Breakfast briefing: Retail news on BHS and Amazon

Pensions Regulator seeks millions of pounds from Chappell

The Pensions Regulator has sent warning notices to Dominic Chappell and his company asking for “multiples of £1m” in relation to the BHS pension deficit, The Guardian reported.

The regulator has started legal proceedings against Chappell and Sir Philip Green. The details of the regulator’s claims are unclear as any party revealing the details of the notice will risk breaking the law.

Green and Chappell have six months to respond to the regulator and set out their case, following which a determination panel will decide whether they have to make contribution and how much it will be.

The Pensions Regulator and Chappell declined to comment.

Amazon extends its Black Friday sales

Amazon is stretching its Black Friday promotion, starting on November 14, across 12 days as retailers prepare for the consumer rush, The Guardian reported.

The company sold more than 7.4 million items in the UK last year, with a sale rate of 86 items a second. It will offer double the number of deals this year.

UK country manager for Amazon, Doug Gurr, said: “In response to positive customer feedback for Black Friday deals, we are introducing the Black Friday Sale – 12 days of fantastic deals on must-have gifts and products, saving our customers millions of pounds.

“We’re also thrilled to have over 1,000 small businesses featuring in our Black Friday sale, broadening the selection for our customers and enabling those businesses to boost their sales in the run-up to Christmas.”

To ensure rapid delivery, the online retailer has opened two more fulfilment centres and has increased its UK workforce for November and December, employing 20,000 temporary seasonal workers.