E-commerce & Retail News Hub
Government launches social media ban pilot scheme
The UK government is launching a series of pilot studies to test the impact of restricting young people’s access to social media as it considers a full ban. The pilots will include various measures that reduce the use of social media and screen time ...
In pictures: Fred Perry’s new flagship Soho store
Fred Perry has opened a new flagship store in London’s Soho, marking what the brand describes as a homecoming to one of the districts most closely tied to its history and cultural identity. Located on the corner of Lexington Street, the new space ope...
Estée Lauder and Puig in $40bn merger talks as both beauty giants battle market pressure
US cosmetics giant Estée Lauder is in talks over a merger with Puig, the Spanish company which owns major global brands including Rabanne, Charlotte Tilbury and Jean Paul Gaultier. The Guardian reports that the resulting company could be worth $40 bi...
O2 VP of brand & marketing talks Country 2 Country taking over the O2 arena
Country is having a moment right now. It’s everywhere, from the radio to fashion trends. Country 2 Country (C2C) is the biggest country music festival in Europe, playing in venues across the UK, including one of London’s most iconic venues- The O2 A...
H&M and Stella McCartney launch new board to keep sustainability in fashion spotlight
H&M and Stella McCartney have launched a new Insights Board bringing together figures from across fashion, culture and sustainability, as the retailer looks to keep the industry conversation around sustainability alive and push for more tangible acti...
Middle East conflict risks pushing UK food inflation above 8%, warns IGD
UK shoppers could face another sharp rise in grocery bills this year, with food inflation forecast to climb above 8 per cent by June 2026 in a worst-case scenario driven by disruption in the Middle East. New forecasts from IGD suggest prolonged insta...
N Brown promotes Dan Joy to CEO as Steve Johnson exits after 10 years
N Brown Group has promoted Dan Joy to chief executive as the business looks to accelerate the growth of its financial services arm. Joy succeeds Steve Johnson, who has left the business after a decade in the top role. Johnson had most recently served...
Inside Oxfam’s first-ever vintage shop in Manchester
Oxfam is set to open its first-ever dedicated vintage store in Manchester this week as the charity looks to raise funds for its poverty-fighting work and tap into growing demand for pre-loved fashion. The new concept, called Oxfam Vintage, will open ...
ASOS posts near 50% profit jump as turnaround gains momentum
ASOS has reported an almost 50 per cent increase in first-half underlying profitability as its turnaround strategy continued to gain traction across key markets. The online fashion retailer said adjusted EBITDA rose sharply in the period, while gross...
OpenAI pivots ChatGPT shopping strategy after Instant Checkout underwhelms
OpenAI is scaling back its ambitions to turn ChatGPT into a direct ecommerce checkout channel, instead repositioning the platform as a product discovery and comparison tool after weak uptake of its Instant Checkout feature. The AI company said it is ...
M&S, KitKat and Baylis and Harding break down their F1 collaborations
Formula One returned to our screens a couple of weeks ago with new regulations, new teams and new collaborations. The sport has seen huge amounts of growth in the past few years with its global fanbase reaching 827 million in 2025, according to Formu...
Kingfisher sees sales strengthen as digital innovation and trade growth accelerate
Kingfisher has reported a solid set of full‑year results for the year to 31 January 2026. The hardware retailer, which owns B&Q, Castorama and Screwfix, enjoyed steady sales growth, with a significant lift from its expanding digital and trade proposi...
Starling Bank appoints new chief risk officer
Starling Bank has appointed Keith Algie as its new group chief risk officer, subject to regulatory approval. Algie is set to replace Cyrille Salle De Chou, who has spent the last two years in the role scaling the company’s risk controls. The outgoing...
In conversation with: CFIT’s Anna Wallace
In 2021, the Kalifa Review was published as an examination of both the impressive growth of the burgeoning British fintech sector and an appeal to policymakers and the industry to keep the momentum growing. Back then UK fintech was an exciting and pr...
The Works’ ecommerce exit: a long time coming? Industry insight suggests yes
The Works’ decision last week to shut down its ecommerce operations was positioned as a decisive return to a store‑first strategy after years of underperforming online sales. With more than 90% of its sales coming from its 500+ stores and online rema...
I entered finance after working in a paint factory – Amelia Armour, Amadeus Capital
This week’s podcast guest is Amelia Armour, a partner at Amadeus Capital, who discusses the impact of having a female co-founder in the male dominated world of VC, what tech she is excited about for the future and how AI might help democratise entrep...
Breaching the customer engagement gap: how retail teams can finally break free to innovate
Pressure is ramping up on retail and ecommerce teams as the gap widens between consumer expectations and what retailers can actually deliver. Shoppers increasingly expect personal, seamless experiences at every touchpoint, but many brands are getting...
Carbon management platform Zevero raises £5m
Zevero, a carbon management platform that automates emissions data collection for clients, has raised $7m (£5.2m) funding round. Founded in 2021, Zevero has developed an AI platform to collect emissions data and build a reusable dataset that informs ...
Tech Secretary ups pressure on digital firms to tackle misogyny
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has handed digital platforms a deadline to implement serious measures to reduce online misogyny in a new open letter. The current Labour government has made tackling violence against women and girls a cornerstone elem...
FIFA World Cup 2026 to drive $10.5bn surge in ad spend, but retail media will be the real winner
The 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup will be the biggest in the tournament’s history, hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States and featuring more matches than ever before. Yet, despite large audiences, rising rights fees and expanding sponsorship ...
Revolut reports profit surge weeks after securing bank status
Revolut, the fintech giant that this month at last secured its status as a regulated UK bank , has reported surging profits for the year ending December 2025. The company launched 10 years ago and in that time it has grown at lightning speed leaving ...
Beyond the discount: what Amazon Spring Deal Days signal for the future of retail media
Amazon’s Spring Deal Days , held in the UK this year between 10 and 16 March, have quickly evolved from a tactical promotional window into something far more consequential: a proving ground for the next phase of retail media. As the first major comme...
Frasers raises ASOS stake to 29.26%, edging closer to takeover threshold
Frasers Group has increased its interest in ASOS to 29.26 per cent, making it the online fashion retailer’s largest shareholder and bringing it closer to the threshold that would trigger a mandatory takeover offer under UK rules. A regulatory filing ...
Debenhams Group appoints Richard Vanoli as managing director
Debenhams Group has appointed Richard Vanoli as managing director of Debenhams, with the retailer saying the move will support the next phase of growth for the business. Vanoli, who most recently served as chief commercial officer of Debenhams Group,...
Estée Lauder and Puig confirm merger talks in potential $40bn beauty mega-deal
Estée Lauder and Puig have confirmed they are in talks over a potential business combination in a move that could create a beauty group worth more than $40bn. Estée Lauder said it is discussing a deal under which the two companies would “potentially ...
Kingfisher profit rises as B&Q and Screwfix cash in on Homebase fallout
Kingfisher has posted a rise in annual profit after strong performances from B&Q and Screwfix, with both chains benefiting from market share gains, digital growth and customer transference following the collapse of Homebase. The DIY giant, which owns...
UK shoppers embrace ‘investment wardrobes’ as flexible payments drive long-term value
UK shoppers are adopting a more measured approach to clothing purchases, weighing durability and long-term value ahead of impulse buys, according to research commissioned by Affirm. The study finds that around seven in 10 adults now take “cost-per-we...
UK freight industry urged to join new police survey to tackle rising organised crime
The British International Freight Association has urged companies across the logistics sector to take part in a national police survey designed to map the scale and effects of serious organised acquisitive crime on UK supply chains. The exercise is l...
Crocs ramps up UK retail expansion with two major store openings
Crocs is stepping up its UK retail presence with two major store openings, including a new outlet at Caledonia Park in Scotland and its first full-price store in the UK at Westfield Stratford City. The footwear brand has signed for a 1,754 sq ft outl...
BrewDog row reignites as James Watt blames new owner for wiping out small shareholders
James Watt has accused BrewDog’s new owner Tilray Brands of leaving thousands of small shareholders out of pocket, in the latest twist in the craft beer retailer’s increasingly bitter saga. The BrewDog founder said he was “really disappointed” that T...