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UK online sales jump 167% in February


By Alexandra Leonards

UK e-commerce sales jumped by 167 per cent last month, a record high for online shopping. Although online sales propped up total like-for-like sales, according to BDO’s latest High Street Sales Tracker, closed High Street shops contributed to an overall 3.1 per cent sales decline for February.


Footfall drops by 73.5% in Feb

Retail footfall remained low last month, registering a 73.5 per cent decline, as the national lockdown continues to take its toll. However, research from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic Solutions also found that footfall showed a slight improvement of 3.4 per cent in February compared to January.

Paper receipts 'costing UK shoppers £0.5bn'

UK shoppers have lost more than £558 million after they were unable to make a return due to losing or damaging a paper receipt, according to new research. More than 20 per cent of UK shoppers have been unable make a return after losing or damaging a paper receipt, leading to a total national loss of £558 million according to research from Flux.

Frasers Group warns of possible store closures

Frasers Group has warned that it will be forced to close stores after the chancellor announced “near worthless” support measures on businesses rates in the budget.The retail group, which is controlled by Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley, said that High Street retailers had been lobbying for structural reform of business rates to help the industry but “none had been forthcoming” in Wednesday’s budget.

M&S Bank to close all current accounts and branches

M&S Bank has announced it will close all of its current accounts and 29 in-store bank branches in the summer. The bank plans to move online, a decision it said was prompted largely by the acceleration of online banking during the pandemic.
Sainsbury’s cuts 500 office roles to fund e-commerce and lower prices

Chief executive of Sainsbury’s Simon Roberts has announced proposals that would see the company cut 500 office roles in a bid to fund lower prices, online shopping, and product innovation. The decision, which is still subject to consultation, is part of the supermarket retailer’s plan to adapt the business to “put food first,” with the savings created being invested back into its core food business.

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Amazon opens first UK store

Today Amazon is opening its first Amazon Fresh store outside of the US in Ealing, West London. The new grocery store, which sells fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery items, and household essentials, is a “Just Walk Out Shopping” experience, using contactless payment technology.

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Retail industry responds to chancellor’s 2021 budget

Although Rishi Sunak’s spring budget has been largely welcomed by the retail industry, there have been several issues raised about caps on funding, EU state aid rules, and increased corporation tax.

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The recent announcement that Amazon has started using palm scanning payment technology shone a light on the rise of biometric technology – and whether or not consumers are ready to let their bodies be part of transactions.

Fast fashion falls out of favour

The ethics of retailer supply chains has been called into question recently, with brands now rushing to implement technology that gives better visibility into how products are made, sourced and shipped. The scandal that brought the issue into focus most recently was a report in July on Boohoo’s UK supply chain that had a significant impact on the company’s share price and reputation.

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