All Coronavirus articles
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NewsAddress tight labour market to help combat inflation, urges John Lewis boss
John Lewis Partnership chair Dame Sharon White has cautioned that higher inflation is inevitable unless more people return to work
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News
Next upgrades profit forecast as pandemic shopping behaviours unwind
Next has again upgraded its full-year profit forecast after reporting a reversal of customer trends in the first half of the year.
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Opinion
‘Retailer focus is on how to help customers caught in cost-of-living crunch’
At a time of unprecedented national and global challenges, retailers are determined to support their people and their customers, writes British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson.
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Retail Voice
Why the concept of ‘retail’ is ready for a refresh
The retail sector has been through a lot of upheaval over the last couple of years, however Elavon’s Michael Bosshammer explains why it is more than ready for a revival
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Analysis
Analysis: Sainsbury’s boss Roberts’ key takeaways on inflation, suppliers and staff pay
Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts faced questions on everything from inflation and supplier relationships, to staff pay and Argos’ ongoing underperformance as he presented details of first-quarter trading to the media this week.
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News
Morrisons blames ‘very challenging’ trading environment for sales drop
Supermarket giant Morrisons has blamed surging inflation and subdued customer sentiment for a drop in second-quarter sales.
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News
One-off lease disposal and surging sales behind jump in Mulberry profits
Mulberry has reported a jump in profits off the back of a one-off lease disposal and surging sales in the UK and Asia Pacific markets.
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Opinion
‘Is UK retail’s £2.8bn excess stock timebomb set to be the sector’s next big crisis?’
UK retail is facing a perfect storm of rising costs and plummeting consumer confidence. Could an excess of stock be the final nail in the coffin for many in the squeezed mid-market?
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Analysis
Talking Shop: Has Covid changed the layout and purpose of the store forever?
As retailers re-evaluate their store portfolios, an increasingly radical range of options and uses are being trialled by some of the UK’s biggest retail chains. In the first instalment of Retail Week’s examination of how Covid has changed the store, Mark Faithfull looks at some of the tests and pilots under way and how they might inform the next generation of stores.
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News
H&M sales jump as post-pandemic recovery marches on
H&M has continued its post-pandemic recovery with sales across all markets jumping 12% in its second quarter.
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News
WHSmith sales soar ahead of pre-pandemic levels as travel recovers
WHSmith has reported sales ahead of pre-pandemic levels for the first time as revenues soared off the back of a strong recovery in travel.
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Opinion
‘Only with economically unsustainable competition removed can the economy reset’
The fiscal stimulus in response to Covid lowered the cost of capital, flooding business models that didn’t deserve funding with valuations that were, at times, eye-watering. The upshot of excess stimulus is the inflation every business is now faced with, says True co-founder Matt Truman.
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News
Home-working shift threatens ‘permanent scarring’ for city centre trading
The switch to working from home will hit urban retail locations permanently if sustained at present levels, a leading shopper footfall monitor has warned.
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News
Quarter of UK households turn to second-hand market to beat cost-of-living crunch
New data shows that nearly a quarter of UK households are looking to the second-hand or resale markets as they look to deal with steepling costs driven by rampant inflation.
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Interview
Top dog bows out: Pets at Home’s Peter Pritchard on resilience, inspiration and agility
Before stepping down as chief executive of Pets at Home, Peter Pritchard chats to Retail Week about the highs and lows of running a specialist business, and how inspiration can come from anywhere
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News
Incidents of violent crime and abuse of retail staff trebled during pandemic
Incidents of abuse and violent crime towards frontline retail workers trebled during the first year of the pandemic, despite vast swathes of bricks-and-mortar stores being closed.
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Opinion
‘A new kind of leadership can help retailers thrive through the challenges ahead’
In the face of mounting challenges, retail leaders can succeed by hiring and developing the right people, adopting a constructive approach to all stakeholders and fostering a culture of innovation, writes Sally Elliott.
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News
Tesco to rent out office space in stores as working habits shift
Tesco has struck a deal with office rental company IWG to create workspaces in shops as hybrid working persists.
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Opinion
M&S executive: ‘Oxford Street must innovate to avoid becoming a mishmash of poor, idle shopping space’
Marks & Spencer’s modernisation of its flagship Marble Arch store will help restore the glory of West End shopping and bring big sustainability benefits, maintains M&S group property, store development and technology director Sacha Berendji
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News
Zalando profits and sales slip as supply chain and inflation costs bite
Zalando has reported dropping profits and revenues as rising inflation and the cost-of-living crunch impacted its bottom line.
