Company Results 

Clothing, Footwear & Accessories 

• Burberry have appointed Gerry Murphy to the Board as Chairman with effect from 17 May 2018, and will succeed Sir John Peace as Burberry Chairman after the Company’s annual shareholder meeting on 12 July 2018. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Maison Alaïa, luxury fashion retailer, have opened its first standalone UK store on London’s Bond Street. The 6000 sq.ft. store will span across three floors and stock the brands full range including shoes, bags, ready-to-wear as well as limited edition and couture by special appointment. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• M&S have announced that there Marketing Director, Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, has stepped down from his position with effect from 18 April 2018 and will leave the retailer at the end of May 2018. (Source: Company Press Release)

• M&S have also announced that its Hardwick distribution centre (DC) on Hardwick Grange, near Warrington, will close and that DHL has been appointed to run the new M&S South East distribution centre at Welham Green, Hertfordshire. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Mothercare have announced that their Non-Executive Chairman, Alan Parker, has retired from his position with immediate effect. Clive Whiley has been appointed as the retailers Interim Executive Chairman, with immediate effect. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Net-a-Porter have announced that their founder Natalie Massenet has launched a new retail investment fund, Imaginary Ventures, in partnership with venture capitalist Nick Brown. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• New Look have announced that HSBC has withdrawn credit protection from a small number of supplier as a result of the decision by the high street retailer’s creditors to approve a credit voluntary arrangement (CVA) last month. (Source: GlobalData)

• River Island have announced plans to launch an online shop which will be active by the end of April 2018. The shop will store third party menswear brands in a bid to capture a greater share of the market. (Source: Retail week)

• River Island have also announced plans to open five new flagship stores in 2018. The fleet of new flagships could involve overhauling and extending existing stores, or opening completely new locations. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• Quiz have announced plans to launch a standalone e-commerce site to trial a capsule of fast- fashion menswear. The new capsule collection caters to the well-dressed man with a selection of items including shirts, blazers, denim, trousers and smart outfits to complement any occasion. (Source: Company Press Release)

Electrical & Entertainment

• Harrods have launched a luxury charity shop Fashion Retold which will open on London’s Sloane Street for May 2018. Leading luxury fashion brands like Paul Smith, Peter Pilott, Gucci and Louis Vuitton will be stocked in the store (Source: Retail Gazette)

• Jessops have launched a next generation of photography stores featuring a new in-store photo concept. The stores will continue to offer cameras and specialist kit for the avid photographer. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

Food & Drink

• Iceland have announced its partnership with Chinese online retail giant JD.com to make its debut in China. JD Worldwide will include Iceland’s own-brand biscuits, cereals and sauces, as well as a selection of cosmetic products from brands such as Pulsin, Re-gen, and Soft and Gentle. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

• Majestic have announced plans to invest an additional £12.0m in acquiring new customers. The investment will reduce its adjusted EBIT in its 2019 financial year. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Sainsbury’s have launched the trial with e-cargobikes.com who will provide the purpose-built bikes, which have enough capacity to carry several customer orders at a time. The trial will see a fleet of five zero emission bikes delivering up to 100 online orders a day across South London from the supermarket’s Streatham Common store. (Source: Company Press Release)

Household

• B&Q have signed contracts on a new distribution centre in Swindon. The new site will improve efficiencies within the B&Q supply chain, enabling it to maximise product availability for customers. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Evans Cycles have announced that their Chief Executive Officer, Andy King, has stepped down from his position with immediate effect. (Source: Retail Week)

• Homebase have hired Boston Consulting Group to advise its management team as fears over the DIY chain’s future intensify. The consultants have reportedly been brought in by boss Damian McGloughlin, who took over at Homebase in January 2018, two years after it was bought by Wesfarmers. (Source: GlobalData)

• Selfridges have announced that Matt Smith is joining the business as their Chief Financial Officer. Smith will be joining the company from Debenhams (Source: Retail Bulletin)

Motor

• Pendragon have plans to expand its network of SMART repair centres. Investment into SMART repair operations is aimed to enable each centre to act as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for car preparation and cosmetic repairs. (Source: AM Online)

• Vauxhall Motors have announced that all its dealerships in the UK will be a part of a brand refranchisement. The brand currently operates 326 retail outlets supported by 93 different investors or investment groups. The refranchisement will take the form of a termination of contracts with all current Vauxhall dealers. (Source: Motor Trader)

Courtesy of ‘Barclays‘