Retail news round-up on June 22, 2015: Made.com’s creative director is leaving the retailer, etailers face rent hikes over warehouse shortage, Tesco seeks bids of over £5bn for Homeplbus and more.

Made.com’s creative director to leave

Online furniture chain Made.com’s creative director Chloe Macintosh is to depart after five years with the business, The Drum reported. However, Macintosh will continue to be an investor and ambassador for the retailer. Her successor would be announced in the coming months.

UK etailers could see rents increase over warehouse shortage

British online retailers are likely to face 10% rental hikes and delivery issues due to an expected shortage of warehousing supply, The Independent reported. According to a report by Colliers International, UMC Architects, Kam Project Consultants and Total Logistics, there is less than a 10-month supply currently available of sheds that total over 100,000 square feet. The shortfall in some areas, such as the South East, could see rents go up between 5% and 10% by the end of 2016.

Tesco wants bids over £5bn for South Korea’s Homeplus

Tesco has told prospective buyers for its Korean supermarket business that the grocer expects more than £5bn, the Daily Mail reported. The sale of Homeplus unit forms a part of a restructuring of the group, set to shore up its finances.

There has been speculation that some bidders may seek to offer less because of a battered Korean consumer market and potential legal issues around the loss of data relating to the store’s Korean shoppers.

Licence system could be in place to stop supplier scandals

UK supermarket bosses could be pushed to need a licence to work in the industry under a move to clamp down on supply chain abuse and malpractice, The Telegraph reported. The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) have called on retail workers who deal with suppliers, such as buyers, to have a licence.

 If they are found to have breached the terms of the licence, they will be stripped of it. CIPS chief executive David Noble said it would be a form of ‘self-regulation’ and has held talks with key bodies in the industry and government officials.

Topics