Sharon White told the employee-owned group’s staff council that it faced making “difficult decisions about stores and about jobs” during what was its “most challenging period” since its inception in the 1920s. Decisions at the group, which runs department stores and the Waitrose supermarket chain, would not be taken lightly, White said, and the business would set itself apart from conventional rivals by showing “humanity” to staff affected. The group has more than 80,000 employees and a turnover of £11.7bn. It operates 50 John Lewis stores and has 338 Waitrose branches. The handover comes at a difficult time for the group: profits at the department store chain have collapsed and staff – called “partners” within its democratic structure – have been warned they could miss out on their annual bonus this year.

The business has not shied away from store closures – last year Waitrose shut 12 unprofitable supermarkets with the loss of 1,100 jobs. The retailer has been struggling to ignite sales growth in recent periods and while it's suffered nowhere near as badly as mid-market department store peers House of Fraser, Beales and Debenhams, it's clearly at a crossroads and needs to do something to boost its turnaround. But White also said there are some areas that are relatively easy to fix. She cited botched orders that cost the firm £23 million in goodwill payments to customers last year and also said winning back lost high-spending shoppers could add £100 million to its profits. There’s still some scepticism about her ability to turn the firm around, however, given her lack of retail experience and the recent exit of a number of senior team members.

The managing director of Selfridges, Simon Forster, has left the luxury department store retailer after a little over a year in the job with Anne Pitcher taking the helm.

A report said his exit followed “a loss of confidence in his leadership”. He had been with the company since 2012 having previously been executive director - customer. However Pitcher declared: “Under his leadership, the business has continued to grow and thrive. Selfridges has a talented leadership team in place, and we continue to build that across the company.” Pitcher, who was his predecessor in the MD’s post but had been promoted to a wider role managing the Selfridges Group, is believed to have taken back the reins last week. She will continue to run the wider business that includes high-end department stores such as Ireland’s Brown Thomas and Canada’s Holt Renfrew.

Harvey Nichols’ group marketing and creative director Deborah Bee is leaving the luxury department store, according to a report, and the creative agency she appointed when she joined nearly two years ago is also quitting.

Bee is leaving in July "to pursue new career opportunities and her writing projects", Campaign Live Reported, and TBWA\London has resigned the account. The agency took over from Adam & Eve/DDB, which is also owned by the same parent company as TBWA and had worked with the brand for 17+ years, in 2018.

The work it did produce for the retailer was known for its disruptive edge with creatives such as its smashed window campaign with Dr Helen Pankhurst in the name of female empowerment being particularly noteworthy. The company also temporarily rebranded the retailer as Holly Nichols, although some were confused by that as the name Harvey actually relates to the surname of co-founder Anne Harvey.

Bee’s departure comes two months after joint COO Daniela Rinaldi left after a 35-year tenure at the firm.

Macy’s is staking its future on a new tech center in Atlanta and another in New York to reinvent the way it does business and reach new customers online. The new facility in Atlanta should create 630 new jobs; the majority of the positions being centered on software development in an effort to boost its online sales. The company also plans to improve its mobile app to help customers better find products in stores. “We found that technology is going to start playing a much bigger role in our future than it has in the past,” said Macy’s chief technology officer Naveen Krishna. The retailer said it’s refocusing on its online sales just months after announcing it will close 125 of its department stores around the nation over the next three years.

A new survey has revealed how much Britons’ shopping habits could change if the coronavirus persists, with a significant proportion of consumers saying they would avoid physical shopping destinations such as malls. While almost a quarter of consumers think that the disease currently poses a high level of threat to health in the UK, 35% think it’s a moderate threat and 42% see it as low threat, found a report from Retail Economics. The proportion of people who are avoiding shopping destinations could rise from 6% currently to 16% if the virus persists in the future, and people who avoid visiting restaurants and entertainment venues could double from 9% to 17%. The extra cash could go towards saving or other parts of the consumer sector, with online retailers particularly well placed to deal with these health concerns. Finally, 48% online consumers said they will try to avoid buying online from international sellers that ship products directly from China if the virus persists. Just 34% of consumers are worried about product shortages, the survey found.

UK department store chain Fenwick is planning to convert 10% of its Bond Street floorspace into offices for rent in a bid to cut costs and create new revenue -about 325sqm of floorspace will go. The changes included the reconstruction of four floors of offices, a fourth-floor restaurant and an office entrance.

Macy’s has a new concept called Market by Macy’s, a boutique created by Story founder Rachel Shechtman, who said she immersed herself in the upscale community to get it right. The new 1860sqm stand-alone specialty concept, said to a "flexible retail store format", is located in Southlake, Texas, and is community-centric. It will host "community-driven programming from cooking tutorials and book signings to crafting and fitness classes," and will include a beauty and café component. The format should take an apothecary-based approach to beauty, with an emphasis on hero products from both established and emerging brands; it is believed there will be a wellness component that could include non-beauty items, too.

The new store format is opening on 6 February 2020.

Upmarket Dutch department store chain De Bijenkorf is planning to launch French and Austrian versions of its e-tail site in 2020. De Bijenkorf currently operates seven branches in the Netherlands, and is keen to expand outside its domestic market via an online presence, having already introduced a Belgian e-shop in 2015 and a German one in 2019.

The chain is a long-established fashion distributor on its domestic market, where it employs nearly 3,000 people. De Bijenkorf was founded in 1870 and is a high-end department store, currently owned by Selfridges Group Limited.

Opening at Harrods in Knightsbridge, the new Blue Box Cafe is the jeweller’s first in Europe and fourth worldwide, replicating the successful formula first unveiled within the brand’s Fifth Avenue flagship in November 2017.

“We are excited to introduce The Tiffany Blue Box Cafe in Europe and it seems only fitting to do so at Harrods, one of the world’s most iconic department stores,” said Richard Moore, divisional vice-president of global store design and creative visual merchandising at Tiffany & Co. The London location is set to mirror the style and service of the original, with Tiffany blue over the walls, furniture, and crockery. In addition to serving breakfast, it also offers customers afternoon tea and dinner in a Tiffany-themed paradise; which is supposed to evoke the feeling of dining inside one of their much-coveted blue boxes.

M&S has introduced a new bra-fit booking tool to improve the shopping experience. The tool allows a more personalised and easier experience for M&S’s customers – from appointment reminders, to follow-up emails with recommendations for new products. The tool is also linked to M&S’s Sparks card – meaning customers can simply scan their card with the bra fitter to access all their details. The M&S team has also created a version of the booking tool for the digital devices used by store colleagues, so that staff can quickly and easily book appointments for customers shopping in store. Importantly, bringing customer communication into the digital age will mean M&S can send post-appointment emails for women who want to make a repeat purchase. The department store said research has shown women are very loyal to bra shapes and styles ; and it’s cheaper to increase customer retention than acquiring new customers. Additionally, the digital tool will collect customer data such as shoppers’ size and preferences. This will be good for customers as it removes the need to hold on to bra packaging or the bit of paper from the appointment, and it will also be beneficial to M&S, which can use the data to suggest personalised products. Marks & Spencer is hoping the new tool will help it grab a bigger share of the bra market. It currently has a market share of 37.5%.

British department store Marks & Spencer has presented Goodmove, a new activewear range spanning everything from performance wear for sports enthusiasts to innovative outdoor outerwear.

M&S already sells one in four sports bras in the UK but sees scope to cash in on the booming sportswear market, which has been a rare bright spot for fashion retailers. Indeed, high street sportswear retailers have benefited from a shift towards casual dressing across the generations and in the workplace, which has made trainers and leggings everyday attire.

"Activewear has become a staple in today's wardrobe – not simply because we work out more but because the nation is embracing a more casual and flexible way of dressing," said Jill Stanton, M&S womenswear director. "Activewear really plays to M&S Clothing's heritage strengths for fabric and product innovation and those features are at the heart of the range - from quick-dry fabrics to blackout technology on all performance leggings."

The brand new range features over 150 products, with items designed for however customers choose to move - from a walk with the kids to a high intensity class at the gym. It includes several different styles of leggings, sweatshirts, the retailer's 'most sustainable' trainers to date, gym bags and sports bras. There will be marketing content across the company's website and stores, with further touchpoints, such as dedicated leggings experts, available in stores.

The New York City Council passed a bill on 23 January that will slap hefty fines on businesses and restaurants that refuse to accept cash; pointing out that it is discriminating against New Yorkers who lack bank accounts and credit cards. Under the bill, businesses that refuse cash will be fined $1,000 for the first violation and $1,500 after that. The measure, which is expected to go into effect by the end of the year, also prohibits stores from charging higher prices for paying in cash.

Backers of the cashless model say the benefits include greater efficiency and eliminating the risk of theft, but opponents say millions of Americans still rely on cash.

In adopting the ban on cashless businesses, New York City joins a growing backlash against the digital-only economy. Similar bans now exist in Philadelphia, San Francisco and New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Rent the Runway has expanded its ongoing partnership with Nordstrom to include a retail element -Nordstrom currently hosts Rent the Runway Drop-Off Boxes in numerous locations where renters can make quick and easy returns. Now customers will be able to purchase previously rented garments in off-price Nordstrom Rack stores, essentially hosting a small resale section within the store. The initiative is called Rent the Runway Revive (RTR Revive) and is available at select in-store locations, with prices on designer fashions starting at 28 US dollars. RTR Revive extends the life cycles of designer rentals pieces by letting the customers shop IRL. [Rent the Runway has already been selling items it takes out of the rental circuit at low prices through its own website].

Following the acquisition of House of Fraser by Mike Ashley's Frasers group (ex Sports Direct), the first in a series of new Fraser stores is set to open at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield. Complete with a champagne bar, pop-up space and wellness treatment rooms, the 6040sqm store will serve as a blueprint for a more upmarket version of House of Fraser.

The 'landmark' store will open in two phases, with the first opening in early winter 2020 with a selection of luxury fashion and lifestyle items across two levels. There will be an accessories hall, dedicated trend-led areas and an interactive Frasers House for homewares. A beauty hall will offer visitors a space to take a break with a cocktail bar and café, as well as discover new products and attend masterclasses.

The second phase, opening spring 2021, will mark the launch of Flannels, the group's premium proposition, at the store.

Lotte Group founder Shin Kyuk-ho died on 19 January 2020; he was 98. Lotte was founded in 1948 as a chewing gum maker in Japan by Shin, who moved to the neighbouring country when the Korean peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule. That's where he built the business into South Korea's No.5 conglomerate with interests ranging from snacks and beverages to supermarkets, department stores, hotels, theme parks and cinemas.

WE WISH ALL OUR MEMBERS A HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

Illustration 'Chinese New Year: 2020 RAT' (jpg - 0.1Mo)

UK luxury department store Harrods will open its first standalone site outside the UK in Shanghai's Pudong district. Harrods managing director Michael Ward said the company has been investing in China for a decade and has responded to customer demands for a more permanent presence. Ward said : "If you look at all of the reports, they say, quite categorically that all of the growth in the next five years is going to come from south-east Asia. And is going to come from millennials". He also said that Harrods is targeting China, the country that provides the single largest group of the retailer's customers (20% of spending in the Knightsbridge store comes from Chinese visitors).

The luxury Japanese villa-style store will be called The Residence and will focus on address to the wealthiest private clients. They will have access to a bar and tea room on site and events hosted by luxury brands throughout the year. The British company is hoping to attract Millennials to this new store which is scheduled to open sometimes in 2020.

Media brand Highsnobiety has linked up with Selfridges for a "first of its kind retail concept". The two have created The Co.Lab, located in the retailer's high-profile Corner Shop from 6 January to 9 February 2020. It features curated product drops and exclusive collaborations with labels. The collections featured are "at the intersection of luxury fashion and streetwear, as well as art, technology and design".

The multi-faceted, modular space will be customised to accommodate the weekly collection releases. The first drop features a collection of limited edition Highsnobiety merchandise created in collaboration with Colette's co-founder Sarah Andelmann and is available in the store, as well as online at the Selfridges webstore and on Highsnobiety's own site. This collection is released in support of the release of Colette, Mon Amour, a documentary about French concept-store Colette. [As Selfridges recently opened its cinema, it's taking advantage of the opportunity to further boost awareness of the collab. There will be exclusive screenings there of the documentary.]

Future collaborations in the next few weeks will include the release of Alyx by Matthew Williams, auctioneer Sotheby's, Prada and Maison Margiela. There is a sustainability element too with the opening of "an ethical and sustainable coffee shop pop-up" called New Ground.

Highsnobiety with Colette

Arkansas-based department store company Dillard's is leaning into the activewear market with the launch of Antonio Melani Active, a new in-house activewear brand. The upscale athleisure brand is designed to blend performance and fashion and offers a range of active tops, tanks, tees and jackets as well as leggings, sports bras and shorts, with prices ranging from $38 to $118. The launch makes Dillard's the latest retailer to debut a new, in-house line of fitness apparel.

Swiss department store Manor is opening a Click-and-Collect space inside Zurich's train station, which will be open 365 days a year. Customers will be able to freely collect goods ordered online and/or return unwanted items. The space will somewhat compensate for the closure of Manor's Zurich Bahnhofstrasse store, scheduld for the end of this month. The 60 sqm station store will open in February 2020 and will also offer a selection of stationery. (Read press release in French)

press release: manor opens click-&-collect store in zurich (french)

Manor has also announced its intention to shift towards a more digital strategy in the years ahead, in order to become the number one omnichannel department store in Switzerland. It will restructure and close the activity of two supermarkets and will also shutter the Manor store in Bachenbülach. This shift toward digital should lead to more than 30 job openings. (Read press release in French)

press release: manor on future projects (french)

Entitled 'See You Tomorrow', the recommerce shop is the company's latest creative projects initiative, and is curated by Olivia Kim, Nordstrom's vice president of creative projects. At first launch, the resale shop will feature an edited, authenticated assortment of men's and women's apparel, childrenswear, shoes, accessories, jewelry and watches pulled from the Nordstrom Quality Center (NQC) -- the facility that receives and processes returned and damaged merchandise from Nordstrom's full-price channels. Featuring a variety of brands, the pieces will be cleaned, repaired and refurbished before arriving at the recommerce shop. Launching on January 31, 'See You Tomorrow' is accessible via both an online resale site and an in-store shopping experience at Nordstrom's flagship store in New York City. Throughout its duration, the shop will feature a variety of special brand partnerships. In addition to shopping, consumers can also donate items through a customer intake program in the NYC flagship, in exchange for Nordstrom gift cards.

Nordsrtom 'See You Tomorrow' - website

Fortnum & Mason luxury retailer of Piccadilly, London, has reported a sales growth of 12% over the last year to £138m, while profit was up 26%, driven by growth in Hong Kong and Japan where sales grew 16% and 28% respectively.

Earlier this year, the company announced the opening of a new flagship store in Hong Kong, marking Fortnum & Mason's first standalone store in Asia. The flagship Piccadilly store grew sales by 6% in the year, while the small store in ST Pancras International railway station were up 15% and restaurant on Jermyn Street increased sales 14% on the previous year.

The holiday season is off to an outstanding start. During the five-day shopping weekend, from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, a record 189.6 million U.S. shoppers went to stores and retail websites, 14% more than last year, according to a report from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytic. Some 124 million shopped in stores and 142.2 million online, while 75.7 million did both, according to the report. And, for the first time, Black Friday (93.2 million shoppers) beat Cyber Monday (83.3 million) as the busiest digital day as well.

The UK's troubled retail sector has been given a boost by Black Friday promotions, figures indicate. Barclaycard, which processes about £1 of every £3 spent in the UK, said it was an "outstanding" Black Friday compared with last year. It said transaction value was up 16.5% compared with last year, with the volume of transactions up 7.2%. It added that Cyber Monday had also got off to a strong start, with transaction volume up by 6.9% compared with 2018.

But this year's Black Friday weekend has also been marked by the increasing concern about the impact of fast fashion and consumption on the environment. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of consumers say they're thinking more carefully about the environmental impact of their Black Friday/Cyber Monday purchases according to KPMG research. Therefore retailers have to adapt. Some brands in the UK did no discounts at all but offered free-shipping or free instore workshop & events instead. In France, ecologists groups even blocked an Amazon warehouse to protest against Black Friday.

Neiman Marcus' San Francisco department store celebrates its first permanent department for curated premium devices in partnership with Europe's Smartech electronics purveyor. The new compelling section is a luxe consumer technology lineup spanning high-end wearables, premium beauty and personal-care devices and other gadgets — even a smart oven set up to crisp parmesan frico with roasted tomatoes. The selection ranges from buzzworthy tech to unique offerings that the average Neiman Marcus shopper may not have heard of.

The partnership relies on a concession-lease framework, which means the tech merchant operates like its own functioning store within Neiman's. Set in a central space on the first floor covering some 46sqm, the tech products come courtesy of Smartech, an Amsterdam-based company that scours and sources start-up offerings and established brands to "cherry-pick" a curated selection of technology. The firm already partners with retailers like London's Selfridges, Zurich's Jelmoli, Copenhagen's Magasin du Nord and other places.