Company results:

Clothing, Footwear & Accessories

• COS have opened their first North West flagship store at the Liverpool One shopping destination. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

• Desmond & Dempsey, a luxury sleepwear brand, have announced plans to open their first UK pop-up store in Covent Garden. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• Dr Martens have appointed Kenny Wilson as its Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. Kenny has a previous experience of working for high profile, well-known, international brands, and will join from Cath Kidston. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• M&S have confirmed plans to further accelerate their store closure programme by setting a new target of 100 stores to be closed by 2022 as their radical transformation plan continues at pace. (Source: Company Press Release)

• M&S have also announced the appointments of Katie Bickerstaffe and Pip McCrostie to their Board as a Non-Executive Directors with effect from 10 July 2018. In addition to being appointed to the Nomination Committee, Katie will join the Remuneration Committee and Pip the Audit Committee. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Zara have opened a new flagship store at London’s Westfield Stratford City shopping centre. The 4,500 sq.mt. shop is the fashion retailer’s first store to feature a dedicated area for the purchase and collection of online orders, in addition to the usual sections for women, men and children. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

Electrical & Entertainment

• Maplin have announced plans to close its last 219 stores by July 2018. (Source: GlobalData)

Food & Drink

• Holland & Barrett have appointed Anthony Houghton as Group Retail and Property Director with immediate effect. In his new role, Houghton will work alongside the company’s Managing Director for International Operations, Echo Lu. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

• Iceland have announced that their founder Sir Malcolm Walker has taken up a new role as the Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador. Walker is determined for Iceland to become UK’s number one dementia-friendly retailer. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Iceland have also become the first UK supermarket to install an in-store reverse vending machine in response to the government’s plans to introduce a deposit return scheme in England for plastic bottles. Reverse vending machines reward individuals for recycling by providing money or vouchers in return for empty containers. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Tesco have announced plans to stop labelling over 70 fresh fruit and vegetable products with “best before” dates in a bid to reduce food waste. Tesco is also planning to close their standalone clothing and general merchandise website, Tesco Direct. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• Tesco have also announced that their Head of Asia operations, Tony Hoggett, has been appointed to the newly created position as Chief Operations Officer with effect from 01 June 2018. (Source: Retail Gazette)

Household

• Just two years on from its purchase of Homebase for £340m, Wesfarmers has sold the DIY chain for just £1 to restructuring specialist Hilco. The 24 stores that had been converted by Wesfarmers to the Bunnings brand will revert back to the Homebase name. (Source: BBC)

• Bathstore have announced that their Chief Executive Director, Gary Favell, has stepped down from his position with immediate effect. Favell will be succeeded by Wolseley UK & ROI branch director Ian Herrett, who has previously held roles at B&Q and M&S. (Source: Retail Week)

• DFS Furniture have appointed Tim Stacey to succeed Ian Filby as Chief Executive Officer with effect from 01 November 2018. After eight years with DFS, Filby will be resigning as both chief executive and a member of the board of directors on 31 October 2018. (Source: Company Press Release)

• Heal’s, the furniture retailer, have plans to open a new store in the Westfield shopping centre in London’s White City at the end of May 2018. The 426 sq.mt. shop will mark the second opening in the space of a year for the retailer following the launch of a store at Birmingham’s Mailbox last October 2017. (Source: Retail Bulletin)

•Ikea have scrapped plans to build their second largest UK store in North West England over fears of rising costs on the high street. The retailer had already secured planning permission for a new store in Cuerden, near Preston, and was due to complete construction in 2020, creating 350 jobs. (Source: Retail Gazette)

• Joules have announced that their Chairman, Neil McCausland has stepped down from his position with effect from 31 July 2018. Ian Filby, currently Chief Executive Officer at DFS, will join the Board as Non-Executive Chairman on 1 August 2018. (Source: Company Press Release)

Motor

• Citroen have appointed Karl Howkins as UK Managing Director with effect from 01 June 2018. He replaces Bek Hassan who transfers to a senior position in Paris, working for the PSA Group. Howkins is currently managing director of Opel Switzerland, a position he has held since July 2016. (Source: Motor Trader)

• Inchcape have completed the move to the newest Mercedes Benz centre in the UK following the completion of a multi-million pound dealership development in Coventry. (Source: AM Online)

• Vauxhall have announced plans to refranchise their dealer network, which will see all existing contracts terminated at the end of a two-year notice period, after which the dealers will be eligible to submit new franchise applications. (Source: Motor Trader)

• Westover Group have completed the first phase of a £12.0m development of a Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) business in Christchurch, Dorset. The group has opened a new 29-bay JLR service centre, which is the largest JLR aftersales facility in the UK outside of the factory’s operation in Coventry. (Source: Motor Trader)

• TMS Group have begun a multi-million pound transformation of their Coventry Volvo dealership. The London Road premises will have increased retailer capacity with a seven car display showroom and electric vehicle demonstration capability. (Source: AM Online)

Courtesy of ‘Barclays‘