Company Results

• The Co-op have reported profit before tax of £72.0m in 2017 compared to loss of £132.0m in 2016. Revenues remained stable at £9.5bn in 2017.

• Topps Tiles have reported a 2.6% increase in total revenues to £109.4m for the 26 weeks to 31 March 2018. The retailer’s like-for-like revenues increased by 0.6% for the same period.

Lifestyle LFLs were up by +6.06% this week, ending a two week negative run. Positive pre-Easter spending saw in-store sales grow from an already healthy base of +6.77% for the same week last year. The result was boosted this week by strong performances amongst retailers of high-end gifts and electrical goods.

Fashion LFLs were down by –2.79% this week from a base of +2.82% for the same week last year. The result marked the third negative week in a row for in-store fashion sales. Retailers will be looking for an improvement in the weather in the weeks ahead to reignite in-store sales.

Homeware LFLs were down by –13.15% this week from a base of -3.75% for the equivalent week last year. Homeware has posted negative in-store LFLs in eight of the last ten weeks.

Non-store sales were up by +12.46% this week from a base of +20.47% for the same week last year. Non-store fashion sales continued to hold up well this week, but slower growth from lifestyle and a poor performance for homeware non-store sales held growth back this week.

Clothing, Footwear & Accessories

• Amazon have launched a new women’s occasion wear brand in the UK that focuses on luxury items. It has launched its first spring/summer 2018 range including 28 dresses, suits and separates ranging from £34 to £135. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• H&M have launched a new range of value bridal outfits online in a bid to establish themselves in the wedding fashion market. The “Wedding Shop” is an ecommerce platform where customers can purchase new and affordable items for brides, bridesmaids, flower girls and wedding guests. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• Stradivarius have announced the opening of their first store in Wales at Cardiff’s St David’s shopping centre over Easter weekend. The 5,200 sq.ft. store will stock fashion-forward clothing, footwear and accessories for women. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

• Estee Lauder have announced the opening a pop-up shop for their beauty brand Creme de La Mer in London in April 2018. La Mer, which sells high-end skin products, will open at 13 Soho Square, near Oxford Street, which will be their first dedicated shop in the UK. (Source: GlobalData)

Electrical & Entertainment

• Carphone Warehouse have announced that the company’s Co-Founder, David Ross, is buying a majority stake in Jigsaw. (Source: Drapers)

• Dixons Carphone have announced that their UK and Ireland Chief Executive, Katie Bickerstaffe, is exiting the business with immediate effect after 10 years to take up a new role at energy firm SSE. (Source: Company Press Release)

• HMV have announced that their Chief Executive Officer, Ian Topping, is poised to depart the business later in 2018. He will be replaced by Retail Director, Neil Taylor, during a six-month transition period. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• Notonthehighstreet have announced the appointment of their new CEO, Barrie Seidenberg. Seidenberg will join the business on 23 April 2018. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

• Footwear brand Clergerie is launching an ecommerce site, as part of a broader relaunch of its previously non-transactional online offering. (Source: Drapers)

Food & Drink

• Bunnings have announced plans to introducing a new tagline as it bids to establish itself in the UK and win over shoppers. The changes are expected to be implemented across its 23 UK Bunnings stores by mid-April 2018. (Source: Retail Week)

• The Co-op have unveiled plans to switch all of its bottled water to 50% recycled plastic. The retailer estimates that it can save almost 350 tonnes of plastic annually when it makes the change on all of its own brand still, sparkling and flavoured water later this year. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

• The Co-op have also announced plans to open a trio of food stores in the Worcester area over a period of two weeks following a £2.3m investment. The retailer has opened a new store in Honeybourne and re-opened a 8,500 sq.ft store in Pershore’s Racecourse Road on 06 April 2018. The two stores follow the launch of a new Co-op store on Worcester’s Barker Street on 22 March 2018. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

• Pernod Ricard has rolled out a marketing campaign for its newly-launched Beefeater Pink brand. (Source: Just Drinks)

• Convivality have announced the sale of its of Conviviality’s drinks distribution business, Matthew Clark, and its wine-focused, Biennium arm to C&C Holdings NI Limited. The companies will trade under the combined name of Matthew Clark Bibendum and are expected to save more than 1,800 jobs. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Conviviality have also announced the appointment of Matthew Callaghan, Ian Green and David Baxendale of PwC as joint administrators to Conviviality Plc. Companies that are in administration are Conviviality Plc and Conviviality Brands Limited. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Sainsbury’s have announced plans to commence a trial of a complete overhaul of its Nectar loyalty scheme. Sainsbury’s will run the trial across all of its stores on the Isle of Wight from 12 April 2018. ()Source: Retail Gazette)

• Campari Group has launched a new gin brand to the UK market, with a global roll-out expected to follow. (Source: Just Drinks)

• Selfridges have announced plans to remove all single-use plastic bottles containing carbonated drinks from its stores. The company recently became the first retailer to up-cycle used coffee cups from in-store and at its headquarters into its iconic yellow shopping bags. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• Coffee Shotter a new vegan / vegetarian coffee shop has launched in Croydon, serving light bites and gourmet doughnuts. (Source: Press release)

Household

• Bensons for Beds and Harveys have announced plans to restructure their leadership teams following the sudden departure of former group boss Stuart Machin. The furniture group’s former Commercial and Supply Chain Director, Kalwant Singh, has been appointed as Harveys Managing Director and Alan Williams has taken on the role of Bensons for Beds Managing Director. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

• Mothercare have announced the appointment of David Wood as their new CEO with immediate effect replacing Mark Newton-Jones. (Source: Company Press Release)

Courtesy of ‘Barclays‘