Retail news: Ulta, Shein, Amazon, Nordstrom, UPS, Ferrero, Mixue, Alfamart, Disney

Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Thursday, October 9: 👨🏻⚖️ A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by the National Retail Federation challenging the constitutionality of a New York state law requiring retailers to tell customers when their personal data are used to set prices. 🛒 Costco Wholesale recorded higher sales in September and the first few days of October. The warehouse retailer said that sales rose 8% to $26.58 billion in the five-week period that ended October 5. 🏬 Amazon has confirmed that it has decided to close four Amazon Fresh stores in Southern California, but did not specify when these locations would cease operations. 📱 Gap is launching a new program for creators as part of an effort to ensure its brands remain at the forefront of cultural conversation. The apparel giant is debuting a creator affiliate and social media advocacy platform. 🎄 National Tree Company, a major importer of artificial Christmas trees and decorative holiday goods, is warning of shortages. It raised prices by 10% this year and brought in 25% percent less inventory. 💊 Amazon said on Wednesday its pharmacy business in December will begin filling some prescriptions for common medications at electronic kiosks in its One Medical primary care locations. 🍕 Domino's is undergoing its first major rebrand in 13 years, featuring a bolder logo, new employee uniforms, and redesigned restaurant signage. It is also introducing a catchy jingle, performed by Shaboozey. 🌟 Walmart de México, the local unit of the US retailer, named Cristian Barrientos as its new chief executive officer, two months after Ignacio Caride unexpectedly resigned from the top job. 🧴 DTC personal grooming brand Harry's has launched its first line of men’s cologne, marking its permanent entrance into the fragrance category. It has partnered with French fragrance house Mane. 🇩🇪 Germany's cartel office has initiated proceedings against Temu to examine whether the Chinese company is influencing the pricing of third-party merchants on its e-commerce platform. 💰 A Los Angeles jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma, finding the company liable in the latest trial. 🛞 Bridgestone expects a tougher second half as its US business faces a sharp drop in truck tire demand, tariffs take a toll and it deals with the fallout from a cyberattack that disrupted production. 🐶 Higher costs of living, slowing pet adoptions and a preference toward cats and smaller dogs have kept high-end pet-food maker Freshpet in the doghouse. 🥛 Nestlé has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, an initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy suppliers. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

‼️The FCA today published three papers on Consumer Duty: 1️⃣ A letter to Rachel Reeves fulfilling its Mansion House commitment to address concerns about the application of the Consumer Duty for firms primarily engaged in wholesale activity. 2️⃣ Consumer Duty requirements review: update, setting out the FCA’s progress following the publication of its Call For Input in July 2024. 3️⃣ Consumer Duty focus areas for 2025/2026. There is considerable overlap in all three papers but the most noteworthy is the letter to Rachel Reeves (even if it doesn’t say much at all). The application of the Consumer Duty to wholesale firms and activities has been challenging for firms since its inception. The Consumer Duty applies to a firm’s “retail market business” which captures a manufacturer of a product marketed and sold to retail customers (or forming part of another product or service sold to retail customers). Some limited exclusions apply including for certain traded instruments if they meet specific criteria. The Chancellor sought clarity from the FCA in relation to some firms’ concerns over the application of the Consumer Duty in these markets and in particular: 📍where retail customers are outside the UK. ⛓️how the Duty applies across a distribution chain. 💰the burden of showing activities have no material impact on a retail customer and the related compliance costs. The FCA noted that some firms’ “conservatism” has led to sense of a retail approach to regulation of wholesale firms. They want to “correct this”. A clear way to correct this would be to set out with clarity what the FCA considers to be the correct approach to the application of the Consumer Duty on wholesale firms. And the FCA will. But just not yet. Instead they set out a four point action plan to bring this much needed clarity to the market. 1️⃣ The FCA will seek to reduce the potential for misunderstanding leading to increased compliance costs and duplication of effort by providing clarity on its supervisory approach and expectations. [Expected 2025] 2️⃣ The FCA will consult on an update to its client categorisation framework. (This one was already in the offing.) The FCA suggests that HMT might want to think about changes to the FPO and FPO CIS to dovetail with this work. [Expected 2025] 3️⃣ The FCA will consult on changes to rules on the application of the Consumer Duty through distribution chains and whether further exemptions should be introduced. Here they suggest potential changes to make clear when and how firms can rely on each other where firms design and sell structured products as an area needing clarity. [Expected 2026] 4️⃣ The FCA will propose removing business with non-UK customers from the scope of the Duty. This would be an important point, if actioned. [Expected 2026] Taken forward, these steps could form a significant shift in the application of the Consumer Duty in these markets. But until they are published the market just has to wait.

Here are some interesting stories from the world of UK retail for Friday, 10 October: 👜 Frasers Group has snapped up a majority stake in luxury US fashion house The Webster. The acquisition comes under a new strategic partnership which will enable Frasers to broaden its presence across the US. 👗 Victoria Beckham has launched a pop-up shop at Selfridges, coinciding with the release of her Netflix documentary. The shop, named The Corner Shop, showcases her fashion line. 🛒 Morrisons has launched Morrisons Now, an on-demand delivery service where customers can order up to 30 items to be delivered within 60 minutes. The service is initially available from 158 stores. 🦃 Aldi UK has announced a price-match guarantee for Christmas dinner essentials, including turkey and gammon. The offer runs from December 19 to 23, allowing customers to claim price matches. 🍪 Upper Crust and Millie’s Cookies owner SSP has revealed a jump in sales in the UK despite taking a hit from rail strikes shutting down London Underground services last month. 🍞 One of Britain’s oldest bakeries has warned that it is on the brink of a collapse that could see hundreds of workers lose their jobs. Roberts Bakery, which started in 1887, said it is in active talks about its future. 🍺 The government is advancing plans to extend alcohol sales hours for pubs, clubs, and restaurants to stimulate economic growth. The proposed reforms would alter the Licensing Act 2003. 🇦🇺 Australian womenswear brand Kookai is returning to UK physical retail for the first time in over a decade, and is in the process of agreeing a deal for a new store in central London. 👷🏽♂️ The Very Group has named Superdrug executive Paul Stafford as its new head of retail media. Stafford has served as Superdrug’s head of retail media since June 2024. 🥪 Greencore, a leading UK convenience food manufacturer, has reported a 6% rise in shares following a strong trading update. The company achieved full-year revenue of approximately £1.95bn. 🧈 Kerrygold has reduced its butter block size from 250g to 200g in the UK, a move attributed to industry cost pressures. Despite the size reduction, retailers like Asda and Waitrose have maintained the original price. 💷 Chris Dawson’s Norton Group Holdings has reported a pre-tax profit of £10.5m for the year to 2 February, 2025. The total comes after the group posted a pre-tax loss of £14m for the prior 12 months. #retail #retailnews #UKretail #economy #DailyRetailNews

The Consumer Duty turned two in July this year. We’ve been pleased to see the improvement in firms’ conduct and consumer confidence over that time. It’s a new approach to regulation and implementing it required a big investment from firms - it’s therefore right that we evaluate its success two years on and refine it where we can. The Government recognised in the Growth and Competitiveness strategy that wholesale firms and their clients have a different ability to bear risk and a different appetite to regular UK consumers. Over the summer we’ve been talking to these firms about the impact the Duty has had on their business, and yesterday we wrote to the Chancellor to set out how we intend to change things in the light of our discussions. We’ve heard that there is still confusion about where the Consumer Duty applies (it doesn’t apply to most wholesale activity), how the exemptions to it work and whether they go far enough, and to ensure that when firms are making products together – or using a distribution chain to sell them – that we limit duplication and ensure the efforts are proportionate to the goal. In all this, we want retail customers to get the right degree of protection building trust and confidence so that they can engage with the UK’s capital markets. We’ve now set out a 4-point action plan to give wholesale firms more clarity on how maintain this goal while lifting unnecessary burden in the process. https://lnkd.in/eWtGfXDE

What’s been happening in retail this week? · Amazon will close all 19 UK Fresh stores, with five converting to Whole Foods Market. The move reflects a sharper focus on online grocery. Staff are being offered other roles within the company. · Asda signed a major tech deal with Microsoft , moving to a cloud-first model on Microsoft Azure. AI and machine learning will be used to drive efficiencies and more personalised services. · Primark has teamed up with clothing care and repair specialist The Seam to provide a same-day garment repair and alteration service at its Manchester Market Street store. · Holland & Barrett has joined forces with Morrisons to launch a concession inside one of its supermarkets. · Marks and Spencer has named ex-Asos managing director Jag Weatherley as its new transformation director for fashion, home and beauty. Congrats, Jag 🍾 . · The Entertainer is opening its first outlet store on 4 October at Dalton Park, County Durham. The 2,000 sq ft site stocks discounted Lego, Barbie, Paw Patrol and Early Learning Centre. · UNIQLO is opening three new UK stores by the end of the year, in Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds. · John Lewis & Partners opened Christmas shops across all branches, after a 145% YoY surge in sales at its online Christmas store since it launched last month. Santa experiences will run in 27 sites, including Oxford Street and Cardiff. · Bodycare will close all 57 remaining stores on 27 September, after administrators failed to find a buyer. The collapse adds 444 redundancies to 685 already lost. · Co-op reported a £50m pre-tax loss in the first half to 5 July, versus a £58m profit last year. Revenues fell 2.1% to £5.4bn, with the cyber-attack costing £206m in revenue and £80m in profit. · H&M sales were SEK 57bn (£4.5bn) in the quarter to 31 August, down 3% in krona but up 2% in local currencies. Operating profit jumped 40% YoY as margins rose to 52.9%. · JD Sports Fashion sales hit £5.9bn in the 26 weeks to 3 August, up 20% YoY, including 2.7% organic growth. Pre-tax profit fell 11.8% to £351m at constant currency, weighed by weaker US trading. · Kingfisher plc reported £338m pre-tax profit in the first half to 31 July, up 4.1% YoY, with sales up 1.3% to £6.8bn. B&Q and Screwfix drove growth, prompting upgraded full-year guidance to £480m to £540m. · DFS revenue topped £1bn in the year to 29 June, up 4.4% YoY. Underlying pre-tax profit rose to £30.2m, above guidance, with like-for-like orders up 10.2%. Profit is forecast to reach £39.4m in 2025/26. 💥 Invitation to Retailers💥 We're delighted to launch our latest returns benchmark report with ZigZag Global where I'll be providing a keynote presentation on how the UK’s top retailers are approaching returns. When: Thursday 16th October 2025, from 2:00pm Where: Courthouse Hotel, Soho, London After Party: Albert Schloss Octoberfest Bar, London Numbers are limited, so please register here: https://lnkd.in/ezkR9K-t (Sorry, retailers only)

UK FCA publishes consumer duty updates, including clarification for wholesale firms On 30 September 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a letter to HM Treasury (HMT) addressing ongoing concerns around the application of the Consumer Duty to wholesale firms. While the Duty was designed to strengthen retail consumer outcomes, the FCA confirms that wholesale activities with minimal or indirect retail impact generally fall outside its scope. Following extensive industry engagement, the FCA acknowledges that uncertainty has led to disproportionate compliance burdens and has set out a four-point action plan to address this. Key Highlights 🔹 Clearer supervisory guidance – The FCA will issue new guidance to reduce misunderstanding, duplication, and compliance inefficiencies. 🔹 Client categorisation reform – A consultation will review how firms identify professional clients, including the introduction of a potential high-asset threshold test, and alignment with updates to the Financial Promotion Orders. 🔹 Targeted rule changes – In H1 2026, the FCA will consult on rule amendments relating to the Duty’s application across distribution chains, with potential further exemptions for firms already subject to equivalent regulatory requirements. 🔹 Exclusion of non-UK customers – The FCA will also consult in H1 2026 on excluding non-UK customers from the Duty’s scope. 🔹 Additionally, the FCA plans to develop shared risk metrics with the UK Government and Parliament to guide proportionality and tolerance for consumer harm. Why This Matters 🔹 Regulatory clarity: Provides long-awaited guidance for wholesale firms, aligning supervisory expectations with the Duty’s retail-focused purpose. Proportionality restored: Reduces compliance burden where there is limited retail exposure. 🔹 Strategic reform: The client categorisation and rule change consultations mark a step towards modernising the UK’s conduct framework under FSMA. Global competitiveness: Excluding non-UK clients reflects a pragmatic, jurisdictional approach to maintaining London’s international financial standing. https://lnkd.in/eCQpyYDa #FCA #ConsumerDuty #WholesaleMarkets #UKRegulation #FinancialServices #ClientCategorisation #ConductRisk #FSMA

Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Tuesday, October 14: 📦 Amazon plans to hire 250,000 workers during its peak season - unchanged from the previous two years - making the online retailer a standout in an otherwise bleak holiday labor market. 🛒 Kroger may be breaking from tradition. The grocery store giant expects to hire its next CEO from outside the company. It would be the first external CEO hire in the company's 143-year history. 💰 US consumers will end up paying for more than half of tariff costs by the end of the year, according to Goldman Sachs. American consumers will shoulder 55% of tariff costs, while US companies will take on 22%. 🏬 Ross Stores opened 36 Ross Dress for Less stores and 4 dd’s Discounts stores across 17 states in September and October. The new locations complete the company’s store growth plans for fiscal 2025. 🥩 Beyond Meat tumbled the most since the company went public in 2019 after it said nearly all creditors had accepted a debt swap that will lead to a substantial dilution of shareholders. 🏪 Buc-ee’s tops a list that ranks US C-store banners on their ability to deliver customer loyalty and growth beyond fuel. Buc-ee’s outperformed the other 40 convenience stores surveyed. 🚨 President Trump's threat of additional 100% tariffs on Chinese imports has sounded alarm bells among retail and trade experts, who caution it could lead to more price increases and squeeze demand. 👟 Nike and avant-garde fashion label Windowsen have teamed up to launch an Air Max Musecollaboration, inspired by 1990s rave energy and futuristic runway aesthetics. 🥗 Publix Super Markets has signed a lease for a new location in Manassas, Virginia, in a move that will extend the Florida-based supermarket chain’s reach along the East Coast to its northernmost announced point. 👑 Soaring gold prices are creating a headache for Tiffany owner, LVMH. A weaker dollar and the doubling of gold prices in two years have made it difficult to defend gross margins for players in the luxury goods industry. 💄 Estée Lauder's rebound could take hold sooner than expected, as trends firm up in the US and China, and the company puts more focus on newer and higher-end products and sales through TikTok and Amazon. 📱 Since raising $130 million in funding in 2021, Cider has seen its revenue increase by 7x; its app has been downloaded 50 million times. The fashion firm has positioned itself as an American competitor to Shein. 🩳 Fabletics expects to open 15 to 20 stores in Europe over the next two to three years while also planning shop-in-shops inside retailers’ stores. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

The landscape of British retail tells a story of dramatic consolidation. The promise of convenience, heavily marketed from the late 1980s onwards, came at a steep price: the erosion of the nation's independent shopkeepers. The numbers paint a stark picture. While there are still over 400,000 small and medium-sized independent retailers in the UK, their presence has been in long-term decline. The hollowing out of the traditional high street is undeniable. Consider the fate of specific trades that once formed the backbone of our communities: · Butchers: In 1990, there were approximately 15,000 independent butchers in the UK. Today, that number has plummeted to around 6,000—a decline of over 60%. · Greengrocers: The fall has been even more severe. From roughly 12,000 greengrocers in the 1980s, we are now left with fewer than 3,000, representing a loss of over 75%. This collapse stands in stark contrast to the fortunes of the supermarket giants. While these local shops shuttered, the top four supermarket chains amassed combined annual profits in the billions of pounds. The average household may feel the squeeze, but the corporations that replaced a dispersed network of shopkeepers now dictate prices, control supply chains, and hold immense influence over the lives of millions. So, we must ask: whose convenience was this model truly built to serve? The statistics suggest an answer that points squarely to major corporations. True progress should empower people, not erase them from the commercial map.

Here are some interesting stories from the world of UK retail for Thursday, 25 September: 👗 Boohoo, now trading as Debenhams, has informed some suppliers it is running behind on payments and asked them to confirm what stock they can deliver without immediate payment. 👟 JD Sports Fashion has said consumers’ wallets are strained as sales struggled on either side of the Atlantic and the retailer reported a fall in profits. It reported a 13.5% drop in adjusted profits. 💷 Poundland plans to cut over 100 jobs at its Walsall head office as part of a restructuring effort. The high street retailer will also close 68 stores across the UK, reducing its estate from around 800 to between 650 and 700. 👜 Rackhams has returned to British shopping as an online-only department store. The independently-owned retailer says it will offer shoppers a curated mix of designer brands, boutique labels and everyday essentials. 🍞 Greggs has been approved to keep its Neville Street and Grainger Street stores in Newcastle open 24 hours. The bakery chain will serve sausage rolls and pies around the clock. 💄No7 Beauty Company has initiated a redundancy consultation affecting around 90 head office jobs. This restructuring follows an internal review aimed at adapting to the evolving beauty market. 🍷 Chapel Down has abandoned plans for a £32m winery. The company announced that it would no longer build a massive winery east of Canterbury, citing a succession of delays in obtaining planning permission. 🏥 Parents can now vaccinate their toddlers against flu at local pharmacies in England. Starting next week, 4,000 chemists will offer the nasal spray vaccine to children aged two and three. 🍺 Greggs is opening its first-ever pub, in collaboration with department store Fenwick. The Golden Flake Tavern will be based within the flagship Fenwick Newcastle store, and is set to open on Saturday. 📉 Britain is heading for a recession, the chief executive of one of the country’s biggest retailers has said. John Roberts, the founder of FTSE 250 retailer AO, said he felt the country was heading into a downturn. 💊 Holland & Barrett has announced a new concessions partnership with Morrisons, adding to the existing shop-in-shop programme it has with supermarket giant Tesco. 🎄 John Lewis has opened the doors to its in-store Christmas shops. Their debut followed a 145% sales uplift so far at the retailer’s online Christmas store. 🥃 Trade associations, including the Scotch Whisky Association, have urged Rachel Reeves to implement a multi-year duty freeze in the upcoming Budget. #retail #retailnews #UKretail #economy #DailyRetailNews

Consumer Duty, wholesale firms and client categorisation The following is a direct quote from the recent letter to Rachel Reeves - see link below for the full response. "There is a subset of investors who have the knowledge, experience, sophistication or resources that mean they do not need retail protections. We want to set clearer, up-to-date standards for firms to identify individuals capable of being treated as professional clients. We are considering complementing this with a new test at a high threshold of assets, to draw a brighter line for firms. This would give firms more confidence to identify these clients and, with their consent, take them out of the scope of the Duty and other retail protections." Whilst the rules here haven't changed much in almost a decade, the FCA has consistently raised its expectations - albeit only communicated this in very general terms without providing examples, templates or other support for smaller firms. Expect another uplift. There should be no issue with the regulator raising the bar. If there has been clear evidence of consumer harm (unfortunately the FCA rarely provide underlying data to challenge on this point) it would align to the regulators goals. And it's understood 'bad actors' may deliberately avoid true compliance where there is a lack of clarity in the rules which unfortunately, is at the detriment to other firms who seek to do the right thing. It could be argued that any true ambiguity lies in this continuous raising of the bar, which, if not clearly communicated (and there is a reason communication falls under the duty) leads to a spectrum of compliance. And those with greater resources are likely to comply, with smaller firms falling behind. The change in rules provides an opportunity to ensure the new standard is clearly described for all, with rationale and examples. As such firms who want to do the right thing will be pleased to see this change come through swiftly, with detailed guidance. https://lnkd.in/eSy5GKBX