MBS Intelligence
Retail

The resale revolution: we’re seeing the rise of second-hand…
I was recently in the market for a new mobile phone. As I was considering my options, I couldn’t help but notice the advertisements pasted around London touting the environmental and financial perks of buying a...

“It’s not just about us: it’s about the people…
I spend my days interviewing candidates. As you can imagine, I have my standard questions to really get under the skin of a candidate. What have they actually personally achieved in each role? How robust is their early...

On-demand grocery delivery: is this the next retail revolution?
If you live in a city in the UK, you’ll have grown used to seeing Uber Eats and Deliveroo riders weaving through traffic delivering hot meals to customers at home. Online delivery, in all its forms, has boomed over...

In for a penny… In conversation with Pennies CEO,…
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of catching up with Alison Hutchinson CBE, chief executive of Pennies. Even if you haven’t heard of Pennies yet, there’s a good chance you’ll have used its platform – the...

Amazon Fresh stores: already stale?
This has been an exciting week in Primrose Hill! Just down the road, in Chalk Farm, a new Amazon Fresh store has opened its doors, giving customers – and those of us at MBS visiting our offices – the chance to...

The evolution of shops: what’s next for retail?
This week, finally, non-essential retail shops reopened across England. But for many high streets and shopping malls, it is certainly not business as usual. I grew up near Watford, not far from what was then known as...

Diversity and inclusion in UK retail: where are we…
The retail sector needs to do more to drive up female and ethnic minority representation in the most senior positions. In this first-of-its-kind report, produced in partnership with British Retail Consortium and PwC UK,...

Vertical Integration: back to the future?
Going back several decades, many retailers across apparel, food, footwear, health, beauty and home owned their own production facilities. In many cases, manufacturing prowess preceded retail stores: shops were simply...

“Determined commerciality and generosity of spirit”: in conversation with…
Every year in December I make my annual trip ‘home’ to Cape Town. It is something that I have done for the past 30 years, and this year was no different. But, no sooner had I arrived than the country went into...
Latest Retail News
Walmart plans to expand drone delivery to six more states Walmart is expanding its own investment as it plans to extend its partnership with DroneUp to include 34 sites across six states. The planned rollout is set to be completed by the end of the year. Read more.
Mountain Warehouse launches its own online marketplace Mountain Warehouse has launched its own online marketplace acting as a one-stop-shop for all outdoor clothing and equipment as it looks to give customers access to a wider choice of brands. Read more.
Mamas & Papas reports strong sales growth UK high street kidswear and nursery brand Mamas & Papas is recovering from the pandemic and reported a 36% increase in year-on-year sales, boosted by more openings, new product launches and its enhanced online presence. Read more.
Superdrug links with Jack Monroe to help shoppers UK health & beauty retailer Superdrug has launched its Shop Smart campaign in partnership with poverty campaigner and activist Jack Monroe, to help customers navigate the growing cost of living crisis. Read more.
Kingfisher reports a 5% decrease in Q1 sales The retailer has reported that like-for-like sales across the group fell 5.4% in the first quarter, as it came up against a tough comparative period. Despite this, the company expects positive full-year profits of £770m. Read more.
THG rejects £2bn bid takeover offer The Hut Group (THG) has turned down a £2bn takeover offer from two investment companies, Belerion Capital Group Limited and King Street Capital Management. Read more.
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