Visits: 55
Macy’s [28 May]: US department store chain Macy’s is hoping to raise $1.1bn (£900m) in a property-backed bond offering, to help it through the coronavirus pandemic.
Joules [28 May]: Joules will begin a “phased” reopening of stores from 15 June, when coronavirus lockdown measures are eased.
Boohoo Group [28 May]: Boohoo Group has purchased the remaining 34% of shares in PrettyLittleThing from its minority shareholders, including founder Umar Kamani, for an initial consideration of £269.8m.
British Land [27 May]: Shopping centre owner British Land has written down the value of its retail portfolio by 26.1% to £3.8bn as a result of ongoing structural changes and the effects of Covid-19.
Next [27 May]: High street retailer Next will reopen 25 stores on 15 June as the coronavirus restrictions ease.
John Lewis [27 May]: John Lewis has said it will reopen its stores on a “phased basis” after the government gave the green light for non-essential retail stores to reopen in England from 15 June.
Harrogate Fashion Week [27 May]: The July edition of trade show Harrogate Fashion Week has been provisionally pushed back to August as a result of Covid-19.
Stores to reopen [26 May]: Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced that non-essential stores in England will be allowed to reopen from 15 June.
Intu [22 May]: Shopping centre owner Intu has outlined how it will safely support the gradual reopening of non-essential retail stores at its 14 UK shopping centres, in line with government guidelines.
Clarks [22 May]: Footwear retailer Clarks is in early-stage discussions about potential minority equity investors, which could dilute the family’s stake in the business.
Frasers Group [22 May]: Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, formerly known as Sports Direct International, has decided to keep salary levels at 100% in May for the majority of its employees.
Kurt Geiger [22 May]: Footwear retailer Kurt Geiger has predicted it will spend an additional £75,000 on running each of its stores this year as part of its plans to reopen when the coronavirus lockdown is lifted.
Canada Goose [22 May]: Canada Goose is reportedly cutting 125 staff members as a result of the coronavirus, roughly 2% of its global workforce.
Burberry [22 May]: Burberry has revealed a 62% drop in full-year profits to £169m as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and warned it could “take some time” before the luxury fashion industry recovers to pre-crisis levels.
Clarks [21 May]: Clarks is to cut 900 jobs over the coming 18 months as it enters the next phase of its ‘Made to Last’ strategy which was introduced at the end of last year.
BFC [21 May]: The British Fashion Council (BFC) and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) have called for an alignment of the global fashion industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Facebook [20 May]: Facebook has accelerated and extended the launch of its shopping platform as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Matalan [20 May]: Matalan has reopened 15 stores across England.
Urban Outfitters [20 May]: Urban Outfitters has predicted its global store sales could be down more than 60% in the second quarter because of “tepid” demand during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Boohoo Group [20 May]: Boohoo co-founder Mahmud Kamani has joined forces with Richard Hughes, founder of investment bank Zeus Capital, to launch direct-to-consumer sales of a saliva-based rapid test for the Covid-19 antigen.
Marks & Spencer [20 May]: M&S has announced a £1bn battle plan to counter a 37% drop in clothing and home operating profits for the year to 28 March amid the coronavirus crisis.
Westfield [20 May]: Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has outlined plans for the reopening of its Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City shopping centres when the government lifts restrictions.
Prada [20 May]: The Prada Group will reopen some production facilities in Italy today following an enforced four-week closure in response to the coronavirus crisis.
JC Penney [18 May]: US retailer JC Penney has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Johnsons Shoe Company [15 May]: Family footwear business Johnsons Shoe Company has appointed administrators, leaving a hole in brands’ stockist bases.
Boohoo [15 May]: Boohoo Group has completed a £197.7m equity fundraising to finance further acquisitions in the coming months.
French Connection [15 May]: The retailer turned down a bid from ex-AllSaints and USC chief executive Stephen Craig in partnership with two private equity firms in January.
Boohoo [14 May]: Boohoo Group intends to raise £200m through equity placing to bankroll further acquisitions in the coming months.
Little Black Dress [14 May]: Womenswear marketplace Little Black Dress has been bought out of administration by private investment firm Fashion Ventures Limited in a pre-pack deal, Drapers can reveal.
Marks & Spencer [14 May]: Marks and Spencer has confirmed that F&F chief executive Richard Price will join the company on 6 July as its new clothing and home managing director.
Asos [14 May]: Asos has hit back at calls from union GMB to close its Barnsley warehouse after workers had tested positive for Covid-19.
Oasis and Warehouse [12 May]: Liquidators have been appointed to wind up Oasis and Warehouse Group in Irelan
Under Armour [12 May]: Sportswear retailer Under Armour reported a 23% drop in revenue in the first quarter, to $920m (£734m).
Moss Bros [12 May] The menswear retailer will restart online operations on 13 May, after stopping transactions on its website since 26 March.
Kering [11 May]: Kering has launched a €1.2bn (£1bn) bond issue after the French luxury group took a 15.4% sales hit in the first quarter.
H&M [11 May]: H&M Group’s UK sales fell 60% year on year for the period 1 March to 6 May.
Neiman Marcus [7 May]: US department store chain, Neiman Marcus, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and expects to emerge from a financial restructuring later this year.
Primark [7 May]: Senior store staff at Primark have returned to stores to prepare them for reopening once government restrictions are lifted.
White Stuff [7 May]: White Stuff has entered redundancy consultations with its head office and UK retail teams.
Zalando [7 May]: The Berlin-based etailer expects double-digit growth in 2020 despite the challenging trading environment due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Superdry [7 May]: Superdry revenue dipped 19.1% to £705m for the full year to 25 April, with fourth quarter performance impacted by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. However, weekly ecommerce sales have doubled year on year over the last four weeks.
Chief executive Julian Dunkerton told Drapers the business has made further efficiencies as a result of coronavirus.
Next [7 May]: Next is to launch a new standalone beauty hall concept in five former Debenhams beauty departments which are set to close after the department store chain failed to agree terms with landlords.
Debenhams [7 May]: The department store chain is to shut five stores in Hammerson shopping centres after failing to agree terms with the landlord.
LK Bennett [6 May]: The womenswear retailer has placed 10 senior management head office roles into “high risk” consultation and is mulling the sale of its London head office.
Clarks [6 May]: Footwear retailer Clarks has called in three of the “Big Four” auditing firms to work on a potential restructuring, as it attempts to weather the coronavirus outbreak.
Primark [6 May]: Primark has appointed real estate company Savills to search for temporary storage space for excess stock ordered before the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown.
JD Sports [6 May]: JD Sports Fashion’s executive chairman Peter Cowgill has described the competition watchdog’s decision to prohibit his company’s acquisition of rival retailer Footasylum as “absurd”, given the UK high street is in lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Asos [5 May]: Asos is accelerating its use of augmented reality (AR) technology to simulate real-life model photography to support social distancing in its studios, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Net-a-Porter [5 May]: The etailer announced that its distribution centre has reopened, stating in an email sent to customers that it has gone “above and beyond government guidelines to maximize protection.” Measures include having a reduced number of staff present, checking temperatures on entry using “advanced thermal screening technology”, staggered breaks, entry and exit to site aswell as a one-way system being introduced and staff have been given PPE including masks, gloves and sanitizer.
Amazon [4 May]: Amazon staff whose jobs can be done at home can do so until at least 2 October. Employees have been working from home since March.
Irish retail [4 May]: Small Irish retailers are to open on 8 June. Other non-essential retailers can open from 29 June, followed by shopping centres on 10 August.
J Crew [1 May]: Struggling US casualwear brand J Crew is reportedly preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Amazon [1 May]: Amazon has warned that Covid-19 could wipe out its Q2 profits.
Victoria Beckham [1 May]: Victoria Beckham has reportedly reversed the decision to furlough 30 staff members following criticism.
Oasis and Warehouse Group [30 April]: The Oasis and Warehouse Group will close its website and all stores and concessions after administrators failed to find a buyer, resulting in 1,803 redundancies.
Net-a-Porter [30 April]: The luxury etailer is understood to be working towards a gradual reopening of its warehouses with a small number of volunteers on-site at its London-based distribution centre testing new health and safety measures.
TK Maxx [30 April]: The retailer has reopened its online operations with a daily order limit to protect the safely of warehouse employees.
John Lewis [30 April]: John Lewis Partnership’s chairman Sharon White has refused to rule out the permanent closure of some John Lewis stores when the government’s high street lockdown ends, it has been reported.
Marks & Spencer [30 April]: Marks & Spencer has appointed two new non-executive directors to support the transformation “challenge” at the company.
Intu [30 April]: Shopping centre owner Intu could reportedly lose some of its key retail assets as early as June, as bondholders draw up plans to seize control.
Westfield [30 April]: Property firm Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has said the coronavirus pandemic only had a “limited effect” on revenue in the first three months of 2020, but warned the impact will be felt more deeply in the second quarter.
Adidas [30 April]: Adidas Group has warned that its second quarter sales and profits will be heavily impacted by the global coronavirus lockdowns.
Shoe Zone [30 April]: Shoe Zone has cancelled its final dividend for the year to 5 October as turnover for the six months to 31 March took a 3.4% hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
John Lewis [29 April]: The John Lewis Partnership is recruiting for the role of executive director at department store John Lewis and its sister supermarket, Waitrose, to build on its new management structure.
Next [29 April]: Next has warned sales have fallen faster and more steeply than previously expected during “unprecedented uncertainty” created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Hush [29 April]: Womenswear retailer Hush has received investment from private equity firm True, which will be used to support its expansion into new channels and markets.
Oasis & Warehouse Group [28 April]: Oasis and Warehouse Group chief executive Hash Ladha has stepped down as part of the company’s administration process, Drapers can reveal. Group chief product officer Paula Stewart also left the business at the time of administration.
Marks & Spencer [28 April]: Marks & Spencer has completed steps to secure liquidity for the likely duration of the Covid-19 crisis and to underpin its recovery strategy and accelerated transformation in 2021.
Sports Direct [27 April]: Sports Direct has written to suppliers demanding a 20% discount on outstanding invoices.
John Lewis [27 April]: John Lewis is reopening its Lancashire textiles factory to make clinical gowns for the NHS. The retailer also said it would take three to six week’s to reopen its 50-store chain once lockdown is lifted.
Atterley [27 April]: Online marketplace Atterley is launching a crowdfunding campaign having experienced year-on-year sales growth of 200% during the Covid-19 lockdown.
JD Sports [24 April]: To help cut costs, the group’s board and senior management team have agreed to voluntary salary reductions of at least 25% for the current period of disruption. Peter Cowgill, executive chairman, volunteered for a salary reduction of 75%.
Burberry [24 April]: Luxury brand Burberry says it has donated more than 100,000 pieces of PPE to date, after it transformed its trench coat factory in Castleford to manufacture the equipment for medical and care workers.
Marks & Spencer [24 April]: The retailer has committed to paying it’s clothing suppliers for the “vast majority” of orders.
Cath Kidston [23 April]: The retailer has agreed to pay three weeks of wages owed to staff who were made redundant when the business went into administration less than a week before pay day.
LK Bennett [23 April]: LK Bennett administrators have extended the company’s administration process for a further year, due to “property matters” and other remaining work that needs to be completed.
Studio Retail Group [23 April]: Online retail business Studio Retail Group, formerly called Findel, has accessed various credit facilities in a bid to protect the business amid the coronavirus.
Animal [23 April]: Surf-inspired fashion retailer Animal will reportedly cease to operate by next year, marking the latest blow to the sector amid the coronavirus crisis.
Primark [22 April]: Primark has endorsed the UN International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) calls for urgent support of global garment industry workers affected by coronavirus.
Laura Ashley [22 April]: Global advisory, restructuring and investment firm Gordon Brothers has rescued Laura Ashley from administration.
Boohoo Group [22 April]: Revenue and profits soared at Boohoo Group in the year to 29 February 2020, and the fast fashion giant said a strong balance sheet will help it weather the coronavirus pandemic.
Wolverine Worldwide [22 April]: US footwear group Wolverine World Wide has restructured its executive team, to help make the company “more nimble” during this period of economic disruption.
Harrogate Fashion Week [22 April]: The July edition of Harrogate Fashion Week is still expected to go ahead, despite ongoing coronavirus concerns.
Primark [22 April]: Primark will remain a bricks-and-mortar-only retailer despite the temporary shutdown of its entire global store portfolio due to coronavirus restrictions, John Bason, chief financial officer at the retailer’s owner, Associated British Foods, has told Drapers.
Mango [21 April]: Mango’s retail stores across mainland Europe are poised to reopen as countries begin to relax their lockdown restrictions. Over 600 stores are expected to be open by the end of April.
John Lewis [21 April]: Online sales at John Lewis have grown 84% year on year between the middle of March and 15 April, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Cath Kidston [21 April]: The retailer’s owner has bought the online, franchise and wholesale business of the brand, leaving its store estate facing permanent closure.
Joules [21 April]: Lifestyle retailer Joules has confirmed the successful completion of a £15m increase to its revolving credit facility (RCF), with Barclays Bank.
Primark [21 April]: Sales at Primark grew 2.2% for the 24 weeks to 29 February 2020, however the value retailer’s parent company Associated British Foods warned trading in the second half of the year would be “radically different” as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
French Connection [21 April]: The retailer has appointed wealth management and brokerage firm WH Ireland as its financial adviser and sole broker.
Vestiaire Collective [21 April]: Resale giant Vestiaire Collective has secured €59 million (£51m) in funding to help expand into Japan and Korea and develop its US shipping services.
Primark [20 April]: Primark has committed to paying for all product that was in production, finished and planned for handover by 17 April. This is an additional £370m of product, over the £1.5bn of stock already in stores, depot and transit.
Monsoon Accessorize [17 April]: Monsoon Accessorize has warned suppliers that it may have to cancel or reduce its autumn 20 orders as a result of the continued economic impact of coronavirus.
Bonmarché [17 April]: EWM Group is including a pandemic clause into new leases for Bonmarché stores, having rescued the retailer from administration.
LVMH [17 April]: LVMH’s fashion and leather goods division recorded a 14% drop in revenues to €4.6bn (£3.9bn) for the first quarter of 2020.
River Island [16 April]: River Island has announced that it has today started despatching online orders again, after temporarily closing operations amid the coronavirus.
Harpenne [16 April]: River Island Holdings-owned Harpenne has decidedly to permanently cease trading.
Debenhams [16 April]: Debenhams directors will commence a liquidation process on its Irish, Hong Kong and Bangladesh businesses today, after its UK arm collapsed into administration last week.
Zalando [16 April]: Zalando has introduced financial initiatives to support fashion brands and retailers during the coronavirus crisis, despite reporting a loss in the first quarter of 2020.
Oasis and Warehouse Group [15 April]: Oasis and Warehouse Group has appointed accountancy firm Deloitte as administrator, resulting in 202 redundancies.
Office [15 April]: Office has been put up for sale by its South African owners Truworths International.
Quiz [15 April]: Fast fashion retailer Quiz has reopened its online operations after boosting social distancing and safety measures for warehouse stock pickers.
Oasis and Warehouse Group [14 April]: The group is preparing to appoint accountancy firm Deloitte as administrator, putting 2,000 jobs at risk.
Next [14 April]: The retailer has re-opened its online operations after closing its distribution centre for more than two weeks due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. It reached its new self-imposed daily order limit by 8.30am.
John Lewis [14 April]: The department store has introduced virtual services including one-on-one personal styling video sessions.
Moss Bros [14 April]: Moss Bros has delayed the publication of its full-year results from late May until late July under the new temporary relief measures issued by the government.
Debenhams [9 April]: The struggling department store chain has appointed FRP Advisory as administrators.
Arcadia Group [9 April]: Arcadia is seeking to borrow up to £50m against its distribution centre.
Westfield [8 April]: Bosses at shopping centre owner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) will donate 25% of their pay to help support the fight against Covid-19.
H&M group [8 April]: H&M Group has signed a new 12-month revolving credit facility of €980 (£862m) to strengthen its financial position through the coronavirus crisis.
Asos [7 April]: Asos group sales dropped 20%-25% amid the coronavirus pandemic, after it achieved record interim profits. Asos said it is finalising discussions to secure a £60m to £80m 12-month extension to its RCF with covenant adjustments to ensure additional operational flexibility through the crisis.
Primark [6 April]: The retailer has introduced a temporary 20% reduction in pay for senior executives, and a temporary 10% reduction for the remainder of employees across its headquarters and office functions for the coming 12 weeks.
Reiss [6 April]: Reiss made the decision to close all of its stores in the UK, Republic of Ireland, US & Canada on the 20 March, immediately furloughing all of its retail team. From 1 April, 50% of the head office team have now also been furloughed, Drapers can reveal.
Debenhams [6 April]: Department store Debenhams has today filed a notice to appoint administrators.
TK Maxx [6 April]: TK Maxx has extended payment terms by 90 days.
Cath Kidston [5 April]: Cath Kidston has filed notice that it will appoint administrators amid the coronavirus outbreak, putting around 950 jobs at risk.
Schuh [3 April]: The footwear retailer reopened its website after temporarily shutting on 26 March.
Ted Baker [3 April]: Ted Baker has furloughed around 2,000 employees, including head office staff.
New Look [3 April]: New Look has written to suppliers to inform them it will be cancelling all orders and pushing back payment terms “indefinitely”.
Shoe Zone [3 April]: Footwear retailer Shoe Zone has announced plans to cancel dividend payments.
Lululemon [3 April]: Canadian activewear giant Lululemon has cut senior leadership team salaries by 20% for the next three months, while its board of directors will “forgo their cash retainer”.
Debenhams [3 April]: Debenhams is preparing to file a notice of intention to appoint administrators as early as next week, as it continues to struggle amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Primark [3 April]: Top bosses at Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) will temporarily cut their salaries by 50%, and will not receive dividends for the current financial year.
Arcadia Group [2 April]: Arcadia Group has furloughed nearly all head office employees across the group, and the board and senior leadership team will take a salary reduction of between 25%-50% amid the coronavirus crisis.
Splash Paris [2 April]: The organisers of Splash Paris have been forced to postpone the premium resortwear trade show, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Asos [2 April]: Etailer Asos has informed almost all employees on fixed-term contracts that it will be ending their agreements early, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Next [2 April]: Next is seeking buyers for its headquarters and three warehouses as part of a mitigation strategy to shore up its balance sheet against the effects of a fall in trade.
UK businesses [2 April]: Nearly half of all UK businesses (44%) will furlough at least half of their workforce over the next week, The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) have warned. Meanwhile, chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly preparing to overhaul the emergency aid scheme for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), to help prevent a deluge of coronavirus-related insolvencies.
JD Williams [2 April]: N Brown Group brand JD Williams has cancelled spring 20 orders with some suppliers as the coronavirus epidemic continues to affect the retail industry.
JD Sports [1 April]: JD Sports has witheld rent and service charges for the quarter, amid warnings that the coronavirus crisis will have a “significant impact” on its outlook.
Asos [1 April]: Asos has denied claims from union GMB that its warehouse in Grimethorpe, Barnsley, is unsafe for workers under new coronavirus public health guidelines.
Marks & Spencer [1 April]: Marks & Spencer has offered its frontline team “an additional 15% additional pay reward”, and confirmed furloughed colleagues will receive full pay to protect them financially from the coronavirus outbreak.
Next [1 April]: Credit rating agency Moody’s has downgraded Next’s status from stable to under review as there is ”no certainty at this stage as to how long store closures persist.”
Anthropologie [1 April]: URBN, the owner of Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters has taken a number of steps to protect its cash reserves, including borrowing £177m and suspending hiring and bonuses.
Moda [31 March]: UK footwear trade show Moda has pushed back the date for the spring season show to September, in response to the rapid spread of Covid-19.
Debenhams [31 March]: Debenhams is deferring all historic concession balances for 30 days, in a bid to mitigate the government’s “mandated” shut down of its store estate.
Matalan [31 March]: Matalan has offered all warehouse workers the option to be placed on furlough, after coming under fire for its health and safety conditions amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Monsoon [31 March]: Monsoon Accessorize is considering a sale of the business as a result of the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak.
Zalando [31 March]: Zalando has warned revenue and gross merchandise value growth in the first quarter will fall below analyst’s expectations as consumers rein in spending during the coronavirus pandemic.
Oasis and Warehouse Group [31 March]: The Oasis and Warehouse Group has informed suppliers that it will be delaying payment terms, in an attempt to protect the business during the coronavirus outbreak.
Retail Trust [30 March]: Retail Trust, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Retail Week and World Retail Congress (RWRC) and have joined forces to raise £10m for retail colleagues who are facing financial distress as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hammerson [30 March]: As of the end of last week, shopping centre owner Hammerson received 37% of UK rent billed for the second quarter ending 25 March.
Men’s Fashion Weeks [30 March]: Men’s summer fashion weeks in Paris, Milan and London have been cancelled or postponed due to the ongoing social distancing measures enforced across Europe in an attempt to quell the spread of coronavirus.
Save the High Street [30 March]: Campaign group Save The High Street has launched a 12-week Covid-19 support programme, designed to help local businesses survive the ongoing health and economic crisis.
Mothercare [30 March]: Mothercare has announced there has ”inevitably been some delays” with its UK franchise deal with Boots due to coronavirus.
Urban Outfitters [30 March]: Urban Outfitters has written to suppliers informing them that it can no longer accept delivery of goods on purchase orders, and will cancel all undelivered orders, in a bid to protect the business during the coronavirus outbreak.
Zalando [30 March]: Zalando is keeping its warehouse and distribution centres open through the coronavirus crisis, while adhering to new government guidelines.
Arcadia Group [30 March]: Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group has written to suppliers to inform them that it will be cancelling all orders and extending payment terms, in a bid to protect the business during the coronavirus outbreak. It is also planning to defer a series of contributions into its pension scheme in a bid to conserve cash through the coronavirus crisis.
Footasylum [27 March]: Footasylum has approached landlords to request a three-month rent holiday for the third quarter from 25 June.
Net-a-porter [27 March]: The online retailer has halted online trading.
TK Maxx [27 March]: TK Maxx has suspended all online orders.
BFC [27 March]: The British Fashion Council has announced £1m in support to help fashion businesses survive the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Applications from womenswear, menswear and accessories businesses are open until 10 April.
Next [27 March]: Next has announced the temporary closure of its website, warehouse and distribution operations.
The Outnet [27 March]: The luxury online retailer has announced the temporary closure of its warehouses.
Jack Wills [26 March]: Frasers Group has announced the immediate closure of a further 17 Jack Wills stores, bringing the total number of store closures announced over the last week to 22.
River Island [26 March]: River Island has announced that it will be temporarily closing its distribution centre in Milton Keynes, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Moss Bros [26 March]: The menswear retailer has temporarily ceased trading online as a safety precaution to staff. It had shut its 128 stores on Friday 20th March.
Primark [25 March]: Primark is withholding quarterly rent payments, due today, on its leasehold properties in the UK in a bid to prompt ”urgent” conversations with landlords over ongoing rental terms.
Asos [25 March]: Asos has paused several incoming deliveries from suppliers and third-party brands as it makes adjustments to manage its stock throughout the coronavirus uncertainty.
Arcadia Group [25 March]: Arcadia Group has written to employees on fixed-term contracts to inform them that it will be ending their agreements early.
Matalan [25 March]: Matalan has asked landlords for a three-month rent break to mitigate the economic impact of coronavirus.
Fenwick [25 March]: Department store chain Fenwick is temporarily halting its online operation, as orders are picked in its stores.
Kingpins [25 March]: Denim trade show Kingpins Amsterdam has announced it is going online, after it cancelled its next edition in April amid health concerns and travel restrictions linked to the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Intu [25 March]: Shopping centre owner Intu is set to slash service charges for tenants in the second half of 2020, to help ease the burden on retailers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cadogan [25 March]: Chelsea and Kensington landlord Cadogan has deferred rent payments over the next three months for its smaller retail businesses. It has also donated £50,000 to the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation which raises funds for local projects to support vulnerable residents.
New Look [24 March]: New Look has requested a three-month rent holiday from landlords, alongside other immediate actions to mitigate the economic impact of coronavirus.
Oasis and Warehouse [24 March]: The Oasis and Warehouse Group has appointed “Big Four” auditor Deloitte to help conduct a potential sale of the business, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Frasers Group [24 March]: Frasers Group has U-turned on an announcement that Sports Direct and Evans Cycles stores were to stay open during the UK’s new lockdown measures, and will now not open stores until it receives the “go-ahead” from the government.
Mulberry [24 March]: British luxury brand Mulberry has become the latest brand to warn on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, announcing that it anticipates making a small loss in the second half of the year ending 28 March 2020.
All fashion stores to close [23 March]: Prime minister Boris Johnson has ordered the immediate closure of all fashion retailers as part of new measures to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Next [23 March]: Next is the latest retailer to temporarily close all of its stores until further notice, as a result of the coronavirus. The stores will be closed from 6pm on Monday 23 March.
Debenhams [23 March]: The department store chain has temporarily closed all of its UK and Republic of Ireland stores. It comes as the company continues to engage with landlords asking them to consider further rent cuts and store closures as part of its ongoing company voluntary arrangement (CVA),
Frasers Group [23 March]: The Mike Ashley-owned group has suspended its share buyback scheme with immediate effect.
John Smedley [23 March]: As of today, John Smedley has closed its three London stores on Jermyn Street, Brook Street and New Cavendish Street. The decision to re-open will be reassessed daily.
Crew Clothing [22 March]: Crew has closed all of its 82 stores in the UK until it is safe to reopen them. The brand, however, will accept returns on purchases made before the closures when their stores re-open.
Primark [22 March]: On Sunday of all stores in the UK which represented 41% of sales, all 376 stores in 12 countries are now closed until further notice. This represents a loss of some £650m of net sales per month.
Primark [21 March]: Primark has written to suppliers urging them to put a halt on all current and future production and the purchasing of any materials for the retailer.
Kurt Geiger [21 March]: Its 55 shoe store across the UK and Ireland stopped trading on Saturday.
New Look [21 March]: New Look has made the decision to temporarily close all of its 480 stores in the UK from 5:00pm today. All the 28 stores in the Republic of Ireland were temporarily closed from 5:00pm on Friday 20 March. Newlook.com is open as usual and deliveries and Collect+ locations remain available. The company has offered its 13,000-strong workforce the option of unpaid voluntary leave, voluntary reduced hours or the chance to use their holiday allowance for the foreseeable future. Drapers can reveal that it has also halted production.
River Island [21 March]: All of its clothing stores across the UK and Ireland are closed until further notice.
John Lewis [21 March]: The John Lewis Partnership has announced that it will temporarily close all of its 50 stores on Monday 23 March for the first time in its 155-year history, as a result of the coronavirus.
H&M Group [21 March]: The group has today decided to temporarily close its stores across the UK. The retailer is currently offering standard delivery and free and flexible returns on all hm.com orders. The returns policy has been extended to 100 days.
Hobbs [21 March]: The womenswear retailer has closed all of its stores from today, until further notice. Shoppers can still order products on the website.
& Other Stories [21 March]: As of today, the company has decided to close all UK stores. Store staff will receive a further two weeks of pay and benefits. The online store will continue as usual, with an extended return policy of 100 days.
Gant [21 March]: From today Gant has closed its stores in the UK until further notice. The online store remains open and is offering free delivery and returns. The return period has been extended to 60 days.
Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group [20 March]: Around 100 employees across the head office and business functions, including those who had received job offers at the company, have been let go. The company has also introduced a temporary ban on further recruitment. Elsewhere, EWM Group has also warned remaining staff that it could reduce salaries by up to 50% for over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the retailer will close stores from Sunday 22 March until further notice.
Adidas [20 March]: The sportswear retailer has closed all its stores through March. Customers can still purchase products on the website and via the app.
Mint Velvet [20 March]: All of its stores inside the M25 are closed until Easter. All of the other stores will close tomorrow evening until Easter.
Graduate Fashion Week [20 March]: Following a trustee meeting today, where the options of postponement, curtailment, event redesign and a combination of all of the above were discussed and based on the evolving guidance from the World Health Organisation, national government and health agencies, organisers have decided that the GFW event “could not possibly go ahead”. It will be launching a series of activities to showcase students’ work, with more information on this to follow.
The White Company [20 March]: The retailer has decided to temporarily close all The White Company stores from the end-of-day Saturday 21st March. The online store will remain open. The company has its own warehouse in Northampton, and it has put in place strict safety measures to ensure that the team stay safe at work.
Clarks [20 March]: Clarks has temporarily closed its stores in the UK and US. All of its store employees will receive pay and benefits during this time. Customers can continue to shop online.
Charles Tyrwhitt [20 March]: Menswear retailer Charles Tyrwhitt has temporarily closed its 12 USA stores and 29 UK stores. It’s ecommerce site remains open.
Arcadia [20 March]: Arcadia has closed all stores across the UK and Ireland. A spokesman for the fashion retail group, which owns chains including Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Evans and Burton, said store staff ”have not been made redundant”, but the business said it would continue to “review the situation”. It stated that all store staff will be paid their normal pay for March plus any outstanding overtime payments.
Gap [20 March]: Starting tomorrow, Gap will be closing all UK stores for the next two weeks. It said it will ensure that impacted employees are supported with continued pay during this time.
Ted Baker [20 March]: The retailer has only closed some stores but says that more will follow “inevitably.” It stated that trading hours have been adapted, it has increased hygiene precautions and has switched to cashless payment systems to avoid contamination. The returns policy has been increased from 14 to 40 days and has stopped Click and Collect options.
Harrods [20 March]: The luxury department store will close at 7pm on Friday 20 March, with its Food Halls and pharmacy left open. Its website will stay operational.
River Island [20 March]: River Island is closing stores but offering free home delivery and Click and Collect to local parcel shops on orders over £40, with a £1 fee for those under.
Prada [20 March]: Italian luxury giant Prada Group has warned that the coronavirus outbreak has “interrupted” growth.
H&M [19 March]: H&M has extended its returns policy from 28 days to 100 days both in store and online. Stores in the UK are not yet closed, but the retailer has announced closures in the US, Canada and Germany. The H&M Foundation has donated $500,000 to the World Health Organization.
Dune [19 March]: The footwear retailer has closed all stores until further notice, announcing in a statement on Instagram: “We must pull together and act responsibly if we are to navigate the coming weeks and months effectively.”
Warehouse [19 March]: Warehouse stores will close from the end of the day on Friday 20 March. The website remains open and Warehouse has updated delivery options to offer contact-free delivery to those self-isolating. Head office staff at the womenswear retailer are working remotely.
Marks & Spencer [19 March]: M&S has introduced dedicated shopping hours for NHS workers and vulnerable shoppers. It will reserve the first hour of trading for them at all of its owned stores. The first will take place tomorrow on Friday 20 March, and after this, on every Monday and Thursday. In addition, M&S is also introducing a special shopping hour to support NHS and emergency service workers – and this will take place for the first hour each Tuesday and Friday morning.
Timberland [19 March]: The retailer has made the decision to temporarily close all of its stores. In the meantime, customers can shop online with free shipping.
Reiss [19 March]: The premium retailer will close its stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland from Friday 20 March until the end of March, with a view to extending or reducing this timeframe in accordance with advice from health authorities. The website will continue to operate with the brand saying that precuationary measures have been put in place in its warehouses.
Dover Street Market [19 March]: Dover Street Market has closed temporarily with the view to re-open on 28 March if it is safe to do so. The businesses online store remains open and is delivering orders as usual.
Next [19 March]: Next has implemented a stress test for if its sales dip below £1bn amid the coronavirus outbreak. The retailer said it has ”reasonable expectation” that the group has adequate resources to continue its operations for the foreseeable future. Lord Wolfson has also outlined a business continuity plan.
Fenwick [19 March]: The department store chain has announced the closure of all of its stores from 6pm on 19 March until further notice. The company said it will continue to run its digital and social channels, including its online store, “for as long as it can”.
Joules [19 March]: Joules has said it is taking “prudent” actions to manage the near term challenges whilst ensuring the business remains well positioned to deliver its long term growth plans. These actions include removing cost and non-critical capex from the business. It has also decided to cancel the proposed interim dividend, saving £0.7m of cash.
Burberry [19 March]: Burberry’s chief executive Marco Gobbetti has warned the material negative effect of Covid-19 on luxury demand has ”intensified”, forcing more global store closures. Burberry is now implementing mitigating actions to contain costs and protect its financial position, including renegotiating rents, restricting travel and reducing discretionary spending.
Brown Thomas [18 March]: The company has taken the decision to close all of its Brown Thomas and BT2 stores in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Galway from 5pm on 18 March. It remains operational at Brownthomas.com and via its app.
House of CB [18 March]: The company has announced that it will be closing stores from 19 March to 2 April. Its staff will be paid during this time, and it is still working as normal from HouseofCB.com.
John Lewis [18 March]: All shops remain open and the company said it “currently has no plans to close any”. At the moment stores are operating their normal opening hours, but this may be subject to change. Currently all click & collect locations are open, and customers can make online deliveries.
Marks & Spencer [18 March]: The retailer’s stores, support centres, warehouses and supply chain remain functioning. Colleagues across the stores and supply chain have been provided with additional hygiene products to use, and extra cleaning is taking place. Colleagues from the clothing and home team will be joining the food teams so it can continue during increased demand.
Beales [18 March]: The department store has accelerated the permanent closure of all of its 23 stores by two weeks to 19 March. Beales collapsed into administration in January and announced the closure of all of its stores last month.
Calvin Klein [18 March]: The company has decided to temporarily close all Calvin Klein stores across Europe, the US and Canada beginning 17 March through to 29 March. All associates from these store locations will receive pay and benefits for their scheduled hours during this temporary closure. The website remains functioning.
Inditex [18 March]: As of 17 March, the Zara-owner had temporarily closed 3,785 stores in 39 markets. Store and online sales in local currencies across the group decreased by 4.9% between 1 February and 16 March 2020, amid the outbreak.
Superdry [18 March]: The brand has asked landlords for rent relief as footfall fell by 25% week on week in the UK and the US. It said that it does not expect online sales to offset the decline and is taking measures to preserve cash.
Selfridges [18 March]: Department store Selfridges announced the closure of its UK stores from 7pm on Wednesday 18 March due to the spread of coronavirus. It had previously reduced opening hours across the branches in London, Birmingham and Manchester.
Grenson Shoes [17 March]: Has decided to reduce prices by 20% at grenson.com for the next two weeks to keep things moving. This is the brand’s first ever mid-season sale. The company is monitoring UK Government advice on a daily basis and will change its policy very quickly where required. For the time being stores remain open on reduced hours: 11am – 4pm.
Columbia Sportswear [17 March]: The retailer has temporarily closed all Columbia-owned and operated European retail stores until further notice.
Bicester Village [17 March]: Bicester Village has closed stores across the outlet centre, including New Balance, Lululemon, Ugg and Timberland.
Nasty Gal [17 March]: The etailer announced that it is running operations as usual.
Hobbs [17 March]: Hobbs stores are currently open, but the retailer will not be holding any in-store events.
Matchesfashion [17 March]: Matchesfashion has closed its retail stores in London for “the forseeable future”. Private appointments are still being offered at the Mayfair townhouse, 5 Carlos Place.
Sweaty Betty [17 March]: The retailer has closed all of its UK stores for the next two weeks [from 17 March]. Sweaty Betty’s online store will remain open, with customers now offered free delivery on all orders. The business has assured that store teams will be given paid time off during this period.
My Wardrobe HQ [17 March]: The company’s South Kensington, London store will close at the end of this week. Styling and wardrobe-uploading appointments will be made online.
Amazon [17 March]: Etail giant Amazon has told its global workforce to work from home for the remainder of March. Staff who are able to work remotely have been advised to do so for the next two weeks.
Boden [17 March]: The lifestyle retailer announced it will shutter stores from 17 March and the decision will be reviewed on 27 March.
Debenhams [17 March]: Debenhams has asked landlords for a five-month rent holiday, starting immediately [17 March], as it struggles to deal with the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
H&M [17 March]: H&M group is temporarily closing all of its stores in Germany from 18 March. In addition, the group is also closing all its stores for two weeks in the US, Canada, Portugal and Belgium from 17 March. It has also asked landlords for rent relief during this “extraordinary period” to manage the disruption of Covid-19 coronavirus on the business [17 March]. It’s sales were impacted in the second half of the quarter due to coronavirus.
Jigsaw [17 March]: Jigsaw stores are currently open, and the company said it is ”reviewing this”. It will only be accepting card payments. In addition, the retailer has cancelled all store events to minimise the number of people in stores at one time. Jigsaw’s website is up and running, and it is offering free delivery on all web orders.
Laura Ashley [17 March]: The retailer has filed a notice to appoint advisory firm PwC as administrators after failing to secure an emergency funding lifeline amid coronavirus trading concerns. Despite announcing that it was in “advanced discussions” with a third-party lender to provide £15m investment, Laura Ashley has now said it will be unable to secure the funding “in a timely manner sufficient to support working capital requirements”.
Reiss [17 March]: Reiss’s private equity owner Warburg Pincus has delayed a potential sale of the fashion chain because of the coronavirus outbreak, Drapers understands.
Shoe Zone [17 March]: The footwear retailer is planning to cancel its final dividend payment, after witnessing a drop in footfall as a result of the pandemic.
Primark [16 March]: As a result of the ongoing spread of coronavirus across mainland Europe, the value retailer has had to close stores in France, Spain and Austria, accounting for 20% of its selling space and 30% of its sales.
Urban Outfitters [16 March]: Urban Outfitters announced on 16 March that all stores will close until further notice via its Instagram.
Anthropologie [16 March]: On 16 March Anthropologie closed all of its global stores until at least 28 March.
Make it British [13 March]: UK manufacturing trade show Make it British Live has been postponed until further notice. The show was due to take place on 17 March at the Business Design Centre in London.
Kingpins [10 March]: Denim supply chain trade show Kingpins Amsterdam has cancelled its April edition amid health concerns and travel restrictions linked to the Covid-19 coronavirus. The show which was supposed to run from 22 – 23 April in the new SugarCity location.
