The supermarket giant said the shake-up is part of a restructure which would see more customer service staff and fewer managers

Morrisons is to axe 1,500 shop floor workers as it becomes the latest supermarket to announce large-scale job cuts.

The supermarket giant said the shake-up is part of a restructure which would see more customer service staff and fewer managers.

Gary Mills, Morrisons retail director, said: “Our aim is to serve customers better with more frontline colleagues in stores improving product availability and helping customers at the checkouts.

“Very regrettably, there will be a period of uncertainty for some managers affected by these proposals and we’ll be supporting them through this important process.

“Our commitment is to redeploy as many affected colleagues as possible.”

Simultaneously Morrisons said it will create 1,700 junior jobs.

It comes just one day after retailer Marks & Spencer announced it is to shut one of its West Midlands shops as part of a closure programme affecting 13 stores.

The outlet in the Kingfisher Centre, Redditch, will close in April with all 66 staff set to transfer to neighbouring stores.

Other stores near to Redditch include a recently opened foodhall in Moseley, Birmingham city centre, Solihull and the Midlands’ largest M&S which launched in Longbridge in 2015.

The company has also announced today the planned closure of five other stores by the end of April – Birkenhead, Bournemouth, Durham, Fforestfach near Swansea and Putney in London.

M&S plans closure of 14 more UK stores

British retailer Marks & Spencer said on Wednesday six UK stores would close by the end of April, while a further eight had been identified for closure.

M&S said in November 2016 it would reposition about 25 percent of its clothing and home space through a combination of closures, downsizes, relocations and conversions to food-only stores. In November last year it said it was accelerating this programme.

The group said all staff from the six stores closing in April will move to nearby stores. It said 468 employees would be affected at the eight stores proposed for closure and will now enter a period of consultation.

M&S also said it had reassessed and reduced its “Simply Food” opening programme, and now only plans to open a total of 36 owned and franchise stores over the next six months.

It said these stores would create 1,200 jobs.

Superdry Sport to design Invictus UK team kit for next year’s Games

as agreed a deal to design and provide free bespoke technical sports kit and team clothing for UK Team competitors and supporters at next year’s Invictus Games.

Invictus Games Toronto 2017, UK Team supported by Help for Heroes

Under the deal, Superdry Sport’s in-house team of designers and technicians will create full technical competition wear for the competitors taking part in the international adaptive sporting competition in Sydney.

The Superdry Sport team will work with a selected group of previous competitors, drawing upon their guidance and expertise to ensure the specialist requirements of the Team are met. Superdry Sport will also make training and team leisure clothing. All the specially designed kit will be available for the full UK Delegation – covering competitors, family and friends and staff and Games guests.

The deal has been agreed with the UK Delegation to the Invictus Games, which is a partnership between the Ministry of Defence, Help for Heroes (H4H) and The Royal British Legion (TRBL). H4H are responsible for training, selecting and developing the UK Team, with TRBL taking responsibility for the Friends and Family.

The Invictus Games is an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry, in which wounded, injured or sick service personnel and veterans take part in sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and indoor rowing. Launching the first Invictus Games in London in 2014, the Prince said that the Games would “demonstrate the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and demonstrate life beyond disability”.

At next year’s Games in Australia more than 500 competitors from 17 nations are expected to take part in 10 different adaptive sports. The Games will take place from 20 – 27 October with events being held across Greater Sydney, including Sydney Olympic Park and on and around Sydney Harbour.

The news follows the significant expansion of Superdry Sport’s offering in stores and online and the opening of the first standalone Sports shops. Superdry Sport is designed to push the boundaries; combining extreme colours and graphics with pioneering fabrics, moisture wicking technology and impeccable attention to detail both inside and out.

Euan Sutherland, chief executive of Superdry, said: “The Invictus Games has shown how the power of sport can help injured service personnel, veterans and their families and inspire us all. At Superdry we are very proud to have been chosen to provide the clothing for the UK team and the wider delegation. Our Superdry Sport range represents everything that Superdry stands for – great design, technical expertise, attention to detail and constant innovation.”Sensitivity: Operational

Jayne Kavanagh, UK Team Chef de Mission, said: “We are incredibly pleased and proud to be working alongside Superdry to continue supporting the recovery journeys of those whose lives have been affected by injury or illness.

“The legacy of the Invictus Games is clear to see through the fact that more hopefuls than ever before have registered their interest for a place on the 2018 UK Team. The Invictus Games in London, Orlando and Toronto demonstrated how powerful sport is as a means of rebuilding confidence as well as aiding physical and mental recovery. The Games will continue to get bigger and it is important the UK Team and supporters are comfortable in the kit they wear, something we are confident Superdry Sport will deliver.

“Through offering support to our veterans and service personnel on their Invictus journey, Superdry Sport are helping to empower them to look beyond illness and injury, regain their purpose, reach their potential and have a positive impact on society.”

Bernie Broad, a former Army Major with the Grenadier Guards, was the UK Team Captain at the Invictus Games 2017 in Toronto. Bernie lost both his legs below the knee due to injuries sustained in an explosion in Helmand Province in 2009. He underwent four and a half years of extensive surgery whilst at the same time undergoing rehabilitation at DMRC at Headley Court.

Speaking about the announcement, he said: “The Invictus Games empower and inspire all of us as competitors to be the best version of ourselves. Having a globally-recognised British brand endorse the British team will give athletes an extra sense of pride when they wear the kit and represent their country. Additionally, there will be added motivation to show the world that we can push our limits and that we can still achieve our personal bests in a life post injury or illness.”

Co-op to open 100 new stores in 2018 as it continues expansion

The Co-op has confirmed plans to open 100 new stores across the UK this year, creating an estimated 1,600 jobs, as part of a continued drive to expand its footprint across the country.

The retailer is spending more than £160m on new store launches, with more than 20 set to open in London, 10 in Wales and 18 in Scotland. The group will also invest in major renovations for around 150 existing outlets.

Elsewhere in the country, stores will be appearing in Blackpool, Bristol, Chesterfield, Crewe, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Plymouth, Southampton and York.

Co-op’s rapid growth campaign comes as rival retailers, including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s, have scaled back plans to open new stores amid worries about shifting consumer habits, with customers increasingly preferring to shop online.

Jo Whitfield, chief executive of Co-op Food, said the chain was “positively responding” to the changes occurring within the dynamic retail sector, with the food business going “from strength to strength in what is clearly a challenging retail market”.

Stuart Hookins, Co-op’s director of portfolio and development, said the expansion plans for 2018 meant that the Co-op was on track to have opened at least 100 new stores in each of three consecutive years.

Discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl are also rapidly expanding their networks, having filed at least 90 planning ­applications for new supermarkets in 2017, according to figures compiled by Barbour ABI. By stark comparison, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons had together filed a total of just 11 by October of last year.

In November, the Co-op struck a deal to supply 2,500 Costcutter shops across the UK from spring 2018. The contract win came just two weeks after the Co-op narrowly won approval from Nisa members for its £143m takeover of the convenience chain.

Gerry Gray,  who had held the role of chief executive at Poundworld for almost two years following a long career with Tesco,  has resigned and left the business. Steve Johnson, executive chairman,  is assuming the role until a permanent appointment can be made.

Primark is set to take a 70,000sq ft store in Westfield London’s new 740,000sq ft expansion that is expected to open next summer.

The store will be the second largest in the shopping centre’s £600 million expansion, after John Lewis’s 230,000sq ft anchor.

After the new extension is opened to the public, Westfield London is expected to become the largest shopping centre in Europe.

“We are delighted to announce that Primark will open in the UK in 2018 at Westfield London,” Westfield UK’s director of leasing Keith Mabbett said.

“The arrival of this much-loved brand will be hugely popular amongst customers as one of the most requested new stores to the centre.

“Primark has attracted millions of visitors to Westfield Stratford City, and the expansion of Westfield London has enabled us to provide large-scale modern retail space for this important retailer.”

Alongside Primark, luxury beauty retailer Space NK has taken an 820sq ft store, lingerie brand Bravissimo will take a 4800sq ft store, and Emperor will open its first 581sq ft UK store.

A number of retailers which currently have a presence in Westfield will expand their footprint thanks to the new extension.

These include H&M, Adidas, Boots, Lush, The White Company, Monsoon, Guess, UGG and Cath Kidston.

Thomas Cook has announced it plans to close high street branches. PIC: Lewis Stickley/PA Wire

Travel giant Thomas Cook is to close 50 high street shops, putting 400 jobs at risk, just weeks before Christmas.

The closures will affect Thomas Cook and Co-operative Travel branded stores and will take place between now and March 2018.

Thomas Cook said that the affected stores are either in close proximity to other outlets or are located where a decline in footfall has impacted profitability.

A rise in online travel bookings was also flagged as a reason for the closures, with the group saying that just 47% holidays were booked in store this year while online sales in the UK grew by 27%.

Thomas Cook retail and customer experience director Kathryn Darbandi said: “We continually review our network of stores across the UK to make sure we’re offering customers the best of Thomas Cook, and it is clear that to succeed we have to operate as a truly omni-channel business.

“We’re one Thomas Cook to our customers and we will offer them a world-class service whichever channel they chose to book, be that retail or online.”

The announcement caps a torrid week for the high street, with RBS, Lloyds and Yorkshire Building Society all also outlining store closure plans and job cuts.

Last month, Thomas Cook revealed a 40% plunge in UK earnings as it suffered amid “challenging” trading and a hit from the weak pound.

The holiday giant reported underlying earnings of £52 million for the UK division in the year to September 30, down from £86 million the previous year after it was knocked by rising hotel prices, the pound and intense competition in the Spanish market.

It also said its costs were sent surging after facing a torrent of fraudulent illness claims, and after supporting 10,000 customers caught up in the devastating Hurricane Irma.

The group said it has launched action to return its UK division to profitable growth by slashing costs, taking legal action against illness fraudsters and focusing on fast-growing holiday destinations Turkey and Egypt as demand returns to the countries.

Situated on Meadowhall’s High Street, the 4,000 square foot shop was designed by creative agency Dalziel and Pow.

Simon Brown, managing director and founder of Joe Browns, said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the store, I think we’ve achieved what we set out to do, which was to create an impressive three- dimensional version of our catalogue. It crystallises our brand in a physical space perfectly.”

The opening coincides with the conclusion of Meadowhall’s £60 million refurbishment which will be completed before Christmas. Some 73 brands, including All Saints, Hollister, House of Fraser and Hugo Boss, have invested £38 million in redesigning and refitting their stores to reflect the centre’s new contemporary feel.

Richard Crowther, asset manager for British Land, said: “The opening is an exciting step for Joe Browns, and as its very first physical location, is a testament to Meadowhall’s appeal as a leading UK retail and leisure destination. Our True Value of Stores research shows that stores improve brand awareness, customer service and trust and that physical also contributes to online sales that do not directly touch the store.”

Over the last 18 months, Meadowhall has signed up 30 new brands including Flannels, Tag Heuer, Nespresso, Neal’s Yard and Godiva. In September, the centre also secured a resolution to grant planning consent for a £300 million leisure hall extension.

If plans to transform Oxford into a pedestrianised area go through, the Western section of Oxford Street may well become the ‘world’s best outdoor shopping experience.’ Ambitious plans for the transformation of the shopping district where unveiled today by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council, Cllr Robert Davis.

Depending on approval, the plans, which are currently under public consultation until December 17, include the transformation of Oxford Street and the creation of new, traffic-free public spaces. Plans include all east-west traffic restricted from entering Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Oxford Circus but maintaining the north-south routes through the section.

Plans for the region include new seating areas placed along the street, an 800-meter long work of public art to fit in the former carriageway, which would be level with existing pavements and new and extended taxi ranks close to Oxford Street. Two bus routes will be rerouted to provide connections for locals and visitors and the TfL and Westminister City Council will also consult on creating new high-quality cycle routes along quieter roads to the north and south side of Oxford Street.

“This is a hugely exciting moment for the capital. Oxford Street is world famous with millions of visitors every year, and in just over a year the iconic part of the street west of Oxford Circus could be transformed into a traffic-free pedestrian boulevard,” said Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London. “Whether you’re a local resident, a business, or shop in some of the area’s famous stores, our plans will make the area substantially cleaner and safer for everyone, creating one of the finest public spaces in the world. Alongside the arrival of the Elizabeth Line, the Oxford Street area will be truly transformed over the coming years.”

Asda has hired Carrefour’s former chief merchandising officer Jesús Lorente for a similar role as the Big 4 grocer undergoes a leadership overhaul.

The news comes a week after Asda announced that deputy chief executive Roger Burnley will replace current chief executive Sean Clarke from January 1.

Lorente will succeed Andrew Moore, who is stepping from the chief merchandising officer role in January after almost 10 years with Asda, three of which were in his current role.

Burnley and Lorente will form part of a new executive team that will work to continue the momentum of financial recovery that Clarke has brought about since Asda’s parent company Walmart parachuted him into the role in June 2016.

Lorente has already joined Asda and is in the process of being introduced to the business to ensure a smooth transition.

He first joined French retailer Carrefour in November 2009 as director of supply chain in its Spanish business.

He then chief merchandising officer for the company’s Spanish arm in December 2012 – a role he held until July this year.

Before Carrefour, Lorente’s career spent almost 20 years with Unilever in the UK, Spain and the US.

The 60 second TV commercial is set in a magical Argos distribution centre where a troupe of Argos elves are helping Santa to deliver gifts across the country.

Created by CHI & Partners and directed by Gary Freedman, the advert aims to highlight Argos’s commitment to speedy delivery and its Fast Track same-day delivery service.

The action begins when a child’s long-awaited Christmas present, a Teksta voice-recognition robotic puppy, is found wandering the aisles of the distribution centre by an elf. The quick-thinking elf scans it in at the “elf station” to reveal its intended recipient on-screen whose family’s gifts are departing from gate nine. This leads to a blockbuster-style chase across the distribution centre in which the elf pulls out all the stops to ensure the robotic puppy makes it to the child in time for Christmas.

Argos is also giving three children the opportunity to feature in the advert. From Tuesday 7 November, parents can visit Argos’s Facebook and Twitter channels to submit an image of their child using the hashtag #ReadyForTakeOff.  The chosen winners will appear on national TV in the Argos advert for a whole day each on Friday 10, Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 November.

In addition, parents will get a chance to see their child’s face in a personalised social media version of the advert by uploading their child’s photo on the Argos Facebook or Twitter sites.

Gary Kibble, marketing director at Argos, said: “We love this edge-of-your-seat, high-energy Christmas campaign, which aims to surprise and delight across all channels – showcasing Argos’s Fast Track delivery commitment to getting customers what they want, how and when they want it, faster than anyone else.

“We hope our super-swift, stop-at-nothing Argos Christmas elves help us once again to break the traditional retailer advertising mould by adding some excitement, energy and above all speed to the nation’s Christmases this year.”

Kibble said Argos will deliver 1.7 million items  and process 27 million in-store transactions over the festive period.

The Argos ‘Ready For Take-Off’ advert forms part of a 360° campaign spanning TV, digital, print and in-store and social media activity.

Cormac Tobin had been with the Celesio group for more than 10 years

Cormac Tobin, managing director of Lloydspharmacy’s parent company Celesio UK, has left the company “with immediate effect”, the multiple has announced.

His departure comes just one week after Mr Tobin – who had been with the Celesio group for more than 10 years – told Lloyds employees that 190 “commercially unviable” branches of the multiple would have to close or be sold.

Celesio UK said the remaining members of its board would manage the business “whilst a successor is sought”.

Brian Tyler, chairman of the management board of McKesson Europe – which owns Celesio – said Mr Tobin had “built a strong leadership team for Celesio UK”, and added “his warm and engaging personality made him many friends across community pharmacy and beyond”.

“I am grateful for the dedication that Cormac has shown over the last few years and his leadership through an ever-changing external environment,” Mr Tyler said.

by The Retail Bulletin

In the three months to 29 October online sales climbed by 13.2% but sales in the retailer’s stores were down 7.7%.

In a statement, Next said the lower clearance rates seen in its summer end-of-season sale this year had continued into the third quarter, both in the mid-season sale and its clearance operation. As a result total sales, including markdown sales, were up 0.8% in the three month period and down 1.2% for the year to date.

Next said its sales performance has remained “extremely volatile” and is highly dependent on the weather. In August and September sales were significantly up on last year as cooler temperatures improved sales of warmer weight stock.

Looking ahead, Next said the volatility was making it difficult to determine any underlying sales trend but added: “We believe the most reliable guide to sales for the balance of the year are the full price sales for the year to date, which are down -0.3%. This number is at the mid-point of the sales guidance we gave in September and so we are maintaining the central profit guidance we issued at that time, albeit we are narrowing the range.”

Next now expects its full year pre-tax profit to be between £692 million and £742 million compared to a previous guidance of £687 million to £747 million.

by The Retail Bulletin

He will succeed current chief executive Sean Clarke who has held the position since July 2016. In a statement, the company said Clarke will be “taking some time out” but will “remain engaged” with Walmart.

Burnley returned to Asda as chief operating officer and deputy chief executive in October 2016 and at the time was identified as a future chief executive.

Dave Cheesewright, chief executive of Walmart International, said: “Roger was purposefully brought back to Asda to partner with Sean ahead of the transition to Roger taking up the position of CEO. He and Sean have worked as a great team and I’m really confident in Roger’s ability to continue building upon our returning momentum.”

Clarke will remain Asda’s chief executive until 31 December and will work closely with Burnley to ensure a smooth transition.

Cheesewright added: “After more than 21 years with the company, Sean has worked across five international markets including serving as president and CEO of Walmart China and obviously here in the UK too. He’s continually shown the ability to lead critical transformation and the last 15 months are no exception.”