MBS Intelligence
Retail

Carrefour: a new sheriff in town?
In the 2000s, the global retail CEO community was dominated by alumni of ASDA and Walmart. In the 2010s, this nexus of power shifted to a generation of retail CEOs who trained at Tesco in its heyday. Now, in the past...

Franchising Folly?
Brands in the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry – together with adjacent sectors such as coffee and convenience retail – have in recent years transitioned to structures that allow, in some cases, for the...

How M&S have spearheaded the Say Pants to the…
Over the past two weeks, the retail industry has rallied together in support of M&S’ Say Pants to the Tax Campaign, which calls on the Government to slash VAT on period pants. In 2021, the Government made the...

A visit to Amsterdam’s Duikelman kitchen shop
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love stores! One of my favourite ways to explore a new city is through its shops. I always wander through the supermarkets, and in the past I made sure to visit local department...

D&I activity is not yet translating into meaningful change…
Only a few short years ago, it was very hard to engage most retail leaders in diversity and inclusion: D&I simply wasn’t top of the corporate agenda. Few businesses had D&I strategies, there was poor data on...

Tracking progress on diversity and inclusion in UK retail…
Tracking progress on diversity and inclusion in UK retail 2023, produced in partnership with BRC, measures how diverse and inclusive businesses in UK retail are. Our report draws on MBS research – which encompasses...

Going Dutch: is The Netherlands’ retail sector still a…
The movement of executive talent from country to country is a common feature of the global retail sector. Every year, we see senior executives relocate to lead businesses in new markets, and such placements are normally...

Reflections from South Africa II: Walking in the footsteps…
For a lumbering, gentle giant, Alan Browde is a man in a hurry with one mission in life: to end hunger in South Africa. Before we even begin the interview, he launches straight in, telling me that he doesn’t have a...

Reflections from South Africa part I: Delighting, differentiating, and…
The summer season of 2022/2023 in Cape Town has been a remarkable one. Post-Covid, tourists are back in droves, restaurants, beaches, hotels and stores are full, there is a vibrant atmosphere in the city and the...
Latest Retail News
Frasers pulls out of SportScheck acquisition deal The FTSE 100 retail giant has pulled out of a deal to buy Germany’s SportScheck from Signa Holding, due to Signa filing for insolvency. Frasers has said it hopes to acquire SportScheck out of administration at a later date. Read more.
Lidl predicts ‘record-breaking Christmas’ The discounter has said it expects to see its best-ever Christmas period, with footfall to stores jumping 11% in the past six weeks. Lidl has said that it has sold two mince pies every second since September, as customers stock up for Christmas early. Read more.
Jollyes records best-ever first half performance The petcare retailer has seen its strongest-ever first half trading performance in the the six months to 27 November. Like-for-like sales rose 19% while total sales surged 31% to £70m. Read more.
Ikea owner Ingka Group reports flat sales and profit Ingka Group has reported operating profit of €2bn for its last financial year, compared with €2.04m the year prior. The business has said that it will be focusing on further price cuts to boost sales. Read more.
Foot Locker revises annual profit guidance on strong holiday sales Foot Locker now expects annual comparable sales to be down 8.5% to 9%, compared with 9% to 10% previously predicted. The retailer has said that more than 200 million shoppers bought items over the Thanksgiving weekend, driven by steep discounts. Read more.
Pets at Home to launch new app and website The specialist retailer has announced plans to upgrade its app and website, in a move that will represent a "step change" to its omnichannel credentials. Read more.
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