George Arnett
George Arnett is intelligence and insights editor at Retail Week.
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- Tel:
- 020 7611 0000
- Email:
- george.arnett@wrbm.com
DataHow does UK retail sales growth compare to the rest of Europe?
When stacked against comparable countries in Europe based on sales volumes change since 2021, the UK lags most of them. Germany, France and Spain have all performed better since then
Chart of the WeekChart: What do Brits think are the dirtiest part of supermarkets?
Over half of UK shoppers (62%) worry about supermarket cleanliness, a Vypr survey of 1,900 people reveals, just weeks after 85 stores failed food hygiene inspections.
NewsRecord-breaking UK summer heat drives garden sales
It may now be the rain getting your garden wet, but the hot summer in the UK helped drive bumper sales in the garden category. That includes a 140% year-over-year spike in sprinkler sales
NewsEx-ABF finance chief picked as chair of UK deposit return scheme operator
John Bason, finance director of Primark parent company Associated British Foods for over 20 years, was announced as the chair of the UK Deposit Management Organisation (UK DMO) yesterday
NewsEvri reports 30% increase in US parcel deliveries as postal firms pause shipments
Parcel delivery firm Evri says it has seen a 30% bump in parcel deliveries to the US over the past week, as postal services around the world announced they were halting deliveries, Retail Week can reveal.
NewsletterIntelligence Briefing: US de minimis goes tomorrow, UK firms start paying up
Tomorrow marks a massive step forward in the US’ new hardline tariff regime. After months of anticipation, the US will remove its de minimis threshold, which previously exempted shipments worth under $800 (£595) from paying relevent duties.
AnalysisUS de minimis is over: UK retailers start paying up
For US shoppers looking to buy products from retailers based in the UK and elsewhere, everything gets more expensive from tomorrow (if it has not already).
Chart of the WeekHealth and beauty deals dominate as global retail M&A slows
The surging wellness economy has helped make health and beauty the most in-demand consumer sector for M&A dealmakers, according to new figures from AlixPartners.
NewsletterIntelligence Briefing: ONS data delayed, Brits sceptical about AI in retail
As August is the right month to be thinking about Christmas in the retail sector, let’s cast our mind back to Christmas 2024. Both NIQ and Kantar Worldpanel were showing excellent supermarket sales and all eyes were on the ONS data to see if it bore those trends out.
NewsDebenhams completes £175m refinancing deal
The company announced that a new three-year credit facility would be led by investment firm TPG Angelo Gordon, a subsidiary of TPG which had helped take the Debenhams department store chain private in 2003.
NewsWHSmith issues shock profit warning
WHSmith, which sold off its UK high street arm earlier this year to focus on its travel operations, has revealed a financial review found an overstatement of £30m in headline profit in its North American division.
NewsLidl commits to anti-sexual harassment agreement with equality regulator
The UK arm of the supermarket chain has signed an agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
AnalysisAfter ONS retail sales delay, what data do retailers rely on?
In the age of AI, using external, unstructured data is one way that retail firms can stand out, new research shows
Chart of the WeekUK shoppers more hesitant about AI in retail than international consumers
A survey of shoppers in five key Western markets has shown that UK consumers are the most likely to express hesitation about the rollout of AI features by retailers.
NewsONS retail sales data delayed for ‘quality assurance’
The data was due to be published on Friday, but will now be published a fortnight later, according to the UK statistics body
AnalysisTariffs set to cost UK non-food retailers £618.5m
The tariffs are also driving 76% of UK retail exporters to diversify beyond the US, according to research by Retail Economics and ecommerce firm ESW
NewsGrocery takes a bigger share of Deliveroo transactions
The on-demand delivery app said grocery represented 18%, or £682m, of group gross transaction value (GTV) in the first half of 2025, up from 15% during the same period in 2024.
NewsClaire’s files for bankruptcy for the second time
The fashion accessories chain, based in the US, has struggled to find a buyer for its 280 UK stores according to reports.
NewsletterIntelligence Briefing: Retail worker wellbeing is on the slide
The start of the new tax year in April came dense with warnings from retailers. The October Budget had brought in additional costs that big companies were saying would lead to price rise and job losses. In fact, every big grocer has said it will reduce headcount this year.
Chart of the WeekChart: Google on how Shein and Temu are attracting UK shoppers
One of the biggest disruptions to UK ecommerce market over the past few years has been the entrance of Chinese-founded, online-only platforms like Shein, Temu and AliExpress