All Retail Week UAT articles in July 2025 – Page 3
-
NewsSunny weather drives UK retail sales to fourth consecutive monthly rise
UK retail sales are estimated to have risen 1.2% in April, marking the fourth straight month of growth and reaching their highest level since July 2021.
-
AnalysisStore tour: Hotel Chocolat’s new flagship boxing up the best of the retailer’s physical formats
Nine months after taking over the top job at Hotel Chocolat from entrepreneurial founder Angus Thirlwell, chief executive Lysa Hardy and her team are building something new.
-
NewsConfidence falls as consumers sense ‘stormy conditions ahead’
The British public is cautious about what’s to come when looking at the economy and their personal finances, according to the latest GfK consumer confidence index.
-
NewsLidl to cut head office jobs as part of growth plans
Discounter Lidl has today announced a proposal to cut around 70 head office roles to support its expansion plans.
-
Opinion‘When Walmart bets big on AI, the rest of retail will surely follow’
Two key hires announced this week show that Walmart is putting AI and front and centre of its business. The Bentonville powerhouse has traditionally led the way in retail, so this could signal the shape of things to come, observes George MacDonald
-
NewsShop theft figures shoot up to record-breaking levels
UK shoplifting figures hit a record high in the last year, prompting fresh calls for action from the government and the police from retail leaders.
-
GalleryIn pictures: Ikea opens first compact retail park store in former Homebase
Ikea has opened the first of three new smaller-style stores in Harlow, Essex.
-
NewsBoots unveils plans for fragrance-only store
Health and beauty retailer Boots is to open a new fragrance-only boutique in London this autumn, showcasing exclusive scents and immersive experiences.
-
NewsCurrys rolls out new AI video tech to enhance customer experience
Currys is integrating AI video technology into its services operations in a bid to streamline customer experience.
-
NewsRiver Island at risk of collapse “within weeks” without rescue plan - report
River Island is set to collapse “within weeks” unless a rescue plan can be agreed with creditors, according to a report in The Telegraph.
-
NewsDebenhams “close” to refinancing deal with past department store funder
Debenhams Group is in advanced talks about securing a £175m refinancing package with one of the companies behind the 2003 delisting of the former department store potentially involved, according to a Sky News report.
-
NewsWickes sees strong growth as shoppers seek timber and garden fixes
The DIY and home improvement business saw like-for-like retail revenue growth of 6.4% in the six months ending June 28, 2025 vs the year before
-
AnalysisBack to basics: how premium homeware retailer Oka is rebuilding after a crisis
Oka chief executive Mark Saunders and chief customer officer Aalish Yorke-Long speak to Retail Week about digital replatforming, store expansion plans and when to stick to your knitting.
-
GalleryStore gallery: Halfords’ latest new-look store ‘bridges gap’ between retail and services
Cycling and motoring accessories specialist Halfords has opened its latest overhauled branch.
-
Chart of the WeekIs Lidl set to become Britain’s fifth-biggest grocer?
The latest Worldpanel by Numerator data came out earlier this week, with the headline figure being grocery price inflation reaching 5.2%. That equates to an unpleasant £275 extra per year on the average shopping bill, says the organisation previously known as Kantar Worldpanel.
-
NewsConsumer confidence falls as rising inflation dampens spirits
Consumer sentiment across the UK has fallen in July, as rising inflation puts pressure on shoppers’ finances, according to data from the BRC-Opinium.
-
AnalysisAI shopping is good – what does that mean for retailers?
OpenAI is reportedly planning to integrate checkout into the ChatGPT shopping tool. Whether this happens or not, the move by various large language model (LLM) providers to push into product discovery is massive news for retailers.
-
NewsM&S wades into farming row with government tax grab criticism
Marks & Spencer has warned the government that changes to farming inheritance tax could discourage young people from entering the farming industry.
-
NewsEvri posts record results and parcel volumes following investment
Parcel delivery company Evri has posted a set of record results and parcel volumes after it invested millions to improve service, new clients and growth.
-
NewsMorrisons to offer new and improved terms for independent partners
In a bid to continue the growth of its convenience store business, Morrisons has today announced that it will be offering independent partners enhanced terms.