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☆ UK's John Lewis eyes end of 100% staff ownership, the Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 18 (Reuters) - British retailer John Lewis, which has been 100% owned by its staff, is considering diluting its partnership structure, The Times reported on Saturday. The chairperson, Dame Sharon White, is in early stages of exploring a plan to change the retailer's mutual structure so it can try to raise between 1 billion and 2 billion pounds ($1.22 billion-$2.44 billion) of new investment, the report added. John Lewis did not reply to a request from Reuters for comment. ($1 = 0.8214 pounds)Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Return of the Dry-Clean-Only Wardrobe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Rory Satran | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS—With the frisson of a downturn in the air, designers at fashion week here better known for drama battened down the hatches, sending out streams of polished, functional blouses, jackets, skirts, pants and pumps. Above all, however, they sent coats. Some highlights: strictly cut propositions at Givenchy and Alexander McQueen, luxe puffers at Schiaparelli, and today’s belted, no-tricks camel-colored overcoats at Louis Vuitton. Liane Wiggins, head of womenswear at British retailer MatchesFashion, praised Paris Fashion Week’s notably beautiful coats in an interview and rated them the “number-one investment” for customers who, in a change from their usual habits, might be choosing between luxuries this year.

☆ WH Smith says employee data was illegally accessed in cyber incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A pedestrian uses a mobile handset as he passes the entrance to a WH Smith Plc store in London, U.K., on Wednesday, April 10, 2013. WH Smith Plc, the book and magazine retailer with more than 1,100 U.K. outlets, is scheduled to announce earnings on April 11. Photographer:British retailer WH Smith on Thursday said it was investigating a cyber security incident that led to illegal access to some company data, including that of existing and former employees. The company, whose shops are a common sight at UK airports and train stations, said its website, customer accounts and underlying customer databases are on separate systems and were not affected. The incident did not impact its trading activities either.

☆ UK grocery price inflation hits record high as more stores impose rationing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —A measure of UK grocery price inflation soared to a record high this month — that’s more bad news for consumers already facing a shortage of fruit and vegetables that has led to rationing at major supermarkets. “Our latest research shows that grocery price inflation is the second most important financial issue for the public behind energy costs, with two-thirds of people concerned by food and drink prices,” McKevitt said. Mark Spencer, the UK food and farming minister, held crisis talks with supermarket bosses on Monday to discuss their response to the shortages. UK growers were not harvesting tomatoes, peppers and eggplants at this time of year, as is usually the case, because high energy costs this winter had delayed planting, said Lee Stiles, LGVA secretary. UK apple farmers normally buy at least one million apple trees each winter for planting.

☆ British supermarkets are rationing fruit and vegetables as shortages bite
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — Britain's biggest supermarkets are limiting purchases of certain fruit and vegetables as supply shortages lead to empty shelves. It said the move was due to poor weather conditions overseas and was working with suppliers to "get things back to normal." The U.K. government has not stated Brexit as a factor, blaming weather conditions. EU member Ireland is also experiencing fruit and vegetable shortages. U.K. Food Minister Mark Spencer said Monday he had spoken to retailers about how they are responding to shortages and asked them to build preparedness for future incidents.

☆ UK vegetable and fruit shortage could last until May, producers warn
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A shortage of tomatoes affecting UK supermarkets is widening to other fruit and vegetables and is likely to last weeks, retailers have warned. According to the BRC, UK supermarkets import 95% of their tomatoes and 90% of their lettuce in December and typically the same proportions in March. Stiles said UK supermarkets had opted to import even more fresh produce from abroad this winter, taking advantage of lower prices sought by overseas growers. UK supermarkets have not mentioned Brexit as a reason for the supply crunch. Although full UK border checks on fruit and vegetable imports from the Europen Union start only from January 2024, Stiles says additional paperwork has already deterred EU producers from exporting more to the country.

☆ UK supermarkets Tesco, Aldi and Asda are rationing fruit and salad vegetables
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Asda told CNN that it was temporarily limiting purchases of some items to three packs per customer. These include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce. Morrisons told CNN that it had imposed a cap of two packs per customer on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce. Sainsbury’s (JSAIY), the United Kingdom’s second-largest food retailer, told CNN it had no plans to ration the sale of fruit and vegetables. The high-end supermarket chain told CNN that it was “monitoring the situation” but had no plans to introduce rationing.

☆ Britain's Asda imposes purchase limits on fresh produce lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - British supermarket group Asda has imposed customer purchase limits on eight lines of vegetables and fruit due to "sourcing challenges" for products grown in southern Spain and north Africa, it said on Tuesday. Asda has introduced a three pack limit for purchases of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries. “Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges on some products that are grown in southern Spain and north Africa," an Asda spokesperson said. The British Retail Consortium, which represents all the big grocers, expects the supply disruption to last a few weeks. Reporting by James Davey; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain facing tomatoes shortage after overseas harvests disrupted
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Britons are facing a shortage of tomatoes after supermarket supplies, including at market leader Tesco (TSCO.L) and No. 2 Sainsbury's (SBRY.L), were impacted by disrupted harvests in southern Europe and North Africa. "However, supermarkets are adept at managing supply chain issues and are working with farmers to ensure that customers are able to access a wide range of fresh produce," he said. Last year Britain's grocers suffered supply chain disruptions due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine but availability was much improved in the run-up to Christmas, with an exception being eggs. In winter, Britain has typically imported around 90% of crops like cucumbers and tomatoes, but has been nearly self-sufficient in the summer.

☆ Seven out of ten UK households fear cost-of-living hit -NielsenIQ
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Scales to weigh loose fresh produce are seen in the UK supermarket Asda in Leeds, Britain, October 19, 2020. NielsenIQ said UK grocery sales on a value basis rose 7.6% in the four weeks to Jan. 28, due to an increase in food price inflation to 13.8%. However, volume sales fell 6.9% - the lowest volume growth recorded in over nine months, which reflects the concern shoppers have about cost-of-living increases, it said. It said Lidl overtook Morrisons to become the UK's fifth largest grocer with a market share of 8.9%. NielsenIQ said online's share of all FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sales was 11.1% - similar to its share in the latter part of 2022.

☆ Valentine's Day spending boosts British retail sales in February - BRC
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A woman photographs a Valentines Day floral display attached to the facade of a restaurant in London, Britain, February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Peter NichollsLONDON, March 7 (Reuters) - Valentine's Day helped to boost British retail sales in February but volumes remained down on last year as households cut back on non-essential items, a survey published on Tuesday showed. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said spending in store chains increased 5.2% in annual terms last month, well below the 6.7% rise in February 2022. The BRC figures are not adjusted for inflation, meaning the rise in sales masked a much larger drop in volumes. "Popular trends this month include buying 'dupes' of popular products, shopping at discount stores, and limiting Easter spending."

☆ UK shop price inflation hits record 8% in January: BRC
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People shop next to the clubcard price branding inside a branch of a Tesco Extra Supermarket in London, Britain, February 10, 2022. Overall food prices, which include longer-life goods, rose by 13.8%, while non-food prices were 5.1% higher. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said she did not think shop prices had peaked yet, as retailers were still facing rising energy bills and labour shortages. The BRC collected its price data between Jan. 1 and Jan. 7. Figures released by market research company Kantar on Tuesday , which covered the four weeks to Jan. 22, showed annual grocery price inflation of 16.7%.

☆ UK video streaming market shows signs of recovery in last quarter of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The UK video streaming market showed a tentative recovery in the final quarter of 2022, with subscriber numbers edging higher after a sharp decline earlier in the year when cash-strapped households sought savings, industry data showed on Monday. Market researcher Kantar said that between October and December the number of UK homes that had at least one paid-for video streaming service rose by 55,000 to 16.24 million, representing 56% of households. The gains were driven mainly by Prime Video (AMZN.O), AppleTV+ (AAPL.O) and Paramount+, rather than Netflix (NFLX.O). Kantar said 5% of British households took out a new streaming subscription during the final quarter of the year. The recovery followed a period of 12 months when one million British households dropped out of the subscription video-on-demand market, as they prioritised spending on essentials, such as food and energy.

☆ UK retail sales volumes slide at fastest rate since April, CBI reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - British retail sales volumes slid over the last month at the fastest rate since April last year, underlining the weak state of the consumer economy in the face of strong inflation, a survey showed on Thursday. The Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) sales balance, which included a couple of days of the Christmas trading period, fell to -23 from +11 in December's report, meaning more store chains reported a drop in retail sales than a rise. The survey pointed to another drop in retail sales next month. "Retailers began the new year with a return to falling sales volumes, as the sector continues to face the twin headwinds of rising costs and squeezed household incomes," CBI Martin Sartorius said. The survey of 59 retailers - mostly large store chains - was conducted between Dec. 22 and Jan. 13.

☆ UK's M&S plans to open 20 new stores in Britain, the Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) (MKS.L) plans to open 20 new stores creating 3,400 jobs throughout Britain, The Times reported on Monday. It also will open 12 food halls, including in Stockport, Barnsley and the North Ayrshire seaside town of Largs, Scotland. The group last November had proposed a target to reduce its full line stores by 67 to 180 by 2028, while increasing its food only stores by 104 to 420. The openings will bring new store investment to 480 million pounds ($586.94 million), the newspaper added. ($1 = 0.8178 pounds)Reporting by Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Wine and sequins help UK's M&S sparkle at Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The retailer's high-end food offer traditionally appeals to shoppers at Christmas, and 2022 was no exception despite increasing economic pressure on consumers. As a whole, it reported a better-than-expected increase in like-for-like food sales of 6.3%. "Even in clothing, we saw people trading to value, but we also saw them trading to some of the premium products as well," he said. Tesco (TSCO.L), Britain's biggest supermarket, also reported stronger than expected Christmas sales on Thursday, with like-for-like sales up 7.2% in the six weeks to Jan. 7. Machin, however, said M&S was passing on less of the inflationary pressure to customers than its competitors and it managed to grow its food volume by 1.1% in December.

☆ UK's M&S reports strong Christmas sales in food and clothing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - British retailer Marks & Spencer (MKS.L) reported strong Christmas sales, with demand for turkeys helping to deliver its highest ever share of the food market and partywear boosting its clothing sales. It benefited from improved availability of seasonal lines including turkeys, where it said it retained its leading market share for the third year running. As a whole, it reported a better-than-expected increase in like-for-like food sales of 6.3%. The retailer's strong performance adds to evidence that shoppers were determined to spend at Christmas despite inflation running at 10.7% and consumer confidence close to record lows. Tesco(TSCO.L), Britain's biggest retailer, also reported stronger than expected Christmas sales on Thursday, with like-for-like sales up 7.2% in the six weeks to Jan. 7.

☆ UK consumer spending fails to match inflation in December: surveys
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - British consumer spending in December lagged inflation, representing a sizeable fall in real-terms expenditure, despite contributions from Christmas shopping and the men's soccer World Cup, surveys showed on Tuesday. Separately, the British Retail Consortium said spending in store chains rose by 6.9% in annual terms in December - also representing a decline when adjusted for inflation. For 2022 as a whole, UK online retail sales fell 10.5% year-on-year - the first ever year of negative growth. Barclays also noted weak online retail sales. "The postal strikes hampered online retail due to fears of missing pre-Christmas delivery dates, while rising living costs caused more Brits to cancel their subscription services," Harwood said.

☆ Factbox: How British retailers fared over cost-of-living crisis Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - British consumer spending over the Christmas period has so far held up better-than-expected, providing some relief to retailers who had feared an escalating cost-of-living crisis would hit the key holiday sales period. Only a small number of retailers have so far reported their Christmas sales. ALDI UKThe British arm of German discount supermarket group Aldi said its sales in December rose 26% compared to the previous year. B&M (BMEB.L)British discount retailer B&M said comparable sales rose 6.4% in its key Christmas quarter, showing that shoppers sought out value options as they grappled with the cost-of-living crisis. BOOTS UK (WBA.O)Health and beauty products retailer Boots UK said its December retail sales were up around 15% year-on-year, highlighting strong sales in gifting and fragrance categories.

☆ Investors anxiously await jobs report for clues about Fed rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Traders are betting on a further deceleration in jobs growth because that could lead to a reduction in the size of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. Further strength could set off more alarm bells about inflation and Fed rate hikes. Focus on worker payWall Street will also need to dive even deeper into Friday’s jobs report to get a better sense of what’s happening in the economy. Investors cheered the fact that wage growth, measured by average hourly earnings, rose only 4.7% over the previous 12 months in October. Big Tech keeps handing out pink slipsOverall, the jobs market is still in good shape.

☆ Aldi sales soar as UK shoppers battle record food inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Aldi recorded its highest-ever December sales in the United Kingdom, as shoppers squeezed by searing food price inflation flocked to the German discount supermarket chain to save money on groceries. The British Retail Consortium said Wednesday that food inflation accelerated to 13.3% in December, up from 12.4% in November, the highest level recorded since it started tracking the data in 2005. Fresh food inflation accelerated to 15% in December, also an all-time high. Lidl’s sales increased by nearly 24%, its data showed. Tesco (TSCDF) and Sainsbury’s, the largest UK grocers by market share, grew sales by 6% and 6.2% respectively.

☆ UK fresh food prices surge 15% in year to December: BRC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The BRC said the overall annual rate of shop price inflation reported by its members - mostly large retail chains and supermarkets - dropped to 7.3% from 7.4%. Overall food price inflation rose to a record 13.3% from 12.4%, reflecting increases in the rate of inflation to 15.0% for fresh food and 11.0% for less perishable items. The BRC price data was collected between Dec. 1 and Dec. 7. Many British households are struggling. Separate research from the British government's Food Standards Agency in September found that 30% of households had reduced portion sizes or skipped meals to save money.

☆ King Charles' III property empire includes 7 McDonald's, a Victoria's Secret, and an Apple store
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Crown Estate owns properties worth $17.6 billion, including farmland and seabeds. It also owns retail parks with stores including McDonald's, Starbucks, KFC, and Victoria's Secret. The Crown Estate, which generates profits for the UK Treasury, is owned by the reigning monarch and control was passed down from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III upon her death in September. Lingerie and sex-toy shop Ann Summers also has a store at the Westgate shopping mall in Oxford, as does Victoria's Secret. Regent Street in central London, which is owned by the Crown Estate.

☆ UK retail sales pick up unexpectedly in December: CBI
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The CBI's distributive trades index, which measures the difference in the percentage of retailers reporting annual rises and falls in sales volumes, rose to +11 in December from -19 in November. However, for January retailers see the sales balance falling back to -17. A separate CBI measure, which asks retailers to compare sales with what is normal for the time of year, showed readings around average for November, December and January. Official retail sales data for November showed retail sales volumes excluding fuel were 5.9% lower than a year before. The CBI's survey of 50 retail chains took place between Nov. 24 and Dec. 12.

The region-wide STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 1.7% higher, with consumer discretionary firms such as Adidas (ADSGn.DE) and Puma (PUMG.DE) leading gains after U.S. peer Nike beat quarterly revenue and profit expectations. Shares of Adidas and Puma rose 6.8% and 9.5%, respectively, while London-listed JD Sports (JD.L) jumped 6.1%, lifting the retail index (.SXRP). The euro STOXX 50 volatility index (.V2TX) hit its lowest level since January, reflecting easing anxiety among investors. British retailers also reported a surprise pick-up in demand in December, a Confederation of British Industry survey showed. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Bansari Mayur Kamdar; editing by Uttaresh.V, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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