All Policy & legal articles – Page 3
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NewsAsda workers on ‘cusp of justice’ in equal pay dispute
Tens of thousands of Asda workers, predominantly female staff, are on the brink of receiving historic payouts after a ruling in the supermarket’s ongoing equal pay case.
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FeatureAutomation: What does retail look like in a post-Budget world?
As retail navigates a world post-Budget, Retail Week looks at who is looking at automation as an aid, and how this will impact both customers and millions in the workforce.
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Opinion‘As they walk a tightrope, retailers wonder how Reeves’ vision for growth applies to them’
Amid a round of retail job cuts from big industry names, the chancellor needs to offer the industry a big olive branch. Action on business rates would be a good place to start, says Retail Week editor-in-chief Charlotte Hardie
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InterviewQ&A: Morrisons CEO Rami Baitiéh on whether the Budget threatens its bounceback
Since joining the business as chief executive in November 2023, Rami Baitiéh can be more than happy with what he’s achieved in that time. But does the Budget threaten to sink that turnaround?
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Opinion‘Rising costs will tempt retailers to review commercial contracts – they must be careful’
Renegotiating arrangements can be a legitimate tool for managing financial challenges, but it’s rare for contracts to provide scope for termination or meaningful renegotiation based purely on changes in economic conditions, says Addleshaw Goddard’s Natasha Winter
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Opinion‘While it’s easy to blame the Budget, retailers shouldn’t let it become the new “unseasonable weather”’
While last week’s sad job cuts at Sainsbury’s and Morrisons highlight the increasing pressures on business from the Budget, retailers should avoid letting it become a catch-all excuse for underperformance.
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NewsRiver Island is making job cuts across its head office
River Island has launched a redundancy programme, with roles at its London head office expected to be slashed.
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Opinion‘Retail prices will rise as the pressures from the Budget take effect’
Rates reform is some distance away and new employment regulations are still to play out, so retailers will be rolling up their sleeves to tackle the challenges of the coming year says BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson
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NewsMorrisons axes hundreds of staff as it slashes costs
Morrisons has axed more than 200 staff members from its Retail People Team, becoming the latest supermarket to kick off the new year with layoffs.
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NewsSainsbury’s to axe thousands of jobs as it closes counters and streamlines head office
Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s is set to slash thousands of jobs across its supermarket estate and head office functions as it targets more growth.
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NewsAldi and Lidl back calls for pause on inheritance tax reforms
Discounters Aldi and Lidl have both thrown their support behind farmers protesting at the government’s proposed reforms on inheritance tax.
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NewsThe CMA has named former Amazon boss its interim chair
The CMA has named a former Amazon boss as its new interim chair to support growth for the UK.
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AnalysisThe return of President Trump means inflationary headwinds for UK retail
While Trump didn’t follow through with his promises to launch an international trade war on day one, experts are warning his return to the presidency will mean higher prices for UK consumers.
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Opinion‘ONS figures add unnecessarily to retail doom and gloom’
Yes, the retail industry faces challenges, but the way the official sales data is presented risks distorting the picture, believes George MacDonald
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NewsCo-op launches new fund for sustainable farming
The Co-op Group has launched an £820,000 fund to support sustainable farming efforts, as part of its “long-term investment in UK agriculture”.
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NewsBudget is hurting part-time workers and women, warns Pets at Home boss
The boss of Pets at Home has said the changes to national insurance set out in the budget are damaging opportunities for “young, flexible workers”, part-time workers and women.
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NewsEx-Asda boss Lord Rose has called working from home ‘not proper work’
The former boss of Marks & Spencer and most recently Asda has criticised flexible working, saying it is creating a generation who are “not doing proper work”.
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Opinion‘Why we are more downbeat on the UK retail outlook’
It’s hard to believe how the mood music of shoppers and retailers has changed since last year’s general election, observes Shore Capital’s Clive Black
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NewsLidl ditches ‘attractive’ packaging of least healthy own-brand products
Discounter Lidl has said it will ditch all packaging designs it deems “attractive to children” from its least healthy own-brand products by the middle of the year.
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AnalysisTikTok’s future remains in limbo – if a deal to save it falls through, how could UK retail be impacted?
While TikTok and its Chinese-based owner ByteDance has been given a stay of execution by incoming American president Donald Trump, the hugely successful social media app is still facing an uncertain future. How could a potential ban affect UK retailers and social commerce brands who have made TikTok their home?
