All High street & town centre articles
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News
Heavy retail promotions drives ‘welcome’ January footfall boost
UK footfall rose in January following a dissapointing festive season, as cash concious shoppers descended on UK retail destinations in the hunt for bargains.
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Opinion
‘In a split between its travel and high street businesses, where will WHSmith’s name land?’
As WHSmith’s management looks to jettison its high street stores business to focus on its more lucrative travel arm, the future of the brand’s very name seems as turbulent as everything else.
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News
HMV owner eyes 500 WHSmith stores, reports say
Canadian entrepreneur Doug Putman is in talks to buy the store network of the high-street stalwart, according to The Sun newspaper.
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Analysis
What will a potential sale mean for WHSmith’s high street business?
News emerged over the weekend that WHSmith is in talks to potentially sell off its high street division and focus solely on its travel arm.
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News
WHSmith is in talks to sell its UK high street shops
WHSmith is in talks to sell its whole high street business in the UK following 230 years on the high street.
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Feature
Retail’s 101 favourite stores as chosen by the bosses of M&S, John Lewis, Ikea, Boots and more
From hometown heroes to international inspiration, we asked retailer leaders, commentators and our journalists to name their favourite store in the world. The result is 101 stores that show bricks-and-mortar retail at its very best.
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News
The Range earmarks next set of Homebase stores to reopen at the end of the month
CDS Superstores has earmarked three further former Homebase stores they are planning to relaunch as The Range Superstores by the end of the month.
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News
UK high street spend declined as shoppers took part in a ‘cautious Christmas’
UK high streets saw a drop in sales in December as shoppers decided to take a cautious approach to Christmas spending, according to data from Rendle Intelligence and Insights shared exclusively with Retail Week.
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News
A new initiative has been launched to help grow the UK’s high streets
Exclusive: Representatives from British retailers have launched a new initiative taking on issues with the high streets, as well as unlocking opportunities for growth, Retail Week can reveal.
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News
Timpson, M&S and John Lewis in the top new customer service ranking
M&S is the top retailer in the UK for customer service, according to a new survey of 15,000 consumers. The brand, which recently said that “sales records were broken across the business” for Christmas 2024, narrowly beat John Lewis in the Institute of Customer Service’s (ICS) January 2025 UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI).
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News
Sainsbury’s boss warns government of heaping more costs on retail with rates reform delays
Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts has joined the chorus of larger retail business bosses in warning the government its business rates reform delays will cost them more money.
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Data
Golden quarter footfall and what it means – in charts
December’s footfall numbers did not provide the hope that retailers were looking for ahead of 2025.
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News
Severe weather set to batter retail footfall this weekend
Retailers hoping for a healthy flow of sale shoppers this weekend will likely be disappointed as snowy weather is expected to severely impact footfall in stores.
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News
December footfall is given a boost as retailers brace for ‘challenging’ 2025
UK retail in December saw an uplift in footfall across all destinations as shoppers flocked to stores over the festive season.
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News
Nearly 170,000 UK retail workers lost their jobs in 2024
Almost 170,000 UK retail workers lost their jobs in 2024, according to data from the Centre for Retail Research.
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News
Footfall on peak shopping day rises as shoppers enjoy ‘last splurge’ ahead of Christmas
The peak shopping day before Christmas, December 23, has proved a hit for retailers
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Feature
What will 2025 bring? Primark, Tesco, Amazon, Sephora and H&M bosses predict the year ahead
Looking ahead: What will shape retail in 2025? We’ve asked the top bosses in British retail to gaze into the horizon and give us their predictions for the industry’s next chapter.
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News
Footfall has peaked at just the right time for retailers in the run-up to Christmas
Christmas might not have come early for retail but it is at least coming, with footfall predicted to soar over the last weekend before the big day.
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News
UK businesses slashing staff at fastest rate in years after Budget
UK businesses are slashing staff numbers at the fastest rate since the global financial crisis, according to a new survey which blames the government’s October Budget.
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News
Consumer confidence has inched up ahead of Christmas
Consumer confidence has increased by one point in December, but the public are still cautious about the economic outlook and spending big money.