Table of Contents
UK Retail Sales
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- Key points
- Retail sales
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- Figure 1: Retail sales trends, March 2018 – March 2019
- BRC vs ONS
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- Figure 2: UK retail sales y/y growth, BRC vs ONS, March 2017-March 2019
- John Lewis
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- Figure 3: John Lewis Department Stores: Year-on-Year Growth, October 2017 – April 2019
- Inflation
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- Figure 4: Annual percentage change in the consumer price index for selected product groups, 2018-19
- Inflation and wages
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- Figure 4: Real wages growth: Wages growth vs inflation, Jan 2016 – March 2019
- Consumer confidence
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- Figure 5: Mintel Financial confidence tracker, January 2017 – February 2019
- Looking forward
Sector Focus – Clothing and Footwear
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- Clothing and footwear specialists underperformed in 2018
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- Figure 7: Annual % change in value clothing and footwear retail sales, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, Jan 2018-Mar 2019
- Figure 8: Annual % change in volume clothing and footwear retail sales, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, Jan 2018-March 2019
- Clothing and footwear inflation
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- Figure 9: CPI: Annual % change in the price of clothing and footwear (incl. repairs), Mar 2018-Mar 2019
- Consumer spending slows down in 2018
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- Figure 10: Consumer spending on clothing and footwear, at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, 2018
- Sustainability concerns resonating more with younger consumers
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- Figure 11: Clothing buying behaviours: agreement with sustainability statements, by age, August 2018
- Vegan footwear could be a future trend
Launch Activity and Innovations
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- UK: Co-op launches new online delivery service
- UK: Aldi unveils new local store format
- UK: Asda announces plans to sell George clothing products made of recycled plastic
- UK: H&M trials selling vintage clothing online
Headlines for the Month
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- Co-ops
- Grocers
- Clothing retailing
- Footwear retailing
- Department stores
- Furniture retailing
- Homewares retailing
- Online
- Health & beauty retailing
News Analysis – Food and Drink
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- Co-ops
- UK: Co-op
- …posts best growth in seven years for its food business
- …teams up with ethical living app
- …to double number of stalls at UK music festivals
- …to stop selling kitchen knives in response to increase in knife crime
- Convenience stores
- UK: Shell launches a new rewards programme
- Grocers
- UK: Lidl to roll out wonky fruit & veg boxes
- UK: Morrisons
- …reports uplift in sales and profits
- …stocking up in preparation for a no-deal Brexit
- UK: Sainsbury's and Asda reveal new details of their official responses to CMA investigation
- UK: Tesco
- …trial uses technology to recycle all forms of plastic packaging
- …to trial plastic-free fruit & veg
- …posts increase in full-year profits
- Off-licences
- UK: Majestic to rebrand as Naked Wines
News Analysis – Clothing and Footwear
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- UK: Bonmarché
- …issues third profit warning
- …Philip Day acquires Bonmarché for £5.7 million
- UK: H&M to create 800 new jobs through new Milton Keynes warehouse
- UK: Joules CEO to retire
- UK: Mamas & Papas enters into a partnership with John Lewis
- UK: Monki unveils sustainable swimwear line
- UK: Moss Bros posts a full year loss
- UK: New Look
- …operations boss exits amid management reshuffle
- …to stop selling menswear in-store
- UK: Next annual profits dip
- UK: Philip Green looking to restructure Arcadia Group
- UK: Pretty Green
- …officially collapses into administration
- …attracts interest from buyers
- …JD Sports acquires Pretty Green out of administration
- UK: River Island acquires Mint Velvet for £100 million
- UK: Select lines up administrators
- UK: Superdry
- …battling against its founder’s return to the business
- …Julian Dunkerton re-joins Superdry Board following narrow vote win
- Footwear retailing
- UK: Clarks hires three new non-executive directors
- UK: Dune
- …launches rescue bid for LK Bennett
- …relaunches Head over Heels brand
- UK: Mike Ashley moves to buy LK Bennett
News Analysis – Mixed Goods
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- UK: Poundworld founders launch discount chain One Below
- Multi-sector retailing
- UK: M&S
- …revives This is Not Just marketing campaign for its food business
- …to open larger food stores
- Department stores
- UK: Debenhams
- …announces it is in advanced negotiations to secure a £150 million lifeline
- …considers pre-pack administration
- …Sports Direct considers £61.4 million offer for Debenhams
- …rejects Mike Ashley’s latest offer
- …falls into administration
- …secures £200 million cash injection
- …secures £200 million financing deal
- …Mike Ashley announces plan to take over the running of Debenhams
- …Sports Direct offer Debenhams a new loan
- UK: John Lewis Partnership vows to have zero carbon emissions by 2050
News Analysis – Household Goods
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- DIY retailing
- UK: Topps Tiles reports improved second quarter sales performance
- Electrical retailing
- UK: Carphone Warehouse fined for mis-selling insurance
- Furniture retailing
- UK: IKEA
- …announces opening date of new planning studio
- …unveils latest Planning Studio in Bromley
- UK: ScS cautions that second half profit margins could be hit
- UK: DFS sees surge in H1 profits
- Homewares retailing
- UK: Dunelm reports strong third quarter growth
- UK: The Range set to open new head office this summer
News Analysis – Online
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- UK: AO.com launches white goods rental service
- UK: ASOS to crackdown on serial returners
- UK: Boohoo
- …acquires MissPap
- …new CEO takes over at Boohoo
- UK: Eve Sleep reports widening losses
- UK: Express Gifts rebrands to Studio Retail
- UK: Findel rejects Mike Ashley’s takeover offer
- UK: Gear4Music posts second profit warning
- UK: Little Mistress to launch rental service
- UK: Ocado
- …revenue increases by 11.2% following warehouse blaze
- …starts trial of one-hour delivery service
- UK: Oh Polly posts strong year-on-year growth
- UK: Shop Direct to rebrand as The Very Group
- UK: Sosandar expects full-year results to be in line with expectations
- UK: Woven celebrates a successful 2018
News Analysis – Other Retail
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- Health & beauty retailing
- UK: Boots
- …beauty halls undergoing a revamp
- …possible Boots store closures ahead
- Book and stationery retailing
- UK: Paperchase CVA given the green light
- UK: Office Outlet
- …collapses into administration
- …administrators close 16 stores and axes 161 jobs
- Sports and leisure goods retailing
- UK: Brompton Bicycle opening flagship in Westfield
- UK: Evans Cycles to close 8 stores following Sports Direct takeover
- UK: JD Sports to buy Footasylum for £90m
- Garden centres
- UK: A further 6 Wyevale garden centres sold off
- UK: Nisa signs new partnership with Dobbies
- Toys and games retailing
- UK: Game ramping up its transformation strategy
- UK: Hobbycraft launches Custom Crafting experience at Crawley
- UK: The Entertainer
- …reports 31% increase in full-year profit
- …Mothercare sells Early Learning Centre to The Entertainer for £13.5 million
News Analysis – Economy
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- UK: February retail sales up by 4.0%
- UK: Google launches digital skills programme to boost high streets
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