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European Retail Briefing - October 2018

LE 4 CASINO – THE FUTURE OF RETAILING? 
What we’ve seen
Packed with innovation
Figure 1: "Le 4 Casino" store interior
The first store space for Cdiscount in Paris
Casino driving digital innovation
Payments include WePay for Chinese tourists
Store product locator
What it means
EUROPEAN RETAIL SALES
Key points
Figure 2: Major European economies: year-on-year retail sales value growth, 2017-18
Figure 3: Major European economies: year-on-year retail sales volume growth, 2017-18
Inflation
Figure 4: Major European economies: all items CPI, 2017-18
Figure 5: Major European economies: food price inflation, 2017-18
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATIONS
Belgium: Delhaize launches new concept store
Finland: The S Group launches ‘My Purchases’ service
Sweden: H&M tests new store format
HEADLINES FOR THE MONTH
Grocers
Clothing retailing
Mixed goods retailing
Department stores
Electrical retailing
Home shopping
Toys and games retailing
NEWS ANALYSIS – FOOD AND DRINK
 CO-OPS
UK: Co-op
…profit rises driven by strong food sales
…to ban single use plastics
UK: Scotmid Co-operative’s half year profit benefits from hot weather
 GROCERS
Belgium: Carrefour Belgium starts lowest price guarantee
Belgium: Lidl two-hour delivery by bike
France: Auchan to deploy urban farms
France: Carrefour
…launches global action plan ‘Act for food’
…to trial Darty franchises in hypermarkets
…French supermarket Casino rejected Carrefour takeover approach
France: Monoprix now delivering through Amazon’s Prime Now
Germany: Metro wants to sell its Real hypermarkets
Ireland: Tesco to offer free online delivery service for pensioners
UK: Aldi to create 5,000 new jobs in the UK with 130 new stores
UK: Lidl
…opening 38-acre warehouse in Leeds
…pledges to scrap black plastic packaging
UK: Morrisons
…launches new range of vegan ready meals
…revenue increases by 4.5% for first half
…facing employment tribunal claim over equal pay
UK: Sainsbury's
…Asda merger could result in 400 stores lost
…Asda merger referred for further investigation
…to test beauty aisles
UK: Tesco
…group sales up 12.5%
…set to launch discount chain Jack’s next week
…opens the first two Jack’s discount stores
…to scrap best before dates on fruit and vegetables
…Jamie Oliver to join Tesco to help encourage healthy eating for customers
UK: Waitrose steps up action to remove plastic bags
…trial 2 hour same day delivery
…testing an in-house delivery service
 OTHER FOOD SPECIALISTS
France: Organic retailer Biocoop invests in a new sector
UK: Hotel Chocolat profits up 13%
NEWS ANALYSIS – CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
France: Happychic announces closure of 88 of its stores
France: Lacoste appoints first female creative director in 85 years
UK: Bonmarché warns full-year profits will be below expectations
UK: British tailoring house Lutwyche opens first pop-up
UK: French Connection
…confirms company could be sold
…report 2.4% drop in revenue
UK: H&M enjoys sales boost in third quarter
UK: Matalan outperforms rivals
UK: Moss Bros Group report 3.3% fall in total group revenue
UK: Mulberry opens new Regent Street flagship
UK: Next full price sales up 4.5% in first half
UK: Orla Kiely ceases trading
UK: Primark
…boosts revenue despite a drop in like-for-like store sales
…extends sustainable cotton sourcing programme to Pakistan
UK: Quiz issues profit warning
UK: River Island
…opening new full-sized store at The Grafton, Cambridge
…reports decline in annual sales and profit
UK: Superdry appoints chief product officer and plans launch of new fashion range
UK: Sweaty Betty posts jump in profits and sales
UK: Ted Baker
…sales up 3.5%
…signs deal with Timex for a new watch collection
UK: TK Maxx FY sales increase 11%
UK: Allbirds to open first UK store
NEWS ANALYSIS – MIXED GOODS 
France: Negozio Leggero opens store in Paris
UK: Poundland
…to open stores in 20 former Poundworld locations
…intellectual property put up for sale
UK: Wilko swings to red
UK: M&S
…appoints new leadership team for food business
…launches clothing range for children with disabilities
…rolls out new checkout-free payment service
…Holly Willoughby unveiled as new face of M&S fashion campaign
 DEPARTMENT STORES
Germany: Karstadt and Kaufhof finalise merger
Italy: Rinascente launches WeChat On Demand service
UK: BHS to return to high street with Beales concessions
UK: Debenhams
…could launch CVA as it calls in KPMG
…director of merchandising exits
…wants to bring fun back to shopping
UK: Harvey Nichols rolling out shoppable video screens in-store
UK: House of Fraser
…three stores to close
…in-house brands to be scrapped from House of Fraser
UK: John Lewis
…flagship store to see business rates tax to rise 57%
…may take £50 million hit to profits after cutting prices this summer
…reports a 99% drop in half year profits
…collaborating with CupClub to reduce plastic waste
NEWS ANALYSIS – HOUSEHOLD GOODS
 DIY RETAILING
UK: 200 management roles cut in B&Q restructure
UK: Kingfisher reports drop in interim profits
UK: Topps Tiles lifts profit forecast following strong fourth-quarter
UK: Wesfarmer’s former bosses received £760,000 in termination payments despite disastrous takeover
 ELECTRICAL RETAILING
France: Fnac Darty to acquire majority stake in WeFix
 MUSIC AND VIDEO GOODS RETAILING
UK: HMV reports falling sales and profits
 CARPET RETAILING
UK: Emma Mattress partners up with Carpetright
 FURNITURE RETAILING
UK: DFS profits hit by summer heatwave
UK: Dunelm reports 6.7% fall in full-year profits
UK: Habitat opens first new flagship in 10 years
UK: Harveys launches first ever celebrity partnership with Louise Redknapp
UK: ScS Group revenue up £4.3 million
 HOMEWARES RETAILING
UK: Cath Kidston reviewing store locations to increase footfall
NEWS ANALYSIS – ONLINE 
Belgium: Foam rubber manufacturer Recticel to sell its own mattresses online
Germany: Zalando revises 2018 guidance
Russia: Alibaba takes joint venture route to push Russian expansion
UK: Boohoo
…lifts forecast as sales beat expectations
…poaches Primark executive John Lyttle
UK: Made.com reports a 40% increase in revenue
UK: Ocado
…adds ‘low plastic’ and ‘recyclable’ categories online
…revenue up 11.5% for Q3
UK: Sosandar expects to report 407% increase in half year revenue
NEWS ANALYSIS – OTHER RETAIL
 BOOK AND STATIONERY RETAILING
UK: Card Factory profits rise despite challenging footfall
UK: Paperchase under pressure as main credit insurer reduces cover
UK: Office Outlet’s CVA is approved
UK: Waterstones buys rival bookstore Foyles
 SPORTS AND LEISURE GOODS RETAILING
UK: Chairman of Sports Direct Keith Hellawell is to step down
UK: Evans Cycles
…seeks £10m in urgent funding from lenders
…seeks buyer after failing to launch rescue bid
…Halfords reportedly makes a bid to buy Evans
UK: JD Sports
…plans to take gym chain nationwide
…pre-tax profits up 19% following record results
UK: Nike revenues top predictions
 GARDEN CENTRES
UK: Wyevale sells four more garden centres
 TOYS AND GAMES RETAILING
France: Orchestra intends to takeover Toys ‘R’ Us in France
UK: The Entertainer reports 38% profit uplift
 SHOPPING CENTRES
UK: Icon Outlet at The 02 announces launch date
UK: Pets at Home Group reports 2.7% like-for-like growth
NEWS ANALYSIS – ECONOMY
UK: August retail sales up by 4.9%
UK: BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index reports second month of price inflation
UK: retail sales down 0.2% in September

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