Retail & Consumer
On the Beach sees continued travel demand as summer bookings soar
2025-07-11 10:02:42
On the Beach is forecasting another prosperous summer of travel in 2025, following a spike in early bookings. The London-listed travel company reported a 10% year-on-year increase in total transaction value (TTV), a metric for ticket sales, for the forthcoming summer season, as reported by City AM. Group TTV for holidays planned from March to June has also seen a 17% rise. According to current booking trends, this summer is set to outperform last year's significantly, although On the Beach maintains its full-year profit forecast, as stated in a market announcement. CEO Shaun Morton highlighted robust demand for city destinations such as Amsterdam, Paris, and Krakow, with package holidays to the Republic of Ireland also proving a hit. "The success of these early-stage strategic initiatives combined with the growth in our core beach proposition gives me the confidence that summer 2025 will be significantly ahead of summer 2024 and the group will deliver FY25 adjusted pre-tax profit in line with market expectations," added Morton. This comes on the heels of a record-breaking year for On the Beach, during which the Manchester-based firm capitalised on the soaring demand for European holidays. The company announced on Tuesday that it had completed 64% of a £25m share buyback scheme initiated in December. Shares saw an approximate 1% rise in early trading. In their note, Panmure Liberum analysts highlighted the success of On the Beach's "low-cost/no commitment" model in offsetting broader inflationary pressures.
Retail & Consumer
Brits spent nearly £1bn on Valentine's Day as couples opt for home celebrations
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Retail & Consumer
Supermarkets see varied fortunes amid rising sales with Asda continuing to struggle
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Retail & Consumer
Historic Preston Guild festival looks set to continue despite council abolition
2025-07-05 01:27:19
Discover New Ideas
Retail & Consumer
Welsh footfall growth the strongest in the UK despite cooling on January
2025-06-18 12:18:32
Retail footfall in Wales increased in February but at a slower rate than January, shows latest research from the Welsh Retail Consortium. Footfall, defined as shoppers entering a store, in February was up 2.% year-on-year (YoY) compared to a 8.5% rise in January. The rise in February was the highest of any nation or region of the UK, followed by the north west of England at 1.9% and London and the west Midlands at 1.8%. For England it rose by just 0.2%, while in Northern Ireland it was down 0.1% and Scotland 0.3%. The biggest fall was in Yorkshire and the Humber, down 3.5%. Shopping centre footfall in Wales YoY decreased by 1.5% in February, down from 8.6% in January. Retail park footfall increased by 2.9% in February YoY, down from 9.8% in January. Footfall in Cardiff decreased by 1.8% (YoY), down from 9.1% in January. Of the core cities of the UK the fall in February in Cardiff was only greater in Liverpool, down 2.5%, Bristol, 5.2%, and Leeds 5.6%. The biggest rise was in Birmingham at 5%. FOOTFALL BY NATION AND REGION GROWTH RANK NATION AND REGION Feb-25 Jan-25 1 Wales 2.7% 8.5% 2 North West England 1.9% 7.7% 3 London 1.8% 6.7% 3 West Midlands 1.8% 10.0% 5 South East England 0.4% 9.4% 6 England 0.2% 7.4% 7 Northern Ireland -0.1% 3.5% 8 Scotland -0.3% 1.0% 9 East of England -0.8% 8.5% 10 North East England -1.0% 6.8% 11 East Midlands -1.3% 6.4% 12 South West England -1.4% 7.9% 13 Yorkshire and the Humber -3.5% 3.3% TOTAL FOOTFALL BY CITY GROWTH RANK CITY Feb-25 Jan-25 1 Birmingham 5.0% 14.3% 2 Manchester 3.9% 10.3% 3 Edinburgh 1.9% 2.8% 4 London 1.8% 6.7% 4 Belfast 0.1% 4.8% 6 Nottingham -0.3% 6.7% 7 Glasgow -1.1% 1.9% 8 Cardiff -1.8% 9.1% 9 Liverpool -2.5% 3.2% 10 Bristol -5.2% 6.2% 11 Leeds -5.6% 1.0% Sara Jones, head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said:“Shopper footfall across all Welsh retail destinations faltered in February, dipping over 5% compared to the previous month. That said, February still saw healthy year on year growth, the best of the four home nations. “Shopper numbers picked up substantially in the last week of February, no doubt helped by the late half term and start of spring weather, coinciding with the benefits of a St. David’s day uptick. “Confident consumers and buoyant household disposable incomes are critical to the health of the retail industry and all who rely on it, including our colleagues and our wider communities. As we approach the two-year anniversary of the Welsh Government’s retail action plan it will be time to take stock on what more can be achieved to cement the future of the retail industry in Wales. With an onslaught of additional government-mandated costs in the pipeline from April, bold decisions will be needed to help safeguard the sector and to help it flourish rather than falter in the years to come.” On the UK picture Andy Sumpter, retail consultant for Sensormatic Solutions, which carried out the research, said: “After January’s jump-start, retail footfall in February stalled, with retailers seeing a more modest improvement compared to 2024 last month. "While the good news is that shopper counts remained steady, many would have been hoping for a more substantial leap building off a strong start to the year. Retail Parks, consistently one of the top performers in 2024, once again outstripped other retail destinations in February, as the convenience and choice built into their retail offerings again proved popular with customers. " With Easter falling late and well into April this year, this will, undoubtedly, put added pressure on retailers as we head into March. To plug the gap, retailers have an opportunity to create compelling reasons to visit and enhance their offerings with greater convenience and choice, which have been the standout strengths of retail park performance.”
Women risk being left without a pension for 14 years
2025-06-21 21:31:05
Co-op admits to 107 breaches of order to stop blocking rivals from opening nearby
2025-06-25 19:50:33
High Street shops, pubs and restaurants face £1bn tax bill from April
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Aldi to cut up to 350 jobs at UK headquarters as cost pressures increase
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Begin a New Chapter
Retail & Consumer
Shein: Fast fashion giant found two cases of child labour in 2024
2025-06-28 06:37:51
Fast-fashion behemoth Shein has uncovered two instances of child labour within its supply chain last year, the company informed Members of Parliament. The disclosure came from Shein's general counsel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Yinan Zhu, in a letter to MPs that was reported by The Guardian, as reported by City AM. Zhu detailed one case involving an 11 year old child. "Nonetheless, and irrespective of these details, we took the issue extremely seriously, including designating the incident as child labour and immediately terminating our relationship with the supplier," the letter stated. In addition, Shein encountered two similar situations in 2023, where children under 16 were found working in the production of its affordable apparel, both of which were "resolved swiftly." The company also took measures to ensure that contract manufacturers improved their vetting processes, such as verifying and keeping records of all employees' identification documents. A 2021 report by advocacy group Public Eye initially shed light on the working conditions within Shein's supply chain, revealing workers at six Shein suppliers faced up to 75-hour workweeks in factories with obstructed exits. In response, Shein has established an internal team dedicated to overseeing its supply-chain partners. The letter indicated that Shein conducted approximately 4,300 audits involving around 317,000 workers in 2024, an increase from 4,000 audits of 285,000 workers the previous year. These revelations are poised to add further complications to Shein's aspirations to float on the London Stock Exchange. Other challenges facing the company include alleged intellectual property violations, governance and transparency issues, as well as threats to its business model from US President Donald Trump. Trump has vowed to close a shipping loophole that enables fast-fashion behemoths like Shein and Temu to evade customs and tariffs when transporting small parcels of goods. The EU may also adopt similar measures. Shein had been aiming for a $50bn IPO, but there are reports indicating that investors are pressuring the fast-fashion titan to reduce its valuation.
Pets at Home share price soars as watchdog rumours spark interest from private equity
2025-07-07 05:21:57
Just Eat launches first drone deliveries in UK and it could change takeaways forever
2025-06-22 17:32:22
Fenwick launches Colmans Fish and Chips restaurant in latest foodie collaboration
2025-07-01 21:29:28
Deliveroo called 'underappreciated' after quitting Hong Kong as rivals 'muscle it out'
2025-07-15 01:06:31
Embrace New Ideas
Retail & Consumer
Fenwick says it has 'no plans for store closures' as it calls in restructuring experts
2025-06-20 11:59:42
Department store retailer Fenwick has confirmed that it has no intentions of closing stores, despite restructuring experts assisting the business. The Newcastle-based firm has experienced losses in recent years and is currently changing the hosting of its website as part of cost-cutting measures. Consultancy firm AlixPartners is working with the chain, which now has eight stores across the country. Fenwick has been operating at a loss since 2019 and sold its Bond Street, London store in a £430m deal in 2022. Last year, management acknowledged that trading had been difficult due to the cost-of-living crisis - fuelled by inflation and high mortgage costs - and shifts in the retail market. Accounts for Fenwick Limited, covering the year up to January 2024, reveal the business reduced its pre-tax losses from £71.1m to £38.1m. At the same time, operating losses before exceptional items - encompassing property sales - decreased from £46.6m to £45.2m. Company executives have talked of their attempts to attract both new and existing patrons to the chain's sophisticated, multi-brand offerings throughout the UK. They have discussed strategies aimed at enhancing efficiency in their shops and supply chain, as well as returning to profit through a commitment to what they referred to as "retail basics" and protecting product margins, reports Chronicle Live. Following the closure and sale of its Bond Street location, Fenwick operates its flagship establishment in Newcastle, along with other sites in Kingston, Brent Cross, Colchester, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Bracknell, and York. The business has focused on distinguishing itself from its competitors by investing in customer service and hospitality experiences. In Newcastle, Fenwick’s "masterplan" has led to collaborations with North East staples such as Greggs and Barbour, plus Michelin-starred eatery Hyem, and the Mother Mercy cocktail bar. The business has also expanded its private-label merchandise dubbed Fenwick at Home products, alongside its own restaurant ventures Fuego and Mason and Rye. Last year, in Newcastle, it opened what it claims is the UK’s largest beauty hall outside London last year. Notably, Fenwick was criticised for its delayed response to the surge in online retail, initiating its web presence as late as 2019. Despite predictions for greater growth online, the company maintains that its brick-and-mortar outlets will continue to reign supreme in sales for the foreseeable future. After an unsuccessful attempt to bring former Harrods senior executive Nigel Blow on board last year, the reins of Fenwick have been taken up by family members Mia Fenwick, serving as executive deputy chairman, and Hugo Fenwick, in the role of retail managing director. It is believed that under their stewardship, the company has witnessed its most favourable six-month trading period in the past five years.
Poundland considering 'all options' as it struggles and shuts 13 stores
2025-06-25 08:58:29
UK shop prices drop as food inflation soars, British Retail Consortium reports
2025-07-15 10:45:08
Jollyes continues to sink into the red despite sales surge as it takes on Pets at Home
2025-06-28 17:37:52
Manchester Airport to get third Premier Inn hotel as bosses eye new site
2025-06-18 06:28:43