Up-to-date coverage of the latest events in UK retail.
Oxfam unveils charity ‘superstore’ in Oxford
The charity has opened its first superstore in Oxford with a keen focus on vintage and designer items.
The 18,500 sq ft store is 12 times larger than the average Oxfam branch and boasts brands including Gucci, Michael Kors and Victoria Beckham.
Danny Sriskandarajah, chief executive of Oxfam GB, said: “Oxfam’s first ever superstore is an exciting new venture for us.
“The huge treasure trove of items on offer make it a destination shopping experience but it is so much more than a shop,” he added.
The store will be open four days a week but will accept donations seven days a week via a drive-through donation point to allow shoppers to make quick and convenient drop offs.
Oxfam’s store will be stocked a mix of donated items and its ‘Sourced by Oxfam’ range of brand new ethically sourced gifts and homewares.
H&M squares up to landlords with aggressive rents stance
H&M has butted heads with landlords after demanding that new rents agreements deduct returns from revenue.
The Swedish fashion titan is not only pushing for turnover-based rents, but also demanding that items returned to store, including of purchases made online, be deducted from that shop’s revenue, industry sources told The Times.
The fashion group operates 304 stores across its 4,739-strong global store estate in the UK under fascias including H&M, Monki and & Other Stories as well as recently debuted stores H&M Home, Arket and Weekday.
Primark full-year sales rise driven by new store space
Primark has recorded an uplift in full-year sales across the UK, Europe and the US as the fashion retailer’s expansion drive offset like-for-like declines.
The fashion giant said it expects sales in the 52 weeks to September 14 to be up 4% year-on-year on a constant currency basis despite a 2% fall in like-for-like sales.
The retailer’s said it “continued to gain significant market share” in the UK, where sales rose 3% overall and like-for-like dipped 1%. Primark said it was “encouraged” by customer response to its new Birmingham superstore, which stocks the retailer’s full fashion range as well as new food, beverage and beauty services.