Rebekah Frech

What’s been happening in retail this week? ·      boohooMAN.com launched marketplace Brand Locker, featuring 563 brands covering fashion, accessories, nutrition and pre-loved luxury. A further 500 labels are due to join. ·      John Lewis Partnership indicated a staff bonus would return if profit reaches £200m for the year ending January 2026. Profit before tax and exceptional items stood at £126m last year. ·      John Lewis & Partners is piloting a rapid delivery pilot with Uber Eats for 150 nursery, beauty and gift products. Customers within 8km of Leeds and Stratford branches can receive items within an hour. ·      Waitrose & Partners rolled out its Delivery Pass nationwide, offering a subscription starting at £8 monthly to allows one daily online delivery without extra charge. ·      Currys plc rolled out an AI video diagnostics tool in partnership with Vyntelligence to improve repair efficiency and reduce engineer callouts. The platform allows customers to send short videos of tech issues, enabling faster fixes. ·      Marks and Spencer introduced invisible UV tags on four-pint milk bottles to improve recycling traceability, investing £100,000 in partnership with Polytag. ·      Marks and Spencer had an online advert banned by the Advertising Standards Authority after it featured a model deemed “unhealthily thin”. ·      River Island may collapse within weeks unless creditors approve a restructuring plan to close 33 stores, cut rents on 71, and write off debt. A £10m funding gap is expected by mid-September. ·      Hilco Capital is considering a bid for Claire's UK business, which operates around 200 stores. Interpath is overseeing the sale, as the US parent explores restructuring options. Up to one-third of UK branches may close post-sale, with Alteri Investors and Modella Capital also potential bidders. ·      MANGO posted a 12% revenue increase in the first half, with sales exceeding £1.5bn. Growth was driven by strong collection demand and international performance, with Spain, France and the US among top markets. ·      Wickes reported 6.4% like-for-like retail growth to £634.4m for the six months to 28 June. Group revenues rose 4.5% to £847.9m, driven by volume-led demand in timber, garden, and decorating. TradePro sales rose 10%, with membership reaching 615,000. Five to seven new stores are planned this year. 💥 💥 💥 Download our latest Risk and Resilience Report with Barclays Corporate Banking, outlining a retail resilience framework. It quantifies where retailers perceive risks in the year ahead, including cyber security, operational and financial risks. Download the report below ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/emFFv6Kj

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LUSH will host its first ever Factory Freshness Sale for the Dorset community on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September at its Green Hub in Poole. Shoppers will be able to purchase Lush’s handmade cosmetics at 60% off RRP once they have passed the brand’s self-imposed freshness policy, but remain within their use-by dates. In addition, surplus items from across the business, from packaging to furniture, will also be available. The event will offer visitors the chance to meet the Lush team, learn more about sustainability initiatives at the Green Hub, and see first-hand how the company works to reduce waste and support local charities and groups. Read more: https://ow.ly/uBwG50WPom6 #Lush #Sustainability #DorsetBusiness #Poole

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DESPAR Italia continues store growth in June and July ➡️ https://ow.ly/zkGI50WHmSs Across June and July, DESPAR Italia's brand presence grew further with the opening of new and modernised stores across DESPAR Express stores, DESPAR and EUROSPAR Supermarkets, and INTERSPAR Hypermarkets throughout the country. #SPAR #Expansion #Retail #StoreOpening Despar Italia

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