Selfridges launches first pop-up kitchen space
Selfridges has reportedly opened a new pop-up space in its London Foodhall to showcase a range of food industry talent. The luxury department store said food vendors and chefs that will get the spotlight for the rest of this year will change. Selfridges’ series of “exciting foodie collaborations” will operate a takeaway service during standard opening hours to begin with, given lockdown rules, Metro reported. “The space has been designed to be a launch pad for new brands as well as a destination for the capital’s best street food and exciting chef collaborations,” Selfridges head of food Andrew Bird said. The first food residency has kept different dietary requirements in mind, as dishes on the menu can be made vegan or vegetarian and everything is gluten free, boding well for the future collaborations. The initiative comes after Selfridges said earlier this year that it endured the “most difficult year” in its 113-year history. Managing director Anne Pitcher said the success of the business in 2019 allowed it to be resilient in 2020, but the luxury department store posted a 10 per cent drop in operating profits year on year to £88 million in the year to February 2020.
Next aims to become "Ocado of fashion"
Next has reportedly revealed plans to become the Ocado of fashion after extending its online platform to host smaller brands. The fashion retailer currently has a £2 billion online business and is using its advantage of logistics, customer databases and warehouses to launch a “total platform” business to become more like an Ocado for fashion rather than a high street chain. Next chief executive Lord Wolfson is seeking to develop a new revenue stream by using Next’s assets to provide a full service for smaller fashion brands to sell and distribute products online, The Times reported. The news comes after Next bought a 25 per cent stake in upmarket fashion brand Reiss last week. At the moment, Next’s platform has only Childsplay, a designer childrenswear retailer, but it has set up a pay-as-you go model for more brands to use the service with a fixed commission. Wolfson said this takes some of the risk out for a new, younger brand that might make the occasional blooper with a season’s collection. The development of the platform is similar to online grocer Ocado’s journey from an online grocery retailer into a technology business. Wolfson said it will take time for the platform to “deliver meaningful profit” but didn’t think there was “any comparable offer in terms of total service on offer”. Next owns the UK licence for Victoria’s Secret and was a frontrunner to buy Topshop out of administration in a joint bid with Authentic Brands of the US.
Pret A Manger strikes deal to sell baked treats in Tesco
Pret A Manger is set to sell baked treats in Tesco stores after it struck a deal with the Big 4 grocer. The food-to-go chain has agreed a deal that would initially see frozen Pret A Manger croissants for baking at home sold in 700 Tesco stores. Pret A Manger managing director Clare Clough said dressings and sauces were in consideration for sale in supermarkets in the future. The Tesco deal is an effort for Pret A Manger to adapt to the “new normal” and counteract the effect of lockdowns, such as the expected permanent shift in working patterns in city centres and a wave of stores closures. It also hopes to win new customers ahead of a plan to open sites in suburban areas. Owned by German investment group JAB Holdings, Pret A Manger already sells coffee via Amazon, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. Last September, Pret A Manger launched a subscription service for drinks, which allows customers to have a barista-prepared drink up to five times a day at £20 per month. The pandemic has been challenging for the chain, with sales plunging 80 per cent at one point. Last summer, Pret A Manger axed around 2900 roles as part of a restructuring which saw it close 30 shops. In October, it announced plans to close another six shops and cut around 400 jobs. While half of Pret A Manger’s 390 stores remain closed, around half of its staff are on furlough.
Screwfix to create 600 jobs amid 50 new store openings this year
Screwfix has revealed plans to open more than 50 stores in the UK and Ireland this year, a move that will create around 600 new jobs. Of the total new stores, 40 will be in the UK, creating up to 500 new jobs, while the remaining 10 stores planned in Ireland will create 100 new jobs. The DIY retailer said the new roles will be in areas such as retail management, service assistants and supervisors and be created by the end of January next year. The news came as Screwfix, which currently has 711 stores in the UK and 12 stores in Ireland – employing 11,643 people – announced an increase in its overall target for store numbers. It now plans to increase the total number of Screwfix outlets to over 900 in the UK and Ireland, up from the previous target of 800. The raised target follows the identification of further opportunities for stores in inner cities and rural catchment areas. The rapid growth of Screwfix has seen the trade retailer open, on average, one store per week for the last five years. Earlier this year, it announced that it had reached annual sales of £2 billion for the first time, just five years after reaching sales of £1 billion. Screwfix said “a major part” of its growth has been its focus on ecommerce, using its stores as fulfilment centres for click-and-collect deliveries which have surged during the Covid-19 pandemic. The growth has also supported by parent company Kingfisher, whose “Powered by Kingfisher” strategy focuses on empowering its retail banners in key areas such as own-brands development, buying and sourcing, ecommerce, and technology and services. Screwfix’s growth has led to significant recruitment during the last five years, including over 1000 new staff aged under 24 last year. Meanwhile, more than 800 staff have been promoted internally over the past year, including many who have completed apprenticeships. “I am incredibly proud of all Screwfix colleagues for their support in continuing to keep our customers supplied safely,” Screwfix chief executive John Mewett said. “We’re delighted to be opening 50 new stores this year, creating 600 jobs. The growing demand for convenience means we now see scope for over 900 stores in the UK and Ireland, which will help our busy customers get their jobs done. “We know that time is money for our customers and these new stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland enable us to provide our customers with added convenience and certainty, and provide even more job opportunities for local communities when they need it most.”
603 jobs at risk as Thorntons plans to shutter UK stores
Thorntons has announced plans to permanently close its entire UK store estate of 61 sites, which will affect 603 workers. The chocolate retailer said its decision is currently the subject of consultation with employees, and hopes to redeploy some of those affected. Thorntons said the Covid-19 pandemic has affected trading, particularly due to lockdown restrictions. Changing dynamics of the high street, shifting customer behaviour to online, the ongoing impact of Covid-19 and the numerous lockdown restrictions over the last year – especially during our key trading periods at Easter and Christmas – has meant we have been trading in the most challenging circumstances,” Thorntons retail director Adam Goddard said. “Unfortunately like many others, the obstacles we have faced and will continue to face on the high street are too severe and despite our best efforts we have taken the difficult decision to permanently close our retail store estate.” Thorntons has been owned by Italian firm Ferrero since 2015. The company’s online sales would be a key part of its strategy after it recorded a 71 per cent rise in ecommerce sales in the last year. The news of Thorntons’ decision to shutter its store estate follows a string of big names to go online-only, such as Debenhams which was bought by Boohoo, and Topshop bought by online giant Asos. In separate news, fellow chocolate retailer Hotel Chocolat said all 125 stores will reopen once Covid-19 restrictions are eased and that there no plans to shut any permanently. Chief executive Angus Thirlwell said while he expected to see a slowdown in business at city centre and travel locations, stores could see a boost from home workers working more flexible office hours in the future.
John Lewis expects 40% profits to come from non-retail activities
John Lewis has said it is expecting 40 per cent of its profits to come from non-retail activities such as housing over the next decade. The department store chain recently found that its shops are now at almost half the value they were before this year’s and last year’s write downs. Last year, John Lewis Partnership found 20 of its current John Lewis and Waitrose sites for the building of “quality and sustainable housing” as it shifts away from high street retail activities. The plans come after the company reported a £517 million pre-tax loss for 2020, and being forced to write down £648 million in the value of its high street stores due to the shift online. “With retail margins declining and the partnership wishing to return more benefit to partners, customers and communities, we are aiming that, by 2030, 40 per cent of our profits will come from areas outside retail, namely financial services, housing and outdoor living,” John Lewis Partnership said. The partnership said that these businesses were “higher margin”, and therefore could “more sustainably support a model of employee ownership”. It said the commitment was part of a five-year plan to deliver £400 million per year in pre-tax profit. In October, John Lewis said it was working with partners to progress plans for housing delivery, with two planning applications expected to be made in early 2021. John Lewis said at the time that the developments would be for build-to-rent schemes, which would be furnished with stock from John Lewis stores, and to which it would offer to deliver Waitrose food. It was given the green light to convert almost half of its London flagship store on Oxford Street into office space, as it set out plans to return the business to profitability. The department store has had a presence in the capital since 1864, and was granted permission by Westminster City Council after drawing up plans for the site. The council’s planning sub-committee voted unanimously “on the basis of exceptional circumstances to justify the loss of retail floorspace”
Greggs swings to first annual loss since 1984
Greggs has recorded a £13.7 million loss for 2020 after sales were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite its losses, Greggs said its trading so far this year has been better than expected. The bakery chain said this was its first annual loss since it listed on the stock market in 1984. Sales fell by 31 per cent to £811.3 million in the year to January 2, compared to a pre-tax profit of £108.3m a year earlier. However, Greggs said it has since witnessed a recovery in sales, particularly this year so far. In the 10 weeks to March 13, like-for-like sales fell at the slower rate of 28.8 per cent, or 22.4 per cent excluding Greggs’ Scottish stores – all of which have been closed for the majority of 2021. “Greggs is well placed to participate in the recovery from the pandemic and has demonstrated its resilience and capability to operate under such challenging conditions,” chief executive Roger Whiteside said.
Scotch & Soda announces plans to open 15 new stores globally
Scotch & Soda has revealed plans to open 15 new stores and 12 shop-in-shops around the world over the next six months, while also unveiling a new brand identity. The Netherlands-based fashion brand and retailer said it would open larger-format standalone stores in select locations across Europe, North America, the Middle East and in the Asia-Pacific. The first of these opened today in Utrecht, and on March 18 another will open up at Westfield Mall of the Netherlands in Leidschendam. Scotch & Soda said its largest flagship store would then open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, also in The Netherlands, on March 25. Over the next six months, these openings will be followed by two news stores in Germany, one in France, two in Poland, one in Ukraine, one in India, one in Australia and another in the US. Scotch & Soda said it was also looking at additional locations in the US, and will also launch in Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. Meanwhile, three of its new shop-in-shops will be located in Switzerland while the another seven will be located in Sweden. The Retail Gazette has contacted Scotch & Soda to clarify if any new stores were planned for the UK. Scotch & Soda currently operates from 225 stores and 161 shop-in-shops worldwide. Meanwhile, the Dutch retailer unveiled its new brand logo and identity, which mainly sees it blending the iconic ampersand with Scotch & Soda’s initials. The new identity will be revealed digitally today on the retailer’s social media channels, website and dedicated app, as well as in several new stores, before launching on collections in November with the spring 2022 collection. Scotch & Soda also pledged that 41 per cent of its product range would be made to meet its responsible material standard, which means 20 per cent of a single product will be made using responsible materials. Scotch & Soda has ambitions to increase the target to 70 per cent of its products being made to the standard, and from mid-2022 it would up the responsible standard of materials used from 20 per cent per product to a minimum of 50 per cent.
Zalando plans to account for 10% of all EU fashion sales
Zalando has announced ambitious plans to capture 10 per cent of all European fashion sales by 2025 as it reveals runaway sales figures over its first quarter.
The German online fashion giant said yesterday that it expects gross merchandise volumes (GMV) for 2021 to come dramatically above current market expectations, rising between 27 and 32 per cent to between €13.6 billion (£11.7 billion) and €14.1 billion (£12.1 billion).
It cited an “extraordinarily strong start to the year” in which GMV has already risen by 50 per cent, tracking at double the growth analysts expect for the full year.
This year, Zalando says it expects adjusted EBIT to come in between €350 million (£301 million) and €425 million (£366.2 million), up from the €420.8 million (£362.6 million) reported last year, significantly above expectations of €361 million (£311 million).
Net profits also reportedly doubled last year to €226 million (£194.8 million), encouraging the retailer to target ambitious growth plans over the next few years.
Zalando now says it wants to account for 10 per cent of the entire European fashion market by 2025, seeing GMV triple to €30 billion (£25.8 billion).
While Zalando gave no specific reason for its recent spike in figures, it said the decline in the number of order returns during lockdown helped profitability.
Iceland officially opens first Swift store
Iceland has officially opened the doors to its new convenience supermarket format under the Swift brand. The trial store opened today at the former Iceland Four Lane Ends site in Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne. The frozen food retailer said Swift is an entirely new concept that was designed to provide an easy-to-shop grocery store with the watchwords “Fast. Fresh. Local”. The 1700sq ft store – which saw 12 Iceland employees keep their jobs after the shop refit – offers double the range of the former small Iceland store, with nearly 3000 lines across grocery, chilled, fresh, frozen, alcohol, cigarettes and tobacco and food-to-go. Iceland said the new layout of the Swift concept “breaks down the traditional barriers between frozen and chilled food to provide a complete range of meal solutions”. Should the trial store be successful, Iceland said it would consider rolling out the concept to almost 1000 sites around the UK. News of the Swift concept first emerged earlier this week when Iceland managing director Richard Walker tweeted a picture of himself outside then yet-opened store that had the Swift logo emblazoned on it, as well on his face mask. “Swift has a focus on being fast, fresh and local,” Walker said today. “Our last ‘one store trial’ of a new store format was The Food Warehouse in 2014 and we now have 140 stores. “If this trial resonates with consumers there is potential to expand it both within the existing Iceland store estate and beyond to expand our existing network of stores in almost 1000 communities across the UK. Iceland had registered the Swift trademark last year, but at the time it led to speculation the frozen food retailer was planning a new rapid delivery service.
Toys R Us could be revived as it bags a major investor
Toys R Us could soon be resuscitated and brought back to its former glory as it signs a deal with a new major investor.
Toys R Us’ parent company TRU Kids has just sold a controlling stake to WHP Global, a New York-based investment and management firm with ambitions of building a global portfolio of brands.
According to Forbes, WHP’s chief executive Yehuda Shmidman has high hopes for Toys R Us, which collapsed in spectacular fashion in 2017.
“I couldn’t dream of a more powerful brand to invest in,” Shmidman said.
“Clearly e-commerce opportunities are substantial, but that’s just where it starts”.
Shmidman, who brings with him vast financial resources and a wealth of experience running retail brands, wants to once again make Toys R Us the “go-to destination and authority in toys” and plans to create a new omnichannel shopping experience for the brand.
TRU Kids, which was created by a group of institutional investors after it collapsed four years ago and holds the rights the company’s name and property rights, has struggled to revive the brand in recent years.
Their first attempt involved launching experimental stores under a ‘retail as a service’ platform enabling brands who sell in store to actively manage their instore experiences and analyse how their in-store experience translate to online sales.
This new model saw “the hottest toy products and brands” pay a subscription to Toys R Us to include their products and “immersive”, “highly interactive” experiences instore, but will take 100 per cent of the revenue.
Its model gained some traction before COVID forced stores to close, but the brand also launched a tie-up with US giants Target and Amazon to sell its toys online.
According to Shmidman, his company is looking “to build one of the largest and best portfolios of brands in the world,” and has around $1 billion to do so.
Debenhams store to be converted into 300 flats
The former Debenhams store in Leicester is set to be converted into 300 rental flats, following a public consultation which took place at the end of last year. Property giant Hammerson has submitted plans to Leicester City Council to redevelop the former Debenhams store which is part of the Highcross shopping centre on St Peter’s Lane. The plans were developed in association with private-rented-sector specialist Packaged Living. The submission of plans follows a virtual public consultation which took place at the end of last year. Local community members were invited to view the plans and attend a virtual community meeting and Q&A session with the project team. The scheme will provide more than 300 new homes, as well as resident amenities including a roof garden. “Since opening its doors in 2008, Highcross has firmly established itself as an integral part of Leicester’s city core,” Hammerson managing director UK and Ireland Mark Bourgeois said. “While the structural shift in retail and changing consumer shopping habits have meant that destinations such as Highcross need to adapt their offer and mix of uses, well-connected city centre locations such as this will always be places where people want to be. “We are delighted to submit this proposal for high-quality homes for local people to rent, which will support our brands at Highcross and contribute to the continued success of Leicester City centre.” With all of Debenhams’ stores closing down permanently as part of the liquidation and wind-down process, it means up to 12,000 staff would not have their jobs saved. Since it fell into administration last April, Debenhams had already announced significant job losses and store closures – including the more recent announcement of six store closures, of which its flagship outlet on London’s Oxford Street was a part. That administration itself was the second of its kind that Debenhams had launched within the space of 12 months.
Poundland saves 36% costs after renegotiating 180 leases
Poundland has said it renegotiated 180 leases in the two years to the end of September 2020, saving over 36 per cent on average. The discount retailer plans to renegotiate hundreds more as leases come up for renewal by September 2024, saving around €20 million in annual costs. Rent remained Poundland’s largest operating cost in the year to September 30, at £101 million. “We are confident that there remains a significant opportunity to renegotiate more favourable lease terms,” Poundland group chief executive Andy Bond said. Poundland has 750 stores in the UK and 60 in Ireland under the sister banner Dealz. A total of 55 per cent of the leases were due for renewal by the end of September 2024, “representing a cost reduction opportunity of €20 million”, Poundland said. Poundland has favoured traditional fixed-rent leases but on more flexible terms. “In all situations we will seek to maximise flexibility within the new lease with a short lease commitment and tenant-only break clause within the initial lease period,” Poundland said. Poundland would also consider relocating at every lease expiry, dependent on whether the evolving offer – such as the rollout of frozen and chilled food ranges – still suited the site.
Eve Sleep cuts annual losses by 83%
Eve Sleep has cut its annual losses by 83 per cent to £2 million last year, and said its recovery programme is ahead of schedule. The retailer saw its sales rise six per cent to £25.2 million last year, while gross margin improved following a focus on profitable sales. Eve Sleep said its performance in the year to December 31 was ahead of expectations and that its rebuild strategy was “essentially complete”. “Eve’s rebuild strategy is essentially complete, six months ahead of plan,” Eve Sleep chief executive Cheryl Calverley said. “We move now to accelerate our business with a mind to leveraging our strong brand, efficient marketing, high-performing products and excellent customer service to allow us to diversify across markets, channels and categories. ”But we do so carefully. Successful ecommerce businesses win through balancing growth with customer experience and business resilience, and we will do the same. “We seek sustainable, profitable growth and will avoid growth at any cost, and certainly to the detriment of customer experience or business resilience. “We’re excited about the opportunities the next few years bring and we now have a business ready to grasp those opportunities.” Eve Sleep chair Paul Pindar said the switch to online during Covid-19, and the strength of the overall homewares market during lockdown had ”provided tailwinds”. However, he said the retailer acted to ensure a ”more resilient and efficient technology, logistics and operational platform for future growth”.
Moonpig introduces Lego gifts in biggest ever brand launch
Moonpig has announced the addition of Lego gifts to its range as the online retailer goes from strength to strength since its £1.2 billion stock market debut. The addition of Lego to its range also marks Moonpig’s biggest brand launch to date. The new Lego collection spans over 50 products across 13 different themes and includes items such as Duplo, City, Friends, Harry Potter, Superheroes and Star Wars, and Architecture. Moonpig also created a dedicated landing page and content featured all around the site to showcase the new Lego range. The online gifts retailer has introduced over 50 new brands on its site in the last three months across the food, alcohol, beauty, home and toy categories. These include Edinburgh Gin, Chase Gin, Moet & Chandon, Piper-Heidsieck, Bollinger, Johnnie Walker, Glenmorangie, Jamesons, Sanctuary Spa, This Works, Nivea, OPI, Whittards, Walkers Shortbread, Montezuma Chocolate, Jelly Belly, Playmobil, Hasbro and Pokemon.
Superdrug partners with Missguided
Superdrug partnered with online fashion retailer Missguided to become the exclusive high street stockist for Missguided Beauty. Superdrug said that from this week, high street shoppers would now be able to purchase Missguided’s cosmetics range in its stores across the UK. The new Missguided Beauty range offers a capsule collection of 27 trending products, including summer essentials and a diverse foundation range of 25 shades as standard. Superdrug added that the Missguided Beauty range starts at just £6, and the in-store visuals and brand fixtures feature Missguided staff members alongside a diverse model cast. The partnership also sees Superdrug add Missguided into its portfolio of exclusive cosmetics brands, which includes Revolution, EX1, MUA, Flower, and Rude beauty. “At Superdrug, we are dedicated to bringing inclusive beauty to the high street, and ensuring it is accessible for all,” Superdrug commercial director Simon Comins said. “We are so pleased to be the high street exclusive stockist for the Missguided Beauty range, launching nationwide, with prices starting at just £6. “We are so excited to bring fashion and beauty together with this collection, and offer new, trend-led products to our shoppers.” Missguided chief executive Nitin Passi said: “We’re all about our customer and she’s telling us we can do more than just give her the apparel that makes her look and feel great – she’s giving us permission to extend that to her beauty regime. “And this first Missguided beauty range carries the spirit of what she knows we do best – premium quality without a premium price tag.”
Joules to open stores within Centre Parc villages
Joules has announced the launch of a new partnership with Center Parcs, in which it will open six stores within the premises of the latter’s holiday villages. The stores will be open during spring and will be located in Center Parcs villages in both the UK and Ireland. The first store will launch at Center Parcs Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire on April 12. The stores will offer menswear, womenswear and childrenswear, including Joules’ outdoors-inspired Right as Rain range. Holiday shoppers will also be able to use Joules’ click-and-collect service to pick up their purchases during their break. In addition, the new Center Parcs shops will feature experiential areas to enable Joules to host family-oriented events. Joules said the partnership would provide more opportunities for new and existing customers to engage with its brand and products. “We’re thrilled to be bringing the Joules brand to Center Parcs from this spring,” Joules chief executive Nick Jones said. “The partnership between two outdoor loving, family-focused lifestyle brands has significant potential and supports Joules long-term strategy to develop its brand presence in line with its customers’ evolving lifestyles and increase its customer base.”
Co-op to double franchise estate by year end
The Co-op has reportedly set out plans to double its franchise estate to 30 stores by the end of this year. The convenience retailer said that five stores will be opening in the next six weeks, including its first-ever franchise store at a service station opening today. The Cornwall Services store will span 2000sq ft and will offer an extensive food-to-go range, hot and cold sandwiches, snacks, chilled drinks, pastries from the in-store bakery and Co-op’s Ever Ground Fairtrade coffee, The Grocer reported. Co-op head of new channels Martin Rogers said franchise gets Co-op into a space where it has never been before. He added that the agility of the franchise models allows Co-op to open more stores where it normally wouldn’t launch. Other stores that are due to open include a “healthy pipeline” of stores in universities, neighbourhoods, and city centres, which the retailer will be revealing in the coming weeks. The Co-op currently operates six franchise stores on university campuses as well as three with Nisa partners, its first franchise partnership with a catering business, Gather & Gather, and four Costcutter company-owned stores.
Retailers will devote more space to experience than products by 2025
Retailers will allocate more store space to experiences than physical products by 2025 according to new research from shopping centre giant Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.
Westfield’s study, which polled 2000 UK consumers and 500 UK retailers, focused on the impact of the pandemic on the future of shopping, finding a range of trends which have been “turbo-charged” throughout 2020.
According to the report, one of the five key areas of change will be the significance placed on experiences, set to become the most important element of stores in the next five years.
Retailers will hit an “experience tipping point” by 2025, by which time more store square footage will be devoted to experiences than products, as 52 per cent of shoppers state they now crave in-store experiences.
Other trends set to define the shape of the industry are an increasing focus on sustainability, set to drive both a surge in local shopping, more mindful online purchases and a significant boost in initiatives like rental services.
Westfield’s research suggests that 49 per cent of shoppers now want to buy locally sourced goods, leading 96 per cent of retailers to consider introducing community initiatives in 2021.
Meanwhile, the pandemic is set to drive the popularity of the “retail surgery market” which prescribes shoppers specific products for their personal health needs.
Health-conscious millennials are expected to drive the value of this industry to £40 billion per month in the UK alone, with 49 per cent stating they would be willing to share their DNA for a better shopping experience and 78 per cent of shoppers stating they would be interested in in-store health experiences.
“It was obvious long before Covid that the role of bricks and mortar retail in the consumer journey was changing, but lockdown and the ensuing restrictions that engulfed society finally forced both brands and consumers to question the necessity of stores,” head of Innovation Agency, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London Matthew Drinkwater said
Halfords to acquire motoring services provider in £15m deal
Halfords has announced it will acquire motoring services provider Universal Tyre and Autocentres in a £15 million deal. The cycling retailer said around £9 million of the purchase price will relate to its acquisition of real-estate and the net cash position of the business. The remaining £6 million will pay for the underlying trading business. Halfords will sell and lease back the property within the next few months. Universal Tyre and Autocentres has 20 sites and 89 commercial vans operating in the South East and on the east coast of the UK. Halfords expects to report revenue of over £31 million and EBITDA in excess of £1.5 million for the year to December 31, 2020. The acquisition is expected to allow Halfords to move one step closer to having over 550 garages in the UK. The retailer currently has 374 garages, 185 commercial vans and 136 Halfords Mobile Expert vans operating in its autocentres business. “We have a clearly stated strategy of building a market-leading Motoring Services offer, and the acquisition of Universal is another important step forward in helping us to achieve that goal,” Halfords chief executive Graham Stapleton said. “We continue to see strong demand for our autocentres, for our expanding fleet of Halfords Mobile Expert vans, and for our growing commercial business. “Universal will help us to meet that demand whilst also expanding our geographic footprint in a market for which we see significant potential.”