Author: Mintel Group Ltd.
Last saved by: HTTP server

UK Retail Briefing - December 2017

ANALYST COMMENT
2017, looking back, looking forward
Worsening economic background
Growing focus on C-stores
Homewares
Clothing
Online
Looking forward
RETAIL SALES
Key points
Retail sales
Figure 1: Retail sales trends, 2016/17
Figure 2: UK retail sales y/y growth, BRC vs ONS, Nov 2015-Nov 2017
John Lewis
Figure 3: John Lewis: year-on-year growth, Nov 2016-Dec 2017
Rising inflation
Figure 4: Annual percentage change in the consumer price index for selected product groups, 2016-17
Inflation and wages
Figure 5: Real wages growth: wages growth vs inflation, 2014-17
Looking forward
SECTOR FOCUS – ONLINE RETAILING 
Online growth accelerated in 2016 and the trend has continued in 2017
Figure 6: All online retail sales, annual growth by month, non-seasonally adjusted, Aug 2016-Nov 2017
November 2017 hits record new average weekly sales highs…
Figure 7: All online retail sales, average weekly sales, non-seasonally adjusted, Aug 2016-Nov 2017
…and November 2017 also sets new highs for share of spending
Figure 8: Online sales as a proportion of all retailing (ex-fuel), by month, non-seasonally adjusted, Aug 2016-Nov 2017
Online and Black Friday
Figure 9: Black Friday purchasing 2016, by electricals and non-electricals, December 2016
Figure 10: Attitudes to promotions and pricing online, May 2017
INNOVATION AND LAUNCH ACTIVITY
Tesco launches pet-friendly ‘Pawsecco’
Aldi launches Christmas jumpers for dogs
Sainsbury’s sets up record label
Amazon to open pop-up Black Friday shop
Sainsbury's trials pizza delivery service
MMUK to open first men’s makeup store in UK
Hotel Chocolat to create beauty line
Mountain Warehouse founder launches new retail concept
HEADLINES FOR THE MONTH
Co-ops
Convenience stores
Grocers
Off-licences
Clothing retailing
Shopping centres
Mixed goods retailing
DIY retailing
Furniture retailing
Sports & leisure goods retailing
NEWS ANALYSIS – FOOD AND DRINK 
 CO-OPS
UK: Co-op
…and Iceland back bottle deposit return scheme
…strikes deal with Costcutter
…East of England Co-op sells food after ‘best before’ date
…Nisa members approve takeover by Co-op
 CONVENIENCE STORES
UK: McColl’s achieves revenues of £1bn
UK: Nisa to supply McColls after P&H collapse
UK: Palmer & Harvey goes into administration
 GROCERS
UK: Asda
…800 staff face pay cut or redundancy
…reports 1.1% rise in sales for third quarter
…rolls out vegan mince pies
UK: Booths to be sold following ‘tough trading’
UK: Morrisons store in Leeds opens bar for shoppers
UK: Sainsbury's
Enters partnership with Zizzi
…launches instore coffee bar
UK: Tesco
…£3.7 billion Booker takeover deal given provisional approval
…expands vegetarian and vegan Christmas offers
UK: Waitrose
…expands click-and-collect service
…launches brussel sprouts wreath
 OFF-LICENCES
UK: Majestic Wine H1 revenue up 5.7%
NEWS ANALYSIS – CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
UK: Aquascutum reports decline in sales and profits
UK: Bonmarche posts rise in revenue and profit
UK: Canada Goose opens London flagship store
UK: Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group profits fall 5.9%
UK: Foschini reportedly eyeing Jigsaw takeover
UK: Mulberry retail sales up 2% for H1
UK: Next
…participates in Black Friday for first time
…to open shops in Tesco stores
UK: Quiz posts strong growth in H1 results
UK: Sales up at Ted Baker, despite ‘challenging conditions’ on the high street
UK: Vivienne Westwood annual profits plummet
 FOOTWEAR RETAILING
UK: Shoon goes into administration
NEWS ANALYSIS – MIXED GOODS 
UK: Argos starts Black Friday three hours early
UK: B&M revenues up 21.7%
UK: Mountain Warehouse founder launches new retail concept
UK: Poundland to start selling mattresses
UK: Poundstretcher turnover falls 7.5%
NEWS ANALYSIS – MULTI-SECTOR 
UK: Mothercare losses increases despite rise in sales
 DEPARTMENT STORES
UK: Fortnum & Mason sales grow 14%
UK: Harrods
…CFO resigns
…to undergo major revamp
UK: John Lewis experiences strong Black Friday
NEWS ANALYSIS – HOME AND HOUSEHOLD GOODS
 DIY RETAILING
UK: Homebase to phase out bee-harming pesticides
UK: Kingfisher like-for-like sales down 0.5%
UK: Topps Tiles profits fall 15.0%
 ELECTRICAL RETAILING
UK: BrightHouse reaches £220 million restructuring deal
UK: Dixons Carphone starts longest Black Friday sale yet
UK: GAME
…to trial THREE instore concessions
…digital sales fall 2.4%
…to sell Multiplay Digital for £19 million
UK: Maplin
…partners with tech repair specialist iSmash
…sales up 0.5%
 FURNITURE RETAILING
UK: DFS and Sofology merger given go-ahead by CMA
UK: Feather & Black goes into administration
UK: Furniture Village profits fall 31%
UK: IKEA sales increase by 5.8%
UK: Multiyork goes into administration
UK: SCS has positive first quarter
NEWS ANALYSIS – ONLINE 
UK: Amazon
…introduces Amazon Prime Villages
…meal kits to hit UK shelves
UK: AO revenues rise 13.3% in H1
UK: ASOS expands same-day delivery
UK: eve Sleep revenues rise 130%
UK: Farfetch revenues grow but losses increase
UK: Mamas & Papas introduces new online store
UK: MMUK to open first men’s makeup store in UK
UK: Moonpig appoints Peter Donlon as CTO
UK: Plans for buses to be used to make deliveries
UK: UPS to use power-assisted bike trailer for last-mile deliveries
NEWS ANALYSIS – OTHER SECTORS
 HEALTH & BEAUTY RETAILING
UK: JML launches cosmetics range
 BOOK AND STATIONERY RETAILING
UK: Card Factory sales up 6.7%
 SPORTS AND LEISURE GOODS RETAILING
UK: Ellesse opens first store in the UK
UK: Go Outdoors sales rise 5.8%
UK: Mountain Warehouse profits up by 18%
UK: Patagonia to re-enter the UK high street
 TOYS AND GAMES RETAILING
UK: The Entertainer launches joint entry into Malta
UK: Toys R Us prepares to close 25 stores
 PETS AND PET PRODUCTS RETAILING
UK: Pets at Home profits decline by 11.3%
 SHOPPING CENTRES
UK: Westfield Croydon shopping centre given go-ahead
UK: Designer outlet centre confirmed for West Midlands
UK: Hammerson and Intu to merge in a £3.4 billion deal
NEWS ANALYSIS – ECONOMY
UK: Black Friday Analyst Comment
UK: BRC
…footfall down to lowest level since 2013
…retail sales up 1.5% in November
…shop price deflation at four year low
UK: Retail sales suffer volume decline, but rise in value according to ONS

This report is supplied in accordance with Mintel's terms and conditions.  
© Mintel Group Ltd.