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[Comment] Retail apprenticeship contracts: six expensive traps for the unwary

Geek Retreat revenues rise 36% amid strong sales
Geek Retreat, the geek culture retailer, gaming café, community hub and events venue, has enjoyed a record August with average monthly store revenues 36% higher than... View ArticleView Article

10 former Wilko stores begin their Poundland journey
Former Wilko stores in Stafford, Nelson, Stockport, Eccles, Southport, Maidenhead, Jarrow, Scunthorpe, Barking and Leigh to re-open Saturday 30 September 2023 After announcing it had secured... View ArticleView Article

Katie Piper & Tesco Mobile team up to raise awareness of digital exclusion
Katie Piper OBE, best-selling author, TV presenter and philanthropist, has teamed up with Tesco Mobile to release the first children’s infinite zoom e-book – designed to... View ArticleView Article

An Interview with Sue Ryder, Retail Employer of the Year
We speak to Katy Faulkner, Head of Retail Operations at Sue Ryder, about their Retail Employer of the Year award at this year’s inaugural People in... View ArticleView Article

Green Hub burnishes Lush’s environmental credentials
Entering the manufacturing facility of cosmetics brand Lush involves a bombardment of the senses. The sounds of activity, intense aromas, bright colours, and the playfulness of... View ArticleView Article

Chapel Down boosted by record levels of brand awareness
Chapel Down has posted a sales uplift of 21% to £8.4 million in the first half of its financial year after achieving record levels of brand... View ArticleView Article

Dune London steps into Manchester Arndale
Footwear retailer Dune London is expanding its presence in the North West by taking a 1,596 square foot store at Manchester Arndale. The shop will sell... View ArticleView Article

Asda launches ‘Behind the Scenes’ taste test challenge with Sky’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Asda is launching a new campaign to highlight the quality of its food by partnering with Sky TV music quiz series, Never Mind the Buzzcocks. The... View ArticleView Article

MINISO to open new small format store in central London
Lifestyle retailer MINISO will be opening a new London store in the heart of Chinatown. Situated on Shaftesbury Avenue, the shop will be the first MINI... View ArticleView Article

The Wickes Community Programme: a new type of Library?
Libraries of things are popping up everywhere. The idea originated in the USA, but now there are around 50 libraries of things in the UK. They... View ArticleView Article

Sainsbury’s to launch Good food for all of us
Sainsbury’s is launching a new brand campaign, promising Good food for all of us, a slogan which will feature in all of its advertising and marketing... View ArticleView Article

Review: Retail HR Summit 2023
Retail might be in the midst of great change from technology and changing working practices and suffering a headache from difficulties around recruiting but the executives... View ArticleView Article

Episode 1: Embracing a people-centric philosophy in the retail world
In this exciting new series, we’re shifting our focus to the people side of the business—the heart and soul of successful organisations. Our compass is set... View ArticleView Article

ASOS profits to be at lower end of guidance
ASOS has warned that its earnings before interest and tax are likely to come in at the bottom end of expectations in its full year. In... View ArticleView Article

Card Factory reports surge in profit
Card Factory has posted a strong uplift in half-year sales and profit following a robust performance in its stores. In the six months to 31 July,... View ArticleView Article

Loaf chooses Leeds for tenth UK showroom
Premium furniture and homeware brand Loaf will be opening its tenth UK showroom in the Redbrick area of Leeds next month. Housed in an original mill... View ArticleView Article

M&S Food launches new campaign to highlight product quality
Marks & Spencer has launched a national advertising campaign that aims to showcase “what is behind the magic” of M&S Food. Under the messaging – “This... View ArticleView Article

Marks & Spencer welcome adidas and Sweaty Betty to ‘The Sports Edit on M&S’
Today (Monday 25 September) Marks & Spencer has announced it will welcome sportswear giants adidas and Sweaty Betty to its ‘The Sports Edit on M&S’ platform... View ArticleView Article

BP hires former Lidl UK marketing director for convenience retail role
BP has appointed former Lidl UK marketing director Claire Farrant as VP of marketing for its mobility and convenience retail business in Europe. Farrant spent ten... View ArticleView Article

Kenji and Rituals to join the line-up at Merry Hill
The Merry Hill shopping destination is to welcome design-led homewares retailer Kenji and wellbeing brand Rituals to its line-up. Due to open later this year, the... View ArticleView Article

New Balance launches new store concept
New Balance has launched a new retail concept at London’s Westfield Stratford City. With a strong focus on the customer experience, the store is aimed at younger... View ArticleView Article

Aldi sales boosted by cost-of-living crisis
Aldi has announced that its sales rose by almost £2 billion to a record £15.5 billion in the year to December 2022. The supermarket said rising... View ArticleView Article

N Brown Group boosts third party brand offering this autumn
N Brown Group, the inclusive fashion and homeware digital retailer, is introducing a raft of new third-party brands across its Jacamo, JD Williams and Simply Be... View ArticleView Article

Currys to recruit for over 1,100 vacancies ahead of peak trading period
Currys is to create over 1,100 new roles during this year’s festive trading period. The technology and electricals retailer is now recruiting for 720 temporary positions... View ArticleView Article
![[People in Retail Awards] Winners announced](https://www.theretailbulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PIRA-GH.jpg)
[People in Retail Awards] Winners announced
Together with the retail community, we had an amazing time celebrating the inaugural People in Retail Awards last night at the Marriott Hotel in London’s Grosvenor... View ArticleView Article

Secret Sales acquires Spanish discount retailer
Secret Sales, the online marketplace for off-price retail, has acquired Spanish discount retailer Dreivip.com as part of its ongoing European expansion strategy. The move follows the... View ArticleView Article

Poundland relaunches website
Poundland has relaunched Poundland.co.uk as a fully transactional website following a digital overhaul. The retailer said the move was made possible by the digital migration of... View ArticleView Article

The People in Retail Awards to unveil winners for Retail's finest
Just one day to go and The Retail Bulletin will announce the highly anticipated winners for the prestigious People in Retail Awards (PIRA) 2023. The People... View ArticleView Article

Comment: Don’t turn the page on catalogues
Freemans has finally succumbed to ditching its printed catalogue after almost 120 years, which follows Argos who abandoned its big book in 2021 after nearly 50... View ArticleView Article

Dunelm posts record sales as it focuses on offering value to customers
Homewares retailer Dunelm grew its sales by 5.5% to a record £1.64 billion in the year to 1 July as it focused on offering value to... View ArticleView Article

Little Mistress acquired by Poeticgem Group
Poeticgem Group has acquired the brand IP of the Little Mistress fashion brand. Under the agreement, the retail design and sourcing solutions company will own various... View ArticleView Article

Ocado posts third quarter sales growth
Ocado Retail saw its retail revenue climb by 7.2% to £569.6 million in its third quarter. This followed growth of 5% in the online grocer’s first... View ArticleView Article

Moonpig maintains guidance despite difficult trading conditions
Moonpig, the online greeting card and gifting platform, has reiterated its full-year guidance despite difficult trading conditions. In a statement ahead of its AGM, the retailer... View ArticleView Article

Kingfisher lowers full year profit guidance
B&Q owner Kingfisher has lowered its full year profit guidance after its sales continue to be impacted by a difficult trading environment. In a half-year sales... View ArticleView Article

Quiz sales come in below management expectations
Quiz has warned that it may report a full-year loss after inflationary cost pressures impacted consumer confidence and demand for its dressy occasion wear. The retailer... View ArticleView Article

Get set for this year's Retail HR Summit
There are now just a couple of days to go until The Retail Bulletin’s highly anticipated Retail HR Summit, which will be held live in London... View ArticleView Article

Majestic continues store expansion programme with Newark opening
Specialist wine retailer Majestic has opened its latest store in Newark-on-Trent as it accelerates the expansion of its store portfolio. Situated on the Maltings Retail Park,... View ArticleView Article

Tim Hortons to launch new franchise model in the UK
Tim Hortons is to launch a new franchise model in the UK as it looks to expand its portfolio of 75 outlets across the country. Having... View ArticleView Article

EG Group appoints new chief executive of EG America
EG Group has appointed John Carey as chief executive and president of EG America. The group launched in the US in 2018 when it acquired Kroger’s... View ArticleView Article
![[Comment] Chick-fil-A Emphasises the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Retail](https://www.theretailbulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Chick-Fil-A-Irwin-Mitchel.png)
[Comment] Chick-fil-A Emphasises the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Retail
A specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell has reiterated the significance of prioritising diversity and inclusion in the world of retail. This message comes as American fast-food... View ArticleView Article

Body Proud's 'Smooth Talk' Campaign aims to protect Gen Z from catfishing
Body Proud proudly launches Don’t Fall for the Smooth Talk campaign to raise awareness of catfishing and safe online dating for Gen Z this cuffing season.... View ArticleView Article

Panerai and Ernest Jones bring luxury watchmaking to Leeds
In an exciting collaboration, renowned luxury watchmaker Panerai has opened its very first boutique in Leeds, joining forces with the prestigious Ernest Jones. This new partnership... View ArticleView Article

Celebrate excellence and share your views on Diversity & Inclusion
Here at TRB HQ, we’re all getting ready to join the retail community in celebrating excellence and yes, we’re very excited, but this is just one... View ArticleView Article

JD Williams launches premium collection
JD Williams has introduced a new premium range as part of its offering aimed at mid-life women. Named Anthology, the collection features a selection of staple... View ArticleView Article

Lucy & Yak to open first store in Wales
Lucy & Yak is expanding its store estate with the opening of a new shop in Cardiff this month. Due to launch on 30 September, the... View ArticleView Article

Lululemon adds to its board of directors
Lululemon has appointed Shane Grant to serve on its board of directors, with effect from 1 November. Grant has been working with global food and beverage... View ArticleView Article

Nordstrom announces executive leadership appointments
Nordstrom has made a series of executive leadership appointments across its merchandising and store operations. Jamie Nordstrom has been appointed chief merchandising officer after previously serving... View ArticleView Article

Frasers Group to sell Missguided to Chinese fashion giant Shein
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is set to sell Missguided to Chinese online fashion giant Shein. The deal, which was first reported by Sky News, comes after the... View ArticleView Article

Fatface launch premium collection 'Copper & Black' early
British lifestyle and B-Corp clothing brand FatFace has announced the launch of its latest Copper & Black range, as it looks to expand the collection in... View ArticleView Article

Royal Mail expands wellbeing support for colleagues and their families
Royal Mail has expanded its wellbeing offering for staff members and their families. The move will make it easier for colleagues to access support for mental... View ArticleView Article

Kiki and Miumiu to expand Elephant Park store
Kiki and Miumiu, the independent food market specialising in pan-Asian produce, is to upsize in London’s Elephant Park neighbourhood. The move will almost double the market’s... View ArticleView Article

Zalando introduces new "Stories" fashion experience
Zalando has launched a new immersive visual-first fashion experience in collaboration with Highsnobiety. The online fashion retailer said Stories on Zalando will offer customers information on... View ArticleView Article

Marks & Spencer collaborates with Swoon
Marks & Spencer has embarked on a new collaboration with the Swoon furniture brand. Due to launch on 21 September, the range spans two collections. The... View ArticleView Article

Footasylum opens new 10,000 square foot store at Lakeside
Footasylum has opened a new, improved store in the Lakeside Shopping Centre. Spread across 10,000 square feet, the shop at the Essex scheme showcases a new... View ArticleView Article

French Bedroom appoints managing director
Online furniture brand French Bedroom has promoted Holly Yates to the role of managing director. Yates joined the business in June 2020 as head of brand... View ArticleView Article

Sainsbury's and Tesco support communities affected by the Morocco earthquake and Libya floods
The Sainsbury’s and Tesco supermarkets have announced initiatives to support communities affected by the earthquake in Morocco and flooding in Libya. Sainsbury’s is donating £250,000 to... View ArticleView Article

The Perfume Shop becomes a certified Top Employer
The Perfume Shop, the UK’s largest fragrance retailer, has successfully secured certification as a Top Employer from the Top Employers Institute who are the global authority... View ArticleView Article

DWF advises Pepco Group on acquisition of Wilko store leases
DWF, the global provider of integrated legal and business services, has advised long-standing client Pepco Group, the fast-growing variety discount retailer which owns the Pepco and... View ArticleView Article

Hamleys open flagship store in Italy with Giochi Preziosi S.P.A
Hamleys, the world’s oldest toy retailer , has inaugurated its very first exclusive retail store in Italy with franchisee GIOCHI PREZIOSI S.P.A (GP), a prominent player... View ArticleView Article

Ribble launches Stone into Gravel
Ribble Cycles , one of the longest established bicycle manufacturers in the world has announced a new range into their Collection. Ribble takes their award-winning Gravel... View ArticleView Article

Swedish body care brand Estrid announces London expansion
Swedish body care brand, Estrid, has announced plans to open a second corporate headquarters in London following a period of explosive growth, which has seen the... View ArticleView Article

John Lewis Partnership posts improved financial performance
The John Lewis Partnership has posted an improved financial performance in the 26 weeks to 29 July with pre-tax losses narrowing from £99.2 million to £59... View ArticleView Article

Lidl swings to annual loss despite revenue increase
Lidl saw its revenue increase by 18.8% to £9.3 billion in the year to 28 February. However, the discounter has swung to a loss of £75.9... View ArticleView Article

Freemans drops printed catalogue after 118 years
Freemans has announced that it is to stop printing its catalogue after 118 years as part of ongoing initiatives to reinvent itself as a digital pureplay.... View ArticleView Article

Nike Rise selects Bullring for first concept store in Birmingham
Nike has chosen Birmingham as the location for its second UK ‘Nike Rise’ concept store. The new shop at Bullring & Grand Central will follow the... View ArticleView Article

Pepco Group chief executive steps down
Poundland parent company Pepco Group has announced that its chief executive Trevor Masters has stepped down. The group’s chair, Andy Bond, will take on the role... View ArticleView Article

Q&A: Steve Pritchard, Director, It Works Media Ltd
Steve Pritchard is the Managing Director of content agency It Works Media, with over 20 years in developing and managing digital marketing campaigns for a whole... View ArticleView Article

The Range acquires Wilko brand in £5m deal
In a significant development, The Range, led by entrepreneur Chris Dawson, has successfully acquired the Wilko brand in a deal worth approximately £5 million. This acquisition... View ArticleView Article

The Entertainer announces appointment of new CEO
The Entertainer has announced the appointment of Andrew Murphy as Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Andrew most recently held the role of Group Chief Operating Officer... View ArticleView Article

Win for non-binary people as Post Office removes title option
In a win for non-binary people, the Post Office has deleted the title section from its general enquiry form, following a petition by the LGBTQIA+ campaign... View ArticleView Article

Ann Summers joins the DSA as it intensifies focus on D2C
The Direct Selling Association (DSA), the UK trade body for d2c retail, has announced that Ann Summers has joined the Association, in a move which signals... View ArticleView Article

H&M launches Pre-Loved experience in the UK
H&M will be launching its pre-loved fashion offering in the UK next month as it looks to support a more circular fashion industry. The range will... View ArticleView Article

John Lewis "turbo charges" fashion offering with addition of 20 new brands
John Lewis is “turbo charging” its contemporary fashion offering by bringing in a range of 20 new cutting-edge designers this autumn. The move is part of... View ArticleView Article

Waitrose bolsters customer team with three key appointments
Waitrose is strengthening its customer team with two senior appointments and an internal promotion. Taking up her role on 31 October, Helen Carroll will join Waitrose... View ArticleView Article

Fanatics appoints Andrew Low Ah Kee as chief executive of Fanatics Commerce
Fanatics has appointed Andrew Low Ah Kee as the new chief executive of Fanatics Commerce. The group’s largest business, Fanatics Commerce designs, manufactures and sells licensed... View ArticleView Article

Il Porticciolo opens first physical store
Sloane Stanley Estate has announced that luxury childrenswear boutique Il Porticciolo has opened a new store on Chelsea’s King’s Road. Designed in-house by the brand, the shop... View ArticleView Article

Midcounties takes new approach to helping members and communities
The Midcounties Co-operative is changing the way it engages and rewards its members. The Society has launched a new members-only offers programme to give customers the... View ArticleView Article

Uniqlo to upsize at Bluewater
Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo is upsizing its store at the Bluewater shopping centre by moving to a new location on the ground floor of the scheme.... View ArticleView Article

Poundland agrees to take control of up to 71 Wilko stores
Pepco Group, the fast-growing variety discount retailer which owns the Pepco and Dealz brands in Europe and Poundland in the UK, today announces that it has... View ArticleView Article

Whistl appoints Senior Leadership Sponsors for Race, Disability and Women initiatives
Whistl, the UK’s leading logistics specialists in e-fulfilment, mail and parcels, has appointed Senior Leadership Sponsors to drive internal EDI (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) initiatives focused... View ArticleView Article

Yodel creates 2,000+ roles in the ramp up to festive peak
UK independent parcel carrier Yodel has announced that it is creating over 2,000 seasonal roles in a mix of functions in the business as it prepares... View ArticleView Article

The Works partner with charity: National Literacy Trust
The Works announces its new charity partnership with UK literacy charity, the National Literacy Trust, to help empower children and young people with the literacy skills... View ArticleView Article

Interview: Martin Newman on the art of successful retail
Martin Newman, respectfully known as the “Consumer Champion,” is a seasoned professional with a career spanning more than four decades in the world of consumer-facing businesses.... View ArticleView Article

Aldi appoints new marketing director
Aldi has made an addition to its senior marketing team with the appointment of Kyrsten Halley as marketing director. She joins fellow Aldi marketing director Jemma... View ArticleView Article

Interview: Rob Dance on navigating with purpose and people-centred values
Rob Dance’s journey from selling his cherished Renault 5 car for a mere £1,000 to set up ROCK in 2008 is a testament to his relentless... View ArticleView Article

Primark expects Q4 sales growth despite impact of unseasonable weather
Primark owner Associated British Foods has said it expects the fashion retailer’s sales to be around 15% higher year-on-year in its fourth quarter. Meanwhile, like-for-like sales... View ArticleView Article

Wilko starts first round of store closures
Collapsed discount retailer Wilko is to close its first group of 24 shops today following the failure of a potential rescue deal by HMV owner Doug... View ArticleView Article

Majestic launches biggest-ever festive recruitment drive
Majestic has embarked on its biggest festive recruitment drive to date as it looks to hire 200 team members to work in its UK stores. The... View ArticleView Article

Zalando hires Pascal Brun as vice president of sustainability and D&I
Online fashion retailer Zalando has appointed Pascal Brun as its new vice president of sustainability and diversity & inclusion. A textile and apparel industry expert, Brun... View ArticleView Article

BP appoints Joanne Hall to head up UK retail operations
BP has appointed Joanne Hall as its new UK retail operations director as part of a wider drive to invest in its convenience retail proposition. Reporting to... View ArticleView Article

Aldi makes price cuts on fruit and veg
Aldi has announced its biggest round of price cuts on fruit and vegetables. This week, shoppers will find lower prices in-store on items including bananas, apples,... View ArticleView Article

A.F. Blakemore announce new structure to leverage retail strength
A.F. Blakemore has announced changes to the leadership team to consolidate retail knowledge across its SPAR portfolio. A.F. Blakemore CEO Carol Welch said: “I am delighted... View ArticleView Article

Waitrose to launch new own-brand range - Japan Menyū
Waitrose will be launching a new own-brand range of Japanese-inspired food later this month. Due to arrive on shelves on 20 September, the Japan Menyū range... View ArticleView Article

Express names new chief executive
US fashion chain Express has appointed Stewart Glendinning as its new chief executive. Due to take up his role on 15 September, he will replace Tim... View ArticleView Article

Morrisons and Motor Fuel Group in talks on petrol forecourts deal
The Morrisons supermarket chain is in talks to sell its petrol forecourts business to Motor Fuel Group. According to Sky News, an agreement could be reached... View ArticleView Article

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