SWL's Retail Radar - 20/11/24

Retail Radar, from SWL, provides you with a snapshot of the latest retail news from the UK and around the globe. These narratives highlight key events, emerging trends, and notable advancements, providing a deep dive into the dynamic retail landscape.

Dunelm completes the acquisition of Irish soft furnishings retailer Home Focus

The homeware retailer Dunelm has completed the acquisition of Home Focus at Hickeys , a soft furnishings specialist based in Ireland. Operating under the Home Focus at Hickeys brand, the company has 13 stores across Ireland, focusing on key home categories such as curtains and bedding.

Home Focus also maintains an online presence, offering home delivery services alongside a convenient Click & Reserve option that allows customers to collect their purchases in-store.

Dunelm highlighted that this acquisition marks its entry into the Irish market, providing a solid network of stores across the country. With Home Focus’ smaller retail spaces, each under 10,000 square feet, Dunelm aims to expand its customer base in a new geographic region.

The company plans to enhance Home Focus’ product range to align with its smaller-format stores in the UK, while also strengthening the online offering for Irish customers.

Nick Wilkinson, Dunelm’s Chief Executive, described Home Focus as a complementary business with a strong reputation in home textiles and shared family-oriented values. He emphasised the potential to expand customer choice and value through this partnership, leveraging areas of mutual expertise, such as custom-made services, to drive growth.

Home Focus’ stores include six locations in Dublin, with additional branches in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kerry, Waterford, Wexford, and Kilkenny. The business is supported by its Head Office and warehouse operations in Dublin. The acquisition will result in 140 Home Focus employees joining Dunelm’s workforce.

Wilkinson expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting Dunelm’s commitment to supporting colleague development, creating new job opportunities, and contributing to the local communities served by Home Focus.

SEPHORA plans to launch 20 new stores across the UK as part of its expansion strategy

SEPHORA is gearing up for a significant expansion in the UK, with plans to establish 20 new stores as part of its growing focus on physical retail.

Guillaume Motte , the company’s CEO, has expressed a strong commitment to doubling Sephora’s presence in Britain. This strategy will involve not only opening new stores but also enhancing its online offerings to better cater to UK customers.

Motte revealed that the brand aims to reach the 20-store milestone within the next two to three years. He mentioned that the current retail environment in the UK presents favourable conditions for the brand to succeed, marking a renewed confidence in Sephora’s potential within the market.

Having re-entered the UK last year, SEPHORA already operates six stores across the country. The retailer recently confirmed its next location, a 6,727-square-foot store set to open in Liverpool One in the spring. The store will feature Sephora’s own-brand range alongside a curated selection of popular labels, including Rare Beauty, Makeup by Mario, Haus Labs by Lady Gaga, and GXVE by Gwen Stefani.

This ambitious rollout reflects SEPHORA’s belief in its ability to thrive within the UK’s competitive beauty retail sector, leveraging both physical and digital channels to strengthen its foothold.

Asda partners with Amazon to offer parcel collection and return service

Asda and Amazon have joined forces to launch a new service, allowing customers to collect parcels and return items without the need for labels or additional packaging at over 700 Asda stores.

This partnership enables eligible Amazon orders to be picked up at most Asda locations across the UK, with plans to expand the service to even more sites in the coming months.

The initiative aims to enhance convenience by combining parcel collection and returns with grocery shopping, offering customers the chance to streamline their errands into a single trip. Additionally, the scheme minimises the need for extra packaging by allowing items to be returned in their original manufacturer’s wrapping.

Chris Hall , Asda’s Vice President of Logistics, highlighted the importance of adapting to customer needs, particularly during the busy Christmas period. He noted that this collaboration not only benefits Asda’s larger stores but also extends to its growing Express convenience outlets, making essential services more accessible to local communities.

John Boumphrey , Amazon’s UK Country Manager, emphasised that the partnership aligns with Amazon’s mission to provide affordable prices, swift delivery, and straightforward returns. By integrating these services into Asda’s network, customers can collect orders or return items with greater ease at hundreds of convenient locations.

The launch is part of Asda’s broader efforts to expand its convenience offering. Earlier this year, the supermarket appointed Chris Walker as Managing Director of its Express division, signalling its commitment to increasing the number of smaller-format stores across the country.

Deliveroo teams up with HURR to offer a 20-minute on-demand dress rental service

Deliveroo has partnered with HURR to introduce a unique service, delivering luxury rental designer dresses straight to customers’ doors in as little as 20 minutes.

Launched just in time for the festive season, this innovative collaboration allows Deliveroo users in central London to rent high-end fashion pieces directly through the app. Customers can choose from a carefully curated selection of over 50 premium dresses from renowned brands, including 16 Arlington, Santa Brands, Self-Portrait, Nadine Merabi, and Rixo.

This initiative is set to revolutionise sustainable fashion, offering a faster and more convenient way for shoppers to access pre-loved designer items. Previously, Hurr customers relied on a 24-hour delivery service for their rentals, but this new partnership significantly reduces waiting times.

Deliveroo’s Chief Operating Officer, Eric French , stated that this move marks a ground-breaking moment in the fashion rental market, combining accessibility, luxury, and speed. The collaboration is Deliveroo’s first venture into the fashion sector and forms part of its broader efforts to diversify its shopping options.

Victoria Prew 🔊 , founder of HURR, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, emphasising its focus on customer convenience. With this service, shoppers can receive their chosen party outfits faster than traditional fast fashion delivery, whether for last-minute plans or pre-organised events.

This partnership underscores a shared commitment to providing sustainable and stylish solutions with unparalleled ease and efficiency.

M&S rolls out its beauty takeback scheme to a total of 100 stores

Marks and Spencer has significantly expanded its Beauty Takeback Scheme, doubling its reach by adding the initiative to 60 more locations, bringing the total number of participating stores to 100. This move aims to make the programme more accessible to customers nationwide.

New collection points have been introduced in key locations such as Birmingham Bullring, Cardiff, and Inverness, making it easier for customers to participate.

First launched in June 2023 as part of the retailer’s Plan A commitment to achieving Net Zero, the scheme enables customers to recycle various types of beauty packaging, including plastic and aluminium bottles, tubes, caps, pumps, and tubs. Packaging from any brand can be dropped off at designated boxes located in the beauty sections of M&S stores.

Since its introduction, the scheme has processed over 1.6 tonnes of beauty waste, diverting materials that might otherwise have ended up in landfill.

Katharine Beacham , Head of Sustainability for Clothing & Home at M&S, emphasised the company’s dedication to promoting a circular economy. She noted that the Beauty Takeback Scheme has been warmly received by customers, offering them a straightforward way to recycle their beauty packaging. By expanding the scheme to more stores, M&S is making it easier for customers across the UK to ensure their empty packaging is repurposed responsibly.

ARKET is set to open its first store in Norway

ARKET is set to open its first store in Norway in 2025, marking the latest step in its global expansion. The flagship location in Oslo will showcase the brand’s signature ready-to-wear collections and accessories for women, men, and children, alongside a curated selection of home essentials.

The store will also include an ARKET café, designed in collaboration with renowned Swedish chef Martin Berg. The café will serve a menu of seasonal vegetarian dishes, freshly baked pastries, and speciality coffee, adding a distinct culinary experience to the shopping destination.

Pernilla Wohlfahrt , ARKET’s Managing Director, expressed excitement about the upcoming launch, highlighting it as an opportunity to connect with Norwegian customers and share the brand’s vision of creating beauty and simplicity in everyday life.

This announcement follows ARKET’s recent expansion into Italy and Spain earlier this year, with new stores opening in Milan and Barcelona, further establishing the brand’s presence in key international markets.

AllSaints advances its global growth with new store launches and a pop-up in New York

AllSaints is accelerating its global growth with the introduction of new stores across the UK, US, Europe, and Asia.

This expansion includes the recent debut of a 5,300-square-foot pop-up shop in New York’s SoHo on 1 November, alongside a 2,538-square-foot store that opened last month in Belmont Park Village.

Peter Wood , Chief Executive of AllSaints, highlighted the collaborative effort behind the SoHo pop-up, which reflects the brand’s commitment to offering customers multiple ways to experience its collections. He also expressed enthusiasm for the holiday season and shared optimism about the brand’s ambitious plans for 2025.

In Asia, AllSaints has opened its first Chinese outlet store in Shanghai Village, conveniently located near Shanghai Disney Resort and Pudong Airport. This new location brings the brand’s total presence in Shanghai to three stores.

In Europe, AllSaints has expanded its footprint with a new store at Outletcity Metzingen, one of the continent’s largest shopping destinations.

Closer to home, the brand will soon launch a store on Brompton Road in London on 22 November and has recently welcomed customers to its new Liverpool location at the Liverpool ONE shopping centre.

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