All News articles – Page 2114
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News
Minister backs UK retail’s ethical stance
A Government minister has praised UK retailers for their efforts to improve factory conditions in the developing world, but said that more still needed to be done to help workers who produce their goods. International development minister Gareth Thomas told Retail Week that consumers will increasingly ask questions about where ...
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Abercrombie London sales beat US flagship
US fashion group Abercrombie & Fitch’s debut UK store is generating higher sales and margins than its flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue. The London shop, which opened in March, was greeted with scepticism by some industry observers because of higher prices charged than in the US, its unusual ...
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Primark launches legal action in copyright battle with Esprit
Landmark retailer Liberty has launched Liberty of London, its own-label, in iconic department stores and exclusive boutiques worldwide. Bloomingdale’s and Jeffrey in New York, 10 Corso Como in Milan and Tokyo, Villa Moda in the Middle East and Theresa in Munich are among retailers that have started selling its spring/summer ...
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Liberty unveils luxury own-label worldwide
Liberty has launched Liberty of London, its own-label, in iconic department stores and exclusive boutiques worldwide. Bloomingdale’s and Jeffrey in New York, 10 Corso Como in Milan and Tokyo, Villa Moda in the Middle East and Theresa in Munich are among retailers that have started selling its spring/summer menswear collection, ...
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Ethical jeweller’s launch in West End store
Ethical jeweller Ingle & Rhode opened its first store and transactional web site this week, as it campaigns to reduce the conflict in the jewellery industry. Ingle & Rhode has opened at 211 Piccadilly in the West End and also trades directly through its web site. It sells an in-house ...
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H and M to expand east Oxford Street store
Fashion retailer H&M is to extend its branch at the eastern end of London’s Oxford Street to create a 25,000 sq ft (2,325 sq m) flagship store. H&M will extend into the unit next door to its 174 Oxford Street store, which houses temporary fashion shop Surprise Surprise at ...
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DSGi eyes cost savings with printing rethink
DSGi expects to save at least US$1 million ( 497,224) a year by using a managed printing infrastructure that has been implemented by Lexmark. Nearly 5,000 monochrome and colour laser printers, along with multifunction devices, have been installed at DSGi’s headquarters, stores and distribution centres. All devices have been added ...
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Nordstrom prepares to make New York debut
Upmarket US department store chain Nordstrom is reported to be in talks to open its first shop in New York. The Seattle-based retailer, which generated US$8.6 billion ( 4.3 billion) in sales last year and operates 155 stores in 27 states, is believed to be in negotiations for a unit ...
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Auchan invests in Portugal as rival sells hypermarkets
Auchan is to plough €600 million ( 414 million) into its Portuguese retail arm amid speculation that it could acquire hypermarkets from rival Carrefour. The French food and general merchandise retailer is set to inject the cash over the next three years as part of a drive to expand its ...
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Laura Ashley pushes button on new branding as profits rocket
Fashion-to-furnishings retailer Laura Ashley will roll out a new brand identity following a successful trial. The retailer piloted the branding, dubbed “spring green”, in eight stores nationwide, as revealed by Retail Week (July 13). It will also up marketing investment in fashion, which represents 19 per cent of the UK ...
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Debt crunch may sting profits, analysts warn
Brokers warned that the ongoing corporate lending crisis could take a slice of retailers’ profits if debt market turmoil continues. As the Bank of England stepped in to keep Northern Rock bank afloat, analysts tried to gauge the impact of tightening credit terms on the finances of store groups. Kaupthing ...
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Debenhams: the city view
There were sighs of relief in the Square Mile when Debenhams’ 52-week update brought no nasty surprises. Although like-for-likes fell 5 per cent and gross margin was down, profit forecasts will be met. Chief executive Rob Templeman flagged a more challenging retail environment, but said: “We believe the actions we ...
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City fears Northern Rock fiasco will erode consumer confidence
Cold weather will be better news for fashion retailers that suffered during the wet summer, but fears mounted that the consumer climate may turn truly arctic. The Northern Rock crisis could be the catalyst for shoppers to snap their purses shut. That fear was reflected in the general retail sector’s ...
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Another games specialist goes as sector struggles
Computer games chain ePlay has gone into administration and become the latest victim of the malaise affecting entertainment retailers on the high street. The 13-store retailer traded in new and used computer games and had a portfolio of stores across the UK at locations including Bristol, Birmingham, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes, ...
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B and Q launches gift cards as it shakes up brand
B&Q is to launch its first gift card next month, as it unveils the biggest brand makeover in its history. The DIY giant’s plastic gift cards will feature different designs, such as moving house or Christmas images and will retail for between£1 and£100. This month, B&Q also started a trial ...
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Perfume Shop overhauls store communications
The Perfume Shop is migrating its store communications to an electronic format following the roll-out of an intranet application. Store managers now receive about 15 messages a day through the system, in addition to one longer weekly message that provides a summary of the promotional and marketing activity taking place. ...