All Covid-19 articles
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Opinion
‘On Covid’s five-year anniversary, remember the retail staff who worked day in, day out’
During lockdown, retail employees kept the UK going, putting themselves at risk of the virus while most of us were being told to stay at home. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson and shopworkers’ union boss Paddy Lillis pay tribute to them and make a plea for respect
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Analysis
Covid-19 five years on: what has changed for retail?
Thanks to new data from Kantar, GfK and EY, we can show you how the pandemic changed the way Brits live and shop five years on, and what these lifestyle changes mean for retail today and for the future.
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Opinion
‘Will 2025 be remembered as a year of retail leadership change?’
It’s been five years since the pandemic hit, and retail has had a torrid time. Having steered businesses through tough times a significant number of leaders may choose this year to move on, believes headhunter Tony Gregg
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News
Peacocks is back in credit after closing stores ‘irreversibly impacted’ by the pandemic
Discount fashion retailer Peacocks has made a return to profitability following strategic store closures and the launch of a new website.
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Analysis
Sir Terry Leahy: As Potts leaves Morrisons ‘it’s a new chapter but the same story’
As longstanding Morrisons chief executive David Potts bows out, chair Sir Terry Leahy tells Retail Week the change ‘might be a new chapter but it’s the same story’ for the grocery giant
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Opinion
‘Facial recognition is everywhere in China and people seem OK with it’
Returning to China, Retail Week analyst Hanna Hua shares her experience of how technology such as facial recognition, payments and robots is transforming shopping. Can such dramatic change be expected in the UK?
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Data
The health of UK bricks-and-mortar retail in six charts
After the best part of two years of intermittent lockdowns and store closures, 2022 was the first post-pandemic year retailers could trade without restrictions.
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News
Exclusive: Dwindling retail space under pressure as new development hits 20-year low
Pressure is being applied to new retail stock at a time when desire for new physical space is peaking and construction starts reached a 20-year low.
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Opinion
‘The retail sector isn’t doomed, but 2023 will be a tough year’
While UK retail is facing historic pressures, the current environment is also throwing up opportunities for business. David Maddison from HSBC gives a banker’s view on the health of the sector
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Opinion
‘The pandemic gave us the staff wellbeing wake-up call we needed’
By helping people be at their best both inside and outside work, we can increase already world-class levels of colleague engagement, believes Currys chief people officer Paula Coughlan
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Retail Voice
Five steps to help you prepare for the next black swan
Planning for the next black swan event is something all retailers should be doing, believes 4C Associates’ Gopal Iyer, and building resilience across the supply chain is key
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Retail Voice
Why having an experimental mindset can reap rewards
There is much that can be said about the magic of entrepreneurship when constrained, whether that be by money, time, or both. Agile Retail’s Marcus Fox looks at how having an experimental mindset can create huge opportunities
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News
Waitrose customers turn to cheaper products and freezing leftovers as costs bite
Waitrose customers are not immune from the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, with millions turning to cheaper cooking oils, loose vegetables and freezing food to stick to budgets.
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Analysis
Strategic report: Aldi raising prices quicker than grocery rivals, exclusive data finds
Aldi is raising prices at a quicker rate than its mainstream grocery rivals, according to findings from Retail Week’s new strategic report.
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Analysis
Strategic report: Aldi raising prices quicker than grocery rivals, exclusive data finds
Aldi is raising prices at a quicker rate than its mainstream grocery rivals, according to findings from Retail Week’s new strategic report.
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News
Data: Store closures slow in ‘remarkable’ post-pandemic retail recovery
The recovery of physical retail stores and leisure destinations has been “remarkable” given the ongoing economic headwinds facing the sector, according to a new report.
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News
Notonthehighstreet promotes from within to replace departing chief executive
Notonthehighstreet has promoted from within in order to replace departing chief executive Claire Davenport.
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Retail Voice
Top three tips for dealing with post-Covid rental woes
From being open and transparent to having a well-thought-out forecast, there are certain key factors to keep in mind when undergoing discussions around the Covid Rent Arrears Arbitration scheme, writes FRP’s Phil Reynolds
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Analysis
‘The days of cheap food are over’ – how food security concerns are fuelling higher prices
With the entire UK state fraying at the seams, surging energy prices, war in Europe and heatwaves have exacerbated worries about the country’s long-term food security
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News
Address tight labour market to help combat inflation, urges John Lewis boss
John Lewis Partnership chair Dame Sharon White has cautioned that higher inflation is inevitable unless more people return to work