Latest Retail Insight, News, Information & Articles from all top sources for the Internet.

In an industry-first move, Welspun One Logistics Parks, a pan-India integrated fund, development and asset management platform has introduced a unique, online ‘Partner Portal’ to effectively collaborate with their external stakeholders, especially landowners and brokers. The goal of this platform is to create a transparent and efficient mechanism that will enable sharing of leads and […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2QN0Bcm via IFTTT

India’s economy has bounced back amazingly from the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown over the last one year, but it is not out of the woods yet, according to the World Bank, which in its latest report has predicted that the country’s real GDP growth for fiscal year 21/22 could range from 7.5 to 12.5 per cent. […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3rHOKsZ via IFTTT

Propelled by a change in consumer behaviour, the Indian retail landscape has undergone a transformative shift. Not only has digital adoption accelerated, Indian consumers are also increasingly open to new platforms and technology to make their purchases, finds a survey conducted by loyalty and rewards programme, InterMiles. 40% Indians say that they started shopping more on […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3m7W0xf via IFTTT

Pine Labs, one of Asia’s leading merchant commerce platforms, is taking its popular Pay Later offering into the exciting luxury goods segment in India. The fintech major has announced that it is the official Pay Later Partner at the DLF Luxury Shopping Festival which started to run from March 25, 2021 till April 12, 2021. […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3mbcvIP via IFTTT

Last week, Asda’s appeal in relation to an equal pay case was brought forward by 40,000 shop floor workers was dismissed by five Supreme Court judges. The UK’s top court ruled that shop staff were entitled to compare themselves to colleagues at distribution centres for equal pay purposes – marking a key victory for Asda shop workers in their long-running dispute for equal pay. The first employment tribunal which led to this legal action took place almost five years ago in June 2016. The employment tribunal had decided that Asda store workers, most of whom are women, were entitled to compare themselves to distribution staff, most of whom are men. That decision was subsequently upheld by Court of Appeal judges in 2019. However, Asda appealed to the Supreme Court, which it lost last week when all judges unanimously ruled in favour of store workers. Asda argue that physical working environments between retail and distribution staff is different, while the claimants – the shop worke...

For retail success — now and in the future — convenience is the new currency. In order to meet this always-on, effortless mindset that consumers have, retailers need to embrace Total Commerce. That is, meeting their customers wherever they want to shop and on the terms they want to purchase. Linnworks latest research highlights how convenience is more important than ever to time-pushed consumers, and those retailers that get the customer experience right will win the sale every time. While necessity meant that consumers switched to online shopping in their hordes during the pandemic some won’t now shift back, with three in four consumers saying they will be shopping online more after the pandemic than before, according to Linnworks latest consumer research. It’s a big change and retailers need to understand both what’s caused the behaviour change and what they need to do to combat it. For nearly three-quarters of consumers, the major factor in their desire to shop more online is conv...

// Boots Q2 sales down 17.8%, thanks to lockdown and customes shopping habits changing as a result // 105% sales surge online did not offset the overall decline // Parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance saw its sales rise 4.6 per cent, despite the weight of Boots Quarterly sales at pharmacy chain Boots have dropped by nearly 18 per cent, the retailer’s US-based parent company revealed today. The drop was caused by the continued impacts of Covid-19, which is pushing down the number of customers using the UK’s high street stores. Sales fell 17.8 per cent in the second quarter period to the end of February, even as its website, Boots.com, saw a 105 per cent surge compared to the same period last year. READ MORE:  Boots to cut 300 jobs at Nottingham head office Boots parent company hires former Starbucks exec as new CEO Walgreens Boots Alliance beats forecasts thanks to strong Boots trading “Covid-19 continued to impact footfall, particularly in major high streets, a...

// VF Corp reveals new appointments for EMEA leadership team // The new roles pertain to Dickies and Napapijri mostly, as well as a wider supply chain role VF Corp, the parent company of fashion brands and retailers Vans, The North Face and Timberland, has announced several new appointments to its EMEA leadership team. Andreas Olsson has been appointed regional general manager for Dickies EMEA, Massimo Ferrucci has been promoted to president of Napapijri in addition to his role of emerging markets general manager, Argu Secilmis has been appointed product and marketing vice president for Napapijri, while Stuart Pond has been appointed EMEA supply chain operations vice president. READ MORE:   Timberland owner VF Corp buys Supreme in £1.5bn deal “VF’s ongoing success in EMEA is driven by a strong, cohesive leadership team with extensive business management experience, industry knowledge and a deep understanding of our company culture and vision,” VF Corp EMEA president Marti...

// Emma Isaac joins Waitrose as head of brand marketing and marketing planning from this week // Before her appointment, James Morrison took on the role on an interim basis Emma Isaac has this week joined Waitrose as its new head of brand marketing and marketing planning. Isaac began her career at British Airways, before creating a leadership coaching business and working in a brand strategy consultancy. She has also held senior marketing roles at both Barclays and most recently at the NatWest Group where she was brand marketing director. READ MORE:  Waitrose bans children’s magazines with disposable plastic toys Waitrose veteran joins Fortnum & Mason as chief commercial officer Waitrose’s new London fulfilment centre creates 800 jobs Isaac is also an active member of Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership. Before her appointment to at Waitrose, James Morrison acted as interim head of brand marketing and marketing planning. “Emma brings a wealth ...

// M&S clothing & home stores will feature contact-free bra fitting services when they reopen from April 12 // M&S launches omnichannel service with bra fitters ready to welcome customers again in-store or online // M&S also rolls out Pay With Me service in lingerie fitting rooms, a digital on-the-spot payment solution Marks & Spencer has announced that its clothing and home stores will feature contact-free bra fitting services as it prepared to fully reopen once lockdown is lifted from April 12. The high street stalwart added that the service will also be available for customers on its website via an online bra fit offer after initial trials of the service during lockdown. M&S said adapting its bra fitting service to include the option of the online platform was part of wider plans from its lingerie department to offer customers “more relevant products and services for a post-Covid world”. READ MORE:  M&S joins essential digital skills coal...

// Primark to open 8 new stores in Italy by the end of 2022 – more than doubling its current estate // Primark opened its first store in Italy 5 years ago, and it currently has 6 stores // One of the new stores set to open in Milan next year will also house Primark’s Italian regional office Primark has revealed ambitious expansion plans in Italy in which it will more than double its store estate across the country by the end of 2022. Currently the value fashion retailer has six stores in Italy, and it now intends to open another eight stores in the 21 months to bring its Italian portfolio to 14. Primark opened its first store in Italy five years ago. READ MORE: Primark set for £1.1bn hit but expects big spending after lockdowns Primark appoints Alice Macandrew as corporate affairs director Primark owner warns of £1.1bn hit to sales as golden quarter sale plunge 30% The first of the new eight stores will open in Rome, within the Roma Est Shopping Centre. The retailer ...

// Co-op chief customer & membership officer Matt Atkinson resigns – he will exit at the end of June // He has been in the role for nearly 4 years // His role and responsibilities will be split between customer & community director Ali Jones and data & loyalty director Charlotte Lock The Co-op has announced that chief customer and membership officer Matt Atkinson is step down at the end of June after nearly four years in the role. Upon his departure, customer and community director Ali Jones and data and loyalty director Charlotte Lock will report directly through to Co-op group chief executive Steve Murrells. Lock will also pick up the additional responsibility for digital products and will also report into chief financial officer Shirine Khoury-Haq and join her leadership team. READ MORE: Co-op to double franchise estate by year end Co-op to hold meeting over £80m state funding repayment Co-op launches apprenticeship scheme to support under-represented grou...

PayPal has announced it is giving customers the chance to ‘checkout with crypto’ at its 29 million merchants for everyday purchases. The service, which is currently only available to consumers in the US, will enable the payment of goods with popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin when checking out. “This is the first time you can seamlessly use cryptocurrencies in the same way as a credit card or a debit card inside your PayPal wallet,” PayPal chief executive Dan Schulman told  Reuters. The announcement comes after the payment provider said it would enable the buying, selling and holding of cryptocurrencies in users’  PayPal wallets  in October last year. “Enabling cryptocurrencies to make purchases at businesses around the world is the next chapter in driving the ubiquity and mass acceptance of digital currencies.” Schulman said. READ MORE:  PayPal to acquire cryptocurrency start-up Curv suggesting shoppers could soon pay with digital c...

// Aldi says plastic straws from own-label drinks cartons will be replaced with recyclable paper straws // This will remove 70 million plastic straws from circulation – equating to more than 100 tonnes of non-recyclable plastic each year // This is one of many packaging changes Aldi has introduced as it looks to halve plastic packaging by 2025 Aldi has announced that it will remove plastic straws from all of its own-label drinks cartons and will replace them with recyclable paper straws. The German discount grocer said this would see it remove 70 million plastic straws from circulation – equating to more than 100 tonnes of non-recyclable plastic each year. Aldi added that the drinks cartons now come with a paper straw that’s fully recyclable and made from FSC-certified cardboard. READ MORE: Aldi to offer National Lottery in all UK stores Aldi to fund 60 produce industry apprenticeships Aldi to invest £22m as part of continued London expansion “Removing plastic straws ...

Online grocery platform Grofers on Tuesday said it will cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccination for its employees, their family members as well as the company’s contractual staff. The company aims to cover vaccination cost for 25,000 people across 38 cities, it added. Grofers will cover the vaccination cost for its employees, their family members (including, parents, spouse, and two children) […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3ucZdhx via IFTTT

// Topps Tiles eyes “sharp” improvement when stores can reopen // Total revenues for the six months to March 27 declined to £103.6m from £106.2m // Stores have only been able to offer click and collect for retail customers Topps Tiles has seen its total revenues for the six months to March 27 decline to £103.6 million from £106.2 million. The tile specialist become the latest retailer to show the impact of lockdown, but continues to hope for a “sharp” improvement when stores can reopen. Its stores have only been able to offer click and collect for retail customers, with no browsing, while trade customers have had limited access to branches. READ MORE: Topps Tiles sales rise but warns new lockdown will impact trading Comparable retail sales improved two per cent during the period. Topps Tiles said it had a strong first quarter, with high demand for products as shoppers embraced DIY projects, and like for like retail sales jumped 19.9 per cent. However, comparable sales f...

Deliveroo’s shares have flopped 30 per cent the first hour of its highly anticipated London float, wiping nearly £2 billion of its market value. Deliveroo debuted on the London Stock Exchange at 8am this morning, seeing shares plumet to lows of £2.71 per share in the first 20 minutes. The disappointing start to Deliveroo’s initial public offering (IPO), which was set to be the biggest London listing in a decade, comes after the delivery giant chose to list at the lower end of its target range amid growing concerns from investors. Last week Deliveroo announced that it would sell 384 million shares at between £3.90 and £4.60, seeing it achieve a market capitalisation of between £7.6 billion and £8.8 billion. READ MORE: Deliveroo is dropping target price as more major investors shun IPO Days later a damning report from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which analysed thousands of invoices from couriers across the UK, revealed that one in three Deliveroo riders made less than £...

ASICS, the true sport performance brand, further strengthens its retail footprint in India with the launch of its new store in Orion Mall, Bengaluru. Spread over a total retail space of 1035 square feet, ASICS Orion Mall, Bengaluru promises a vibrant and immersive shopping experience in  the area,   showcasing  brand’s entire running & training collection […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3wdGUe7 via IFTTT

// Rules allowing commercial premises in England to be converted into homes come into force // The aim of the new planning laws is to revitalise high streets & town centres ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic // Recent data from Local Data Company suggest up to 18,000 more shops, restaurants & leisure outlets could be left vacant this year New rules allowing commercial premises in England to be converted into homes are to come into force, in a bid by the government to revitalise high streets and towns centres. The new planning laws, announced by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick and introduced today, mean full planning applications will not be required and the homes will instead be delivered through a prior approval process. The package will also introduce a “fast track” for extending public buildings, such as schools, colleges and hospitals, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. READ MORE:  Another 18,000 shops may permanently clo...

// Travis Perkins said gender pay gap has halved compared to the previous year // The pay difference has narrowed to 5% this year from 10% in 2019 Travis Perkins has revealed that its gender pay gap has halved compared to the previous year, according to its latest pay gap report. The report measures the average pay difference between Travis Perkins’ 28,000 male and female colleagues, which narrowed to five per cent this year from 10 per cent in 2019. The median improvement was even more significant and showed a nearly eight per cent improvement on the previous year to three per cent in 2020 from 11 per cent in 2019. READ MORE: Travis Perkins seeks London listing for Wickes as demerger plans resume Across the group, the balance across the pay quartiles was also improved, and at the forefront of closing the gap was the company’s Toolstation business, where the pay gap is now 0.6 per cent, and there is a consistent distribution of gender across all quartile roles. In line wit...

// Asda will not spin off George, grocer confirms // George plans to stock 16 to 20 third-party fashion labels // Asda has revealed a raft of new brand partnerships for George Asda has reportedly confirmed that it will not sell its clothing label George, as it invests in growing its proposition. George is currently in talks with several brands and plans to stock 16 to 20 third-party fashion labels by the end of the year. Despite speculation that Asda’s new owners billionaire brothers Zuber and Mohsin Issa will be selling the fashion brand, Asda has revealed a raft of new brand partnerships for George with In the Style, Missguided, Lee and Wrangler. READ MORE: Asda owners consider spinning off fashion label George In an effort to attract younger shoppers to its George brand, Asda will launch a series of third-party brands in store and online, Drapers reported. The initiative will begin in May with Manchester-based online retailer In the Style. In the Style will launch o...

// Eve Sleep chairman Paul Pindar will resign at company’s AGM // Pindar has held the role for the past five years // Chief operating officer Mike Lloyd will replace him Eve Sleep chairman Paul Pindar has announced he will step down from his role at the company’s AGM next month. Pindar has held the role for the past five years and the news follows a board restructuring that began in 2018. Eve Sleep chief operating officer Mike Lloyd is set to replace him as chairman. READ MORE: Eve Sleep cuts annual losses by 83% “Eve is now on solid foundations with strong trading, a healthy balance sheet and a more resilient tech and logistics platform,” Pindar said. “The rebuild strategy is complete and as Eve shifts its focus to profitable growth, it is the right time to appoint a new chairman to inject fresh thinking, challenge and energy, with the time to fully commit to the next stage in the journey. “Mike is an exceptional candidate and alongside a new and seriously impressive b...

// Shop prices dropped in March as non-food retailers struggled to lure shoppers // This marked the fastest rate of decline since May 2020 Shop prices fell by 2.4 per cent in March, the same rate of decline as in February as non-food retailers attempted to lure shoppers in amid lockdown. This is below the 12- and 6-month average price decreases of 1.8 per cent and 2.0 per cent, respectively. Non-food prices fell at a rate of four per cent, compared with 3.9 per cent in February as shoppers turned to essential items, according to the BRC-Nielsen shop price index. READ MORE: Retail sales continue to fall sharply in March – CBI This marked the fastest rate of decline since May 2020 and was below the 12- and six-month average price declines which both stood at 3.5 per cent. Food inflation rose 0.3 per cent in March, buoyed by ambient food prices, which were up 1.7 per cent, compared with a 1.6 per cent rise the previous month. “Retail prices fell again in March as the thi...

The race for holding the fickle customer’s interest long enough to make a sale is on. Organisations of late have been committing serious funds and efforts to social media to build and strengthen customer engagement and involvement. While the sheer seamlessness and frictionless experience of social media is a big draw, customer ‘distraction’ is one […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3w8amlP via IFTTT

South India has long been considered a pioneering base for organised retail in India. In fact, the state of Karnataka has been at the forefront of a retail transformation with several firsts to its credit – Bengaluru was home to the largest kids toy store of the country (Big Kids Kemp) way back since 1990 and […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/39tCGW0 via IFTTT

The tenth edition of Emerging Markets Consumer Survey was launched by the Credit Suisse Research Institute (CSRI) at the 24th Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong. This year’s survey shows three main overarching themes spanning the eight survey countries: 1) growth in the digital economy from online retail leading to an increase in online education; […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2PlyBMH via IFTTT

Latin America recorded the highest retail revenue growth and profitability compared to all other regions in 2018 to 2019, according to Deloitte’s Global Powers of Retailing 2020 report . The region added two retailers to the current total of 11 companies in the report’s Top 250 ranking, earning an average revenue of $7.9 billion. The growth of retail in Latin America is driven mainly by consumer demand for convenience, with increasing internet penetration providing a further boost to ecommerce, along with the adaptation of multi-channel strategies. The 11 largest Latin American retailers hail from only three countries: Brazil, Mexico and Chile. Yet Brazil is the largest and most populous country in the region, or 5th and 6th respectively on a global ranking. Some of the biggest retailers in Brazil include Carrefour, GPA, Cencosud, Super Muffato, Companhia Zaffari, DMA Distribuidora, Sonda Supermercado, Mart Minas, Savegnago, Atacadão, Casas Bahia, Lojas Americanas, Máquina de Ve...

Amazon Food has announced the ‘Great Foodie Fest‘ – a 10-day long food extravaganza from March 26th until April 4th, 2021 in Bengaluru. During this unique food festival, customers can enjoy great deals and cashbacks on delicious orders from popular and hygiene certified restaurants and cloud kitchens around them with convenient doorstep delivery. As a part of the […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2PLosZp via IFTTT

// Victoria Plum full year sales up by a record 46% to £103m // EBITDA skyrockets 115% to £4.3m // Victoria Plum’s website users also increases by 165% to 23.2 million Online bathroom retailer Victoria Plum has booked a record sales increase of 46 per cent to £103 million for its full year period ending February 28. Meanwhile its full year EBITDA skyrocketed by 115 per cent to £4.5 million. Over the same period, the retailer also grew its workforce, with staff headcount going from 349 to 398. READ MORE: Victoria Plum bought out by Endless This year marks Victoria Plum’s 20th year in business and one-and-a-half years since it was acquired by Leeds-based private equity fund Endless. During that time, Victoria Plum has continued its management-led turnaround and transformation strategy under chief executive Paul McClenaghan. This included launching a bathroom design and installation service in 2020, Victoria Plum also took the decision last year for all its staff to perma...

// Asda to donate half a million meals over Easter holidays to help tackle food poverty // Kids will also be able to eat free in Asda cafes Asda has announced plans to donate over half a million meals to families in need throughout the Easter holidays as part of efforts to help tackle food poverty. Through its Fight Hunger partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare, Asda’s donation will help vulnerable families access free meals over the holiday period, which might otherwise have gone to waste. In addition to this support, the Big 4 grocer said it would also donate over 45,000 meals throughout the school holidays from its cafes, as children aged 16 and under can access a nutritionally balanced hot or cold meal when an adult spends £1. READ MORE:  Asda slashes food prices as it overhauls product range Asda shop floor staff win Supreme Court fight for equal pay Asda boss Roger Burnley to exit after £6.8bn takeover The offer will also be available to takeaw...