Up-to-date coverage of the latest events in UK retail.

07:30am Zavvi apologises of Champions League email glitch

Online retailer Zavvi has apologised to shoppers after inadvertently emaling customers telling them they had won a VIP trip to watch the Champions League final in Madrid.

The online retailer blamed a “technical glitch” for the email, which may have been sent to its entire subscriber list.

Zavvi was holding a competition, in partnership with Mastercard, which offered two adults an all expenses paid two night trip to the Champions League final between Liverpool and Spurs.

The supposed winners who were contacted received an email which addressed them by name and told them they had won the prize.

07:20am Holland & Barrett to stop selling face wipes

The health food and beauty retailer has removed all face wipes from its shelves due to the environmental impact they have in blocking up sewers and waterways.

Holland & Barrett will stop selling its 34 branded and own-brand face wipes across its wet wipe range across its 800 UK and Ireland stores and replace them with eco friendly alternatives such as double-sided cotton cloths, unbleached cotton muslin cloths, cotton pads and exfoliating gloves from July.

The rest of the retailer’s international estate will follow suit in September.

The reatiler’s head of beauty Joanne Cooke said: “There is a growing awareness of how much our current throwaway culture is damaging our oceans, beaches and rivers. We want to encourage our customers to think about what they currently throw away and encourage them to swap to more sustainable alternatives. The quickest way for us all to make a positive impact on the world we live in is to choose to spend our money on more sustainable products.”

07:15am Hamleys sold to Indian franchise partner

Hamleys has been snapped up by Indian titan Reliance Industries for in a £70m deal.

The iconic retailer marks Reliance Industries, which is owned by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, first overseas acquisition.

Reliance Industries retail arm Reliance Retail operates Hamleys 88-strong retail estate in India. The business, which has made a name for itself as the leading telecoms business in the country, and is now gearing up for a retail onslaught in a bid to take on the likes of Amazon and Walmart in India.

Reliance has acquired Hamleys from Chines retail group C.banner, which has owned the toy retailer since 2015.