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// M&S announces a new partnership with England Rugby star Maro Itoje. // The ranges features relaxed silhouettes and smart separate options to cater for the continued shift towards smart/casual dressing England rugby star Maro Itoje has been announced as the face of the M&S Collection and Autograph menswear ranges for AW21. The ranges features relaxed silhouettes and stretch fabrics alongside smart separate options to cater for the continued shift towards smart/casual dressing. Itoje is known for his love of style as well as his prowess on the pitch, as he “brings his sharp dressing to the new season”. READ MORE: M&S aims to be fully net zero on emissions by 2040 He wears sizes from M&S’s “Big & Tall” offer, suitably designed for larger frames and all the “Big & Tall” products are available online for next day collection from over 700 M&S stores . Customers can also access styling advice via video call seven days a week from M&S menswear ex

// Leicester City and JD Sports are under investigation by competition regulator // The investigation is into suspected breaches of competition law and suspected infringements of commercial agreement legislation An investigation into Leicester City and retailer JD Sports has been launched over the sale of merchandise. The probe is into suspected breaches of competition law and suspected infringements of commercial agreement legislation by Leicester City Football Club and the retailer. The club and JD Sports said they were “fully cooperating” with the probe. READ MORE: JD Sports snaps up stake in Hairburst as it moves into the beauty market A statement from the CMA said: “At this stage the CMA believes that it has reasonable grounds to suspect one or more breaches of competition law. The CMA has not reached a view as to whether there is sufficient evidence of an infringement of competition law for it to issue a statement of objections or, ultimately, an infringemen

// Sainsbury’s creates 22,000 seasonal jobs in preparation for the busy Christmas period // Staff hired as part of the seasonal recruitment drive will be on fixed-term contracts of between three and 12 weeks   Sainsbury’s is creating 22,000 seasonal jobs to help it meet higher demand around Christmas. The supermarket chain said it will be hiring store staff, delivery drivers and logistics workers as part of its “biggest ever Christmas recruitment drive”. Roles will be available across the UK from Friday, four weeks earlier than last year, as the retailer looks to get ahead with its preparations for a busy Christmas period. READ MORE: How does Habitat’s relaunch benefit Sainsbury’s? There will be 14,500 new Sainsbury’s and Argos store roles, including 500 customer and trading manager positions. Sainsbury’s will also be recruiting 3,000 online delivery drivers, as well as offer 4,500 warehouse and logistics positions, which include agencies and third parties. It will also h

With the aim of further backing and enabling D2C Startups, Shiprocket, India’s leading tech-enabled logistics and fulfillment platform, has partnered with Huddle, a leading sector-agnostic accelerator to launch Rocketfuel X Huddle, an accelerator program aimed at investing in and mentoring D2C startups across early to growth stages. Given the rich expertise, network, offerings, and investment […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3zS6aHj via IFTTT

Habitat is recognised as the main homewares brand within the Sainsbury’s Group – which also owns Argos. The homewares brand boasts itself on “improving shopping experience” with the added Argos benefits of better delivery and collection options. Habitat first went into liquidation in 2011 when it had to close all its stores, and eventually it was sold to Home Retail Group. Sainsbury’s swooped in on Habitat in 2016 after it bought Home Retail Group, including Argos and Habitat, for £1.4 billion. Since being founded in 1964, Habitat expanded quickly in the UK and internationally with the first overseas store opening in 1973 in Paris. As a result of being part of the wider Sainsbury’s group, customers can purchase a wide range of Habitat products from Argos stores or online. Last year, Sainsbury’s announced that it wanted to have 80 per cent of homewares and furniture sold within the Sainsbury’s group under the Habitat brand by the end of 2021. Sainsbury’s confirmed in May that a

// Debenhams store in Northampton to be redeveloped into student flats // Debenhams in Drapery closed in May after the department store chain entered administration A planning application to demolish the former Debenhams store in Northampton to build student flats has been recommended for approval. Debenhams in Drapery closed in May after the department store chain entered administration, leading to more store closures. The planning application was submitted to Northampton Borough Council prior to the closure to redevelop the building into 201 student flats. READ MORE: What would Debenhams’ return on the high street look like? The plans also detail a retail unit, cycle storage, rooftops, study areas and a gym for use by residents only. These plans will be discussed by the council’s planning committee at a meeting on October 5. Ahead of the meeting, planning officers who filed a report on the application have recommended that the proposal is approved as long as a number of

Despite pandemic-related setbacks, retailers are still striving to meet demand and customers’ high expectations for personalised experiences for in-store and online shopping. In this report we share with you the key shopping dates for this holiday season. From staffing and inventory management to loss prevention, our holiday predictions will help you Download the report The post ‘Tis the season for predictions: 2021’s busiest shopping days appeared first on Retail Gazette . from Retail Gazette https://ift.tt/2Wplfm2 via IFTTT

// Asda begins offering Covid-19 booster vaccinations // The grocer will use its network of in-store pharmacies to deliver the jabs // It is currently operating three vaccinations centres at stores in Birmingham, Watford and London Asda has become the first supermarket to begin offering Covid-19 booster vaccinations. The grocer will use its network of in-store pharmacies to deliver the jabs from the beginning of next month. Asda is currently operating three vaccinations centres at stores in Birmingham, Watford and London. READ MORE: EG Group to roll out Spar stores despite plans for “Asda on the Move” The company recently delivered its 100,000th jab from these sites. These sites will continue to offer first and second vaccines and will also add booster jabs to the offering. Meanwhile, 72 in-store Asda UK pharmacy sites will begin the provision of booster vaccines and are expected to deliver more than 7500 jabs per week. The service will launch in early October and will

// UK economy grew faster than expected during second quarter // UK gross domestic product increased by 5.5% during the period New research has shown that the UK economy has grown faster than expected in the second quarter, thanks to a stronger performance from the healthcare sector. UK gross domestic product increased by 5.5 per cent in the second quarter, after being revised up from the first estimate of a 4.8 per cent increase, according to the ONS. This means the economy is now 3.3 per cent below its level in the fourth quarter of 2019, before the pandemic struck, up from the previous estimate of 4.4 per cent below. READ MORE: UK economy grows 4.8% in second quarter post-lockdown The latest data showed “health services and the arts performing better than initially thought”, ONS deputy national statistician for economic statistics, Jonathan Athow said. The ONS also revised up the UK economic growth by 0.5 percentage points in the third quarter last year. The revised fig

// H&M revenues and profits increase despite Covid restrictions // As many as 1800 stores internationally were closed at one time or another during 9 months H&M has recorded a rise in revenues and profits but has warned on international Covid restrictions slowing its growth. The fashion retailer saw profits after financial items come in at SEK8.29 billion (£0.70 billion) between December 1, 2020, and August 31, 2021. This marked an increase of SEK1.6 billion (£0.13 billion), while profit after tax was SEK6.38 billion (£0.54 billion). READ MORE: H&M lags behind Inditex in the race to regain lost sales Group revenues in local currencies grew 13 per cent for the period, up to SEK142.1 billion (£12.02 billion) when converted into Swedish krona. H&M said the nine-month period was impacted by Covid restrictions, particularly around store closures. The retailer said as many as 1800 of its stores internationally were closed at one time or another during the nine m

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Amazon India has announced that the company has doubled the capacity for its special service – Amazon fresh, which delivers daily essentials and grocery items within 2 hours. The company released a statement and highlighted that now it has more than doubled their processing capacity since last year and now has 35 dedicated sites across […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3zSXlgn via IFTTT

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Snapdeal has announced the dates of its flagship event ‘Toofani Sale’. The event will begin from 3rd October 2021 and end on 10th October 2021.  The platform announced that there will be multiple deals on vast collection of products covering  fashion apparel including sarees, kurtis, suits, shirts, t-shirts, jeans,  kids wear, and fashion accessories like […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/39R8ELO via IFTTT

E-commerce giant Flipkart has announced plans to deploy over 2,000 electric vehicles ahead of this festive season ‘Big Billion Days’, which will start from 7th Oct 2021. “These 2,000 electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers have been deployed across 90 cities in India and will help deliver smiles this festive season sustainably,” an official  statement released by […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3kUesdH via IFTTT

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// EG Group increases hourly rates of pay for 10,500 employees in the UK // Every colleague aged 18 and above will now be paid a minimum of £9.50 per hour EG Group has increased hourly rates of pay for 10,500 employees in the UK in recognition of their hard work and commitment throughout the pandemic. Increased rates of pay will apply across all of EG’s petrol filling stations and foodservice brands in the UK, effective October 1st. Every colleague aged 18 and above will now be paid a minimum of £9.50 per hour while more experienced colleagues, such as team leaders and supervisors, will be paid a minimum of £10.00 per hour. These changes represent an average hourly wage increase of more than 5 per cent and comes in addition to current company benefits already in place for all. This includes life assurance, support via the Company’s Employee Assistance Programme, operational quarterly bonuses, discounts at EG brands, and continued access to development, such as professional qua

// Central England  Co-op ringfences supplies of fuel for emergency workers amid panic buying // Outlets where fuel is being held for emergency workers will display dedicated posters on-site as supplies become available Central England  Co-op  has said it will continue to ringfence supplies of fuel for emergency workers. The retailer made the decision in response to the soaring demand for fuel currently being felt across the country due to panic buying and the shortage of HGV drivers. Central England Co-op chief operations officer Paul Dennis  said: “Although the situation continues to improve, we feel right now it is absolutely vital that valued Blue Light workers in our communities get the fuel they need. “So, wherever possible, we are giving priority to emergency workers to make sure they can stay on the road and continue with their essential work.” Outlets where fuel is being held for emergency workers will display dedicated posters on-site as supplies become available.

// Shareholders at Frasers Group approve the firm’s pay deal which could hand Michael Murray a £100m bonus // Voting advisory groups had previously lined up to oppose Murray’s bonus, due to its size and focus on the share price Frasers Group’s shareholders have approved the firm’s executive share scheme, which could see incoming chief executive Michael Murray received shares worth £100 million. The billionaire tracksuit tycoon will step down as chief executive of his Frasers Group empire in May next year and hand the reins to Michael Murray, his daughter Anna’s fiance. However independent shareholders yesterday revolted over a deal that will hand Murray £100 million if Frasers’ share price hits £15 for 30 consecutive trading days in the next four years. READ MORE: Frasers Group defends zero-hours contracts amid investor revolt Frasers Group at risk of shareholder revolt over CEO’s £100m bonus Shares fell 1.1 per cent, or 7.5p, to 687p last night. Frasers Group, which i

// Boohoo reports a jump in sales in the first half of the year // The retailer cited £26 million of freight and logistics cost inflation relating to Covid as a key factor in profits being down Fast-fashion giant Boohoo has seen its profits and sales jump compared to pre-pandemic levels, as its market share in both the UK and the US doubled. However profits were down on last year’s pandemic highs as increased operational costs slightly offset business gains. The e-commerce giant announced this morning that revenue surged 20 per cent in the six months ending August 31, with sales jumping to £975.9 millioj from £816.5 million in the same period last year. READ MORE: Boohoo publishes international suppliers list as it pushes to be more transparent Despite this, profit before tax was down 5 per cent to £85.1 million, sliding from what the retailer described as its “exceptional levels” of profitability in the same period last year, when Ebitda stood at £89.8million. Earnings p

// M&S is resetting its Plan A with pledge to cut its carbon footprint by a third by 2025 // The target would see the retailer hit full net zero 10 years ahead of the government’s national strategy Marks & Spencer has pledged to become fully net zero in carbon emissions across its own operations, its entire supply chain and its products by 2040, ten years ahead of a government target for Britain. The retailer has reset its Plan A sustainability programme and alongside the new roadmap, is reviving its “Look behind the label” campaign which it initially launched in 2006. The campaign will bring to life the action M&S is taking to make its business more sustainable. READ MORE: M&S store bought by local council to be demolished Its return is a response to the customer insight that many feel climate action can seem overwhelming and the refreshed activity will focus on the stories behind five everyday products. M&S has set out a detailed route to how it will

Sustainability in the heart of fashion business helps the world to be a better place in more ways than one. Investing in sustainable practices can deliver never-before opportunities in business expansion and differentiation for products, brands, companies and all partners in the value chain. Sustainability is clearly a growing area of focus regardless of the […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3uo8iFL via IFTTT

Technology, particularly social media, has also played a crucial role in helping the gems and jewellery industry to regain what it lost in the year since the pandemic. Many companies have taken a leap of faith by continuing to power on with their businesses along with their partners and consumers, using the digital platform to […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3ogLJSr via IFTTT

// Frasers Group defends zero-hours contracts amid shareholder revolt // Over 50% independent shareholders in Frasers rejected plans for £100m bonus for new CEO // Despite the protest vote, measures were approved after backing of Frasers’ founder Mike Ashley Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has justified using zero-hours contracts by calling them “tough decisions that don’t work for everybody”, amid a shareholder revolt. More than half of the independent shareholders in Frasers, which owns House of Fraser and Sports Direct, rejected plans for a £100 million bonus scheme for its incoming chief executive, Michael Murray. They also rejected the payment of a £100,000 cash bonus and pay rise for its finance director, Chris Wootton. READ MORE: Frasers Group at risk of shareholder revolt over CEO’s £100m bonus Wootton suggested that zero-hours contracts, which Frasers has introduced for store workers at House of Fraser and Evans in the past year, had helped keep those businesses aflo

// Sephora completes acquisition of online beauty retailer Feelunique // The new deal values Feelunique at £132m // Sephora currently has over 2600 stores across 35 countries Feelunique has announced that its acquisition by Sephora has been completed, following final clearance by anti-trust authorities. Further to the agreement announced on July 23, Sephora has acquired the online beauty retailer from Palamon Capital Partners and other shareholders. Feelunique offers its 1.3 million active customers over 35,000 cosmetic and fragrance products from more than 800 established, niche, independent and rising brands. READ MORE: What would Sephora’s return mean for UK beauty retail? Feelunique agreed on a deal to be bought by French cosmetics giant Sephora earlier this year, which marks its first big entrance in the UK. The new deal values Feelunique at £132 million. Sephora currently has over 2600 stores across 35 countries, and sells products from the likes of Chanel, Dior a

With Brits scouring the country for petrol as the UK’s ongoing supply chain woes lead to panic buying, it might be starting to look like Christmas this year could be cancelled. Just this month, Iceland boss Richard Walker urged customers not to panic buy ahead of Christmas saying that while he has concerns about supplies over the festive season, there was no need for consumers to stockpile and further affect supply chains. He also warned that shoppers faced a significant increase in costs due to the national lorry driver shortage. According to a recent survey from the Office for National Statistics the current supply chain crisis has left over one in six Brits unable to buy essential food items at some point during the past two weeks, while a quarter of respondents said they were unable to buy other non-essential food items. Tesco’s chairman John Allan has mirrored what many industry experts have been saying – that the ongoing driver shortage will soon mean not only empty shelves b

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// The £7bn battle for Morrisons will go head-to-head this week // CD&R started its pursuit of Morrisons in June, while Fortress entered the fray in July // Consisting of a maximum of five round, the auction will take place on October 2 The forthcoming Morrisons auction between two US private equity groups is set to go ahead on October 2. The £7 billion battle for Morrisons will go head-to-head this week in up to five rounds of bids. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) and Fortress Investment Group have agreed to settle the matter in a one-day auction. READ MORE: Morrisons supermarket workers win key legal battle in equal pay fight In the first round, either party is able to make an increased bid on their current offers. If the auction fails to conclude after the first round, there will be up to a further three rounds, with either firm only eligible to make a bid if their rival has upped the price in the preceding round. If there is still no clear winner, there

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// Frasers Group faces shareholder revolt over CEO’s £100m bonus // Advisory groups Pirc and Glass Lewis have advised voting against the remuneration plan // Michael Murray, who is the fiancé of Ashley’s daughter, will receive just over £100m when he begins his role Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is at risk of facing shareholder revolt over new chief executive Michael Murray’s £100 million bonus. The group is in talks with shareholders to seek approval of a £100 million bonus scheme for its incoming chief executive, and a cash bonus for its finance director despite having accepted millions of pounds in government support. Advisory groups Pirc and Glass Lewis have advised voting against the remuneration plan, flagging “excessive payouts”. READ MORE: Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group slammed for paying son-in-law £100m bonus Murray, who is the fiancé of Ashley’s daughter, is set to receive just over £100 million if Frasers’ share price hits £15 for 30 consecutive trading days in the

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Nirzar Jain is back at the Nexus family and now appointed as a Chief Leasing Office at the head office in Mumbai. He will be directly reporting to Dalip Sehgal, Chief Executive Officer. He has completed his senior management programme from IIM-Calcutta and also done Hotel Management & Catering Technology from Institute of Hotel Management. […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3EXonHv via IFTTT

// Quiz reports an underlying pre-tax loss of £9.6 million compared to a loss of £3.1 million in the previous year // The retailer said that in the six months to August 31 it had made £30.6m in sales Quiz has reported deepening losses as rolling store closures due to pandemic restrictions hammered its revenues. The fashion retailer has seen its full year group revenue decline by 66 per cent to £39.7 million after it struggled as stores were forced to close and fewer customers bought occasion wear at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic In the year to March 31, the retailer reported an underlying pre-tax loss of £9.6 million compared to a loss of £3.1 million in the previous year. Gross profit at the business also fell to £21.2 million, down from £71.1 million the previous year, while gross margins decreased to 53.4 per cent from 60.3 per cent due to physical retail closures. Quiz said it had used the pandemic to take “decisive actions” in reducing its cost base by 47 per cent.

// Next raises its full-price sales guidance for the rest of the 2021-22 year to 10%, up from 6% // The fashion retailer made a pretax profit of £347 million in the six months to July Next has raised its full-year profit outlook for the fourth time in six months as it reported a 5.9% rise in first-half profit on a two-year basis, benefiting from strong trading since Covid-19 restrictions ended. Next, which trades from about 500 stores as well as online, made a pretax profit of £347 million in the six months to July, on full-price sales up 8.8 per cent versus 2019 – before the pandemic started to disrupt trading. The group said full-price sales in the last eight weeks increased 20 per cent versus 2019, materially exceeding its expectations. READ MORE: Next to run Gap’s UK operation in a joint venture It raised its full-price sales guidance for the rest of the 2021-22 year to up 10 per cent, versus up 6 per cent previously, and its forecast for pretax profit to 800 million p

// Central England Co-op will be rolling out staff body cameras to over 50 stores in a bid to cut down on threats & acts of violence towards staff // Recent figures from the retailer revealed that more than 10,000 incidents have been reported so far this year Central England Co-op is rolling out staff body cameras to over 50 stores following a successful trial in two Birmingham shops. The retailer is widening the use of body cameras in an effort to deter threats and acts of violence towards retail staff members and security guards. Central England Co-op loss prevention advisor Nicola Walton said: “Our body camera trial was a great success. It allowed our colleagues to feel safer while serving their communities and played its part as another deterrent to prevent crimes before they take place. READ MORE: Central England Co-op rolls out Christmas early “We are aware that any kind of crime can be frightening for store colleagues and this is why we are extended the rollout o

// Great Portland Estates turns 95 New Bond Street into a temporary immersive art exhibition // The exhibition will run from October 13 – 17 during Frieze London and will take over all three storeys of the space Great Portland Estates has transformed its retail space at 95 New Bond Street into a temporary immersive art exhibition. The move is part of the business’ plans to reinvigorate the central London shopping destination by offering a range of experiences. The company has worked in partnership with British contemporary artist LUAP on The Unconscious Therapy five-day exhibition, which will be based around LUAP’s signature motif: The Pink Bear. The life-sized teddy bear with magenta pink fur will be represented through unseen photography, paintings, installations, sound and film. The exhibition will run from October 13 – 17 during Frieze London and will take over all three storeys of the 95 New Bond Street space. Installations will include a room covered in magenta pink fur

//  A UK tribunal rules that female store workers can legally compare their jobs to distribution centre roles // Female retail staff at Morrisons have been fighting for similar wages to those of mostly male workers in warehouses Thousands of store workers at UK supermarket chain Morrisons have won the first round of their legal battle for equal pay. In the decision handed down by Judge Davies at Leeds Employment Tribunal, it was confirmed that more than 2,300 of Morrisons’ retail workers who are mostly women can rely on the supermarket’s distribution centre workers as comparators in their claims for equal pay. It comes after a Supreme Court ruling against Asda in March when judges said the two jobs could be considered comparable. READ MORE: Morrisons staff face voluntary job cuts as Midlands store axes deliveries The ruling is important because the first step in an equal pay claim is often to establish whether jobs are comparable. It is not known if Morrisons will appeal the

At the heart of London’s Mayfair lies Grosvenor Square, which has a rich history that can be traced back to 1726. Grosvenor’s oldest and best-known asset is its London estate, 300 acres in Mayfair and Belgravia. Belgravia and Mayfair now have a global luxury reputation, reflecting their position for centuries as being amongst the most desirable residential quarters of London. Grosvenor’s core asset is the London estate, first developed in the early 18th century and still actively managed today. Joanna Lea serves as Grosvenor’s retail director and oversees the London estate’s retail strategy and ongoing leasing activity for the portfolio. She works with existing occupiers, bringing new retailers and operators to the estate. “We want to make our estate animated and busy,” Lea told Retail Gazette . The district has 430 retail units, of which 66 per cent are independent retailers. Grosvenor has 430 retail units The nearby Mount Street has 22 retailers that have marked their fi