Neil Saunders

#retail #earnings #economy | Neil Saunders Lots more results adding to the Q4 picture this week: 📈 Mean average growth rate: +6.6% 💰 Total dollar growth rate: +7.6% 🛍️ Average comparable growth: +3.3% 🔢 46 retailers growing; 14 shrinking Tot...

Off-price players took 4.8% of the US retail dollar growth in Q4 - which, in the context of the whole market, is impressive and shows the degree to which they are pulling in an ever greater share of shoppers…

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#retail #target #earnings | Neil Saunders | 11 comments Target Q4 results: 💰 Total sales: -1.5% 🛍️ Comp sales: -2.5% 🏬 Store comp sales: -3.9% 📱 Online comp sales: +1.9 📉 Net income: -5.2% There is no way to sugarcoat it; Target badly underperformed over...

Target Q4 results:

💰 Total sales: -1.5%
🛍️ Comp sales: -2.5%
🏬 Store comp sales: -3.9%
📱 Online comp sales: +1.9
📉 Net income: -5.2%

There is no way to sugarcoat it; Target badly underperformed over the holiday quarter. The market grew by 3.4%. Target shrank.

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Mackie’s of Scotland hits fastest growth in its history after distribution wins Mackie's won distribution gains among retailer customers in Scotland, England and Wales and gained new customers through its 'Full Cream Ahead' marketing campaign

🇬🇧 Mackie’s of Scotland hits fastest growth in its history after distribution wins www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/mackies...

‘Mess’ at Calais border costing UK food exporters ‘thousands’ Meat exporters are said to be facing the biggest challenges

🇬🇧 ‘Mess’ at Calais border costing UK food exporters ‘thousands’ www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/mess-at...

#retail #bathandbodyworks #amazon | Neil Saunders | 14 comments Bath & Body Works is one of the best-run retailers in America. So why have its sales been declining since 2022? After all, few retailers execute as consistently well. It is rare to find a bad store o...

Bath & Body Works is a well-run retailer. Few execute as consistently well. It is rare to find a bad store or encounter mediocre service.

So why have its sales been declining since 2022?

The conundrum has two main answers…

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#retail #retailnews #merchandising #stores | Neil Saunders | 12 comments We talk a lot about poor store environments and sub-par merchandising. But one of the things I get asked a lot is: does it really matter? The short answer is not just yes, but yes – it matters a lot....

We talk a lot about poor store environments and sub-par merchandising. But one of the things I get asked a lot is: does it really matter?

The short answer is not just yes, but yes – it matters a lot.

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#retail #retailnews #stores #merchandising | Neil Saunders There are certain stores where people come to have a mosey. They may have a vague idea of what they want to buy, or they may just be coming for a leisurely browse. But in both cases, they’re looking...

There are certain stores where people come to have a mosey.

They may have a vague idea of what they want to buy, or they may just be coming for a leisurely browse. But in both cases, they're looking for the retailer to entertain and spark discovery.

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#retail #retailnews #stores #merchandising #brand #displays #fashion | Neil Saunders In its latest quarter, Aritzia produced sales growth of 42.8%. Comparable sales increased 34.3%. Those numbers are exceptional. The performance underpins Aritzia’s transformation from a small Canadi...

In its latest quarter, Aritzia produced sales growth of 42.8%. Comparable sales increased 34.3%. Those numbers are exceptional - but its new stores show why it’s becoming a significant force in fashion…

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Quiz collapses into administration with over 100 jobs to be lost Fashion retailer Quiz has collapsed into administration this afternoon (February 5), putting 565 jobs at risk.

🇬🇧 Quiz collapses into administration with over 100 jobs to be lost www.retail-week.com/fashion/quiz...

Almost one in four shop-bought soups exceed Government salt targets – study Action on Salt and Sugar warned that suggested serving sizes on packs could understate the actual salt intake.

🇬🇧 Almost one in four shop-bought soups exceed Government salt targets www.standard.co.uk/business/bus...

Quiz Clothing collapses into administration as online store closes - Retail Gazette Quiz Clothing has entered administration, with its online store closing and more than 100 redundancies confirmed following a tough Christmas trading period.

🇬🇧 Quiz Clothing collapses into administration as online store closes www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/02...

No retail redundancies after Vodafone-Three merger, boss says ahead of shop closures Vodafone chief executive Margherita Della Valle said the high street was still key to the firm’s customer growth.

🇬🇧 No retail redundancies after Vodafone-Three merger, boss says ahead of shop closures www.cityam.com/no-retail-re...

Frasers Group to snap up majority shareholding in Maxi Sport - Retail Gazette Frasers Group is set to acquire a majority shareholding in Italian sportswear retailer Maxi Sport SpA.

🇬🇧 Frasers Group to snap up majority shareholding in Maxi Sport www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/02...

​Frasers Group acquires majority shareholding in Italian retailer Frasers Group has entered a strategtic partnership by acquiring a majority sharedholding in an Italian retailer as it continues with European expansion.

​🇬🇧 Frasers Group acquires majority shareholding in Italian retailer www.retail-week.com/sports-and-l...

WHSmith launches new sites at Manchester and Liverpool airports - Retail Gazette WHSmith has opened three new sites across Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport this week, marking its continued investment in travel hubs across the North of the UK.

🇬🇧 WHSmith launches new sites at Manchester and Liverpool airports www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/02...

Amazon shares sink as it prepares $200bn AI spending blitz Capital expenditure forecasts for 2026 were a third higher than Wall Street’s expectations

🇺🇸 Amazon shares sink as it prepares $200bn AI spending blitz www.ft.com/content/a1bd...

Pandora to shift to platinum jewellery in move to decouple from silver price Danish group looks to ‘stop being so linked’ to silver after near quadrupling of metal’s price

🇩🇰 Pandora to shift to platinum jewellery in move to decouple from silver price www.ft.com/content/2bc1...

#retail #retailnews #amazon #earnings #consumer #ecommerce | Neil Saunders Amazon Q4 results: 💰 Total revenue: +13.6% 📦 Product sales: +9.4% ☁️ Service sales: +16.8% 🇺🇸 North America sales: +9.9% 🖥️ Online store sales: +9.8% 🏬 Physical store sales: +4.9% 📈 Net income: +5.9%...

Amazon's earnings may not have met some bottom-line expectations, but these are solid results nonetheless…

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House of Fraser closure will 'rip the heart out of Darlington' say shoppers Darlington residents have reacted with sadness at the news of House of Fraser's closure at the historic Binns building in the town.

🇬🇧House of Fraser closure will 'rip heart out of Darlington' www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2581408...

Zara, John Lewis and Next- hopes for more shops to open on Swindon's high street Many feel that the town centre has gone downhill in recent years, with many shops closing - but what can be done to improve it?

🇬🇧 Hopes for Zara, Next and more to open on Swindon's high street www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/2580790...

House of Fraser to close Darlington department store After a one-year reprieve, House of Fraser unveils closing down sale signs again at High Row.

🇬🇧 House of Fraser to close Darlington department store www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Drinks firms ‘have no choice’ but to increase prices Budget changes will see the duty on a typical bottle of gin, with 37.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), increase by 38p to £8.98, after VAT.

🇬🇧 Drinks firms ‘have no choice’ but to increase prices www.cityam.com/drinks-firms...

Duty increase part of “doom loop” says WSTA - Drinks Retailing The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has described the government's decision to keep increasing taxes as part of the economy’s “doom loop”. In the latest statement from the WSTA, the…

🇬🇧 Duty increase part of “doom loop” says WSTA drinksretailingnews.co.uk/duty-increas...

Bank of England set to hold interest rates Investors consider the probability of the Bank of England cutting interest rates to be at around two per cent.

🇬🇧 Bank of England set to hold interest rates www.cityam.com/bank-of-engl...

#retail #retailnews #amazon #grocery #supermarkets #food | Neil Saunders Another Amazon physical format bites the dust. Well, two actually – as all Amazon Fresh and all Amazon Go stores are set to close. Neither format delivered the sales needed to make them economically ...

Amazon is closing all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores…

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Sportsshoes.com to open 'running experience' store in London Etailer Sportsshoes.com is gearing up for the opening of its flagship experiential store, House of SportsShoes, in London this spring.

🇬🇧 Sportsshoes.com to open 'running experience' store in London www.drapersonline.com/news/sportss...

Revolution Bars owner appoints administrators amid hospitality crisis Revel Collective, which owns more than sixty venues, said it expects to appoint administrators within ten days

🇬🇧 Revolution Bars owner appoints administrators amid hospitality crisis www.cityam.com/revolution-b...

​Boots Group chief executive to retire as UK boss takes on ‘wider range of responsibilities’ The Boots Group chief executive Ornella Barra is retiring from her role as the head of Boots UK and Ireland to take on a "wider range of responsibilities".

​🇬🇧 Boots Group chief executive to retire as UK boss takes on ‘wider range of responsibilities’ www.retail-week.com/people/boots...

Waterstones boss defends government’s business rates shake-up James Daunt is relaxed about bills and the higher living wage, and says bookselling is having ‘a nice time’

🇬🇧 Waterstones boss defends government’s business rates shake-up www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...

Hundreds of hospitality firms close as cost pressures take toll Casual dining sites and restaurants were particularly hard hit, recording 241 closures over the three month period.

🇬🇧 Hundreds of hospitality firms close as cost pressures take toll www.cityam.com/hundreds-of-...