ASOS acquires Topshop, Topman & Miss Selfridge in £295m deal
Asos has acquired Topshop and other Arcadia brands in “a hugely exciting moment” as it seeks to “drive growth globally and accelerate its brand strategy”. The online fashion retailer has agreed to buy Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and athleisure brand HIIT for £295 million. The deal will see 300 employees transfer to the new owner but the future of 2500 employees remains at risk as the brands’ network of 70 stores is not included in the deal. Asos has paid for the brands’ goodwill and stock on hand, and it will also take on certain liabilities for forward committed stock orders. The sale will generate total proceeds of £330 million for the benefit of creditors. Completion of the transaction is expected on February 4, 2021. This transaction follows the sale of Evans to Australian business City Chic on December 23, 2020 for £23 million. Arcadia Group, which also owns Burton and Dorothy Perkins, fell into administration in November, putting 13,000 jobs at risk. The process to secure new owners for Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis remains ongoing via exclusive discussions with a potential purchaser. Fellow online fashion retailer Boohoo confirmed on Friday that it was in exclusive talks to buy the Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis brands from Arcadia’s administrator Deloitte, for just over £25 million. Boohoo recently bought the Debenhams brand and website – but not its 118 stores.
John Lewis Partnership delivers care packages to NHS staff
John Lewis Partnership has announced it will be providing frontline NHS workers with care packages as the fight continues to keep Covid-19 under control. In partnership with the British Medical Association (BMA), the partnership said it plans to keep NHS workers “refuelled and refreshed” as they face extreme pressure amid the pandemic. The care boxes are starting to be delivered as hospital admissions for patients continue to remain high in every region. Nearly 500 boxes have been sent to acute hospital trusts in the UK to safely distribute to high intensity clinical areas such as Critical Care and Intensive Care units. The supplies include toiletries, such as deodorant, socks, shaving foam, hand cream and lip balm; as well as snack food, tea and coffee. The boxes also contain a wellbeing leaflet with information about a 24/7 counselling service and guidance from the BMA on a range of issues. In total, the John Lewis Partnership will have delivered almost 2000 boxes of essentials to over 500 Hospital Trust locations during the pandemic. This has included care packages sent to Mental Health Trusts. “We are extremely grateful for the courage and humanity of everyone in the NHS working tirelessly to fight this virus – from intensive care to mental health,” John Lewis Partnership Sustainability & Ethics director Marija Rompani said. “We are exceptionally lucky to have an amazing health service open to all and this is a small token to show our thanks again for their relentless hard work.” John Lewis said it reopened its textiles factory Herbert Parkinson in Lancashire, to make protective gowns for the NHS. The business’ 2020 Give a Little Love campaign raised over £3 million for charities Home-Start and FareShare, aiming to support 100,000 families in need. Last week, the partnership said it will extend its support to meet the specific needs of the most vulnerable, backed with a further donation of £2 million.
Aldi creates 4000 jobs, urges Arcadia & Debenhams staff to apply
Aldi has said it aims to create 4000 new jobs across the UK this year and has urged those affected by the collapse of the Arcadia and Debenhams retail empires to apply. The German discount grocer, which recently announced it would create the jobs as part of a two-year £1.3 billion investment in new and upgraded stores and distribution centres, said today that it would “very much welcome” applications from those recently employed by Debenhams and Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group. The collapse of the two retail empires are thought to have affected around 25,000 jobs up and down the UK. Between 10,000-12,000 staff at Debenhams are set to lose their jobs after the department store’s brand, product assets and ecommerce operations were acquired by Boohoo Group last week – meaning all its 118 of its stores are going to shut down once the liquidation process ends. So far only about half of Arcadia has been rescued, but like Debenhams, only the brand, product assets and websites for Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, HIIT were bought by Asos today, leaving their stores shut for good. The move has affected 2500 jobs. Burton, Wallis and Dorothy Perkins continue to remain up for grabs, while Evans’ was bought Australian business City Chic in December. When Arcadia fell into administration in December, it placed 13,000 jobs on the line. Aldi said it hopes to offer long-term retail roles to thousands who have lost their jobs as a result of the two high street giants’ collapses. “We are currently opening an average of one new store a week as we continue to try to meet the huge demand for amazing quality food at unbeatable prices that shoppers can only get at Aldi,” Aldi UK recruitment director Kelly Stokes said. “That means finding around 4000 new Aldi colleagues this year and, if we can do that while also helping those who have recently lost out due to closures elsewhere, we will do.” Aldi staff are one of the best-paid in the UK grocery sector and is also one of the only supermarkets to offer paid breaks. From today, all of its 30,000 store assistants are paid a minimum of £9.55 an hour, or £11.07 inside the M25.
M&S offers online learning resources as schools remain shut
Marks & Spencer has launched a series of online learning resources in an effort to expand learning to parents, carers and teachers of primary and secondary-aged children as schools in the UK remain shut. The resources, which include fashion and business studies are available for people to download at home. The initiative has been created by the M&S Company Archive – which consists of four digital resources – “bring to life” M&S’s “heritage in leading on quality, innovation and service”, topics including the science behind textiles, the process of designing packaging and delivering for customers as a business and the history of food. The resources feature short films, printable worksheets and “fun, practical tasks, from pitching business ideas to creating food packaging to inventing garments of the future”. It aims to support skills in maths, science, art and design, and business studies and have been developed by education experts in collaboration with teachers and home-schooling coordinators for Key Stages 1 to 4. “As schools remain closed, we know families and teachers are looking for more ways to help kids learn at home, and that’s why we’ve teamed up with experts to create a new fully digital programme,” M&S Company Archive, Education & Outreach officer, Caroline Bunce said. The M&S Company Archive contains over 71,000 items, and has been running educational programmes for schools at its exhibition for almost a decade. In response to Covid-19, the archive has accelerated its plans to launch a full digital offering to extend its learning to children’s homes.
Arcadia Group to cut jobs at West Midlands warehouse after ASOS deal
Arcadia Group’s distribution centre in Rugby, Warwickshire is reportedly set to make hundreds of redundancies following Asos’ acquisition of Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, and athleisure brand HIIT. The warehouse is one of the three distribution centres that Arcadia has in the UK, and the number of job cuts remain unknown, Drapers reported. On Monday, online retailer Asos bought the four Arcadia Group brands for £265 million, in a deal that does not include the brands’ stores and places 2500 jobs at risk. Arcadia administrators Deloitte said the transaction also excludes the Rugby distribution centre. Administrators for Sir Philip Green’s retail empire said Asos paid an additional £65 million for current and pre-ordered stock, bringing the grand total of the deal to £330 million. The deal will see 300 employees transfer to Asos but the future of 2500 Arcadia employees remains at risk since the network of 70 Topshop and Miss Selfridge stores is not included in the deal. Asos paid for the brands’ goodwill and stock on hand, and it will also take on certain liabilities for forward committed stock orders. Arcadia Group has three warehouse facilities in the UK in Rugby, Daventry, and Milton Keynes, employing 1500 people in total. It has further distribution hubs in Singapore and the US. The Rugby warehouse is expected to remain open for a short while to handle customer returns.
Moonpig begins £1.2bn stock market float
Moonpig has debuted on the London Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of £1.2 billion. The online greeting cards and gift retailer said the offer price of its IPO will be 350p per share. The flotation comprises 5.7 million new shares to raise gross proceeds of £20 million and 134.6 million existing shares being sold by certain existing shareholders – equating to a total offer size of £491.2 million. In total, they represent 41 per cent of the greeting cards retailer’s issued shared capital on admission, which totals 342 million shares. Some selling shareholders are also making available an extra 14 million shares. Conditional dealings for Moonpig began at 8am on February 2, while unconditional dealings are set to begin at the same time on February 5. “Listing on the London Stock Exchange is an incredibly special milestone and will provide new opportunities for the business,” Moonpig chief executive Nickyl Raithatha said. “We are confident that Moonpig Group will continue to make gifting even more effortless for millions of people across the UK and internationally. “As the leaders of a market undergoing an accelerating shift to online, now is the perfect time for us to bring the company to the public market, and we are excited about Moonpig’s prospects for the future.” Moonpig chairwoman and former WHSmith boss Kate Swann is helping oversee the listing as the retailer seeks to tap further into a cards and gifts market which is worth £24 billion across the UK, the Netherlands and Ireland, and is rapidly switching online. The retailer said only around 10 per cent of card purchases were made online in 2019, which is forecast to double to 20 per cent by 2021. The ecommerce firm already has 12.2 million customers and sends 46 million cards a year but is trying to position itself as a technology business, using customer data and predictive technology. Moonpig, which launched 20 years ago, has a team of more than 400 staff across the UK and Netherlands, with an office in London, a technology hub in Manchester and factory in Guernsey.
Morrisons pledges another £5m in foodbank donations
Morrisons has announced it will set aside a further £5 million of food supplies to help keep the nation’s food banks stocked up this year. It comes after Morrisons’ network of Community Champions ensured £10 million of stock was delivered direct to food banks across the UK last year. The grocery giant ran its bakery, egg and fruit & veg packing site for an extra hour every day to make, prepare and pack food required to restock the food banks – with over two million eggs and over 300,000 loaves of bread distributed through Morrisons’ own manufacturing sites. Morrisons also focused on the essential products food banks were calling out for, supplying one million packets of pasta, 1.5 million litres of long life milk and over 800,000 tins of beans to those in need. Other treats to help bring joy to families included one million Easter Eggs and 50,000 packs of McVities Victoria Biscuits. Food was then distributed locally through Morrisons’ network of local heroes – the community champions – who work closely with food banks on the ground to ensure they’re getting the vital stock that they need. Food banks continue to play a vital role in the pandemic for many of the most vulnerable people in communities, with research by the Trussell Trust forecasting a 61 per cent increase in food parcels needed across its UK Network this winter – and six emergency food parcels given out every minute. The £5 million donation by Morrisons will continue to distribute food to those most in need this year. “As food banks continue to face the extremely challenging times they find themselves in, it is only right that we continue to play our full part at Morrisons in feeding the nation,” Morrisons chief executive David Potts said. “As a business our priority remains to be kind and support those in society who find themselves struggling through this very difficult time; all of us working together means no-one need be left behind”. Morrisons customers have also played their part throughout the pandemic, contributing over £180,000 to the Trussell Trust through Morrisons.com and donating hundreds of thousands of products in store through the Morrisons Pick Up Packs. A scheme where customers can select a small paper bag filled with a number of items needed specifically by their local food bank labelled with a price at the front of store, pay for the items and drop off their bag on their way out.
Jeff Bezos to resign as Amazon CEO
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to resign as chief executive later this year as the online retailer’s revenues for the Christmas quarter topped $100 billion (£73.1 billion) for the first time. Bezos will step into the role of executive chair at the company he founded back in 1994. Amazon Web Services cloud computing boss Andy Jassy is on standby to replace him. The news comes as Amazon posts details of its fourth quarter earnings. The business surpassed £73 billion in sales for the first time during the crucial Christmas trading period thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Net sales rose 44 per cent to $125.6 billion in the three months to December 31, 2020, as net income more than doubled year-on-year to $7.2 billion. Over the full year, Amazon’s net sales surged 38 per cent to $386.1 million, while net income increased by a colossal 83.6 per cent to $21.3 billion. Bezos said it was the “optimal time” for him to step aside and hand the reins to Jassy. “Amazon is what it is because of invention. We do crazy things together and then make them normal,” Bezos said. “We pioneered customer reviews, 1-Click, personalized recommendations, Prime’s insanely-fast shipping, just walk out shopping, the Climate Pledge, Kindle, Alexa, marketplace, infrastructure cloud computing, Career Choice, and much more. “If you do it right, a few years after a surprising invention, the new thing has become normal. People yawn. That yawn is the greatest compliment an inventor can receive. “When you look at our financial results, what you’re actually seeing are the long-run cumulative results of invention. Right now I see Amazon at its most inventive ever, making it an optimal time for this transition. Jassy emerged as Bezos’ replacement after Amazon’s retail boss Jeff Wilke revealed his plans to retire last summer.
ASOS shares surge following £330m Topshop deal
Asos has reportedly seen its shares rise since snapping up four brands from Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group. The stock has risen 13 per cent in the two days since it sealed the £330 million deal to acquire Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge, This is Money reported. Asos is currently valued at just over £5 billion – almost twice as much as Marks & Spencer at £2.7billion. Asos paid for the brands’ goodwill and stock on hand, and it will also take on certain liabilities for forward committed stock orders. At least 300 employees will be transferred to Asos as the network of 70 Topshop and Miss Selfridge stores is not included in the deal – placing 2500 jobs at risk. Arcadia Group, which also owns Burton and Dorothy Perkins, fell into administration in November, putting 13,000 jobs and over 400 shops at risk. Asos chief executive Nick Robertson was forced to sell off £70 million of shares to fund a divorce settlement in 2016. He sold another £15 million of shares in 2019 and a further £13.6 million in November last year, following a rise in loungewear thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Robertson remains one of the largest investors with around 3.6 million shares worth almost £169 million. Asos’ biggest shareholder is Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, who holds a stake of more than £1.3 billion. Povlsen also owns stakes in Zalando, and Klarna, as well as eight fashion brands through his retail empire Bestseller including Jack & Jones. Last week, Povlsen was involved in a face off with Frasers Group boss Mike Ashley over the Jenners department store on Princes Street in Edinburgh. Ashley said Povlsen had failed to agree to a realistic rent forcing him to shut the store with the loss of 200 jobs.
Buy now, pay later firms to be hit with FCA regulation amid growing debt fears
‘Buy now, pay later’ firms like Klarna and Laybuy will now face tougher regulations by UK authorities after their usage nearly quadrupled last year.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will now be given powers to regulate the £2.7 billion BNPL sector following an in-depth four-month investigation, which found one in 10 users were already in debt elsewhere.
BNPL services, which are now offered by hundreds of major retailers, offer customers the option to pay for goods in a number of interest free instalments.
The sector has made headlines in recent months amid fears it is putting its largely millennial user base at risk of falling into debt, allowing them to buy more than they can realistically afford.
Under the FCA’s new regulations, firms will be required to conduct thorough affordability checks before approving a customer.
According to the FCA’s review, shoppers can wrack up hundreds of pounds in debts that other lenders would not be able to see.
“The review found it would be relatively easy to accrue around £1,000 of debt that credit reference agencies and mainstream lenders cannot see,” economic secretary to the treasury John Glen said.
“With several buy now, pay later providers planning to expand to higher-value retailers, or offer their products in store, the risk that consumers could take on unaffordable levels of debt is increasing.”
In response to the new regulatory plans, which will see the FCA begin formal oversight later this year, the payment providers have been largely supportive.
In a tweet, Swedish payment giant Klarna praised the action stating: “Current regulation is nearly 50 years old, it has not kept pace with newer products and changing consumers’ needs. It’s time for modernisation so it is fit for purpose.”
Its rival Laybuy’s founder Gary Rohloff also commented: “Firstly, I think it’s important to stress that if offered responsibly, credit offers many positive opportunities for consumers.
“Ever since we started Laybuy, we have set high standards of information and transparency for customers. Today’s report makes clear it is time for the industry to step up.
“BNPL is an effective and lower risk tool to help people manage their budget. It’s important that these products remain available for consumers, the vast majority of whom value BNPL services.”
Amazon ordered to pay $61m to delivery drivers after pocketing tips
Amazon has been ordered to hand tens of millions of dollars to delivery drivers after its was found to be pocketing their tips for over two years.
The US Federal Trade Commission forced the ecommerce giant to hand $61.7 million to Amazon Flex delivery drivers.
Amazon Flex drivers, who work on a freelance basis similar to Uber drivers, should receive “100 per cent of the tips” they earn according to Amazon’s advertising.
The tips should come on top of the $18 to $25 earned by drivers per hour, which is paid in “blocks” usually lasting three to four hours.
According to the FTC, Amazon began using driver tips to make up minimum earnings for drivers in 2016, instead of adding it to their wages.
Drivers were not notified of the changes made to their pay, and Amazon is understood to have only stopped the practice after it came under investigation in 2019.
“Rather than passing along 100 per cent of customers’ tips to drivers, as it had promised to do, Amazon used the money itself,” the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection Daniel Kaufman said.
“Our action today returns to drivers the tens of millions of dollars in tips that Amazon misappropriated, and requires Amazon to get drivers’ permission before changing its treatment of tips in the future.”
In response, Amazon said: “While we disagree that the historical way we reported pay to drivers was unclear, we added additional clarity in 2019 and are pleased to put this matter behind us.
“Amazon Flex delivery partners play an important role in serving customers every day, which is why they earn among the best in the industry at over $25 per hour on average.”
Amazon Flex drivers have become an increasingly important part of Amazon’s delivery network over the past year, with the majority of drivers delivering Prime Now and Amazon Fresh grocery orders which have skyrocketed during the pandemic.
Sainsburys to roll out Fresh Food Market concept
Sainsbury’s has announced plans to roll out the Fresh Food Market in-store concept after a successful trial at its Hempstead Valley store, which has just completed wider renovation works. The Hempstead Valley superstore is home to Sainsbury’s first Fresh Food Market, where it was first launched in October. The Big 4 grocer said at the time that if the pilot was successful, it would look to rollout to more stores. The grocery giant today confirmed that customer and staff feedback on the new food hall format and design and would commence a trial across more stores in 2021. It did not specify which or how many stores. The Fresh Food Market is brought to life with a market-style presentation of fresh fruit and vegetables, new signage and a focus on seasonality and proud British Heritage.
JD Sports raises £464m to support acquisition plans
JD Sports has completed a fundraise for £464.2 million through the placing of ordinary shares, which will support expansion plans and help it capitalise on acquisition opportunities. The placing shares represent around six per cent of the existing issued capital and will raise gross proceeds of £464.2 million. The placing price represents a discount of around 2.5 per cent, to the mid-market closing price of 815p on February 3. A total of 58.3 million new ordinary shares in the capital of the company have been placed by Investec Bank and Peel Hunt at an issue price of 795 pence per share. Applications have been made to the Financial Conduct Authority for the placing shares to be admitted to the premium listing segment of the London Stock Exchange. It is expected that admission will take place on February 8, 2021. JD Sports said there are a number of acquisition opportunities becoming available that will support its expansion strategy. The sportswear giant’s profit before tax and exceptional costs has risen from £100 million in 2015, to £439 million in the financial year ended February 1, 2020.
Government urges councils to delay issuing business rates
The government has urged England’s councils not to issue business rates bills this month ahead of the new 2021/22 financial year. Councils have been demanded to delay issuing business rates bills until after Chancellor Rishi Sunak sets out the Budget on March 3. The government has signalled that further support for occupiers of commercial property like shops, pubs and restaurants is coming. The business rates holiday in England is currently due to end on March 31. Real estate adviser Altus Group said the Treasury is attempting to negate the economic impact of the pandemic, and has written off business rates bills for the current financial year, which runs from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, to the tune of £10.13 billion fully exempting 358,264 occupied retail, leisure and hospitality properties in England. Financial secretary to the Treasury, Jesse Norman said that the local government is responsible for the administration of non-domestic rates in England. As part of this function, billing authorities will shortly begin preparing to issue annual rates bills to businesses. The Budget will set out the next phase of the government’s plans to tackle the pandemic, protect jobs and support businesses. “Billing authorities in England should therefore consider issuing business rates bills after the chancellor has set out his plan at the Budget,” Norman said. The business rates holiday in Scotland – which was scheduled to end on March 31, 2021 – has already been extended. 13 large retailers, including the Big 4 supermarkets, have already agreed to repay £2.16 billion in rates relief that they have received through the holiday to support their business during Covid-19.
Only 8 female retail bosses hired in 2020
Only eight female bosses were hired by retailers last year and only two people from ethnic minorities became retail chief executives, according to a new report. The number of female bosses is down from the 11 appointed in 2019, headhunter firm Korn Ferry said in its annual CEO tracker. In addition, there is now no female chief executive of a FTSE 350 retailer after Karen Hubbard left the helm of Card Factory last year. The CEO tracker also found no material improvement in the number of female chief executives appointed in the last five years. The eight female appointments last year were Emma Fox Berry at Bros & Rudd, Leanne Cahill at Bravissimo, Jan Marchant at Tesco’s F&F clothing label, Hannah Colman at Jimmy Choo, John Lewis executive director Pippa Wicks, McArthurGlen co-chief executive Susie McCabe, N Brown head of retail Sarah Welsh, and Rachel Osborne at Ted Baker. Meanwhile, the two people from ethnic minorities who became retail chief executives last year were Ajay Kavan at Matchesfashion and Chirag Patel at Pentland Brands, the majority shareholder in JD Sports. Korn Ferry also found that 33 chief executives were hired in 2020, with five vacant seats still left to fill. This was down 30 per cent compared to the 47 hired in 2019. “The reluctance to change CEO last year reflected a mood among several chairs of ‘better the devil you know’,” Korn Ferry EMEA managing director Sarah Lim said. “Given the widespread nervousness about future trading, there was a preference among many to avoid creating any more uncertainty or risk by changing out CEO in the midst of the pandemic, unless no other choice was available.”
H&M expands second-hand platform Sellpy
H&M has announced plans to expand online second-hand fashion retailer Sellpy into The Netherlands and Austria. The Swedish retail giant has been investing in Sellpy since 2015 and became its majority owner in 2019, when it increased its stake to 70 per cent. Sellpy’s first expansion move outside of Sweden was in Germany last summer. It is not yet clear when or if there are plans to bring the platform to the UK. Unlike other resale services like Depop, Sellpy collects a bag of unwanted clothes from customers, sorts through them then sells the goods on its own platform, giving customers 40 per cent of the proceeds. Donators can track the items being sold on Sellpy’s app and either have it transferred directly to their bank accounts or choose to donate it to a number of partnering charities. Anything not sold is donated to charity. “We’re excited about Sellpy’s continued international expansion which we support with our investment and strategic partnership,” said Nanna Andersen, head of CO:LAB at H&M Group. “We truly believe in the entrepreneurs and team behind Sellpy and their unique circular business model, which perfectly aligns with our vision to become fully circular.” Sellpy chief executive Michael Arnör said: “We see a steady growth in demand for sustainable consumption, where second-hand is a great option. “Every garment bought pre-owned saves resources for our planet. It’s therefore very exciting that we continue to grow and empower more customers in Europe to live circular.”
Dobbies partners with Too Good To Go to tackle food waste
Dobbies has partnered with surplus food app Too Good To Go in a bid to combat food waste across its stores. Too Good To Go works to combat food waste by allowing people to buy surplus food and drink from restaurants, grocery stores, pubs and producers. Consumers download the app and search for nearby businesses with unsold produce, after which they can purchase a “Magic Bag” and collect it at an allotted time. Dobbies said customers can now purchase a Magic Bag in 43 of its foodhalls across the UK (full list at bottom of this article). The gardening retailer, which recently expanded into the convenience grocery market, added that it plans to roll the service out to other stores in the future. With the contents of the bag usually valued with an average RRP of £12-£14, Dobbies said its Magic Bags are only £3.99. “Our partnership with Too Good To Go is an innovative solution for customers and Dobbies to work together on a shared goal of reducing food waste,” Dobbies head of food Archie Stewart said. “The Too Good To Go Magic Bags can be collected with ease from our stores across the UK.” Too Good To Go UK country manager Paschalis Loucaides said: “We’re thrilled to have partnered with Dobbies and help reduce food waste. “We’ve already seen brilliant traction for the Magic Bags on our app and know together we can make a huge difference in making sure food is eaten and enjoyed instead of wasted.” Coming soon, co-founder of Too Good To Go, Jamie Crummie, will feature as a guest on the latest episode of the Dobbies podcast. Joining host Louise Midgely, Jamie will talk more about the partnership, the inspiration behind the anti-food waste enterprise and share his top tips on reducing food waste at home.
Amazon to create over 1000 new UK apprenticeships this year
Amazon has announced it will create more than 1000 new full-time apprenticeships across the UK this year. Recruitment has started for 25 different apprenticeship schemes ranging from engineering to broadcast production, creative digital design to health, safety and environment technician. Roles include 100 degree-level apprenticeships and more than 500 apprenticeships for Amazon employees, providing an opportunity to retrain and gain new skills. Pay starts at a minimum of £10.80 per hour in the London area and £9.70 per hour in other parts of the UK – up to £30,000 a year for degree-level apprenticeships. Amazon said it created 10,000 new permanent UK jobs in 2020, and now employs more than 40,000 people across the country. Once qualified, apprentices will have the potential to work across Amazon’s UK sites including fulfilment centres, delivery stations, sortation centres and the company’s UK head offices in London and Manchester and the three development centres in Edinburgh, Cambridge and London. “We are proud to be creating new opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK to gain skills through our apprenticeship programmes in 25 different fields, from logistics to robotics,” Amazon UK country manager John Boumphrey said. “An Amazon apprenticeship offers an exciting career path, creating opportunities within our local communities across the UK and helping our own employees retrain and gain new skills at a time when investing in people and jobs has never been more important.” Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, Gillian Keegan said: “It’s fantastic to see Amazon continuing to invest in apprentices. These apprenticeships cover a range of exciting roles from broadcast production to engineering, showcasing the huge variety of opportunities available to young people looking to build a great career. “I know first-hand the life changing opportunities an apprenticeship can bring. I wish all those who apply the best of luck and thank Amazon for their ongoing commitment to building skills and talent both for today and in the future.” Amazon has invested over £23 billion in the UK since 2010 to support businesses and professionals including small businesses selling on Amazon’s online stores, Amazon Web Services developers and Kindle Direct Publishing authors.
Dunelm raises£1.2m for Macmillan Cancer Support
Dunelm has announced that it raised over £1.2 million for Macmillan Cancer Support as part of a two-year fundraising partnership. To mark the milestone, 15 Dunelm staff appeared, remotely from across the country, in a motivational video in support of Macmillan’s latest campaign Whatever It Takes. In February 2019, Dunelm pledged to raise £1 million for Macmillan, which could fund 17 Macmillan professionals for one year. As well as nurses, the professionals range from physiotherapists, phycologists, financial advisors, speech therapists and family support workers who all work with people following a cancer diagnosis to help them live life as fully as they can. Dunelm staff took part in local and national fundraising events, from record breaking attempts and fancy-dress days, to braving the shave and sponsored walks, including Macmillan’s Mighty Hike, from which staff raised £40,000. To maximise fundraising, Dunelm matched-funded the amount raised on the hike making the grand total £80,000. The furniture retailer also donated 5p from every cup of tea sold through its coffee shop brand, Pausa, to the charity, as well as selling Macmillan fundraising merchandise in 175 of its stores. “I’m immensely proud of our colleagues and thankful to our customers, family and friends who have donated what they can to help those affected by cancer,” Dunelm chief executive Nick Wilkinson said. “This World Cancer Day we celebrate the £1.2 million we’ve raised to date, but most importantly, Macmillan Cancer Support and the incredible work they do.”
Gift card sales surge over UK's first covid Christmas
Sales of gift cards surged over the Christmas trading period as Covid-19 restrictions across the UK sparked a significant shift in the public’s spending and gifting habits. According to the Gift Card & Voucher Association (GCVA), a survey of 2000 people conducted with GlobalData found that one in four Brits (25.2 per cent) purchased gift cards for others in December. This compares to 17.9 per cent in November, with over a third of these (34.1 per cent) directly highlighting lockdown restrictions as their reason for doing so. Leading brands have also reported a surge in gift card sales – particularly digital gift cards, which can be sent, received and spent through smartphone apps – over the Christmas period. Targeted, single-store gift cards were the gift of choice in December over multi-store alternatives, with 56.4 per cent of gift card buyers purchasing single-store cards, compared with 32.4 per cent for multi-store cards. Gaming gift cards also saw a notable uplift, with 11.3 per cent of gift card buyers purchasing, compared with 7.9 per cent in November.In 2020, GCVA figures revealed that digital gifting now represents 26 per cent of all UK gift card spend, rising to 50 per cent when accounting for all gift cards spent online. GCVA director general Gail Cohen said: “It has been great to see shoppers overcoming lockdown challenges and supporting their favourite brands by opting for a gift card Christmas. “Over the past year, the rise of digital gifting solutions in particular is driving a major change in how we send and receive gifts, meaning they can be shared and enjoyed almost instantly, offering a safe way of gifting that still offers that truly personal touch. “That said, physical gift cards having performed strongly too indicates the importance of retailers continuing to offer that tangible solution that consumers can still ‘unwrap’ on the big day. “If you did receive a gift card for Christmas this year, whether physical or digital, don’t just leave it in the bottom drawer and forget about it. “It’s not a savings product, it is there for you to treat yourself, and what better time could there be to give yourself a boost than now? “Many gift cards can be spent online from the comfort of your home, so log on and start spending.”