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Happy New Year to all of our readers here at Retail Gazette! It’s no secret that 2020 was unforgiving for the retail industry and its hundreds of thousands workers, but the sector has time and time again proven resilient and we are hopeful that 2021 will bring more positive news. More importantly though, we appreciate and value your support and readership. We do not take it for granted. We look forward to seeing you again when we return to the office on January 4. Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette’s free daily email newsletter The post Happy New Year from Retail Gazette appeared first on Retail Gazette . from Retail Gazette https://ift.tt/3rKJohG via IFTTT

// The Future High Streets Fund has allocated £255m to 15 areas in England // The funding is aimed at helping regenerate high streets and creating new jobs // Another 57 areas have received provisional funding offers totalling up to £576m The government has allocated £255 million from the £830 million Future High Streets Fund to 15 areas in England. The funding is aimed at helping regenerate high streets and creating new jobs, particularly after a tough year. As well as the 15 areas receiving funding, another 57 areas have received provisional funding offers totalling up to £576 million. READ MORE: Extension of Tier 4 restrictions force further non-essential closures The Future High Streets Fund was launched in December 2018 and is part of the government’s plan to reshape town centres. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “The year ahead will be a big one for the high street as it seeks to recover, adapt and evolve as a result of the pandemic. “The role of the hig

// Tesco has topped a list of firms who have failed to pay workers the minimum wage // The grocer is the UK’s largest private sector employer with around 300,000 staff // The blacklist was compiled from probes between 2016 and 2018 Tesco has been named and shamed by the government after topping a list of firms who have failed to pay workers the minimum wage. The grocer, which is the UK’s largest private sector employer with around 300,000 staff, has been underpaying 78,199 workers by more than £5 million. The list was published on Wednesday as former Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis, in charge when the error was discovered in 2017, was knighted in the Queen’s New Year Honours for his services to the food industry. READ MORE: Tesco offers to help with roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine Tesco scraps 1 billion plastic pieces from UK business The blacklist was compiled from probes between 2016 and 2018. Tesco wages to 78,199 workers fell short by £5.1million, because some staff

// Tiffany & Co shareholders vote to approve £11.6 billion LVMH takeover // Over 99% of shareholders voted in favour of the takeover after more than a year of negotiations // LVMH made the first offer late last year but backed out when the Covid-19 pandemic struck Tiffany & Co shareholders have voted to approve a $15.8 billion (£11.6 billion) takeover from French luxury fashion giant LVMH after a lengthy courtship. Over 99 per cent of shareholders voted in favour of the takeover after more than a year of ongoing negotiations between the parties. Bernard Arnault’s LVMH made the first offer late last year but backed out of the deal when the Covid-19 pandemic began to affect businesses. READ MORE:  LVMH cuts £425m off Tiffany & Co deal, ending long-winded dispute LVMH also blamed the French political intervention to delay completing the acquisition until January 6. This led to Tiffany taking legal action against LVMH to honour the deal. LVMH then renegotiated th

// Aldi to spend an additional £3.5bn on UK-produced food and drink annually within the next 5 years // The initiative will help over 1000 small businesses in its supply chain // Aldi is also investing £500m in new and upgraded stores, distribution centres and its supply chain in 2021 Aldi is ramping up its support for British suppliers by unveiling plans to spend an extra £3.5 billion on UK-produced food and drink annually within the next five years. The initiative will help over 1000 small businesses in its supply chain as the discount supermarket looks to also extend an agreement to pay smaller suppliers without delay to the end of 2021. Aldi also said it is investing £500 million in new and upgraded stores, distribution centres and its supply chain in 2021, which will create more than 4000 jobs. READ MORE: Aldi donates unsold foods as stores closed over Christmas period Aldi to expand click-and-collect to over 200 stores by Christmas “We are expecting significant s

// Tesco offers up subsidiary Best Food Logistics to help with the roll out of AstraZeneca vaccine // The grocer is offering to help ministers roll out vaccines for Covid-19 // The UK has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine Tesco has reportedly offered up its distribution arm to help with the roll out of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The Big 4 leader offered to help ministers roll out vaccines for Covid-19 as the private sector ramps up its support for the immunisation programme, The Telegraph reported. The grocer’s subsidiary Best Food Logistics has offered up its network of refrigerated lorries and warehouses as part of a race to give the newly authorised Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine to millions of people by April. READ MORE: Tesco scraps 1 billion plastic pieces from UK business Brexit food price increase “very modest” Tesco chair says Meanwhile, hotels and conference centres have also offered to open up their venues to be used as sites for mass vaccinatio

// Tier 4 restrictions have been extended which will affect most of England // Non-essential retailers have shut stores in affected areas // Birmingham, Greater Manchester and Nottingham are among the retail destinations where Tier 4 rules have come into force Non-essential retailers have been forced to shut their stores from Thursday in regions where Tier 4 restrictions have been extended to, which covers three-quarters of England’s population. Birmingham, Greater Manchester and Nottingham are among the retail destinations where Tier 4 rules have come into force, while London and much of East and Southeast England were already in Tier 4. Almost all areas of England not in Tier 4 have moved up to Tier 3, where shops can remain open but where there are restrictions on meeting socially indoors and on hospitality businesses. READ MORE: Boxing Day footfall drops 75.9% as Brits stay at home The Liverpool city region and York are among the retail locations that have gone into T

India’s leading high-street salon chain Geetanjali Salons today unveiled its third store here at Phoenix Palassio Mall, Lucknow amidst the presence of renowned celebrity hair stylist and Managing Director, Geetanjali Salons, Sumit Israni. Sumit along with Priya Khanna, Lucknow’s renowned Makeup Artist and Gaurav Khanna, brought Geetanjali Salons to Lucknow, three years ago.The glitzy event […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/34VtKqh via IFTTT

// Tesco removes 1 billion pieces of plastic from its business since 2019 // The target was part of Tesco’s commitment to tackle plastics through its 4Rs packaging strategy // The strategy has seen a business-wide programme of change that assesses every piece of packaging Tesco said it has removed one billion pieces of plastic from its UK business in just one year by working with its suppliers. This includes the plastic shrink wrap around branded and own-label tinned multipacks, plastic wraps from branded and own label greetings cards, small plastic bags used to pack loose fruit and veg, and plastic from Christmas products and packaging. The one billion target was part of Tesco’s commitment to tackle plastics through its 4Rs packaging strategy: To remove it where it can, reduce where it can’t, reuse more and recycle what’s left. READ MORE: Brexit food price increase “very modest” Tesco chair says Tesco begins rationing items as border closures lead to stockpiling The s

// Bangladeshi factories have had orders cancelled worth £730m when stores closed during lockdown // The Covid-19 pandemic caused non-essential stores to close in late March // The garments sector represents 95% of Bangladesh’s total exports UK retailers have cancelled orders worth £730 million with Bangladeshi factories when stores closed during the first Covid-19 lockdowns. The pandemic caused non-essential stores to close in late March and clothing retailers were the hardest hit as many had just taken delivery of their spring and summer collections. With stock trapped in closed stores, fashion chains delayed and cancelled their orders with suppliers. READ MORE: Boohoo defends supply chain after investigation into working conditions at Pakistani factory Boohoo chair Mahmud Kamani vows to fix Leicester supply chain failings Traidcraft Exchange, which campaigns on fair trade, revealed that UK suppliers — led by Primark, Mothercare and Debenhams — had cancelled $1 billi

// Mytheresa reveals plans for a Wall Street IPO // The IPO could value the company at £1 billion // Mytheresa launched its online business in 2006 and now trades in 140 countries Mytheresa has announced plans for a Wall Street IPO, which could value it at as much as £1 billion. The online fashion retailer that sells luxury brands includes Burberry and Gucci, and was originally founded as a bricks-and-mortar store in Munich, Germany. In its last financial year, Mytheresa generated net sales of €449.5 million – up 8.6 per cent on the previous year, while net income rose to €6.4 million versus €1.7 million in 2019. Mytheresa launched its online business in 2006 and has since grown to trade in approximately 140 countries including the UK. “Our customers are high-income luxury consumers that value quality and experience over price, and curation over assortment breadth,” Mytheresa chief executive Michael Kliger said. “We have a differentiated value proposition, as well as a prof

// Aldi donates over 500,000 meals to UK charities over the Christmas period // The grocer unloaded all of its unsold fresh and chilled food // Aldi ramped up its support for local charities, community groups and food banks Aldi has donated over 500,000 meals to UK charities during the Christmas period as it unloaded unsold fresh and chilled food after stores closed on December 24. The German discounter has donated 506,000 meals as it ramped up support for local charities, community groups and food banks. Around 210 tonnes of food were donated to more than 750 causes across the country over the period. READ MORE:  Aldi to expand click-and-collect to over 200 stores by Christmas Aldi said the donation is its largest to date and has helped those in need at a time when more people are experiencing financial hardship and food insecurity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It said it expects to donate a further 200,000 meals to charitable causes across the country. Moreover, its pa

Future Group firms have started getting large orders from Reliance Industries, its CEO Kishore Biyani said in an email to his employees on Tuesday. The group firms Future Consumer and Future Enterprises have recently received orders from Reliance Industries. “We have received a large order from Reliance as well in Future Consumer and in Future Enterprises,” Biyani said in the […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/34UM1Uw via IFTTT

2020 has delivered a VUCA disruption like never before. Since the pandemic hit, the entire retail industry has been evolving by the day. Just like the shifts in societal and economic order, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes in consumer behavior. Consumers across the world have changed in massive proportions and are continually […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2JA3zhm via IFTTT

With an epic battle of billionaires for supremacy in one of the world’s most prolific markets and a pandemic-propelled surge in online shopping in the background, India’s nearly trillion-dollar retail market is hoping to touch 85 per cent of the pre-COVID business in the first half of the new year, as per a report by […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3n08fuz via IFTTT

India could benefit from the likely shift in global supply chains from China to other economies in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey . The Ficci-Dhruva Advisors Survey conducted this month covered more than 150 companies in India. “Another major outcome of COVID-19 is the likely shift in global supply chains away from China to other […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/380gGlo via IFTTT

US e-commerce giant Amazon has pumped in over Rs 11,400 crore (about $1.5 billion) during FY2019-20 across its marketplace, payments and wholesale business units in India to bolster its position in the country’s burgeoning digital commerce market, according to a report by news agency PTI. The investments have been made even though most of the Amazon’s business […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3huBtRe via IFTTT

Ratnadeep Retail Pvt. Ltd. South India’s most awarded, fastest growing retail chain brand has launched its 100th store in the country in Hyderabad, Telangana. The retail conglomerate which embarked on its glorious journey in 1987 has now become the most trust-worthy retail chain in the state. The company with its strategically located and uniquely designed stores offers […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/38Rna5k via IFTTT

// The Hut Group has acquired US skincare retailer Dermstore.com for £259m // Dermstore.com is an online pureplay retailer for professional-grade skincare products and specialist beauty brands The Hut Group (THG) has acquired US skincare retailer Dermstore.com, and has invested in two of its longstanding nutrition product suppliers Claremont Ingredients and David Berryman. THG agreed to purchase Dermstore.com for $350 million (£259 million) from US retail giant Target. The acquisition will accelerate THG’s plans to become the “global digital partner of choice” in the beauty industry. READ MORE: The Hut Group expects bumper full-year sales as new visitors engulf site Dermstore.com is an online pureplay retailer for premium, professional-grade skincare products and specialist beauty brands. THG also plans to expand its beauty box business Glossybox, and accelerate the growth of its own-brands using Dermstore’s customer base. Moreover, THG has acquired flavour manufacturers

// Footfall on Boxing Day in Tier 4 areas dropped by 75.9% compared to the same day in 2019 // Footfall in Tiers 2 and 3 fell by 33.1% and 38.5% respectively // Shopping centres were the worst hit, with footfall down 65.4% year on year New research has found that shoppers remained at home on Boxing Day as Tier 4 restrictions spread across more regions. Overall footfall on Boxing Day in Tier 4 areas – where all non-essential retail stores are closed – dropped by 75.9 per cent compared to the same day in 2019, according to figures from Springboard. Shopping centres were the worst hit, with footfall down 65.4 per cent year on year, while high streets saw a 63.3 per cent decline. READ MORE: Avoid Boxing Day sales crowds, says PM Meanwhile, retail parks fared better, with a 45 per cent drop compared with 2019. Footfall in Tier 4 regions declined 75.9 per cent compared with Boxing Day last year, while footfall in Tiers 2 and 3 fell by 33.1 per cent and 38.5 per cent respective

// Tesco chair John Allan said impact on food prices due to Brexit will not affect shoppers // The “tariff-free trade deal” would make food price increases negligible // Tesco will continue to be able to keep its supermarkets in Northern Ireland supplied Tesco chair John Allan has reportedly said any impact on food prices due to Brexit will be “very modest”, following the recent news of a deal between the UK and EU. Allan said the deal was a “good outcome” for retailers with any changes likely to not affect its shoppers. He said the deal was far better than no deal, BBC News  reported. READ MORE: Tesco begins rationing items as border closures lead to stockpiling Tesco warns shoppers not to panic buy after France ban The chairman had warned that a no-deal Brexit could increase food prices by around three per cent and five per cent, but has now said the “tariff-free trade deal” would make food price increases negligible. Allan previously said there could be some change

It’s been exactly one year since the first Coronavirus case was reported in China, yet the pandemic continues to impact both industries and consumers across the world at an unprecedented scale. Just like other industries, the Fast Moving Consumer Goods segment has been no exception to this reality and has witnessed significant disruption over the […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3aMzq9G via IFTTT

Retailers Association of India (RAI) released their latest Retail Business Survey which indicated a steady month-on-month recovery for retail businesses across India, with sales in November 2020 being 13 per cent short of the sales during the corresponding period last year. Retailers across sectors are hopeful of achieving about 85% of pre-pandemic level in business in the next six months. […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2MhiRZl via IFTTT

This has been a tough year for retail business of all kinds. While the e-commerce giants did continue with deliveries of essentials and were able to recoup almost as soon as the COVID 19 restrictions were lifted, offline retailers still had a big issue with keeping a rolling inventory and catering to customer demand. But […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2L20GWO via IFTTT

2020 has been an extraordinary year. The pandemic with its socio-economic and psychological implications not only deeply impacted our lives but also drew our attention towards health. Eating healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle became a priority for everyone. Suddenly people started realizing the importance of wellness and building immunity. For Gaia, a leading health […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3mVqEsu via IFTTT

South Korean retail investors have loaded up on shares in top-cap Samsung Electronics this year, reaping a huge return on their investments, data showed on Monday. Local individual investors had bought a net 14.7 trillion won (US$13.3 billion) worth of common and preferred shares in the global tech giant as of Thursday, according to the […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3ry1NOJ via IFTTT

Over a million small retailers in the country and hundreds of MSMEs continued to repose their faith on online platforms and digitisation as the entire retail ecosystem opts for e-commerce as a mode of doing business during the challenging times of the pandemic. Flipkart Group’s B2B businesses — Flipkart Wholesale and Best Price cash-and-carry stores […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3mQriY4 via IFTTT

Hiring activities will bounce back in the coming year as major industries are recovering from the impact of Covid-19, according to a Naukri.com survey on Monday. While 26 per cent recruiters foresee hiring bouncing back to pre-Covid levels within the next three-six months, 34 per cent said that it would take their organisations six months […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2Mjkcip via IFTTT

What the world has gone through during last few months was completely unprecedented. As a purpose-led company, during this time IKEA focused on safety and security of their people, building digital capabilities, meeting customers in new ways as the home became the center of everything in everybody’s lives. Click-and-collect, contactless shopping service, along with other […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2KFGDxB via IFTTT

Retail sales in the US rose three per cent during this year’s expanded holiday season, running from October 11 through December 24, while online sales in the country grew 49 per cent as compared to 2019, said a report by Mastercard. The findings underscore the shift to online spending, with e-commerce accounting for 19.7 per […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/38Bg18R via IFTTT

Adoption of digital means for sales helped a majority of small businesses survive the pandemic, a survey conducted by rating agency Crisil said on Thursday. The agency polled 566 companies with a turnover of less than Rs 25 crore, 60 per cent of them engaged in manufacturing, last month to arrive at the findings, according to a […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2WQ0woi via IFTTT

Amazon Seller Services, the India online marketplace unit of e-tail giant Amazon, saw its losses widening to Rs 5,849.2 crore for 2019-20 fiscal from the previous year as expenses grew over 25 per cent, as per regulatory documents. Amazon Seller Services had recorded a net loss of Rs 5,685.4 crore in FY19. Its revenue, however, grew […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3hjVARK via IFTTT

The Finance Ministry on Saturday said it has permitted Rajasthan to borrow an additional Rs 2,731 crore after the state successfully undertook ease of doing business reforms. Rajasthan has now joined the five other states namely, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, which have completed the reform facilitating ease of doing business to be eligible for additional […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3nYBAHa via IFTTT

The high growth story of foreign direct investments into India will “go well” in the new year too as there is a growing interest among overseas investors about the country amid the government’s continuing reform measures to further improve the business climate. With relaxed FDI norms, defence production will be among the areas that will be looked at for […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/34HsOpl via IFTTT

HomeTown, one of the leading furniture and lifestyle retailers, part of the Future Group partnered with FarEye to orchestrate last-mile deliveries, achieve real-time visibility and enhance the customer experience. Recognized as India’s biggest store in homemaking, renovation, and decor, HomeTown improved delivery turnaround time by 50% and achieved a 60% reduction in customer calls due to proactive […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3mNdCgC via IFTTT

Merry Christmas from everyone here at Retail Gazette! We hope you will all get the chance to spend time with your loved ones this holiday, safely of course, as we look forward to the start of a new year. Our office will be closed for the festive period, and we will return on January 4. We look forward to coming back to keep you updated on all the latest UK retail news. Here’s hoping for a better and brighter new year! Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette’s free daily email newsletter The post Merry Christmas from Retail Gazette appeared first on Retail Gazette . from Retail Gazette https://ift.tt/3rxZVFZ via IFTTT

Patanjali Ayurved group firm Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd’s shareholders have approved the appointment of Yoga guru Swami Ram Dev, his younger brother Ram Bharat and close aide Acharya Balkrishna on the company’s board. In a regulatory filing, Ruchi Soya, which sells soya products under Nutrela brand, said the shareholders have approved all resolutions at the annual general […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/38ARlNE via IFTTT

Following the news that Arcadia brand Evans has been bought out of administration by Australian retail group City Chic Collective, Chloe Collins, Senior Retail Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view on the situation: “City Chic’s specialism in plus size fashion means that Evans fits perfectly within its portfolio of […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3mLv70H via IFTTT

The Delhi High Court has ruled that US e-commerce giant Amazon’s attempt to control Future Retail through a conflation of agreements it has with an unlisted unit of the Indian company will be violative of the FEMA FDI rules, the Kishore Biyani-led firm said on Wednesday, according to a PTI report. Giving out its analysis of the Delhi High Court’s December […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/34JeMUa via IFTTT

Paytm has doubled down on its efforts to hire staff from smaller towns and allow them to continue working from those locations even after the pandemic situation eases, founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said. “We figured out that we could now recruit from cities where we were previously not going and people don’t have to move to the big […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3nSwWKM via IFTTT

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, shared the findings of a recent small and medium enterprise (SME)-focused survey in India. The FedEx-commissioned survey was conducted by the independent research firm Dun & Bradstreet India to identify trends in e-commerce and digital adoption among SMEs during […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3poVsDh via IFTTT

// Ann Summers CVA approved by 90% creditors // 25 UK stores to be switched to turnover-based rent // Additional funding of up to £10m is being made available to Ann Summers Ann Summers’ CVA has been approved by 90 per cent of creditors, which will see 25 of its UK stores switch to turnover-based rent. The CVA will not affect the landlords of its remaining 66 UK stores as terms had already been revised. No stores will be permanently closed. Suppliers will not be affected either, and no jobs will be lost. READ MORE: How can Ann Summers avoid a similar fate to Victoria’s Secret? Following the approval of the CVA, additional funding of up to £10 million is being made available to Ann Summers to continue the turnaround of the business. “This has been a year like no other for Ann Summers. The pandemic has presented new challenges for our business in 2020, which are likely to continue into the early part of 2021,” Ann Summers chief executive Jacqueline Gold said. “I’d like to

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld claims made against a series of Instagram posts promoting Klarna Bank’s deferred payment services. The ASA on Wednesday ruled that Klarna could not show a series of adverts made with Instagram influencers that links using Klarna’s credit service with improving someone’s mood. While the first stages of the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK in April and May this year, Klarna engaged a number of Instagram influencers with paid advertising to discuss using its services to improve their mood during lockdown. READ MORE:   Klarna encourages customers to “shop smart” amid criticism shoppers use it to buy things they can’t afford The ASA received a complaint from the Labour MP Stella Creasy that the promotional Instagram posts were irresponsible for encouraging the use of Klarna’s deferred payment service to help people lift their low mood whilst the nation was under lockdown. Klarna said it believed the four adverts complied with the CAP Code a

// Retailers have been warned of supply issues for fresh goods until backlog of trucks at Dover is cleared // The France border closure came after a new highly-infectious coronavirus variant was found in the UK The retail sector has been warned over supply issues for some fresh goods until the backlog of trucks at Dover is cleared. The BRC said thousands of trucks have been stranded in Dover after France closed its borders earlier this week. The border closure came after a new highly-infectious coronavirus variant was found in the UK. READ MORE: France eases travel ban to UK Tesco begins rationing items as border closures lead to stockpiling The closure has stopped the movement of some goods, including fresh foods, between Europe and the UK. But the UK and French governments have reached a deal to reopen the border between the two countries to hauliers and some passengers from today, provided they test negative for Covid-19. However, the backlog of lorries waiting to m

// Tesco reinstates rationing rules after port closures result in customers panic-buying // CEO Jason Tarry ensured customers will have enough stock to get them through Christmas and new year // The ports closures took place after a new strain of coronavirus was found in the UK Tesco has reintroduced rationing rules on several products, following an increase in customers stockpiling due to the ports closures. The grocer’s UK chief executive Jason Tarry ensured that customers will have enough stock to get them through Christmas and the new year despite the ongoing closure of French and Belgian ports. The ports closures took place after a new strain of coronavirus was found in the UK. READ MORE: Tesco warns shoppers not to panic buy after France ban Tesco appoints Karen Whitworth as non-executive director However, Tarry said Tesco would be reinstating purchasing limits on products such as eggs, rice, soap and toilet roll in order to “make sure that everyone can get the f

// LK Bennett CVA approved by creditors // The womenswear retailer said the CVA will result in small number of redundancies // LK Bennett will shut 5 stores and switch the remaining stores to turnover-based rent LK Bennett’s CVA has been approved by its creditors, which will result in five store closures and the remaining shops switching to turnover-based rent. In August, LK Bennett restructured its store teams, resulting in 19 redundancies. Last month, LK Bennett was preparing to launch its CVA proposals. READ MORE: Stores at risk as LK Bennett prepares to launch CVA The womenswear retailer said the proposals will result in a small number of redundancies as it attempts to “mitigate the ongoing financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”. LK Bennett also said eventwear and workwear, typically its “biggest strengths” as a fashion brand, have both been challenging to sell during the pandemic, as well as the lack of tourism to London, where the majority of store sales would

Morrisons will deliver easily-forgotten Christmas essentials such as sticky tape, batteries, gravy and even a turkey until Christmas Eve, for customers who may have missed them off their list this year. Teaming up with Deliveroo, the Big 4 grocer will be able to drop off the forgotten items in 30 minutes, with the scheme running until 5.30pm on Christmas Eve, and starting again from 10am on Boxing Day. The service will be available 182 Morrisons stores across the UK, with orders placed on the Deliveroo app or website from now until December 24. READ MORE:   Morrisons launches Christmas Dinner boxes available to order via telephone for vulnerable shoppers Customers will be charged £4.50 for delivery and 49p service fee, with all deliveries contact-free to promote safety. The full list of last-minute Christmas items includes sticky tape, batteries, matches, tin foil, turkey, turkey baking tray, gravy, stuffing, custard powder, condensed milk, evaporated milk, The Best Clementine Buc

// The Entertainer will offer click-and-collect until midday on Christmas Eve // The service will also be available in Tier 4 areas // The toy retailer has also launched its January sales early The Entertainer has ensured customers it will be offering click-and-collect until midday on Christmas Eve, including in areas under Tier 4 restrictions. In addition, it has also launched its January sales early. The toy retailer said click-and-collect will be available from all of its stores until midday on Christmas Eve. READ MORE: The Entertainer gives staff 3 days off over Christmas & Boxing Day weekend The Entertainer said this means “provided the product is in stock at their chosen store, customers will be able to order until midday on Christmas Eve and collect it before the store closes”. While most of the retailer’s stores in the South East and London remain open, it said three stores in Romford Mercury, Bromley Upper Mall and Stevenage were closed. It will also be off

// N Brown announces completion of £100m in capital raising // The retail group moved over from LSE to AIM on Wednesday morning N Brown Group on Wednesday announced it had completed its £100 million equity raising and moved from the London Stock Exchange over to the Alternative Investment Market. The Simply Be, Jacamo and JD Williams owner said it will use the funds to remove unsecured debt and enable investment. The transaction was underwritten by N Brown founder David Alliance, who is also the firm’s biggest shareholder. READ MORE: N Brown sets out detailed plan to raise £100m after shareholder offers Speaking on the decision earlier this month, N Brown chief executive Steve Johnson said the capital raising would enable the group to build on the strength of the business despite macro concerns for the wider retail sector. “Securing the support of our shareholders, alongside the significant commitment made by the Alliance family, leaves us well placed to accelerate our str

// Boohoo hit by claims of staff working below minimum wage and for 24 hour stints to meet deadlines // Investigation by The Guardian  alleges employees work in squalid conditions with fire hazards // Boohoo says it “will not tolerate any instance of mistreatment or underpayment of garment workers” A new investigation into the working conditions of staff at a Pakistani factory that supplies clothes to Boohoo alleges that staff earn as little as 29p an hour, according to The Guardian . The paper carried out an investigation into two factories in Faisalabad, where workers claimed they were paid PKR10,000PKR (£47) a month, well below the legal monthly minimum wage for unskilled labour of PKR17,500, while making clothes to be sold by Boohoo. The Guardian collected photographic, video and documentary evidence in support of the claims of safety issues. READ MORE:  Boohoo chair Mahmud Kamani vows to fix Leicester supply chain failings Boohoo appoints Sir Brian Leveson to overse