December 28, 2023 The number of women hired as chief executives of UK retailers rose to a record high last year. Thirteen female leaders were hired to the top job of UK retailers in 2022, which equates to 31% of the 42 appointments made, according to management consultancy Korn Ferry. Retail Gazette looked into the new intake of... Continue Reading →

Interview: Alessandro Dudech on Japanese brand Uniqlo’s plans to challenge Zara and H&M Daniel Woolfson28 December 2023 • 6:00am The boss of Uniqlo’s UK division has vowed to keep reducing prices as inflation eases, as the retailer tries to attract price-conscious shoppers to fuel its expansion. Alessandro Dudech, the 34-year-old who runs Uniqlo’s 17 sites across... Continue Reading →

2023 saw a resurgence in the high street, with a raft of high-profile store openings. Retail Gazette rounds up the best new stores of the year that have created a real buzz on the high street. HMV, Oxford Street  To the delight of music – and er, pop culture fans – last month HMV reopened the... Continue Reading →

This festive expansion propels Asda towards its goal of 1,000 stores in the UK and Northern Ireland by March 2024. Some of the stores will be located in London, an area that typically holds little representation for Asda. Credit: Asda. In a move to expand its reach and make its value offerings more accessible, supermarket... Continue Reading →

Dec 19 (Reuters) - UK fashion retailer Superdry (SDRY.L) warned of a hit to annual profit on Tuesday, as unusually warm weather hurt sales of its autumn/winter collection and consumers curb spending amid a cost-of-living squeeze. Shares in the company, known for its jackets and clothing inspired by American vintage styles and Japanese-inspired graphics, fell... Continue Reading →

Sephora is launching its third UK store in Manchester, as it seeks to expand in the North of England. The shop is set to open in summer 2024 in Manchester’s Trafford Centre, after the business launched its first two stores in London in March and November this year. The cosmetics retailer insisted the store will “redefine the beauty landscape in the... Continue Reading →

Walgreens Boots Alliance reportedly exploring options including flotation on London Stock Exchange The US parent company of Boots has revived plans to offload the UK’s biggest pharmacy chain. Walgreens Boots Alliance, which abandoned a £5bn sale of Boots and its related No7 Beauty brand last year, is reportedly exploring options including an initial public offering on the London Stock... Continue Reading →

LONDON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - The UK government's decision to hike the national minimum wage from April 2024 while refusing to reform the business rates system shows its cares little for the country's retail industry, the boss of electricals group Currys (CURY.L) said on Thursday. Britain's minimum wage, called the National Living Wage, will increase by 9.8%... Continue Reading →

Rising coffee consumption and significant potential for outlet growth were highlighted as key drivers for The Coffee’s planned UAE debut, with stores in Saudi Arabia and Egypt also slated for next year Brazilian specialty coffee chain The Coffee will further expand its international footprint in the first half of 2024 with its first stores in... Continue Reading →

Pepkor is looking to sell more women’s clothing, cosmetics Africa’s largest clothing retailer is also expanding in Brazil A deal could provide Pepkor with an additional 131 stores with a focus on women’s clothing and cosmetics, areas in which Pepkor is looking to expand.Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg Pepkor Holdings Ltd., Africa’s largest clothing retailer, is exploring a potential... Continue Reading →

Under Armour has opened its first outlet store in London at The O2, as sales at the outlet shopping centre soared over Black Friday. The 3,949 sq ft store, which uses the brand’s new Factory House retail concept, is situated on the music venue’s lower level and is next to rival sportswear outlet stores from rivals such as... Continue Reading →

The group’s share price shot up over 10% as the market digested its interim results. A Studio 88 store at a Vukile Property Fund mall. Mr Price says it has sufficient stock for the festive season despite highlighting some challenges at local ports. Image: Akhona Matshoba/Moneyweb  Recently acquired footwear and sports apparel retail chain Studio... Continue Reading →

Inside the fiercely private Aussie retail business. On a revenue and store basis, it’s not as big as you think … Image: Suren Naidoo, Moneyweb  By now, Australian retailer Cotton On would’ve had well over 300 stores in South Africa … if everything had gone according to a plan announced in 2014. At that point,... Continue Reading →

Pepkor, Africa's largest clothing retailer, continues its expansion in Brazil. (Shutterstock) Pepkor Holdings Ltd. is increasing investments in Brazil as Africa’s largest clothing retailer repositions its South America operations toward the discount segment. The company’s Grupo Avenida SA unit nearly doubled its contribution to sales for the year through Sept. 30, accounting for about 4.3 percent... Continue Reading →

McDonald’s will open the first location of its new spinoff brand CosMc’s this week in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The fast-food giant plans to open 10 CosMc’s locations, including nine restaurants in Texas, by the end of 2024 in a test. McDonald’s will then spend a year analyzing data to decide whether it will expand the small-format chain.... Continue Reading →

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Yum Brands' (YUM.N)KFC on Wednesday said it will acquire 218 restaurants from its largest franchisee EG Group in the UK and Ireland. Once the deal is complete, all of the privately-owned EG Group's KFC UK and Ireland businesses will come under Yum's KFC UK and Ireland management. The fast-food chain operator said... Continue Reading →

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Clothing retailer Quiz (QUIZ.L) on Tuesday warned its annual revenue would miss market estimates after weak 'Black Friday' sales and sluggish consumer demand, prompting a strategic review and sending its shares sharply lower. Retailers in the country saw tepid growth in November despite Black Friday deals, as the ongoing cost-of-living squeeze prompted shoppers... Continue Reading →

The private equity owner of pet specialist retailer Jollyes is understood to be considering a sale of the business for more than £100m. City sources told The Times that the retailer’s private equity owner, Kester Capital, is working with financial advisors at Houlihan Lokey on “strategic options” for the business. Jollyes, which sells pet food, dog leads and toys,... Continue Reading →

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, which owns Sports Direct, Flannels and House of Fraser, has upped its stake in Boohoo Group from 16.5 per cent. to 17.2 per cent, following a series of rises in October. After purchasing a 5 per cent investment in the company in June, Frasers Group became the single largest shareholder in... Continue Reading →

Two of the biggest names in luxury retail are in talks to become one. Saks Fifth Avenue has offered $3 billion to acquire Neiman Marcus, according to the Wall Street Journal. And while that offer was rejected, the two companies are continuing negotiations. The objection, the paper reports, was more on terms of the deal, specifically the amount... Continue Reading →