Mitie raises full year guidance as Interserve deal beds in January 28, 2021 Outsourcer Mitie today raised its guidance for the full year due to an improved performance in the second half and its merger with Interserve. The FTSE 250 company said that full year revenue would now come in at £2.4-£2.5bn, with profit up to £57m-£61m. Shares in the firm rose 3.1 per cent as markets opened [...]
Mulberry ramps up sustainability pledges as retailers scramble to boost environmental reputations April 20, 2021 Mulberry has become the latest retailer to ramp up its sustainability measures as the spotlight on environmental and social issues has intensified in the wake of fast fashion scandals. The designer accessories brand today announced it will buy back, resell or repurpose any Mulberry bag when it becomes unusable. It has also pledged to achieve [...]
Retail landlord Shaftesbury expects West End ‘revival’ as lockdown lifts February 25, 2021 West End landlord Shaftesbury this morning said occupier interest had improved after the lockdown lifting roadmap was announced, saying the easing of restrictions will herald a “revival” of the London’s theatre and shopping district. However, the FTSE 250 developer said current restrictions were continuing to have a “significant impact on economic activity and consumer spending [...]
Bricks and mortar retailers ramp up hiring plans ahead of reopening April 8, 2021 Bricks and mortar retailers that have managed to survive, and in some cases thrive, during the pandemic have begun ramping up hiring plans ahead of the reopening date. According to the latest research, retail vacancies have climbed to within 14 per cent of their pre-Covid levels, after falling as much as 65 per cent last year. [...]
Young people hit disproportionately by Covid jobs crisis April 20, 2021 Those aged under 35 disproportionately lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, as sectors like hospitality and retail were hit particularly hard by the crisis. In the year to March, nearly 635,000 under-35s saw payroll job losses in the UK, making up 80 per cent of the total payroll jobs lost during [...]
H&M to cut 250 stores this year as customers head online July 1, 2021 H&M plans to shut 250 stores globally this year as part of its strategy to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw many of its shops shut for months at a time. The fashion retailer said the closure of the shops was in response to more customers shopping online, but declined to say how many [...]
Debenhams closure: What next for struggling retail landlords? December 1, 2020 Retail landlords are set to take a multimillion pound hit following the collapse of Debenhams and Arcadia’s fall into administration, and could struggle to fill the space left by closed flagship stores. Many property owners, which have already been impacted during the pandemic due to a spike in retail restructurings and renegotiated rents, will lose [...]
Shakespeare: Primed and ready? May 20, 2020 Budget fast-fashion retailer Primark has been one of the biggest players of the high street since rapidly expanding in the UK during the mid-noughties. According to YouGov Ratings data, Primark is sixth most popular fashion and clothing brand among Britons, while YouGov Profiles data shows two thirds of all Brits would consider purchasing clothes from [...]
Asda puts 5,000 jobs at risk in online shopping push February 25, 2021 Asda has put around 5,000 jobs at risk as it aims to simplify the business and focus on its online shopping offer. The grocer this morning said it had begun formal consultations with 5,000 employees, but that it will create 4,500 new jobs in online operations this year. The supermarket has proposed the simplification of [...]
Number of shoppers in central London booms as Covid restrictions are eased April 12, 2021 Footfall rocketed this morning as England eased coronavirus restrictions and non-essential retail was allowed to open for business for the first time in months. In the first few hours of trading this morning footfall in shopping centres jumped nearly 340 per cent when compared with last week, according to the latest data from Springboard. Footfall [...]