Table of Contents
UK Retail Sales
-
- Key points
- Retail sales
-
- Figure 1: Retail sales trends, January 2019-November 2020
- BRC vs ONS
-
- Figure 2: UK retail sales y/y growth, BRC vs ONS, January 2018-November 2020
- Inflation
-
- Figure 3: Annual % change in the consumer price index for selected product groups, January 2019 – November 2020
- Inflation and wages
-
- Figure 4: Real wages growth: wages growth vs inflation, January 2016-October 2020
- Consumer confidence
-
- Figure 5: Consumer confidence, November 2020
- Looking forward
Sector Focus – Household Goods
-
- The sector – what’s included
- The sector in context
-
- Figure 6: Major household goods categories, share of sales, 2019
- Figure 7: Spending on household goods products, 2014-19
-
- Figure 8: Household goods sectors year on year growth in sales, by quarter, Q1 2016-Q1 2020
- Consumers look to online during COVID-19
-
- Figure 9: Consumer behaviours impacted by COVID19, November 10-19, 2020
Launch Activity and Innovations
-
- UK: Morrisons launches new Christmas delivery box service
- UK: Next teams up with Morrisons to launch click-and-collect ‘pods’
- UK: Debenhams launches a virtual beauty room and rolls out new delivery option ahead of Black Friday
Headlines for the Month
-
- Co-ops
- Grocers
- Clothing retailing
- Footwear retailing
- Multi-sector retailing
- Department stores
- DIY retailing
- Electrical retailing
- Furniture retailing
- Online
- Shopping centres
News Analysis – Food and Drink
-
- Co-ops
- UK: Co-op ramps up speedy delivery in Wales with new partnership
- Convenience stores
- UK: Ascona Group converts stores to Nisa and unveils new express format
- Grocers
- UK: Aldi
- ...to extend click-and-collect service to 200 more stores ahead of Christmas
- ...ramps up delivery service with Deliveroo to 130 stores
- UK: Asda sales up 2.7% as demand for ‘key Christmas products’ is brought forward
- UK: Lidl customers to get £10 discount for shopping bills over £40
- UK: Sainsbury’s
- ...reveals new Fresh Food Market format
- ...and Morrisons to repay business rates relief
- ...opens two Neighbourhood Hub stores
- ...to double Christmas workers to 12,000 to cope with online demand
- ...Patisserie Valerie to launch in 250 Sainsbury’s stores
- UK: Tesco to complete an £8 billion sale of Asia business to CP Retail Development Company
- Other food and drink specialists
- UK: Cake Box interim profits fall 4%
News Analysis – Clothing and Footwear
-
- Clothing retailing
- UK: Abercrombie and Fitch close flagship on Savile Row
- UK: Administrators for Edinburgh Woollen Mill hails ‘strong performance’ for first half of the year
- UK: Ann Summers pushes for turnover-based rents in 25 stores as part of its CVA
- UK: Arcadia Group
- ...on brink of collapse as £50 million loan falls through
- ...Deloitte appointed as administrators for Arcadia Group
- UK: Bonmarché falls back into administration risking 1,500 jobs
- UK: Burberry
- ...launches fabric recycling scheme with British Fashion Council
- ...encouraged by ‘strong response’ from younger customers despite 31% fall in revenues
- UK: Forever Unique to open first standalone store when lockdown ends
- UK: Frasers Group increases stake in Mulberry to 36.8%
- UK: Jaeger to close 13 stores and cut 103 jobs
- UK: Joules revenue down 6% to £75.3 million but has ‘confidence’ for peak Christmas period
- UK: Moss Bros announces CVA to help secure its future
- UK: New Look announces completion of refinancing scheme
- UK: Primark
- ...owner estimates £430m loss of sales due to lockdown
- ...to roll out 24-hour shopping in 11 stores post-lockdown
- UK: Ted Baker pre-tax losses widen to £39 million
- UK: Timberland owner to buy Supreme in £1.5 billion deal
- Footwear retailing
- UK: Clarks CVA approved allowing it to convert 70 stores to turnover-based rents
- UK: Hotter Shoes owner starts sale process
- UK: LK Bennett launches CVA and closes five stores
News Analysis – Mixed Goods
-
- Multi-sector retailing
- UK: B&M posts strong l-f-l performance driven by 23% increase in sales
- UK: Halfords
- ...revenue up 9.6% in ‘a very strong H1’
- ...to recruit 1,100 temporary jobs for Christmas
- UK: M&S
- ...and Entertainer's Early Learning Centre partner up
- ...prolongs opening hours to midnight ahead of Christmas
- ...replaces Christmas TV advert for data-led social media campaigns
- ...rolls out contactless click & collect with Doddle
- ...launches contact-free bra-fitting service at 64 stores
- UK: The Original Factory Shop launches first ecommerce site
- Department stores
- UK: Debenhams
- ...set to close risking 12,000 jobs
- ...Frasers Groups owner in last-minute talks over a rescue deal for Debenhams
- UK: Frasers Group half-year profits rise 18% thanks to post-lockdown demand
- UK: John Lewis
- ...outlines reopening plans for stores
- ...gives a little love in its new Christmas advert
News Analysis – Household Goods
-
- DIY retailing
- UK: Homebase
- ...seeks new owner as it begins next stage of transformation
- ...teams up with Stanley Black & Decker
- UK: Kingfisher sales up 18% in third quarter as customers spend more time in the home
- UK: Toolstation to open 13 stores in December
- UK: Topps Tiles l-f-l down 12.5% due to COVID-19
- UK: Wickes and Pets at Home will close on Boxing Day as a thank you to colleagues
- Electrical retailing
- UK: Currys PC World expand ShopLive service to cope with Christmas demand
- Furniture retailing
- UK: Furniture Village Sales up 25% driven by strong uplift in online sales
- UK: Habitat to relaunch in Sainsbury’s and Argos as it closes flagship store
- UK: Jysk sales up 74% in record year in UK and Ireland
- Homewares retailing
- UK: Cath Kidston returns to the high street and reopens flagship on Piccadilly Street
News Analysis – Online
-
- UK: Addison Lee launches grocery click-and-collect service
- UK: AO sees sales grow 53% following ‘strong’ customer demand
- UK: Naked Wines revenues up 80% for first half
- UK: Ocado increases profit outlook following 35% uplift in fourth quarter revenue
- UK: Studio Retail revenue grew 17% following growth in online customer base
- UK: The Hut Group increases revenue outlook for the year to £1.6 billion
News Analysis – Other Retail
-
- Health and beauty retailing
- UK: Superdrug launches MindCare mental health app
- Books and stationery retailing
- UK: WH Smith
- ...posts pre-tax loss of £69 million
- ...travel division expected to see £70m loss due to COVID-19
- Music and video goods retailing
- UK: HMV sees a pre-tax loss of £198,000 but is confident ‘it could manage relevant future disruptions’
- Sports and leisure goods retailing
- UK: Sports Direct reveals new brand positioning with first-ever Christmas ad
- Toys and games retailing
- UK: Games Workshop ups profit forecast following rise in demand
- Pets and pet products retailing
- UK: Pets At Home sales up 5.1% but profits hit by COVID-19 costs
- Shopping centres
- UK: Westfield opens first Christmas rental pop-up store
News Analysis – Economy
-
- UK: BRC
- ...reports a fall in shop prices by 1.8% in November
- ...UK retail sales increase 0.9% in November
- ...October sales grow 5.2% year-on-year
- UK: Stanfords launches crowdfunding scheme amid second lockdown
- UK: non-essential stores to reopen for majority in Scotland as lockdown restrictions ease
- UK: October retail sales grow 8.4%
- UK: Regent Street to be pedestrianised ahead of Christmas
Back to top