In a shock move, Debenhams CEO Stefaan Vansteenkiste is reportedly planning on stepping down from his position within months.

According to Sky News, Vansteenkiste had always been considered a temporary chief, stepping in at the end of the summer to support the company's financial restructuring. Now that the company's CVA with creditors cannot be challenged anymore, the group is free to proceed with the final phase of its debt restructuring.

Debenhams' new owners have reportedly appointed headhunter Spencer Stuart to lead the search for a successor. The company now wants someone who knows retailing inside out and can take the firm forward in the most challenging period for retail in decades.

John Lewis & Partners is launching its first product-focused TV campaign outside the key Christmas and clearance periods, including its beauty range for the first time. Under the theme "Spring: we'll help you style it", the ads feature more than 200 products from the department store's beauty, fashion and home collections.

It launches on the UK's key commercial TV channel, ITV, and runs through the important Mother's Day and Easter periods, ending on April 26. It is accompanied by digital material on the department store chain's website, on its social media channels, out-of-home, plus print, email, and visual merchandising in its stores and store windows.

The work is also supported by John Lewis' internal social programme, #WeArePartners, which involves 500 of its partners promoting products via their own social channels.

Video: John Lewis's first spring TV campaign

20.03.2020: As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to increase across the UK, luxury department stores ha    ve announced temporary closures and reduced trading hours. Selfridges closed its doors after three members of staff revealed they had contracted the virus while Fenwick said all stores will temporarily close to the public from 6pm on 19 March 'until further notice'. Harvey Nichols is also shutting all stores and restaurants in the UK and Ireland.

Harrods is taking a different approach. The 170-year old business is defying official advice and continues to operate with reduced opening hours, shifting to 11am-7pm trading hours, although a number of Harrods restaurants have closed. The luxury department store said the policy will be reviewed as the situation progresses.

Marks & Spencer is anticipating a declining situation and has announced the temporary closure of M&S Cafés and Clothing & Home fitting rooms so that staff can provide extra support in Food stores. The employees will be redeployed as the retail chain prepares to face a surge in demand for food amid growing rumours that the UK could impose a lockdown. M&S staff are also being provided with additional hygiene products and extra cleaning is being carried out across all stores.

The Thai company Central Retail, which owns several groups of department stores, got listed to the Thai Stock Exchange with a valuation of 8,000 million dollars. On its first day, the company raised 2.48 billion dollars. It is owned by the Thai Central Group, a Thai conglomerate owned by the Chirathivat family. In its portfolio, the group has two subsidiaries operating in the development of shopping malls and hospitals, which already listed on the Thai stock exchange. Following the listing of Central Retail, the Chirathivat family still holds 70% of the company's capital.

The company's total portfolio consists of 1,922 stores in Thailand, 133 in Vietnam and nine department stores in Italy. In addition, the group also owns Central Department Store, Robinson Department Store, Super Sports, and Central Marketing Group, the beauty distribution business that operates with brands such as Guess, TopShop, Ralph Lauren polo or Clarins.

With Wuhan (a city of 11 million and the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak) in lockdown for more than a month, and factories around the country either shut or operating with a skeleton staff, buying a lipstick or face cream would seem to be the last thing on anyone's mind. But in China, beauty spending is on the rise after a sharp drop in sales over the last two months.

A good portion of Chinese beauty brands have shown resilience amid the outbreak, finding ways to sell and promote their products, focusing on online sales and making donations to fatigued hospital workers. As most factories go back to work, the global supply chain has also been slowly recovering. At the beginning of the outbreak, which coincided with the Chinese New Near holiday in mid-January, the nation was ready to spend a big chunk of money on beauty and skin-care product. But after more information was disclosed about the severity of the pandemic, and Wuhan and its neighboring cities were put on lockdown, the appetite for spending disappeared.

The fact that the virus appears to have peaked in China, and that most factories will be up and running by the end of March, means that beauty businesses will be able to switch back to growth mode.

Read full article: Chinese beauty industry shows resilience amid virus outbreak 

J.C. Penney partnered with Checkpoint Systems, an international retail technology firm, on its "Brand-Defining Store" in Hurst, Texas, which features new styling rooms with Checkpoint's InterACT Fitting Room tool and J.C. Penney's Style @ Your Service tech. The fitting room tool helps shoppers find clothing in different sizes and colors without exiting the fitting room and has interactive screens that display product information and product recommendations. The tool also allows customers to communicate with style assistants.

As the retailer contends with sales declines and a leadership shakeup, it appears that the testing of new in-store technology is another attempt at revitalizing its brick-and-mortar offerings. Earlier this month, the retailer also introduced its Style on the Go curbside pickup service at 50 more U.S. stores.

Press release : Checkpoint System Partners with JCPenney

A report released by Hong Kong's Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today showed that retail sales for January were provisionally estimated at $37.8 billion  — a 21.4% drop compared with January 2019.

It was the 12th straight month of retail sales declines in Hong Kong. The semi-autonomous territory saw significant sales dips in 2019 amid ongoing pro-democracy protests and social unrest, which have led both tourists and other would-be shoppers to stay home.

The already-unfavorable retail outlook has been worsened by the coronavirus outbreak, according to government officials. A C&SD spokesperson warned today that the virus "has brought inbound tourism almost to a standstill and caused severe disruptions to consumption-related activities."

Historically, Chinese tourists have been a reliable source of revenues for high-end brands in Hong Kong, with the region estimated to account for between 5% and 10% of global luxury sales. But sales of luxury goods such as jewelry and watches plummeted by 41.6% in January compared with a year prior, according to the C&SD. Meanwhile, clothing sales fell by 28.9% and shoe and accessories sales dropped by 21.6%. The declines came despite the Lunar New Year, which fell on Jan. 25 this year and on Feb. 5 in 2019.

The coronavirus which originated in the central China city of Wuhan in late 2019, has infected more than 89,000 globally, with upwards of 3,000 deaths confirmed. The majority of cases have been confined to mainland China but infections recorded outside China ramped up last week, particularly in South Korea, Italy and Iran.

Despite its close proximity with China's Guangdong Province, which has had more than 1,300 cases, Hong Kong has seen fewer than 100 confirmed infections since the outbreak began. The semi-autonomous territory has taken a series of seemingly effective containment measures, including shutting down schools and suspending public transit to China.

Seattle-based department store operator Nordstrom, Inc. announced that it is shuttering its six Trunk Club locations and folding them into the personal styling service of nearby branches of its namesake stores.

According to the CEO Erik Nordstrom, the integration is intended to "enable a superior experience for customers, drive more business and gain efficiencies."

Founded in 2009, Trunk Club was acquired by Nordstrom in 2014. The department store operator rapidly opened the hitherto menswear-only styling service up to female shoppers, and sales at the brand increased 35% in fiscal 2018.

Galeries Lafayette has announced its partnership with women's rights charity Fondation des Femmes, helping create the organization's "Cité Audacieuse," the first venue in France dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, which opened on 5 March. In addition to funding the project — which will serve as a business incubator and research space, and will be fully open to the general public — 50 Galeries Lafayette employees helped complete construction work on the building. "This partnership is another concrete illustration of our convictions and desire to provide women with the most equitable and respectful work and personal environment possible," said Frédérique Chemaly, director of human resources and sustainable development at the Galeries Lafayette and BHV Marais. To celebrate the opening of Cité Audacieuse, the department store has teamed with French brands Rive Droite and Patine to design a clutch bag and a T-shirt. All the profits from sales will be donated to the Fondation des Femmes.

press release: Galeries Lafyette becomes an official partner of Fondation des Femmes

The hit to fashion and luxury sales from coronavirus is expected to be much harder than previously feared. Revenues are expected to plunge between 25 per cent and 35 per cent this year as a direct result of store closures owing to coronavirus lockdowns. The impact on fashion and luxury — a category that includes apparel and accessories, watches and jewellery, and perfumes and cosmetics — is expected be more severe this year than the recession a decade ago. Like the 2008 recession, the pandemic has caused a financial shock that has hurt consumer sentiment and demand. Some regions will be more heavily affected than others, depending on the strength of their economies, the severity of outbreaks, and how much they rely on tourist sales for fashion and luxury sales.

Full article by financial times: Virus impact on fashion and luxury to be ‘worse than recession’

Already the outbreak of Chinese virus Coronavirus has forced fashion retailers to close in much of China while grounding the luxe shopper with travel restrictions. Now the fallout is making its way to the shipping world, where the supply chain strain is starting to become clearer.

It seems the coronavirus — and its many disruptions and threats — is a topic that cuts across the industry, from shipping experts to the trade show circuit to executives at New York Fashion Week, who were swapping stories and worrying over their next shipment and the one after that.

Coronavirus sends ripples through supply chain

Part of Macy’s strategy to try to keep shoppers interested in its stores is to revamp its private labels, with the goal of offering customers something so unique they cannot find it anywhere else. The department store will grow four of its “best” in-house brands — International Concepts, Alfani, Style /amp] Co., and Charter Club — to be worth $1 billion each, in order for its private brands to make up 25% of sales by 2025. “We’re already well on our way,” said Patti Ongman, Macy’s chief merchandising officer. “Private brands are already among our highest margins, but we continue to find ways to improve. We’re building new sourcing and supply chain capabilities.”

Macy’s announces three-year Polaris strategy

J.C. Penney is revamping one of its biggest in-house women’s apparel brands to focus more on denim and casual looks. Starting this month, it’s a.n.a brand will have new products in stores and online — in extended sizes from missy to plus to tall. The full assortment will be online and in stores by March, with items priced at about $39 to $49 each. Changes include jeans with softer fabrics and accessories in pastel hues. The brand’s new look is the result of extensive customer research and establishes a.n.a as the Company’s denim lifestyle brand for women.

Women’s apparel is especially important to Penney’s overall business. The category made up 22% of net sales in 2018 — $11.66 billion. Women’s apparel is also Penney’s largest category, followed by men’s apparel and accessories, at 21% of sales.

The relaunch is part of Penney’s strategy to pull itself out of a sales slump and remain relevant as more and more people turn to Amazon for clothing.

JC Penney unfolds reimagined A.N.A denim

The Square shopping centre in Camberley is set to become the first fully 5G-enabled retail destination in the UK thanks to a partnership between Surrey Heath Borough Council and Huawei. Powered by the University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Centre, the initiative will provide a testing ground for new innovations in the retail sector. Surrey Heath Borough Council said the technology will positively transform the experiences and opportunities available to shoppers and retailers alike.

Rahim Tafazolli, director and founder of the 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey, explained: “By providing the cutting-edge technology for the UK’s first fully 5G-enabled shopping centre, we will give Camberley’s retailers a head-start in the race to transform retail for the future. 5G is not just faster phone technology – it opens up a completely new world of ultra-reliable, always-on ways of transforming a connected world of retail.

Jerry Wang, CEO of Huawei UK, added: “5G will open the door for virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence and tailored in-store signage and entertainment experiences. It will also allow greater control over how stock levels and the supply chain is managed, improve customer insights and in-store experience for customers when they are shopping.”

The Square is a 460,000 sq ft undercover shopping centre in Camberley. With a line-up of 110 retail brands that include River Island, House of Fraser and Next, it attracts over 8 million visitors a year.

Hurr Collective, UK-based peer-to-peer wardrobe rental platform, has launched a pop-up store at London department store Selfridges. Opened since 10 February, Hurr pop-up is set to run for six-months and featuring es a collection of 200 curated pieces available for customers to rent for between four and eight days at a time. The pop-up’s stock will rotate on a weekly basis and include specially curated edits for London Fashion Week and Valentine’s day, featuring items from luxury brands like Gucci, Mara Hoffman, Ganni and Rixo. Hurr has been designed so that members would securely rent and lend wardrobes through the use of geo-tagging. The pop-up will also act as “a drop-off point for lenders looking to see a return on their investment pieces through the platform”.

The pop up also houses an iMirror by Nobal Technologies, which is claimed to be the world’s most advanced interactive mirror, “allowing customers to combine the online and in-store offerings for an all-inclusive and bespoke experience”.

The collaboration with Selfridges is a big move forward giving the massive amount of visitor traffic, including UK-based shoppers and a large number of affluent international travellers.

French department store group Galeries Lafayette has announced that Guérin is set to disappear, to the advantage of Mauboussin - which was bought by the group last summer.

19 Guérin stores and retail corners are set to become Mauboussin, and another 15 are said to be slated for closure. Finally, three stores, with about 30 employees, are going to be sold, 163 employees will be offered alternative employment.

The group's senior management said that “the new premium brand strategy introduced for Guérin Joaillerie unfortunately didn’t produce the results expected. Despite all our efforts to grow the brand and its revenue, from introducing a more upmarket product range to lease renegotiations, revenue has continued to decline.”

Hotels, stores and destinations across the Continent have come to rely on visitors from China. Quarantine measures have changed all that.

Read full article from NY times here

The German brand has announced the first US partnership for its natural skincare line, which rolled out in the country last October. The brand will be available online and in select Nordstrom stores in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. The brand will be debuting in the store's 'Natural Beauty & Wellness' section and will include a wide array of product from the collection including their hero Regenerating Face and Body Oil and their newest launch, the Intensive Moisturizing Fluid. The ‘Birkenstock Natural Skin Care' line's star ingredient is Cork Oak Extract obtained from the outer layers of cork oak, which is thought to possess anti-aging properties, stimulating cell renewal and boosting the skin's protective barrier. The cruelty-free, vegan line comprises beauty solutions formulated without chemicals such as parabens, surfactants, silicones or paraffin, spanning products such as foot balm, moisturizer, hand cream, cleanser and more.

More than five years after entering Canada with its first retail store, luxury retailer Nordstrom is finally set to launch an e-commerce platform there. Nordstrom Canada will launch its own localized e-commerce website this spring, including custom features for the retailer’s Canadian customers. On the Canadian site launching at Nordstrom.ca, customers will benefit from free standard shipping and returns, in-store online order pickup and duty-free purchases - all in Canadian dollars.

Today the Seattle-based retailer operates six full line locations in Canada and seven Nordstrom Rack locations.

The new structure has seen the appointment of a new executive team, with Nina Bhatia being the latest addition. She is joining as the group’s new executive director of strategy and commercial development. Described as a ‘leader in disruptive, digitally-led businesses’, Bhatia brings a wealth of industry knowledge, having held the role of managing director of Hive, one of Europe’s largest connected home businesses, between 2015 and 2018. “Nina brings tremendous commercial and strategic experience and will play a crucial role as part of the newly-formed Future Partnership executive team,” said Sharon White, who took up her new role as chairman of the business. With falling sales and profits, the retail group will need all the help it can get. Over the all important Christmas trading period, gross sales at the John Lewis Partnership fell 1.8% versus the previous year, and the company warned that full-year profits at its department store brand will be “substantially down” on last year.

In honour of Black History Month, Macy's is set to launch a series of special appearances from luminaries within the black community at select Macy's stores, throughout the month of February. The campaign kicked off with an appearance from influencer Monica Veloz at Macy’s Baldwin Hills in Los Angeles, California, where Veloz participates in a make-up tutorial and discussion about diversity and inclusion in the beauty industry. Across the country, Macy’s Aventura in Miami will host a discussion on the diversity of black people and black culture, featuring representatives from Macy’s 'Diversity and Inclusion' team and 'The Workshop' at Macy’s (the company's retail vendor development programme, designed to give support to minority and women-owned businesses). At the event, these teams also select a black-owned business to join The Workshop at Macy’s class of 2020. ONYX, Macy’s black employee resource group, played a critical role in developing this year's Black History Month campaign. As an added boost to its impact, Macy's will contribute a total of $10,000 to charitable organisations. Macy’s also showcases Black History Month-themed windows in Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Macy’s locations.

Thailand's largest retailer Central Group said it is buying Swiss luxury department store Globus and other real estate assets in a joint venture with Austria's Signa for more than 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.03 billion). The purchase of Globus and the real estate from Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund (MGB) is the latest expansion for Central Group, owned by the billionaire Chirathivat family, in European luxury malls.

"As a historical Swiss brand, Globus is a perfect fit for our European alliance with strong local presence and international recognition," said Central Group Europe Chief Executive Officer Vittorio Radice, who will assume leadership of Globus.

Central Group jointly owns Germany’s KaDeWe Group, Italy’s Rinascente and Denmark’s Illum with Signa.

Globus acquired by Central Group and Signa

Saks Fifth Avenue has closed its men's store in New York City's Brookfield Place, and parent Hudson's Bay plans to transform the 1490sqm space into a new retail concept that is still under development. The retailer closed its women's store at the mall a year ago, and the multiyear “grand renovation” of its New York City flagship is about 70% complete.

Galeries Lafayette has implemented a “research by picture” tool on its website. Customers are invited to upload a picture and the tool finds all items similar to it available in their online shop. Works with pictures of women’s wear, men’s wear, children, and home.