas Sales have got off to a strong start, with shopper numbers well up on 2008.

  • Matalan appoints additional advisers to help £1.5bn sale

    29-Dec-2009

    Matalan has reportedly appointed Goldman Sachs to advise on the sale of the company as it seeks to accelerate the process.

  • Tough year ahead for retailers, BRC says

    28-Dec-2009

    2010 will be a difficult year for retailers, but no worse than 2009, according to a survey of its members by the British Retail Consortium.

  • John Lewis reports strong start to online Clearance

    28-Dec-2009

    The first three days of John Lewis’s Clearance sale online recorded sales up 23% on last year.

  • Footfall builds in final run up to Christmas

    24-Dec-2009

    Shopper numbers were up over 6% in the three days from the 21-23 December compared to the same three days last year, according to Experian.

  • John Lewis running 27% ahead of last year

    24-Dec-2009

    John Lewis revealed this morning that sales from Sunday to Wednesday this week were up 27% on 2008 levels.

  • M&S reveals Sale plans

    24-Dec-2009

    Marks & Spencer will start its online sale at 12.01am on Christmas Day, with the Sale in store starting on Sunday, December 27.

  • Waitrose set for record Christmas despite weather

    23-Dec-2009

    Waitrose is on course for record Christmas sales, and expects to take about £38m at the tills today alone on what is traditionally the biggest grocery shopping day of the year.

  • Conran losses widen

    23-Dec-2009

    The Conran Group, which owns furniture business The Conran Shop, has made a pre-tax loss of £7.9m compared to £1.1m last year.

  • Tesco starts online Sale early

    23-Dec-2009

    Tesco launched its online Sale yesterday, as other retailers also gear up to start their Sales before Christmas on the web.

  • Ideal buys garden retailer

    23-Dec-2009

    TV shopping retailer Ideal Shopping Direct (IDS) has bought a plant and garden equipment retail business for an initial £5m.

  • Borders stores to close today

    22-Dec-2009

    Borders’ 45 stores will close today as no buyer has yet been found for the book chain.

  • Lots done, lots more to do

    22-Dec-2009

    The property industry has made real progress in becoming more flexible over 2009, but a report from the BRC shows there is more to do.

  • Vicar says "it's OK to shoplift"

    22-Dec-2009

    An Anglican vicar has provoked fury after advising less well off parishoners to steal from multiple retailers.

  • Snow hits weekend footfall

    21-Dec-2009

    Footfall was down nearly 7% this weekend on the same weekend last year, with the wintry weather being blamed.

  • Landlords failing on monthly rents, BRC survey claims

    21-Dec-2009

    Retail property owners are failing to allow retailers to switch to paying rent monthly, the British Retail Consortium claimed today.

  • Third record week in a row for John Lewis

    21-Dec-2009

    John Lewis achieved sales of over £112m in the seven days to Saturday, its third record sales week in a row.

  • Premium meat sales help Waitrose to good week

    18-Dec-2009

    Upmarket grocer Waitrose continued its good run with sales up 11.5% against strong comps in the week to 12 December.

  • Resourceful retailers made the best of 2009

    December 18, 2009

    Calm isn’t a word you’d usually use about retailers the week before Christmas. But with the big day just a week away, there seems a reassuring absence of panic among the UK’s leading retailers.

  • Is there the stomach for a fresh battle on upward-only rents?

    15-Dec-2009

    Irish retailers, and particularly the high-profile campaigners on Dublin’s Grafton Street, have been celebrating the country’s ban on upward-only rent reviews. Inevitably it has led to the a debate about whether it’s time for the same step in the UK.

  • Game shares battered as like-for-likes crash

    December 11, 2009

    Disappointing BRC sales figures for November led to general retail shares underperforming the overall market, although the grocers did better. Like-for-likes were up just 1.8% over the month, hit by mild weather affecting clothing sales and falling food price inflation.

  • November numbers not such a let-down

    December 11, 2009

    After the strong sales performances in September and October, November’s weaker sales will add grist to the usual hype that this Christmas will be the worst in ‘x’ many years.

  • Can’t win ’em all

    8-Dec-2009

    Nokia’s failure to make its Regent Street store work shows that a great location is no guarantee of retail success.

  • Christmas building well for Waitrose

    4-Dec-2009

    Sales were up 14% year on year at Waitrose in the week to 28 November, with Christmas orders for premium meat and poultry ranges leading the way.

  • Superdrug plans to start loyalty programme to focus on customers

    December 4, 2009

    Health and beauty giant Superdrug plans to launch a loyalty card in the UK in the next year.

  • AS Watson: Gunning for the Chinese lion’s share

    December 4, 2009

    Global health and beauty giant AS Watson has big plans for China, with ambitions for as many as 5,000 stores there. Tim Danaher flew to Shanghai for a rare interview with managing director Dominic Lai, the man masterminding the Superdrug owner’s expansion.

  • Locking in shoppers key to grocery war

    December 4, 2009

    The UK’s supermarket chains are never less than ultra-competitive, but this year the battle of the grocery giants has gone into overdrive.

  • Sports Direct ahead in flat week for retail

    December 4, 2009

    He might be better known for his experience as a policeman than as a City grandee, but Sports Direct’s appointment of former West Yorkshire chief constable Keith Hellawell as chairman led to it being the biggest riser among the retail stocks last week.

  • Woolworths stood still for far too long

    November 27, 2009

    Woolies didn’t need the big central infrastructure and West End head office, nor did it need shops in expensive prime locations or grand multichannel plans. Its future lay in being the biggest store in the smallest towns.

  • Best week of the year for John Lewis

    20-Nov-2009

    Department store John Lewis had its best week of the year last week, beating last year’s sales by 17%.

  • Marc Bolland is a good choice for the toughest job in retail

    November 20, 2009

    Marc Bolland’s big job will be to define what M&S stands for in the second decade of the 21st century. The former Heineken man is a bold and imaginative transformer of businesses and is as good a choice as anyone for retail’s toughest job

  • Scottish retail sales growth lags rest of UK

    18-Nov-2009

    Retail sales in Scotland grew by 1.5% like for like in October, with non-food sales little better than flat.

  • The CVA roadshow

    17-Nov-2009

    Will the trickle of CVAs turn into a flood in 2010?

  • M&S ads ‘help Waitrose sales’

    13-Nov-2009

    Waitrose this morning claimed that Marks & Spencer’s high-profile price comparison ad campaign has helped its own sales.

  • Fewer, better shops are the future of retail

    November 13, 2009

    There was a rich irony in the retailer speaker at this year’s British Council of Shopping Centres conference in Manchester being employed by a company that has no shops.

  • Ex-MD buys back failed pet retailer Acorn

    11-Nov-2009

    The former managing director of Scottish chain Acorn Pet Centres has led a rescue of the business.

  • Peter Williams: Retail locations need reinvention to meet web challenge

    10-Nov-2009

    Today’s retailers need as few as 100 stores to achieve national coverage compared with up to 300 three years ago, meaning a “seismic change” is needed in many high streets and shopping centres, former Selfridges chief Peter Williams told the BCSC conference in Manchester today.

  • Gloomy in Manchester

    10-Nov-2009

    There is a new air of realism about the BCSC conference this year

  • John Lewis records best month of year so far

    6-Nov-2009

    John Lewis beat tough comps last week to beat last year’s performance by 7.8% and make October its best month of the year so far.

  • Trago Mills: The country’s quirkiest retail destination?

    November 6, 2009

    Combining leisure and shopping like no other retail destination, Trago Mills is a one-off.

  • January could be just the start of VAT woes

    November 6, 2009

    The word is that it’s not just raising VAT to 20% that is being considered, but even the introduction of a 5% rate on food that is currently VAT exempt.

  • Retail-week.com: exclusively for you

    5-Nov-2009

    This Friday retail-week.com will introduce a subscription barrier, giving exclusive access to subscribers

  • Sales improve at Signet

    5-Nov-2009

    The UK’s biggest jewellery chain Signet has reported an improvement in sales in its third quarter.

  • Flat Christmas ahead, survey claims

    5-Nov-2009

    Retail spend this Christmas will be flat compared to last year, but sales will fall 1.5% in 2010, a report from Deloitte forecast today.

  • A year of Westfield London

    3-Nov-2009

    Westfield London has been a real success, but its developer continues to inspire mixed feelings.

  • Strong start for John Lewis home store

    30-Oct-2009

    John Lewis’s new format home store in Poole has got off to a strong start, with sales 30% above expectations.

  • Creating opportunities out of today’s adversity

    October 30, 2009

    Beneath the debates over when the recession is going to end, whether shoppers will come out for Christmas, and how bad 2010 will be, there’s a quiet revolution going on in non-food retail.

  • Westfield’s Olympic challenge

    October 30, 2009

    A year after the opening of Westfield London the developer is building an even bigger scheme across the capital. Tim Danaher pays a visit.

  • Who are they kidding?

    27-Oct-2009

    Today’s Times suggests landlords think the retail recession is over. That optimism might be misplaced.

  • A touch of Qatar

    23-Oct-2009

    Just when we thought a year might pass without talk of a bid for Sainsbury’s, the Qataris are back in business.

  • John Lewis and Waitrose report another strong week

    23-Oct-2009

    John Lewis and Waitrose enjoyed another strong week’s trading in the week to 17 October.

  • St David’s centre extension will invigorate Cardiff

    October 23, 2009

    The opening of the extension to the St David’s centre in Cardiff may have coincided with the economic downturn but the scheme will still invigorate the city, says Tim Danaher.

  • Fewer, bigger stores for Arcadia as profits soar

    October 23, 2009

    Arcadia’s future lies in fewer, bigger stores, Sir Philip Green said this week as he revealed that profits at his fashion group have increased despite the recession.

  • Mall retailing: opportunity knocks

    October 23, 2009

    The big shopping centre openings of this autumn in Cardiff and Aberdeen mark the end of the late noughties development boom. And the inevitable empty units stand testimony to the new reality of shopping centre development.

  • National postal strike would be a low blow

    October 23, 2009

    The art of letter writing is dead. You can send cards electronically, and even the gas bill now arrives as an email. It all adds up to bad news for Royal Mail, so you’d think the UK’s postmen and women would be thanking their lucky stars for the one glimmer of light for their stricken industry: the rise of online retail.

  • Arcadia profits soar

    22-Oct-2009

    Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group has reported a 13% rise in pre-tax profits, despite the recession.

  • St David’s Day

    20-Oct-2009

    Put the talk of empty units to one side; Cardiff’s new scheme is good news for retailers and for the city

  • M&S ‘audition’ leaves questions not answers

    October 16, 2009

    If this week’s Marks & Spencer investor day was intended to allow the internal candidates for the chief executive’s job to show their mettle, it was a gamble that backfired spectacularly.

  • B&Q property deal shows the way

    13-Oct-2009

    B&Q’s rent renegotiation with British Land is a grown-up way for retailers and landlords to face up to the downturn.

  • Land Securities retail venture to bring 10 overseas brands to UK

    October 9, 2009

    Property company Land Securities’ new retail offshoot Brand Empire is in talks with 10 international retailers about introducing them to the UK.

  • Rivals’ inroads haven’t done Tesco much harm

    October 9, 2009

    Sir Terry Leahy may be many things, but he isn’t known for being a ray of sunshine in the industry. So it was interesting to see him cutting a more bullish figure about recovery prospects this week than others like Sir Stuart Rose and Simon Wolfson have been.

  • Roads to nowhere

    6-Oct-2009

    Investment in infrastructure — like the construction of Edinburgh’s new tram system — will inevitably cause disruption to retailers, but can’t be at any price.

  • Second time lucky for New Look flotation?

    October 2, 2009

    New Look is heading the pack of private equity backed retailers considering a return to the market next year.

  • D-day for retailers

    29-Sep-2009

    However much changes in the retail property market, the rent quarterday remains a key point in the calendar.

  • Retailers and politicians need to help each other

    September 25, 2009

    Retailers generally prefer to be left alone by politicians, if only because when politicians do get involved in the sector their actions tend to be utterly unhelpful. But both groups need each other.

  • Better late than never for fast fashion online

    24-Sep-2009

    In the space of a week, both the giants of fast fashion retailing — Zara and H&M — have overcome their resistance to selling online.

  • H&M to go online in the UK

    24-Sep-2009

    H&M is to start selling online in the UK from next autumn, following the decision made by its fast fashion arch-rival Zara to do the same last week.

  • B&Q launches £20m price offensive

    23-Sep-2009

    DIY giant B&Q has announced what it described as its biggest-ever Autumn price investment.

  • Completing the West End jigsaw

    22-Sep-2009

    Retailers and landlords have done their bit for the West End. The final pieces of the jigsaw lie with the transport authorities.

  • Kesa FD quits

    18-Sep-2009

    The finance director of FTSE-250 electricals giant Kesa has resigned.

  • Glasgow’s St Enoch centre: A new lease of life

    September 18, 2009

    Glasgow’s St Enoch centre is hoping that a refurbishment and the arrival of Hamleys will revitalise it. Tim Danaher reports

  • Running Marks & Spencer – a poisoned chalice?

    September 18, 2009

    A look at the list of favourites to succeed Sir Stuart Rose as Marks & Spencer chief executive shows just how chosen headhunter Jan Hall has her work cut out.

  • UK shopping centres lead the way

    15-Sep-2009

    For retailers coming into the European market, the UK’s shopping centres are the most appealing place to start.

  • House of Fraser sets its sights on overseas expansion drive

    September 11, 2009

    House of Fraser is planning to open stores overseas in the next stage of its expansion plans under private equity owner Highland Group.

  • How far has John King come in his mission to update House of Fraser?

    September 11, 2009

    Three years after taking charge of House of Fraser, Tim Danaher asks how far John King has come in his mission to update the business

  • The Sunday trading battle still isn’t over

    September 11, 2009

    One running story dominated the early years of Retail Week more than any other – the battle over Sunday trading. It was bitterly fought and dragged on for years, and it was perhaps inevitable that what would emerge from the process would be an unsatisfactory compromise.

  • New chairman for Threshers owner

    10-Sep-2009

    First Quench Retailing, the owner of off licence chain Threshers, has appointed a new chairman.

  • The real enemy of independent retailers

    8-Sep-2009

    Multiple retailers often get the blame when independent stores go out of business. But they’re not the biggest threat to the existence of small specialist retailers.

  • No fear of consumers cancelling Christmas

    September 4, 2009

    Goodbye, summer – now the serious business starts. The first week of September always has the feeling of starting a new term, and in retail it’s the most important one of the year as the four-month countdown to Christmas kicks off in earnest.

  • Shopping centre openings: The end of an era?

    1-Sep-2009

    This autumn’s shopping centre openings are going to be the last for a while - the question is, will we see many more of their ilk again?

  • Make do and mend the Waitrose way

    28-Aug-2009

    John Lewis this morning published an updated version of its famous wartime Make Do And Mend pamphlet, but sister supermarket chain Waitrose is showing customers its own way of dealing with the recession.

  • CVAs are creating a two-tier high street

    August 28, 2009

    The words “benevolent” and “landlords” will rarely have been seen in the same sentence in Retail Week. Yet just four months after JJB, the UK’s major retail property owners have once again saved a struggling retailer’s skin by supporting a CVA, this time for Focus.

  • Need to know: Oxford Summer School

    August 28, 2009

    Now in its 80th year, the Oxford Summer School has a remarkable track record for developing tomorrow’s retail leaders

  • Liberty losses narrow

    27-Aug-2009

    Upmarket London department store Liberty has reduced its first half losses after the relaunch of its West End flagship store proved a success.

  • Littlewoods launches in Europe

    27-Aug-2009

    Home shopping giant Shop Direct Group today launched Littlewoodseurope.com, targeted at customers in France, Germany, Spain and Portugal.

  • Westfield UK occupancy rises, but rental income falls

    26-Aug-2009

    Shopping centre owner Westfield today reported a recovery in occupancy in its UK shopping centre portfolio, but said its income from its UK centres had fallen.

  • Damned if they do, damned if they don't

    25-Aug-2009

    CVAs put landlords in an impossible position.

  • The Tesco fightback starts this week

    August 21, 2009

    Using Clubcard to stem the flow of customers being tempted to try out its rivals is a smart move by Tesco

  • Why don’t malls work for retail’s emerging stars?

    18-Aug-2009

    Despite common perception, there are some very successful up-and-coming retailers. The problem for landlords is that the big malls don’t work for them.

  • Tories should not take VAT hike lightly

    August 14, 2009

    With the public finances in such a chaotic state it’s no wonder the Tories are reportedly considering increasing VAT to 20% if they come to power.

  • The right thing for M&S would be the wrong thing for high streets

    11-Aug-2009

    The presence of an unmodernised Marks & Spencer store is a tell-tale sign of a high street which has seen better days.

  • Simon Fox: HMV chief is a wanted man

    August 7, 2009

    Fox has been hailed a magician for his turnaround of HMV so it’s no surprise he’s being chased by stricken broadcaster ITV, says Tim Danaher

  • Why retail leaders are hot property

    August 7, 2009

    By the time you read this issue, Simon Fox might have been announced as chief executive of ITV. Then again, the HMV chief executive might have decided to stay put. Fox’s phone has been going straight to voicemail this week as one of retail’s quiet men found himself thrust into the spotlight as he was pursued for one of the biggest jobs in the media.

  • Little encouragement as vacancy rates soar

    4-Aug-2009

    The Local Data Company’s report revealing that vacancy rates in England and Wales had increased from 4 per cent to 12 per cent grabbed a lot of headlines last week.

  • River Island’s record year

    31-Jul-2009

    Young-fashion powerhouse River Island has defied the market to deliver record sales and profits for the year to the end of December.

  • No time to be counting chickens

    July 31, 2009

    The 11-day rally in the FTSE may have ended on Tuesday, but the record run enjoyed by equities over the preceding fortnight showed investors have real confidence that green shoots are emerging.

  • Retail lags market despite City upgrades

    July 31, 2009

    The FTSE’s record 11-day rally came to an end on Tuesday and retail underperformed the market as good official sales figures and reassuring trading updates were cancelled out by a bearish view on the sector released by credit rating agency Fitch.

  • Failed retailers rarely manage a comeback

    July 24, 2009

    The collapse and subsequent re-emergence of Allied Carpets has prompted a bigger response on Retail Week’s website than any story we’ve ever run – beating the previous record-holder, last month’s pre-pack of Birthdays, by a short head.

  • Carphone Warehouse reports steady trading in 'subdued' market

    23-Jul-2009

    Carphone Warehouse has reported steady trading in both its retail and fixed line businesses for the 13 weeks to July 4, and said it is on track to meet full-year market expectations.

  • Record week’s sales for Waitrose

    10-Jul-2009

    Waitrose enjoyed a record week’s sales outside of Easter or Christmas as the heatwave swept across the UK.

  • Retail Week Power List 2009: Who’s still standing in the ravages of the downturn?

    July 10, 2009

    It wasn’t difficult working out who’s heading downwards on the Power List this year – the challenge was establishing who should be going up. In the unlikely event that you needed confirmation of just how brutal this recession has been, the list of fallers and those dropping out of the Power List altogether shows just how many reputations have been dented or destroyed by the downturn.

  • Crabtree & Evelyn files for bankruptcy protection in the US

    2-Jul-2009

    The US arm of Crabtree & Evelyn has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

  • Do Sainsbury’s expansion plans stack up?

    19-Jun-2009

    Even though the method chosen by which to do it has prompted some criticism from the City, Sainsbury’s £445m fundraising plans unveiled this week were a big statement of intent by the UK’s third biggest grocer. But do its plans make sense?

  • Littlewoods Direct to undergo Very rebrand

    19-Jun-2009

    Shop Direct Group is to rebrand Littlewoods Direct as it seeks to develop its appeal to a younger online customer base.

  • Streets of shame

    June 19, 2009

    Some of the UK’s most celebrated streets are a shadow of their former selves. And while the recession is partly to blame, other factors are at work. Retail Week looks at why three of the UK’s most prestigious retail locations have taken a turn for the worse and if the decline can be arrested

  • Save our iconic streets from wrack and ruin

    June 19, 2009

    Up and down the country, some of our most prestigious retail locations are being allowed to rot. But high-profile shopping districts are vital for the prosperity and image of major UK cities, and can’t be simply abandoned.

  • Conran Shop launches entry-level price range

    June 19, 2009

    The Conran Shop is to roll out a lower-priced range in an attempt to introduce new customers to the brand who might have perceived it as too expensive.

  • Hot weather holds back John Lewis but helps Waitrose

    12-Jun-2009

    Hot weather in the early part of last week held back John Lewis’s sales, but helped Waitrose to a strong week.

  • Aldi UK boss Paul Foley lashes out at supplier bullying

    12-Jun-2009

    Suppliers must refuse to be “bullied” into not supplying discount retailers by the sector’s giants, Aldi UK and Ireland group managing director Paul Foley said yesterday.

  • Sir Terry Leahy warns against over-regulation of retail

    11-Jun-2009

    Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy warned this morning that political and regulatory interference could hamper retail’s role in helping the economy out of recession.

  • Directors take home less at Sainsbury's

    10-Jun-2009

    Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King’s total remuneration fell 6 per cent last year.

  • Asda kicks off schoolwear price war

    10-Jun-2009

    George at Asda has kicked off a school uniform price war, offering a complete uniform for £4.75.

  • Is Andy Bond the man for M&S?

    5-Jun-2009

    Andy Bond has proven at Asda that he has the skills and experience to take on the top spot at Marks & Spencer, but would he take the role?

  • Retail stocks rebound but City still cautious

    June 5, 2009

    Has the rally in general retail stocks run its course? That’s what one leading broker said, despite the sector rebounding this week after three weeks of decline.

  • Francis Salway departure would be retail’s loss

    2-Jun-2009

    For Land Securities chief executive Francis Salway to go would be a massive setback to all the work which has gone on to improve relationships between landlords and retailers.

  • Food retail’s outstanding leaders

    15-May-2009

    The supermarkets have pursued very different tactics to navigate the recession, but their success derives from one common quality, which is a clear vision that comes right from the very top.

  • ONS admits it has overstated sales volumes

    15-May-2009

    The Office for National Statistics is to revise the way it calculates its much criticised official retail sales figures.

  • John Lewis celebrates best week of the year

    15-May-2009

    John Lewis experienced its best week of the year in the seven days to May 9, with the beleaugered home sector leading the way. Overall, sales were down marginally by 0.4 per cent to £46.8m.

  • Tesco thinks local to outrun global recession

    May 15, 2009

    It’s too early to call the end of the global recession, but it has stopped getting any worse. That’s the prognosis from Tesco international director Phil Clarke.

  • Justin King says he is staying at Sainsbury’s

    13-May-2009

    Justin King has said he has no intention of quitting Sainsbury’s, quashing persistent speculation that he is being lined up as the next chief executive of Marks & Spencer.

  • US retail needs structural changes

    7-May-2009

    Structural change is still required in US retail before the sector can emerge from the downturn, the World Retail Congress heard on Wednesday afternoon.

  • Retail is fighting back – but we’re not there yet

    May 1, 2009

    Recession? What recession? If you’d landed from outer space two weeks ago, you’d be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about, from a retail point of view anyway.

  • A few blips, but Tesco is still a model retailer

    April 24, 2009

    For what’s supposedly been a bad year for the UK’s biggest retailer, the full-year results released by Tesco on Tuesday were anything but.

  • Tesco outperforms as profits rocket to £3bn

    April 24, 2009

    General retail stocks have outperformed the supermarkets lately, but that pattern was reversed this week as Tesco’s full-year results exceeded City expectations.

  • Tesco posts record profits of £3.1bn

    21-Apr-2009

    Tesco’s underlying pre-tax profits passed the £3bn mark for the first time in the year to the end of February, totalling £3.1bn, an increase of 8.8 per cent.

  • Waitrose free deliveries breaks last online taboo

    April 17, 2009

    Tim Danaher is editor of Retail Week

  • Banks start living in the real world

    9-Apr-2009

    The attitude of those in whose hands the future of struggling retailers rests seems to have changed

  • Woolworths South Africa attuned to social change

    27-Mar-2009

    It may have disappeared from the high street here, but elsewhere the Woolworths name is alive and well. In South Africa, under Englishman Andrew Jennings, it is a 400-store business that bears similarities to Marks & Spencer.

  • A new Retail Week for a new retail world

    20-Mar-2009

    A lot has changed in retail since November 2004, but not the look of Retail Week, which has remained largely the same. So in the same way that any good retail brand needs to evolve, today Retail Week gets its very own new look.

  • John Lewis is keeping its head

    13-Mar-2009

    Which is harder – being a department store best known for its ranges in the execrable home market, or a grocer selling premium food to the middle classes, with a reputation for prices to match?

  • Waitrose launches value range

    6-Mar-2009

    Upmarket grocer Waitrose today launched its first value range, Essential Waitrose, as predicted in today's Retail Week.

  • Alistair Darling: no climbdown on April business rates hike

    6-Mar-2009

    Chancellor Alistair Darling has refused to back down over the 5 per cent increase in business rates that is due to hit next month, but left the door open for future changes to make the system fairer after the 2010 revaluation.

  • Mosaic set for pre-pack administration on Monday

    28-Feb-2009

    Mosaic Fashions is due to enter a pre-pack administration process on Monday.

  • A new lease of life for Bhs?

    27-Feb-2009

    Sir Philip Green’s decision to merge Bhs into Arcadia didn’t grab many headlines this week. Strange really, because while no money might have changed hands this could turn out to be one of the most significant retail tie-ups of the year.

  • Bhs joins Arcadia as Sir Philip Green consolidates

    27-Feb-2009

    Sir Philip Green is to make Bhs part of his Arcadia Group and operate the department store business as one of its brands.

  • A whirlwind 21 years of Retail Week

    20-Feb-2009

    Retailers campaigning against rises in business rates, worries about growing consumer debt, Sainsbury’s being praised for its advertising, Marks & Spencer boldly expanding abroad. They could all be this week’s news, but in fact all are stories from the very first issue of Retail Week, published 21 years and one day ago.

  • John Shannon rescues Adams

    15-Feb-2009

    Former owner John Shannon has bought back the Adams childrenswear brand and the 120 remaining stores.

  • Little cause for celebration

    13-Feb-2009

    After all the hype at Christmas, few retailers would have got too hopeful about a January of positive like-for-likes. So this week’s BRC figures showing a 1.1 per cent rise in same-store sales on last year and a return to overall sales growth, should be welcomed as a sign of retail’s resilience.

  • Is the Government Backing UK Retail?

    30-Jan-2009

    You hopefully won’t have been able to avoid noticing Retail Week’s Backing UK Retail campaign, which we’ve been running across the magazine and website throughout January. Events this week show exactly why the campaign is needed.

  • VAT cut is not optional

    23-Jan-2009

    It’s been a good week to bury bad news. So retailers ought to be grateful that on the day Barack Obama was inaugurated, a curious statistic was tucked away at the back of the ONS’s inflation report.

  • Morrisons enjoys strong Christmas

    22-Jan-2009

    Morrisons has unveiled a market-beating Christmas sales performance, with like-for-like sales up 8.2 per cent excluding fuel in the six weeks to January 4.

  • Pre-pack abuse needs to end

    16-Jan-2009

    Retailers face many injustices, some real, others perceived. But they don’t come much bigger than this. One of your biggest rivals – which has been in administration and then bought out – has a store on a major high street. And you’re paying their rent.

  • Mothercare reveals solid Christmas performance

    15-Jan-2009

    Mothercare has revealed a solid Christmas performance, with third quarter UK like-for-like sales up 1.1 per cent and further very strong international growth.

  • Carphone enjoys UK sales growth but margins suffer

    15-Jan-2009

    Carphone Warehouse's retail arm Best Buy Europe has reported an 8.3 per cent increase in UK like-for-like sales in the 13 weeks to December 27.

  • Halfords Christmas sales fall

    15-Jan-2009

    Halfords has reported a 7.8 per cent fall in like-for-like sales in the 13 weeks to December 26, with a big fall in the sale of sat-nav devices.

  • Argos and Homebase sales fall further

    15-Jan-2009

    Home Retail Group has revealed a 7.5 per cent like-for-like sales decline at Argos in the 18 weeks to January 3, while its sister DIY chain Homebase suffered a 10.2 per cent fall.

  • Like-for-likes plummet at DSGi

    15-Jan-2009

    Electricals giant DSG International has reported a 10 per cent fall in like-for-like sales in the 12 weeks to January 10, with double-digit falls at both Currys and PC World. However, the company's post-Christmas Sale started well.

  • Tesco unveils modest like-for-like rise

    13-Jan-2009

    Tesco has revealed a 2.5 per cent UK like for like sales increase, excluding fuel, in the seven weeks to January 10.

  • BRC: Worst December sales on record

    13-Jan-2009

    Like-for-like sales were down 3.3 per cent year on year in December according to the BRC, the worst December result in the survey's 14 year history.

  • Video: The week in retail, January 9

    9-Jan-2009

    TGi Friday: As the January trading statements come thick and fast, Retail Week editor Tim Danaher and deputy editor George MacDonald discuss the trends so far and winners and losers.

  • Backing UK Retail

    8-Jan-2009

    Backing UK Retail is about the whole industry putting its differences aside to demonstrate how important this industry is to the economy, to society, to the very fabric of this country. Throughout January, in print and online, Retail Week will be highlighting retail’s vital role.

  • Sainsbury's reports best ever Christmas

    8-Jan-2009

    Sainsbury's has reported its best ever Christmas, with like-for-like sales up 4.5 per cent excluding fuel in the 13 weeks to January 3.

  • Marks & Spencer sales fall; job cuts and store closures planned

    7-Jan-2009

    Marks & Spencer has reported a like-for-like sales decline of 7.1 per cent in the 13 weeks to December 27, and announced plans to cut more than 1,200 jobs and close 27 stores.

  • Debenhams produces resilient Christmas showing

    6-Jan-2009

    Debenhams has reported a solid Christmas performance, with like for likes down 3.3 per cent in the 12 weeks to 3 January. Total sales were up 1.1 per cent.

  • Next sales fall

    6-Jan-2009

    Next's like-for-like retail sales fell 7 per cent between July 29 and December 24, with total group sales down 1.9 per cent.

  • Sir David Jones becomes executive chairman of JJB

    2-Jan-2009

    Sir David Jones has been promoted to executive chairman of beleaguered sports retailer JJB, and Peter Williams is joining as an executive director.

  • Asda kicks off supermarket price war

    2-Jan-2009

    Asda has this morning kicked off a supermarket price war, reducing the prices of over 1,000 essential items.

  • Woolworths store closures delayed

    2-Jan-2009

    The closure of 200 Woolworths stores which was due to take place today has been delayed by a day.

  • Waitrose Christmas week sales up 40 per cent

    2-Jan-2009

    Waitrose recorded a sales increase of over 40 per cent in the week to December 27, while sales fell at most of sister department store chain John Lewis's stores.

  • Adams in administration

    1-Jan-2009

    PriceWaterhouseCoopers has been appointed administrator to the UK's largest independent childrenswear retailer, Adams.

  • Morgan files for bankruptcy

    31-Dec-2008

    French fashion retailer Morgan has filed for bankruptcy.

  • Like 4 Like Club reports strong week for non-fashion specialists

    31-Dec-2008

    BDO Stoy Hayward's Like 4 Like Club has reported a very strong performance by non-fashion retailers in the week to December 28.

  • Tesco cuts petrol prices

    31-Dec-2008

    Tesco has reignited the petrol price war by cutting 3p per litre off both petrol and diesel.

  • Asda reports strong Christmas

    31-Dec-2008

    Asda this morning claimed it had enjoyed a strong Christmas, with 1.3 million more shoppers being served in the week before Christmas and a record trading day on December 23.

  • David Jones knighted

    31-Dec-2008

    The former Next chief executive David Jones has been knighted in this year's New Year's Honours List.

  • Mass redundancies at Zavvi HQ and Irish business collapses

    30-Dec-2008

    Over half of staff at the west London headquarters of entertainment retailer Zavvi were made redundant this afternoon.

  • Baugur denies plans for Icelandic government to take retailer stakes

    30-Dec-2008

    Baugur has issued a statement denying reports yesterday that the Icelandic government may take stakes in UK retailers as part of the country's financial restructuring.

  • Mothercare photo concessionaire collapses

    30-Dec-2008

    One of the UK's largest operators of photo studios, which operated the majority of its branches within Mothercare stores, has collapsed.

  • Debenhams to raise cash, reports claim

    30-Dec-2008

    Debenhams is planning to raise extra cash in order to reduce its debt levels, today's Financial Times reports.

  • Hunter buys stores back after USC enters administration

    29-Dec-2008

    USC, the fashion chain backed by Sir Tom Hunter, today became the latest high street name to enter administration.

  • Icelandic government may take retail stakes

    29-Dec-2008

    The Icelandic government may take direct stakes in UK retailers as part of its plans to reform its devastated financial system.

  • Adams poised for administration

    29-Dec-2008

    Childrenswear retailer Adams has applied to go into administration.

  • Boxing Day footfall up

    28-Dec-2008

    Boxing Day footfall was up 12.5 per cent this year, compared to Boxing Day last year, according to Experian.

  • Zavvi goes into administration

    24-Dec-2008

    Entertainment retailer Zavvi today became the latest retailer to go into administration.

  • The worst is yet to come

    18-Dec-2008

    2008 has been a year to remember – for all the wrong reasons.

  • All Woolworths stores to close by January 5

    17-Dec-2008

    Updated: All Woolworths stores are to close by January 5.

  • Video: The week in retail, December 12, 2008

    12-Dec-2008

    TGi Friday: As Woolworths launches its closing down Sale, Tim Danaher and George MacDonald assess the likely impact on the rest of the high street and whether there is any chance of a last-minute deal. One of the long-term beneficiaries may be HMV, which posted mixed interim results on Thursday.

  • Discount today, pay tomorrow

    11-Dec-2008

    It feels like January on the high street – and not just because it’s been much colder than the typical December.

  • Klick: Maxed out

    9-Dec-2008

    The names of Max Spielman and Klick might not be regulars on the pages of Retail Week, but with over 300 stores on the UK high street, the collapse of the photo processing group which owned them is more bad news for the retail property world.

  • Video: The week in retail, December 5, 2008

    5-Dec-2008

    TGi Friday: Tim Danaher and George MacDonald discuss why Morrisons is doing better than Tesco and the turmoil in the sportswear market.

  • Westfield triggers fury as fit-out incentives withheld

    4-Dec-2008

    A new row has broken out between retailers and developer Westfield, this time with retailers alleging that the Australian developer is unfairly withholding promised contributions to store fit-outs.

  • Credit insurers are too powerful

    4-Dec-2008

    Ever heard of a home insurer that pulled cover if a storm was forecast? Didn’t think so. But that’s the way credit insurers work.

  • A step in the right direction

    2-Dec-2008

    Magnanimity isn't a characteristic regularly associated with major retailers, but the deal which New Look's Phil Wrigley and Sir Philip Green brokered with landlords to help small retailers will be a huge boon to beleaguered independents.

  • TUC backs Primark in AGM row

    28-Nov-2008

    The TUC has refused to back down to lobbying from pressure groups to stop Primark's parent company Associated British Foods using its headquarters for its AGM

  • Comment: The Woolworths inquest begins

    28-Nov-2008

    As the dust settles after the dramatic events of this week, the big talking point is what pushed Woolies under, and whether it could - and should - have been saved.

  • Woolworths' fall is an opportunity for grocers

    28-Nov-2008

    The supermarkets' move into general merchandise played a role in accelerating Woolworths' downfall. They are also sure to play a big part in what happens next.

  • Video: The week in retail

    28-Nov-2008

    TGi Friday: Tim Danaher and George MacDonald discuss Woolworths' fall into administration and the implications for the wider retail industry.

  • Zavvi confident stocks will be maintained after EUK collapse

    28-Nov-2008

    Entertainment retailer Zavvi is understood to be confident it can maintain levels of stock in the run-up to Christmas, despite the collapse of Woolworths subsidiary EUK, which supplied it with almost all its product.

  • General retail stocks cling on as more turmoil rocks the sector

    27-Nov-2008

    General retail stocks bounced back this week despite a tumultuous week for the sector.

  • Woolworths administration confirmed

    27-Nov-2008

    The appointment of Deloitte as Woolworths' administrator was confirmed this morning.

  • Woolworths and MFI enter administration: A sad day for retail

    26-Nov-2008

    Comment: Two of the most venerable names in retail collapsed today, in what is the saddest day for retail that anyone in this office could remember.

  • Fashion retailers join forces to implement VAT cut

    26-Nov-2008

    Marks & Spencer, Arcadia, Bhs, Next, New Look and Mosaic Fashions have jointly confirmed they will implement the 2.5 per cent cut in VAT on Monday, or as soon as possible afterwards.

  • MFI files for administration

    26-Nov-2008

    Updated: Staff at troubled kitchen retailer MFI were called to a meeting this morning where they were told the company has applied to go into administration. A notification of intention to file for administration was filed with the High Court last night and the company is expected to go into administration this afternoon.

  • RMUs: Barrowloads of bother

    25-Nov-2008

    You know times are hard when landlords start packing in tacky stalls into the public areas of their malls, or RMUs to use the rather ugly technical term.

  • VAT cut expected in pre-Budget report

    24-Nov-2008

    Chancellor Alistair Darling is expected to cut VAT to 15 per cent in today's pre-Budget report as part of a raft of measures designed to stimulate the economy.

  • Rate rage: £300m in 2009, £1bn from 2010: Why soaring business rates matter to retail

    20-Nov-2008

    Retailers already pay £6 billion a year in business rates. As things stand, that will increase by about £300 million in 2009 and by as much as £1 billion in 2010.

  • Join Retail Week's campaign against soaring rates bills

    20-Nov-2008

    Retail Week's Rate Rage campaign aims to stop the government increasing business rates in 2009 and 2010.

  • It’s bad but it will get worse

    20-Nov-2008

    The bold 1.5 percentage point interest rate cut was supposed to help restore consumer confidence.

  • DSGi: The gloves come off

    13-Nov-2008

    As he approaches the first anniversary of taking charge of DSGi, John Browett faces a mountain of problems. But as he tells Tim Danaher, if he can get the service right he is confident it can turn the corner.

  • Retailers need to pull together

    13-Nov-2008

    It’s only one month and not the three required to meet the technical definition, but the October total sales decline announced by the British Retail Consortium this week confirms that retail is entering recession.

  • M&S to slow openings as profits crash

    6-Nov-2008

    Marks & Spencer is to slow the rate of openings for its Simply Food chain as part of a host of cost-saving measures after its half-year profits fell by a third to £297.8 million.

  • Marks and Spencer must fire on all cylinders

    6-Nov-2008

    Sir Stuart Rose was telling anyone who would listen this week that he is a glass-half-full type of guy. But even he had to look pretty hard to find much good news in this week’s M&S interims.

  • Industry share prices on the up despite persistent poor trading

    6-Nov-2008

    General retail stocks bounced back this week, jumping more than 20 per cent after taking a hammering the previous week, despite more bad news on trading.

  • Will the Westfield way work?

    4-Nov-2008

    Westfield London's opening marked not only a new era for shopping in London but also for how retailers do business with developers.

  • Westfield will lift London retail

    30-Oct-2008

    Writing on Wednesday about a shopping centre that was due to open on Thursday for a magazine that comes out on Friday is a hazardous business, particularly when a colleague who visited Westfield London on Tuesday was far from convinced it would open on time.

  • Westfield London: M&S’s Sir Stuart Rose calls for Oxford Street to raise its game

    30-Oct-2008

    Marks & Spencer executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose has called upon Oxford Street to raise its game at the opening of Westfield London this morning.

  • Property comment: Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner

    28-Oct-2008

    More than a decade of talking comes to an end on Thursday with the opening of Westfield London, and I for one am excited.

  • Tim Danaher: Resilient retailers are fighting hard

    23-Oct-2008

    It was a big week for non-food retail, with lower profits from Arcadia, Debenhams and Home Retail bringing out the prophets of doom.

  • Green sets out strategy as Arcadia holds firm

    23-Oct-2008

    Sir Philip Green has vowed to redouble his focus on product and processes after Arcadia revealed a resilient set of full-year results.

  • Best Buy Europe: Charles Dunstone’s best move?

    23-Oct-2008

    It will launch into the toughest retail market for a decade, but Charles Dunstone believes that Best Buy will be a hit in the UK. Tim Danaher joined him in Chicago to find out why.

  • Retailers win key victory on rents

    22-Oct-2008

    Smaller retailers have won a key concession in the battle to secure monthly rental payments.

  • Property comment: Recession? What recession?

    21-Oct-2008

    You could be forgiven for thinking that there’s not much to be optimistic about in UK retail at the moment. But maybe the foreign retailers still flooding into the UK have seen something we haven’t?

  • Arcadia profits fall

    21-Oct-2008

    Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group has reported a 6.1 per cent fall in operating profits, but its young fashion brands including Topshop enjoyed a record year.

  • Debenhams profits tumble

    21-Oct-2008

    Debenhams this morning reported a 16.9 per cent fall in full year profits before tax and exceptionals, and revealed plans to reduce its debt burden in response to City concerns.

  • Baugur brands have a future

    15-Oct-2008

    This week it’s been remarkable how retailers that for years have been proud to be portrayed as part of the Baugur empire are now saying they can carry on independently of the investment company.

  • Tim Danaher: A week that will transform retail

    9-Oct-2008

    “May you live in interesting times,” the old Chinese saying goes, but most people in retail would quite happily settle for decidedly less interesting ones right now.

  • A tense time for landlords and retailers

    7-Oct-2008

    There have been some pretty serious conversations between landlords and retailers in the past week as the arrival of the September quarterly rent day last week brought two issues to a head.

  • It's not all doom and gloom

    3 October 2008

    Everyone in the retail warehouse market will be glad to see the back of 2008. Retailers and landlords alike have endured a miserable year, all stemming from the collapse in the market for furniture and home improvement.

  • Life just got a lot harder

    2-Oct-2008

    It was bad – now it’s worse. Much worse.

  • Property comment: Westfield, retail's Marmite

    30-Sep-2008

    Where Marmite is concerned, you either love it or hate it. Retailers fall into the same distinct camps when it comes to Westfield London.

  • Watch the top 20 towns closer than ever

    26 September 2008

    The UK’s top towns can’t have had a more dramatic year of change than this.

  • Good news is still out there

    25-Sep-2008

    Watching TV and reading the national press, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s Armageddon.

  • Cabot Circus: Bristol’s much-needed retail injection

    23-Sep-2008

    Of all the shopping centres opening this autumn, Cabot Circus in Bristol is arguably the most needed.

  • A whiff of panic about Tesco

    18-Sep-2008

    At a time when such excitement has been focused on the discount grocery retailers it was always going to be a question of when, rather than if, Tesco fought back.

  • Liverpool One is still a success

    16-Sep-2008

    A few months ago I received a “save the date” letter from Grosvenor, the developer of Liverpool One, telling me to keep October 1 free.

  • Sir Terence Conran: Habitat should become high street Ikea

    11-Sep-2008

    Habitat should become more like its parent company Ikea in order to restore its fortunes, Habitat founder Sir Terence Conran said this week.

  • Ian Livingstone: Retailer on Call

    11-Sep-2008

    His training at Dixons taught former retail high-flier Ian Livingston the disciplines he is putting into effect as BT’s new chief executive.

  • Sir Terence Conran: Design Icon

    11-Sep-2008

    21 years after he was Retail Week’s first interviewee, Sir Terence Conran tells Tim Danaher why today’s retailers need to develop a passion for product

  • The news isn’t all bad – yet

    11-Sep-2008

    Confused? Can’t understand the world around you? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. UK retail is a deeply confusing place right now and this week’s news does little to help clarify the picture.

  • Will the West End win?

    9-Sep-2008

    This morning the New West End Company hosted an interesting breakfast meeting discussing the future of retail and how it affects the West End.

  • Act tough now and win later

    4-Sep-2008

    As famed former Marks & Spencer boss Sir Richard Greenbury points out on page 23, retailers have had a good run. Such a good one, in fact, that many of today’s senior retailers won’t have worked through a recession. Not many of us here at Retail Week have either.

  • What's the Verdict?

    2-Sep-2008

    With prescient timing, Verdict has today predicted a revival in retail parks at the expense of city centre retail locations.

  • A demanding autumn line-up

    28-Aug-2008

    Most years, next week’s opening of Leicester’s Highcross Quarter development would be the biggest shopping centre event of the year.

  • 35 retailers back Green’s letter to landlords

    28-Aug-2008

    Sir Philip Green has written to some of the UK’s biggest landlords on behalf of 35 retail groups in an attempt to bring key aspects of how retail property is leased into the modern era.

  • Keeping the peace

    28-Aug-2008

    The debate over quarterly rents has pitched landlords against tenants, but the new president of the British Property Federation maintains that relations are better than ever. Tim Danaher meets him.

  • BPF president warns of rent reform dangers

    26-Aug-2008

    Small retailers could face greater demands for rental deposits if there was a widespread move to monthly rent payments, one of the most powerful figures in retail property warned this week.

  • Bristol's Cabot Circus adds fashion tenants

    26-Aug-2008

    Bristol's £500 million Cabot Circus development has secured a raft of new lettings a month ahead of its long-awaited opening.

  • Mountain Warehouse in Scottish expansion drive

    26-Aug-2008

    Outdoor specialist Mountain Warehouse has embarked on a Scottish expansion spree.

  • Victorinox to unveil Bond Street flagship

    26-Aug-2008

    Luxury Swiss brand Victorinox is to open its European flagship store on London's Bond Street.

  • Investment market lives on

    26-Aug-2008

    There aren't many retailers in the nice position of being able to sell a £605 million property portfolio but still own the bulk of their freeholds.

  • Woolies needs to do an Iceland

    21-Aug-2008

    Downturns seem to suit Malcolm Walker. While most retailers are struggling to get to grips with tougher trading, Walker has steered Iceland to its best performance in a decade and managed to find time to make a bid for Woolworths’ retail business too.

  • Retailers are landlords too

    19-Aug-2008

    Whether it be monthly rents or upward-only rent reviews, there are always tensions between landlords and retailers. What tends to be forgotten is that retailers are often landlords too.

  • MFI chief vows to fight slump and invest more

    7-Aug-2008

    MFI chief executive Gary Favell has vowed to fight the savage downturn in the furniture market, insisting there is no immediate threat to the company’s future.

  • Retail needs team players

    7-Aug-2008

    “Commission returns in bid to boost sales” was Retail Week’s first ever front page headline. “In an abrupt reversal of recent trends, retailers are bringing back commission as a way of generating extra sales,” the story read.

  • BRC ups the ante as rent battle hots up

    7-Aug-2008

    The British Retail Consortium has thrown down the gauntlet to landlords by demanding that retailers should be able to switch to monthly rent payments on existing leases, not just new ones.

  • City confidence in retail grows as stores index surges 7% in a day

    7-Aug-2008

    Retail shares bounced back this week with general retailers outperforming the market.

  • Bonkers Boris

    5-Aug-2008

    Landlords and retailers may be at loggerheads over the issue of monthly rent payments, but a bizarre proposal from London Mayor Boris Johnson last week should unite both groups.

  • The Retail Week – August 1, 2008

    1-Aug-2008

    Ian Cheshire has wasted no time in getting to grips with the mammoth task ahead of him at Kingfisher.

  • Woolies seeks outsider to turn fortunes around

    31-Jul-2008

    Woolworths is almost certain to appoint a chief executive from outside the business as it eyes a radical reshaping of its store portfolio to halt declining sales.

  • Landlords should do more

    29-Jul-2008

    Last week’s front page story on the quarterly rents debate provoked a fuller inbox than pretty much any issue we’ve highlighted in my three years on Retail Week.

  • The Retail Week – July 25, 2008

    25-Jul-2008

    The retail market may be volatile at the moment, but this doesn’t explain the extraordinary ups and downs in the official retail sales figures produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

  • Rent revolt

    24-Jul-2008

    Campaign to abolish quarterly rent gathers pace as raft of retailers join forces.

  • Landlords live in the dark ages

    24-Jul-2008

    Imagine if your bank asked you to pay your November mortgage payment next week. Or if you weren’t allowed on the train to work on Monday because your ticket wasn’t valid for the last week of October.

  • A united voice

    22-Jul-2008

    The sleepy world of retail property doesn’t often take centre stage on the front of The Sunday Times business section.

  • A marriage of convenience

    17-Jul-2008

    On the face of it, Co-op and Somerfield is the most unlikely pairing since Lembit Opik shacked up with a Cheeky Girl.

  • River Island targets Russia as overseas growth gathers pace

    17-Jul-2008

    Young-fashion powerhouse River Island intends to break into the Russian market in the next stage of its overseas push.

  • In need of a bit of relief

    15-Jul-2008

    This morning’s BRC sales figures showed yet again how badly the retail sector is suffering, yet the Government persists with a piece of legislation that penalises both retailers and landlords at what is a very difficult time already.

  • Rose is still M&S’s best bet

    11-Jul-2008

    Sir Stuart Rose may have been under pressure this week, but you’d never have known it.

  • The Retail Week – July 11, 2008

    11-Jul-2008

    A domineering leader with no regard for corporate governance, a business recording a terrible performance, confusion about plans for the chairmanship… no, not M&S, but Sports Direct.

  • A tenants' market

    8-Jul-2008

    Speaking to a leading expert on the retail market at today’s Fashion Retail Academy graduation ceremony, we got onto the subject of new shopping centres and why, if the market is so bad, they all seem to be opening almost fully let.

  • M&S shareholders back Rose

    8-Jul-2008

    Shareholders have showed their emphatic support for Sir Stuart Rose voting 94.1 per cent in favour of his re-election as executive chairman at this afternoon’s AGM.

  • Competitiveness is key for M&S

    4-Jul-2008

    No apologies for returning to the biggest story of the week, the trials of Marks & Spencer. After all, food is at the root of its problems.

  • Retailers slide as M&S’s share dive leads wave of falling stocks

    3-Jul-2008

    While Marks & Spencer’s terrible performance in food grabbed the headlines on Wednesday, it was the general retailers that got a battering, as Sir Stuart Rose warned the market was at its toughest since the early 1990s.

  • Inside Westfield London

    3-Jul-2008

    20 years in the making, the UK’s most eagerly awaited shopping centre is finally taking shape. Tim Danaher gets a preview of Westfield London as it gears up for its opening in October

  • This is not just the market…

    3-Jul-2008

    He may have been the coldest fish to have occupied a senior role in retail in recent memory, but it’s hard not to feel a degree of sympathy for Steven Esom over his spectacular fall from grace.

  • Westfield signs Stratford deal

    1-Jul-2008

    Developer Westfield has secured agreements with various public sector bodies that pave the way for its Stratford City scheme in East London.

  • Westfield is coming

    1-Jul-2008

    Westfield London is taking shape fast. I visited the giant west London shopping centre last Friday, as the Australian developer gears up to start the marketing campaign to make consumers aware of what the new centre is all about.

  • Don’t discount the discounters

    27-Jun-2008

    Michael and Vicky are a couple in their early 30s. They have one child, both have secure, professional jobs, are comfortably off and own their own home in a nice south London suburb. They live five minutes from one of Sainsbury’s flagship stores. But they choose to drive past it to do their food shopping in Lidl.

  • The Retail Week - June 27, 2008

    27-Jun-2008

    A comment from DSGi chief executive John Browett in this morning’s Times caught my eye. Describing the new training programme for the company’s UK staff announced alongside yesterday’s terrible full-year results, he said: “This is not rocket science, it’s what anyone would do.”

  • Where the value lies

    24-Jun-2008

    Land Securities’ £100 million planning application to redevelop Liverpool’s St John’s Centre, featured in last week’s Retail Week, isn’t the type of development story you see too often these days.

  • Plenty of bottle

    20-Jun-2008

    Company veteran Steve Lewis is moving into the top job at Majestic Wine. Tim Danaher finds out how he plans to keep the pressure up against the supermarkets in tough times

  • The big question for Woolworths

    20-Jun-2008

    “Good management, bad business.” If Trevor Bish-Jones had a pound for every time someone said that about his time at Woolworths, his pay-off would pale into insignificance.

  • Out of town, out of fashion

    17-Jun-2008

    Out-of-town retailing, whether through mega malls or retail parks, has been the focus of retailers’ expansion for the past two decades. But the balance is starting to shift.

  • Pessina vows to stay the distance

    13-Jun-2008

    Stefano Pessina this week promised to invest in Alliance Boots for the long term as he revealed a sparkling year for the health and beauty business which he took private in June last year.

  • The Retail Week – June 13, 2008

    13-Jun-2008

    If this week’s stream of negative news from retailers proved one thing, it’s that the ties that bind the retail sector and the housing market run deep.

  • The hidden shops of St Pancras

    10-Jun-2008

    The past few years have been a golden age for travel retailing. The growth of low-cost travel and the increasingly commercial outlook of airport, station and roadside landlords have created huge opportunities for retailers to take advantage of captive shoppers with time to kill.

  • Boots profits soar

    10-Jun-2008

    Alliance Boots has unveiled a strong performance in its first year as a private company.

  • Retailers to suffer as shoppers feel the pinch of rising fuel costs

    30-May-2008

    Will growing concern over the cost of fuel begin to change shopping habits? That was the question being posed this week as images of protesting truck drivers dominated the news.

  • Morrisons to exploit surplus space for non-food retailers

    30-May-2008

    Morrisons has become the latest of the big supermarkets to exploit its property portfolio with plans for non-food retail developments on parts of its sites.

  • Knickerbox rebrands to drive sales

    30-May-2008

    Ann Summers is to relaunch Knickerbox in July, in an effort to double its sales in two years.

  • Do us a favour Darling

    30-May-2008

    Politicians are opportunist creatures. So when the rising cost of food started emerging as an issue for voters, it was the natural thing for Alistair Darling to haul supermarket chiefs into the Treasury for a grilling over food prices last week.

  • The Retail Week – May 30, 2008

    29-May-2008

    While the American economy might be heading towards recession, New York still remains the epicentre of the retail world.

  • Discounters thrive as Tesco and Sainsbury's lose share

    28-May-2008

    Hard discounters Aldi and Lidl are prospering as the economic squeeze begins to hit shoppers, according to the latest TNS grocery market share data.

  • John Lewis goes green

    27-May-2008

    News that John Lewis is planning to enter the Irish market by opening a department store in Dublin will send shockwaves through the city’s close-knit retail scene.

  • Marks chases higher spend as profits rise

    23-May-2008

    Marks & Spencer is to focus on expanding its upmarket fashion ranges to redress the balance after the proportion of products sold at opening price points more than doubled in three years.

  • Property is key to M&S success

    20-May-2008

    Property played an unusually large part in Marks & Spencer’s full-year results presentation today.

  • Justin King lambasts ONS’s inflation stats

    16-May-2008

    Sainsbury’s boss Justin King this week hit out at the Government’s official inflation figures, saying they were giving a misleading view of the grocery market.

  • Dunstone’s deal not without risk

    16-May-2008

    Charles Dunstone has always had an impeccable sense of timing.

  • The Retail Week – May 16, 2008

    16-May-2008

    The arrival of sunshine over the past couple of weeks was greeted by some as the panacea for all of retail’s woes.

  • Browett outlines DSGi strategy

    15-May-2008

    DSG International chief executive John Browett has unveiled a five-point plan that he claims will transform the embattled electricals giant.

  • Sunshine brings cheer for retail

    8-May-2008

    “If you open your door in the morning and there’s a blizzard, you’re not going to buy a summer dress.” So said Sir Philip Green in his interview with Retail Week last month. So Green and many other retailers like him must have been celebrating as some decent weather finally arrived in time for the Bank Holiday last weekend.

  • Signet shines in UK but struggles in US

    8-May-2008

    Transatlantic jewellery giant Signet has revealed a strong performance in the UK in the first quarter, but has been dragged back by its US business.

  • Next sales plummet

    8-May-2008

    Fashion giant Next has revealed a slump in first-quarter sales this morning and blamed bad weather and the economic downturn.

  • Solving problems that don’t exist

    2-May-2008

    It’s a funny old world. The first page of the Competition Commission’s report into grocery retailing says that the UK grocery industry is competitive and delivers “good outcomes for consumers”. The 269-page document goes on to outline how this state of affairs should be fixed.

  • The Retail Week – May 2, 2008

    2-May-2008

    Baugur’s sale of MK One to Hilco is an unusual move for the Icelandic investor. It hasn’t been in the habit of selling its UK retail investments, but then again it hasn’t had many headaches on the scale of MK One.

  • Carrefour hit by more China protests

    1-May-2008

    Carrefour has been hit by further angry protests in China, as anti-French sentiment grows in the country.

  • Murphy paid £1.6 million in last year at Kingfisher

    1-May-2008

    Former Kingfisher chief executive Gerry Murphy was paid more than £1.6 million in his last year with the business.

  • WHSmith turns focus to stores integration

    24-Apr-2008

    WHSmith is to put its flurry of travel retail acquisitions on hold, after securing more than 120 new stores for the division in the space of a month.

  • Food inflation is here to stay

    24-Apr-2008

    It takes something for Primark to play second fiddle in the news after parent company ABF’s results, particularly considering the value fashion giant seems to be doing a remarkable job of weathering the fashion downturn.

  • M&S agrees India deal

    18-Apr-2008

    Marks & Spencer this afternoon confirmed plans to open at least 50 stores in India over the next five years through a joint venture with Reliance Retail

  • The Retail Week – April 18, 2008

    17-Apr-2008

    While the numbers beat expectations, no one will have been surprised by the overall tone of WHSmith’s interim results yesterday.

  • Finding light in dark times

    17-Apr-2008

    Retail is getting tougher in the developed world and this year’s World Retail Congress discussed the challenges facing retailers. Tim Danaher and Katie Kilgallen report from Barcelona

  • Just the tip of the iceberg

    17-Apr-2008

    For a long time, it has been a case of when, not if, Ethel Austin would go under and Baugur would decide to cut its losses with MK One.

  • Grocers know the value of their property

    15-Apr-2008

    Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy told an interesting story about how the retailer is using its UK property portfolio to fund its international expansion, as he revealed the company’s record profits today.

  • Retail sales fall for first time in two years

    15-Apr-2008

    Retailers' like-for-like sales fell for the first time in two years in March, with clothing and footwear sales their worst for eight years.

  • The green agenda

    10-Apr-2008

    Times may be hard in fashion, but no one told Sir Philip Green. Tim Danaher and George MacDonald meet him to discuss the secrets of retail success

  • All the world’s a stage…

    10-Apr-2008

    During lunch with one of the leading bankers in the retail sector this week there was debate about whether retail deals could happen, despite the downturn in the market. His answer was enlightening. “The only story right now is international,” he said.

  • Topshop and Topman set for record years

    10-Apr-2008

    Young-fashion chains Topshop and Topman are on course for record years despite the savage downturn in the fashion market, owner Sir Philip Green revealed this week.

  • Quality service should be a priority

    10-Apr-2008

    Quality customer service has never been more important, as the internet has raised the stakes for retailers, delegates heard on Wednesday.

  • Put the consumer at the heart of multichannel

    9-Apr-2008

    Multichannel retailing should be about allowing customers to access your services in whatever form they find easiest, while continuing to act as one business, the World Retail Congress heard this afternoon.

  • Retailers need to adapt to protracted slowdown

    9-Apr-2008

    The global retail sector is in for a protracted slowdown and retailers need to adapt their strategies in response, speakers warned at the opening session of this year's World Retail Congress.

  • Landlords should put their money where their mouth is

    8-Apr-2008

    There was a bit of excitement this week as a couple of retailers that everyone knew were struggling asked their landlords if they could pay their rents monthly.

  • M&S makes concessions to rebel shareholders

    3-Apr-2008

    Marks & Spencer has made a series of concessions to its rebel shareholders in an effort to calm the row over Sir Stuart Rose’s planned elevation to executive chairman.

  • John Lewis sales recover

    28-Mar-2008

    John Lewis bounced back from recent tough trading to record a strong performance in the week before Easter and sister grocery chain Waitrose also fared well.

  • Not everyone is feeling the pinch

    27-Mar-2008

    We’ve heard an awful lot about the collapse in consumer confidence. But how low has it fallen? And how much is simply retailers moaning and media hype?

  • Clinton profit hike bucks market

    27-Mar-2008

    Greeting cards giant Clinton Cards registered an 18 per cent jump in adjusted net pre-tax profits in the half year to January 27.

  • First new Zavvi starts fresh expansion plans

    19-Mar-2008

    Entertainment retailer Zavvi is to ramp up its expansion programme after opening its first two stores since the management buy-out from Virgin Megastores last year.

  • Now is not the time to sit still

    19-Mar-2008

    “Collecting direct debits from 5 million customers every month feels like a good place to be right now.” With characteristic understatement, Charles Dunstone kicked off the Retail Week Conference last week, summing up the fragile state of consumer confidence perfectly.

  • JJB store closures on the cards

    19-Mar-2008

    JJB Sports is reviewing the future of some of its store portfolio, according to reports in today’s Daily Telegraph.

  • A bitter victory against crime

    13-Mar-2008

    There is no more emotive issue in the industry than crime against retailers and few things have caused more anger than the proposals in the summer of 2006 for the sanction of imprisonment to be taken away from shoplifters.

  • Shoplifters face jail terms as Retail Week campaign pays off

    13-Mar-2008

    Retailers breathed a sigh of relief this week as plans to abolish the penalty of imprisonment for persistent shoplifters were shelved.

  • The Retail Week – March 7, 2008

    7-Mar-2008

    Today will be a good day to go shopping in a John Lewis or Waitrose store.

  • Are the clouds gathering?

    28-Feb-2008

    Rising mortgage bills, fears about jobs, soaring utility costs. The reasons for the slowdown in consumer spending are boringly familiar.

  • The Retail Week – February 22, 2008

    22-Feb-2008

    Just before Christmas, I received an e-mail from a very angry reader.

  • Time to leave grocers alone

    21-Feb-2008

    “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Our supermarket industry is hugely competitive. Tesco and their rivals slug it out to offer us the best deals. And with food prices soaring, every little helps.”

  • Baugur can get past its issues

    14-Feb-2008

    “Is Baugur’s UK retail empire on the verge of meltdown?” So began a story in The Sunday Telegraph last month.

  • The Retail Week – February 8, 2008

    8-Feb-2008

    Ian McLeod must have had a tough time choosing between working in Redditch and in Melbourne.

  • Don’t just blame the market

    7-Feb-2008

    It gives no one at Retail Week any pleasure that last week’s front page story about The Works being on the brink of administration came true even more quickly than expected.

  • Cheshire has a big job ahead

    31-Jan-2008

    While not wanting to question the thoroughness of the search, Ian Cheshire’s appointment as chief executive of Kingfisher won’t have surprised many.

  • Woolworths agrees £385 million refinancing

    30-Jan-2008

    Woolworths has agreed a refinancing package, with new four-year loan facilities totalling £385 million.

  • Selfridges to smash record as luxury market holds firm

    24-Jan-2008

    The boss of luxury department store group Selfridges has said the business will ride out this year’s economic turmoil after enjoying a record year in 2007.

  • Bolland’s world of opportunity

    24-Jan-2008

    When future retail historians write the history of Morrisons, the first quarter of 2008 will figure large. March will be the end of an era, when Sir Ken Morrison steps down as chairman. And what better present could he leave with than the grocer having turned the corner as spectacularly as it did over Christmas?

  • Fun and games

    17-Jan-2008

    Five months after leading the deal to buy the former Virgin Megastores, Simon Douglas is a relieved man. Tim Danaher meets him

  • Share carnage is over the top

    17-Jan-2008

    Wouldn’t life be easy running an energy business, or a rail operator? Your customers have little choice but to use your services and you can raise prices at a whim.

  • Zavvi to branch out as games drive sales

    10-Jan-2008

    Entertainment retailer Zavvi is poised to broaden its product ranges after phenomenal growth in game sales helped it rack up a strong Christmas performance.

  • M&S to rein in capital investment

    10-Jan-2008

    Marks & Spencer is likely to slow its mammoth capital investment programme after posting disappointing third-quarter sales this week.

  • M&S is symptom of wider illness

    10-Jan-2008

    When Marks & Spencer launched what looked like an unplanned 20 per cent off alcohol promotion the weekend before Christmas, it was a sign that the festive build-up wasn’t going to plan.

  • Jacques Vert profits slip

    10-Jan-2008

    Jacques Vert has been hit by the tough trading conditions in the fashion market, reporting a fall in interim profits this morning.

  • Good Christmas for Liberty, but Sale flat

    10-Jan-2008

    Regent Street department store Liberty revealed solid Christmas trading this morning, with like-for-like sales up 5 per cent in the four weeks to Christmas Eve.

  • Games propel Zavvi to strong Christmas

    9-Jan-2008

    Entertainment retailer Zavvi enjoyed a strong first Christmas, driven by spectacular growth in game sales.

  • 2008 will be a tough year

    3-Jan-2008

    Happy new year. While Christmas wasn’t as bad as feared, there’s no chance that anyone in retail will be resting on their laurels in what will be a challenging 2008.

  • Majestic recovers after tough November

    3-Jan-2008

    Majestic Wine revealed a modest Christmas performance this morning, as its sales were hit by heavy discounting on alcohol by supermarkets.

  • Game on course to double profits

    31-Dec-2007

    Specialist retailer Game is set to smash profit estimates, the company said in a trading update this morning.

  • What the Sunday Papers said – December 31, 2007

    31-Dec-2007

    Beleaguered camera retailer Jessops has narrowed the shortlist for its new chief executive to two, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

  • Retailers recognised in New Year's Honours list

    31-Dec-2007

    The contribution of retailers to the economy and to the country as a whole has been recognised in the Queen's New Year's Honours list.

  • Kesa enters exclusive talks to sell BUT

    28-Dec-2007

    Anglo-French electricals giant Kesa has confirmed that it is in exclusive talks to sell its French furniture and electricals business BUT to a private equity consortium.

  • Shopper numbers slip back on 27th

    28-Dec-2007

    Shopper traffic fell back on December 27 as shoppers pulled their sales spending forward to Boxing Day.

  • The Retail Week - December 28, 2007

    28-Dec-2007

    At 8am yesterday morning, the Next store at the western end of Oxford Street looked like Baghdad.

  • Christmas spending rises

    28-Dec-2007

    Spending by UK shoppers in the run-up to Christmas rose 3.8 per cent on last year - the best festive performance for three years, according to one of the first estimates to be published.

  • Record Christmas for Amazon

    28-Dec-2007

    E-tail giant Amazon.co.uk broke all its sales records this festive season, receiving orders for 950,000 items in the run-up to Christmas.

  • Shoppers come out in force for Boxing Day Sales

    28-Dec-2007

    Shopper numbers were up by more than a quarter on Boxing Day compared with the same day in 2006 as more retailers launched their Sales on the day this year.

  • Second term for West End BID

    27-Dec-2007

    Retailers have voted in favour of a second term for the New West End Company, which operates the area's Business Improvement District.

  • Consumers hit the shops as retailers slash prices

    27-Dec-2007

    The post-Christmas Sales season has kicked off with huge discounts on offer, as retailers compete for shrinking disposable income and try to clear excess stock.

  • Instore snaps up Ponden Mill stores

    24-Dec-2007

    Value retailer Instore has bought 33 of the stores that trade as Ponden Mill, the homewares retailer that went into administration last week.

  • What the Sunday Papers said – December 24

    24-Dec-2007

    Shoe retailer Dolcis is in talks with its lenders over an emergency financial restructuring, according to The Sunday Times.

  • Carpetright sale collapses

    24-Dec-2007

    The proposed £850 million sale of Carpetright to its founder Lord Harris has fallen victim to the credit crunch.

  • Shoppers let down by online deliveries

    24-Dec-2007

    A Government consumer watchdog has said complaints about the delivery of goods ordered online are up nearly 30 per cent on last year.

  • Last-minute rush saves retailers' Christmas

    24-Dec-2007

    A last-minute rush of shoppers is set to have rescued the Christmas performance of many retailers after shoppers flooded stores over the weekend.

  • The Retail Week: December 21, 2007

    21-Dec-2007

    Making sense of the past seven days

  • Review of the year 2007

    20-Dec-2007

    2007 was a year of farewells. Retail said goodbye to three of its big characters. The untimely deaths of Dame Anita Roddick, Richard Ratner and Alison Richards robbed the industry of three people who, in their own ways, epitomised the spirit which makes our industry unique.

  • Goodbye to all that

    20-Dec-2007

    As he prepares to step down, BRC frontman Kevin Hawkins talks candidly to Tim Danaher about fighting retail’s corner and why retailers need to start sticking up for themselves

  • Ashley farce is great viewing

    20-Dec-2007

    Following Sports Direct is like watching one of those 1970s air disaster movies that always form part of the Christmas TV schedules.

  • Retail pays tribute to Pier creator Richards

    20-Dec-2007

    Tributes have been pouring in for The Pier founder Alison Richards, who died at the weekend after a long battle with cancer.

  • Alison Richards dies

    18-Dec-2007

    Alison Richards, the founder of homewares retailer The Pier, has died following a long battle against cancer.

  • BRC can rescue retail’s image

    13-Dec-2007

    Last weekend wasn’t a good one for retailers and not only because the weather kept shoppers indoors. Reading a leading broadsheet over coffee on Saturday morning, every page seemed to paint the sector in a hostile light.

  • Sports Direct share price nosedives

    13-Dec-2007

    Sports Direct shares dipped to less than a third of the price it floated at yesterday after Merrill Lynch issued a damning note on the company.

  • Specialism and scale are crucial

    6-Dec-2007

    Hopefully by the time you read this article there will have been a cut in interest rates.

  • Christmas marketing: money well spent?

    4-Dec-2007

    It is 24.2 miles from my home in southeast London to Lakeside shopping centre. Given that Croydon is six miles away from my house, the West End seven miles away and even Bluewater is on the right side of the river, the chances of me doing my Christmas shopping there are remote.

  • The Retail Week – November 30, 2007

    30-Nov-2007

    Retailers seeking reassurance about the prospects for Christmas trading probably didn’t want to be on Oxford Street yesterday afternoon.

  • Time for DSGi to take a breath

    29-Nov-2007

    DSG International finance director Kevin O’Byrne cut a lonely figure presenting the company’s interim results this week.

  • Believe in your brand

    22-Nov-2007

    Retailers are not, by and large, a happy bunch at the moment. It has been a harsh autumn, with cruel weather and falling consumer confidence conspiring to deter shoppers from spending. The level of promotional activity – especially in fashion – tells its own story.

  • UK retailers are ready for the US

    15-Nov-2007

    “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere,” sang Frank Sinatra, but it could equally be Sir Philip Green, Sir Terry Leahy or Charles Dunstone’s refrain as each sets out on the most ambitious mission of their distinguished retail careers.

  • Land Securities to split into three

    14-Nov-2007

    Land Securities, the UK’s biggest property company, is to split into three, setting up a separate quoted company for its retail assets.

  • King faces his toughest times

    8-Nov-2007

    When Arabian royals come knocking to buy your company, doubts about them having deep enough pockets are probably the last thing that will enter your mind.

  • Liverpool One lands fashion trio

    6-Nov-2007

    Jigsaw, Radley and Fred Perry have signed deals to open stores at Grosvenor's £950 million Liverpool One development, Grosvenor announced at the BCSC Conference in Gateshead today.

  • The Retail Week – November 2, 2007

    2-Nov-2007

    Making sense of the past seven days

  • Big four are the winners of grocery inquiry

    1-Nov-2007

    “Be careful what you wish for,” the saying goes, and that must be how the wearisome hordes who rail against supermarkets felt after the Competition Commission’s eagerly awaited inquiry into the grocery market was published this week.

  • Westfield Derby: The eagle has landed

    23-Oct-2007

    Sceptics believed Westfield wouldn’t pull off such a big scheme in a small city like Derby but, as it opened its doors six months ahead of schedule, the critics were somewhat silenced. Tim Danaher reports

  • The Retail Week – October 19, 2007

    19-Oct-2007

    Making sense of the past seven days

  • Entrepreneurs are retail’s lifeblood

    18-Oct-2007

    Retail, put simply, is about buying stuff for one price and selling for more. Maybe that’s why the most celebrated entrepreneurs this country has produced have been – or at least started their business empires as – retailers (page 26).

  • Carphone’s geeks to go nationwide

    18-Oct-2007

    Carphone Warehouse is to roll out its Geek Squad home service proposition nationwide after a successful trial in London.

  • Harrods: Height of luxury

    11-Oct-2007

    Iconic department store Harrods is being transformed by a huge refurbishment programme. Tim Danaher takes a walk around with managing director Michael Ward

  • The Retail Week October 5 2007

    5-Oct-2007

    Making sense of the past seven days

  • Tesco’s biggest hurdle so far

    4-Oct-2007

    No retailer is immune to the weather, not even Tesco. Yet in the same way that July’s squalls gave way to something resembling an Indian summer, the UK’s biggest retailer’s interims showed that once the climate had calmed down, normal service was very much resumed.

  • Feel-good factor

    4-Oct-2007

    As feel-good food retailer Julian Graves celebrates its 20th birthday, Tim Danaher meets founder Nick Shutts to discuss its growing empire

  • Time for online retail to grow up

    27-Sep-2007

    Every year, we hear that it will be a record Christmas for online sales, that the internet is hurting the high street and that those retailers without a web presence will miss out. All undeniably true

  • What customers want

    20-Sep-2007

    Music retail is not the only part of the sector changing fast. So it is interesting that B&Q has woken up to the fact that DIY retailing is no longer just about DIY, but about the home. Critics would ask why it took so long when Homebase made the shift long ago. However, the extensive range review shows that Ian Cheshire is creating a B&Q that is responsive to what customers want.

  • Is Virgin deal a Zavvi move?

    20-Sep-2007

    Last week, retail said goodbye to Dame Anita Roddick; this week it bade farewell to another of the great entrepreneurs of the late 20th century, as Sir Richard Branson sold Virgin Megastores.

  • The Retail Week September 7

    7-Sep-2007

    Making sense of the past seven days

  • Putting Fraser’s house in order

    31-Aug-2007

    When the long-serving butler was told his services were no longer required at House of Fraser’s Howick Place headquarters, it was clear things would never be the same again.

  • The Retail Week

    24-Aug-2007

    Making Sense of the Past Seven Days
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