John Lewis urges government to provide clarity on Christmas reopening
John Lewis Partnership has reportedly urged the government to provide clarity on whether stores can reopen in time for Christmas following temporary closures in England due to the second lockdown. The partnership’s group operations director Andrew Murphy said the government must “provide clarity as soon as possible” on whether stores will be able to reopen in early December, Mail on Sunday reported. The John Lewis Partnership fears it will have insufficient time to prepare for seasonal demand. Murphy said big stores would need time to “swing into gear”, though he was “confident” John Lewis would be able to handle all its deliveries and was “well-positioned going into this”. Last week, England went into a second national lockdown, which entails the closure of non-essential services for one month. Thousands of John Lewis department store staff have been redeployed to the online business or to sister grocery business Waitrose. However, Murphy said he needed to know whether to prepare to bring temporary staff into shops or to direct up to 400,000 product lines to online warehouses and delivery channels. Murphy added that he was not pressuring the government to reopen stores but hoped for a clear statement over strategy, perhaps within the next two weeks. John Lewis could make up to 20 per cent of its annual profit in the crucial three weeks to December 24, he revealed.
Aldi to extend UK Click-and-collect to over 200 stores by Christmas
Aldi is set to extend its trial of click-and-collect to up to more than 200 additional UK stores between now and Christmas. The German discounter begun its first ever UK click-and-collect service in the Midlands in September as part of a trial to offer “greater flexibility” to its customers. It extended the trial to cover a total of 18 stores last month. Shoppers can choose from a range of grocery items online, then drive to their local store where their shopping is brought to their car by Aldi colleagues contact-free, in line with social distancing rules. “We know that more and more people want to buy high-quality food at unbeatable Aldi prices – particularly at the moment – and this trial has been hugely popular so far,” Aldi UK chief executive Giles Hurley said. “By extending it to hundreds of new stores, we’re making Aldi accessible to thousands of shoppers who might never have visited one of our stores before.” The trial began at its stores in the East Midlands, London, Cambridge and Greater Manchester, and is in partnership with Deliveroo. In September, Aldi announced it was investing £1.3 billion over the next two years, including in opening 100 new stores and upgrading a further 100 stores.
Westfield issues legal threat to The Entertainer over unpaid rents
Westfield has reportedly threatened The Entertainer with legal action over unpaid rent arrears just as England enters a second lockdown. A letter sent to The Entertainer, seen by the Financial Times, suggested that if its outstanding rent payment was not received within a week, Westfield would consider enforcement action. The Entertainer executive chairman Gary Grant told Retail Week and Financial Times Westfield’s legal threat was withdrawn on Thursday – the first day of England’s month-long lockdown and the same day he reportedly received the letter. Grant said the withdrawal came after he contacted his local MP about the dispute, and accused Westfield of ignoring his attempts to engage with them over the course of the pandemic. The Entertainer operates 173 stores around the UK, two of which are located within Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City. The toy retailer usually makes 50 per cent of its annual revenue in the golden quarter – the peak trading period leading up to Christmas – and around half of that revenue surge is recorded in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve. With the majority of its stores now in lockdown across England until early December, it is not certain if The Entertainer could rake in its usual golden quarter revenue. “It’s unprecedented, it’s not a reasonable action for a landlord to take at a time of year like this, especially on day one of the lockdown,” Grant told the Financial Times. Hugo Boss has also reportedly been told to pay their rent arrears or face enforcement action from Westfield, as has food retailer Pret-a-Manger. In September, reports emerged that Boots was also facing a similar legal threat over unpaid rents during the first and UK-wide lockdown. Scott Parsons, regional managing director of Unibail-Radamco-Westfield, said: “Our firm strategy is to work in partnership with our retailers. “Only in situations where a retailer has refused to collaborate in pursuit of an agreement that could work for both parties would we consider legal action.”
WHSmith expected to post loss as Covid dries up travel sales
WHSmith is forecast to post an annual loss after the coronavirus pandemic hammered sales revenues from its travel hub stores. The heritage retailer is expected to report a pre-tax loss of between £70 million and £75 million for the year to August 31 when it reveals its latest trading figures on Thursday this week. Analysts at Investec expect it to deliver a £73 million loss, describing 2020 as a “write-off” year for WHSmith. In August the 228-year-old business said 1500 jobs, around 11 per cent of its workforce, could be axed after a dramatic fall in sales. Its travel arm – which consists of stores at airports and train stations – has boosted the retailer in recent years with rapid growth. However, it has seen revenues slump on the back of global travel restrictions which are set to continue for the coming months. “A near term recovery in travel seems unlikely”, according to Investec, but the brokerage stressed that it does not believe the travel market has structurally changed permanently and expects its recovery in the sector to become more clear next year. In the UK, WHSmith’s high street stores have been battered by lockdown measures from March as well depressed high street footfall in more recent months. Investors will therefore be particularly keen for an update of how bosses plan to steer the retailer through England’s second national lockdown, although the majority of its stores are expected to remain open through essential status. Around 300 of its 1600 stores were kept open after the first UK-wide lockdown earlier this year – primarily those in hospitals and with post offices attached – but the retailer is expected to be better sheltered this time around after newsagents were given the green light to stay open during the current English lockdown. “WHSmith should paint a picture of just how badly lockdown two is likely to hit sales in the crucial Christmas shopping period,” said Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. “Its travel division was the main driver for growth before the pandemic, so the prospect of deserted railway stations and airports for potentially many more months will be a bitter pill to swallow. “There will be hope online purchases will make up some of the shortfall but competing with the might of Amazon won’t be easy.’’
Experts predict permanent shift to online shopping as Black Friday approaches
Online retail sales could grow between 35 per cent and 45 per cent this Black Friday.
New research from IMRG finds that with non-essential stores closed from now until December, this year’s Black Friday will likely signal a seismic shift in the retail landscape.
Growth for online shopping so far this year is up 34.9 per compared to last year, when it grew by just 6.7 per cent.
Looking ahead to Black Friday, IMRG said online retail sales could grow by between 35 per cent and 45 per cent during from November 23 to November 30.
IMRG noted that this year, shoppers may be more responsive to Black Friday campaigns earlier in November, in order to avoid a backlog of orders too close to Christmas.
Of the 320 retail stores IMRG is monitoring to see when their campaigns go live, 4.3 per cent already launched on November 4, when only 2.3 per cent had launched by that time in 2019.
“We were anticipating a huge surge online this peak, and circumstances have conspired to ensure that is the case; the stores are closed, furlough has been extended and shoppers are being advised to get the bulk of their Christmas shopping done before December,” IMRG strategy and insight director Andy Mulcahy said.
“There is a possibility that could mean people buy spend more in the early weeks of November, pulling some of the volume away from the Black Friday week – that seems the only realistic reason why the online spend for that period could come in lower than 35 per cent,” Mulcahy added.
“This year’s huge growth rates, and the expected online bonanza the Black Friday period will deliver, underline retail’s rapid structural shift online. This does not feel like a temporary development; further evidence is no longer required that this is a permanent shift,” IMRG managing director Justin Opie said.
Tesco to reward workers with 10% bonus this Christmas
Tesco has committed to paying its workers in stores, warehouses and its customer engagement centre a 10 per cent bonus for hours worked over Christmas and New Year. The Big 4 grocer said hourly-paid staff will receive a 10 per cent bonus for all hours worked between December 13 2020 and January 9 2021, while frontline managers will get 10 per cent of their salary for weeks worked. Temporary staff will also be eligible for the bonus, as long as they joined the grocer on or before September 1. Workers will also receive an extended 20 per cent discount on their shopping at Tesco in the run-up to Christmas. Tesco offered a similar bonus to staff in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, for hours worked between March 9 and May 30. “The hard work, dedication and resilience that colleagues have shown over the last few months has been remarkable,” Tesco UK and Ireland boss Jason Tarry said. “This year has proven challenging and uncertain for so many of us and this bonus is a way of saying thank you for the incredible response of our colleagues to these challenges.” Most recently, German discounter Lidl announced plans to increase the wages of all staff who are on hourly rates. For those outside of London, it said it would increase entry-level pay from £9.30 to £9.50 per hour. Meanwhile for staff within the M25, Lidl said it raise the hourly wage from £10.75 to £10.85, going up to £11.80, depending on location and length of service. Lidl said the pay rise would benefit over 20,000 of its staff across the country, or 80 per cent of its Great Britain workforce.
John Lewis embrace festive season like no other with over 100 virtual experiences
John Lewis and Waitrose are preparing for ‘the most virtual Christmas to date’ with over 100 virtual festive events for customers.
Its Virtual Christmas Shop launched back in September, with over 64,000 visitors since opening its online doors.
Now John Lewis has revealed a season of virtual entertainment – from makeup classes for a festive Zoom party to online cooking classes with Waitrose Cookery School.
Customers can sign up for the ‘Prepare Ahead’ Christmas course, focused on making Christmas lunch stress free.
Waitrose’s Cookery School is also hosting dedicated foodie gift courses such as making panforte or truffles for friends and family.
In true Lockdown 2.0 style, a John Lewis stylist will host a free session in discussing the best coats for outdoor hosting.
The department store will be offering Furoshiki masterclasses for the first time, training participants in wapping up their Christmas sustainably.
Shoppers will also be able to ‘try before they buy’ almost half of the fake Christmas trees John Lewis has on sale, thanks to a new feature on the retailer’s app.
With the tap of a button, customers can see which style of tree fits their space and shop around, in order to find the perfect match.
Timberland owner VF Corp buys Supreme in £1.5bn deal
VF Corp, which owns Vans, The North Face and Timberland, is set to acquire streetwear brand and retailer Supreme in a $2.1 billion (£1.5 billion) deal. The transaction will be completed by the end of 2020, subject to regulatory approval. Supreme founder James Jebbia and its senior leadership team will remain with the business. VF Corp chief executive Steve Rendle said the company would take a “hands-off” approach to managing Supreme. “We are not coming in to make changes. We’re here to support and enable a high performing business,” he said. According to VF Corp, Supreme currently generates more than $500 million in annual revenues, up from around $200 million in 2017. More than 60 per cent of Supreme’s revenue comes from online orders and it expects revenues to grow eight to 10 per cent over the next three years. The deal also marks an end to Supreme’s relationship with the Carlyle Group, which acquired a majority stake for $500 million in 2017 that valued it at $1 billion. Supreme entered into collaborations with Levis and Louis Vuitton with Carlyle’s backing. “In the trends we see today, in this Covid environment of casualization and consumers really looking to and engaging with authentic brands with great meaning, that positions Supreme to be very strong,” Rendle said. VF Corp financial officer Scott Roe said: “We see no upside limitation on the brand. We see a clear line of sight to a billion dollars. “Could it be bigger over time? Sure. But we’re also not trying to get ahead of ourselves. This very careful growth has … worked really well for the brand, and we’re not trying to push it.” Supreme’s first store opened in downtown New York in 1989, an has since expanded to 12 global locations.
LandSec swings to £835m half year loss
Landsec has swung to an £835 million loss as local Covid-19 restrictions continued to affect its recovery pre-lockdown. The retail landlord, which owns Trinity Leeds shopping centre and Bluewater shopping centre, posted the loss for the six month period ending September 30, higher than its £147 million loss for the same period last year. Despite the constraints on the business, the FTSE 100 firm reinstated its interim dividend at 12p per share – half of what it paid out last year. Landsec said its outlets recovered “particularly strongly” after reopening during the summer, and in September, like-for-like sales across the portfolio were less than 10 per cent lower than 2019. However, trading in its regional shopping centres was hit by restrictions, with the decline in like-for-like sales in September ranging from below 10 per cent to almost 40 per cent in areas where local lockdowns were in place. “While today’s results clearly show the impact of the pandemic on our business, Landsec remains in a fundamentally strong position,” chief executive Mark Allan said. “As we begin to look beyond Covid-19, I am confident the business is well placed to capitalise on opportunities as they emerge. “The investment market for high-quality London office assets, such as those owned by Landsec, has remained robust throughout the pandemic and there is little sign of that interest waning.”
Supermarket bosses urge MPs to extend pre-Christmas Sunday trading hours
Supermarket executives have reportedly launched a fresh lobbying drive to extend Sunday trading hours ahead of a Christmas shopping rush. The bosses have warned ministers that the Christmas shopping rush could put customers’ safety at risk during the Covid-19 pandemic. Big 4 grocers including Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have been urging the government in recent weeks to enable thousands of their stores to open for more than six hours on Sundays in December, Sky News reported. The move would require primary legislation, with previous efforts to extend Sunday opening times drawing opposition from MPs and retail unions. Earlier this year, it was reported that larger supermarkets would be allowed to open for longer on Sundays for a year under emergency legislation being drawn up by Boris Johnson’s government. However, the proposals attracted immediate opposition from Conservative MPs. The plans aimed to boost the economy and help struggling retailers who have been impacted by the pandemic. Writing to Johnson, a group of seven Conservative MPs warned him against the move. “We stand squarely behind your ambition to stimulate economic growth and revitalise British high streets, but removing Sunday trading hours will not achieve this,” said the statement, signed by Fiona Bruce, David Amess, William Wragg, Martin Vickers, David Jones, Andrew Selous and Bob Blackman. Sunday trading laws were introduced under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, which limits shops with retail space over 280 square metres to a maximum of six hours of trading. Former PM David Cameron’s attempt to abolish Sunday trading laws in 2016 failed after 27 Tory MPs rebelled.
M&S launches guide dog awareness training after blind shopper turned away
Marks & Spencer has launched guide dog awareness training for its staff after a customer was refused access to the retailer’s store in central London earlier this year. Managers at the retail giant worked with John Dickinson-Lilley, a former Paralympic ski champion, when staff at M&S’s Charing Cross branch told him he could not take his guide dog, Brett, inside. “Disabled people want to be welcomed in the same way as any other customer and I want to be able to use my platform as a retired GB athlete to advocate for disabled people including the two million people with sight loss across the UK,” Dickinson-Lilley said. “After the experience I had at M&S’s Charing Cross store, I was delighted to be invited to work with the accessibility team on its new assistance dog training resources – it showed genuine commitment and leadership. “This is by far the most inspiring response I’ve seen from any retailer and demonstrates just how much M&S cares about making its shops accessible.” M&S launched the training to coincide with Purple Tuesday last week, which aims to raise awareness and offer support for businesses to better help millions of disabled customers and employees. M&S lead sustainability manager Zoe Mountford said: “The experience John received at our store was simply unacceptable and we knew we needed to take action to prevent it from happening again.” She said the new online training course for staff was developed alongside the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to avoid future refusals. It also offers advice for staff on hidden disabilities and basic sign language gestures for deaf customers. “We know that guide dog refusals in shops and restaurants, as well as taxis, continue to be a major problem for blind and partially sighted people,” RNIB senior legal adviser Samantha Fothergill said. “To have a leading retailer like M&S introduce training to ensure that what happened to John doesn’t happen again is extremely encouraging and will help their customers with sight loss feel comfortable and confident when shopping in their stores. “By setting this example, we hope other retailers will follow suit.” Under the Equality Act, businesses cannot refuse entry for a guide dog but, because the law is a civil one, rather than a criminal offence, police are unable to intervene beyond reminding retailers of their responsibilities.
M&S expands cashierless shopping to all 573 stores as it continues digital push
Marks & Spencer customers will soon be able to shop checkout-free at any of its stores as the retailer continues its digital push.
M&S is expanding its “Mobile Pay Go” shopping app across its entire store estate, meaning shoppers across the UK can shop without ever having to visit a physical till.
The retailer’s Mobile Pay Go service, which is housed alongside its new virtual Sparks loyalty scheme in the M&S app, allows shoppers to scan items with their smartphone as they shop and pay for goods up to £45 digitally.
According to M&S the use of its cashierless shopping service has shot up since March, enjoying 20,000 new regular users.
It has been testing the service across 50 London stores since March, but is rolling it out to all 573 stores in order to encourage cautious shoppers to visit is stores over the Christmas shopping period.
“We want to help our customers shop with confidence – especially as we head towards Christmas – and that’s why we’ve accelerated the rollout of Mobile Pay Go to all our UK stores,” M&S stores director Helen Milford said.
“With the current restrictions in place, making shopping as easy and efficient as possible is really important to us and to our customers. Mobile Pay Go helps do just that – it’s quick, contact-free and means fewer queues at our checkouts.”
It comes as M&S continues to push ahead with its digital transformation plans, implementing a range of measures designed to “put digital at the heart of its operations and create a better shopping experience”.
WHSmith reports back on £226m loss after challenging year
WHSmith on Thursday reported back on its preliminary results for the full year to August 31. The book and travel retailer made a pretax loss of £226 million, compared with a profit of £135 million in 2019. That loss was far worse than analyst expectations of a pretax loss of around £70 to £75 million. Revenue fell 33 per cent to £1.02 billion after a strong start to the year was dramatically impacted by coronavirus. The group’s high street stores saw a trading loss of £10 million, compared to a profit of £60 million the year before. WHSmith’s travel arm was heavily impacted by the restrictions on travel amid coronavirus, losing £33 million in the twelve months to the end of August, compared to a profit of £117 million the year before. Looking ahead, WHSmith said it had taken “decisive actions” to protect colleagues and customers since the start of the pandemic. The retailer currently has 558 high-street stores and 243 travel stores open, including 206 post offices and 135 hospital stores. WHSmith added that it expects underlying cash burn for November to be about £20 million. “Since March, we have been heavily impacted by the pandemic,” chief executive Carl Cowling said on Thursday. “While passenger numbers continue to be significantly impacted in the UK, our North American business, where 85 per cent of passengers are domestic, is beginning to see some encouraging signs of recovery. In addition, we continue to open new stores in the US and win significant tenders across major US airports,” Cowling added. The retailer said it had seen a resilient performance for its high street business, and that it is well positioned as the travel markets recover. “In high street, we had seen a steady recovery and we were well set up both in stores and online as we went into the second lockdown,” Cowling said. “We have a robust plan across all our businesses focusing on cost management and initiatives within our control which support us in the immediate term and position us well to emerge stronger as our markets recover,” Cowling added. WHSmith noted that it has 420 leases due for renewal in the next three years, and that it is now looking to close a number of stores once those leases come to an end. “Depending on the negotiations with our landlords and the Government’s future approach to property rates, we anticipate closing c.25 stores in the current financial year as the leases on these stores expire,” the retailer said. WHSmith added that it will not be paying a dividend this year.
Edinburgh's iconic Christmas market goes virtual this year
Edinburgh’s iconic Christmas market is set to take place virtually for the first time this year as retailers are offered free access to a new virtual shop window.
Last month organisers announced that the world-renowned Christmas market, which last year welcomed 2.6 million people and generated £110 million for the city, would not be able to take place physically due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Now the local council has laid out plans to bring the market online, offering hundreds of artisan retailers, gift-makers and food and drink sellers the chance to showcase their wares online.
Local independent businesses can sign up to be part of Edinburgh’s Christmas Neighbourhood Market for free, acting as a directory “to direct people to a fantastic range of local suppliers where they can purchase and interact on the supplier’s own site”.
The businesses will also be shared across Edinburgh’s Christmas social media channels, which include 126,000 Facebook, 9300 Instagram and 13,300 Twitter followers.
“Edinburgh’s Christmas is a hugely important event for the city and this year’s digital programme has been designed to put Edinburgh’s residents and businesses first,” producer of Edinburgh’s Christmas for Underbelly, which runs the event, Ruth Fisher said.
“The new Christmas Neighbourhood Market is designed to shine a spotlight on the wealth of products and produce that we have here in Edinburgh and encourage residents to shop locally this Christmas.”
PS5 reselling for nearly double RRP just hours after launch
PlayStation 5 consoles are already regularly receiving 55 per cent above their retail price on resale sites as the “rollercoaster” launch gets underway in key markets.
Sony’s PS5 launched across Japan and North America today and is already being resold on sites like Ebay and StockX for close to twice its RRP.
The release has been significantly hampered by the pandemic, with Sony urging customers to “be safe, stay home, and place your order online” in order to maintain social distancing.
With pre-orders having sold out within hours of being released in September and shoppers unable to walk into stores to purchase the next-gen consoles, resale prices have exploded online.
PS5’s are currently retailing in the US for $500 with a disc drive, and $400 without, but have been found online for as much as $900.
According to resale giant StockX “more than 1000” consoles were sold via its platform within 24 hours, regularly selling for 55 per cent above their retail prices.
The PS5 is not due to be released in the UK for another week, but a number of consoles have already appeared on Ebay listed for as much as £820.
PlayStation’s UK boss Jim Ryan told BBC Radio 1 that he was “astonished” by the level of preorders, adding that he’ll “never do this again in a pandemic”.
“We’re making more PS5’s in this difficult environment then we made PS4s in that launch. If people are unable to find one at launch, we’re very sorry and apologetic about that.
“They can rest assured we’re working really hard to get significant supplies into the market before and after Christmas.”
Currys PC World to expand ShopLive service to meet Christmas demand
Currys PC World has said it is expanding its ShopLive service after witnessing a 48 per cent rise in online traffic since stores closed due to lockdown restrictions. The British electrical retailer expects sales this Christmas to mark its largest online sales ever. To meet demand in the lead up to Black Friday, Currys PC World is adding more expert colleagues to its online offering ShopLive and Order & Collect service. Having launched with 20 colleagues in June, the service now boosts 800 experts to help guide customers through their essential tech purchases, with a view to ramping this up to 2100 by Black Friday. Each new expert goes through two days of specialist training to ensure they can help customers with every tech query. The service connects customers to a video chat with one of its tech experts, helping customers work out the right tech option for them. Over 600,000 visitors have used the ShopLive service since it was launched in June this year. Online consumers have been buying laptops, large screen TVs, washing machines and printers & scanners. Moreover, the store closures have led to customers being in need to support its ‘zero-contact’ Order & Collect service. The Order & Collect service allows customers to order, park up and have their product delivered to their boot with zero contact with store colleagues. “We have seen our online traffic double overnight and we do not see this dwindling over the next two months, we have Black Friday fast approaching, console launches and Christmas on our radar and we are doing everything we can to ensure people can have the best Christmas possible after an intense and unique 2020,” Currys PC World chief operating officer Mark Allsop said. “Our innovative platform of ShopLive and Order & Collect service, bolstered by an army of experts, will be vital in helping our customers navigate the essential tech they need.” As stores reopen on December 3, ShopLive and Order & Collect will remain operating.
John Lewis & Waitrose Christmas advert celebrates kindness during pandemic
John Lewis Partnership has said its latest Christmas advert highlights the kindness of Brits during the Covid-19 pandemic, after questioning whether it would be appropriate to produce one at all this year. The parent company of John Lewis and Waitrose said it had considered shelving the production of the anticipated advert, but charity partners had persuaded it to go ahead. The advert, which is once again a combined campaign for both John Lewis and Waitrose, was launched on social media at 7am today. The campaign runs under the strapline “give a little love” and aims to encourage further acts of kindness. The John Lewis Partnership said it was aiming to use the advert to help raise £4 million for two charities – FareShare, which helps those facing food poverty, and Home-Start, which works with parents who need support. The partnership pledged to match all customer donations up to £2 million. Furthermore, John Lewis customer director Claire Pointon said the company would “deviate slightly” from the style of previous adverts, due to the backdrop of the pandemic. The clip starts off with a boy whose football has become stuck in a tree and moves through a series of acts of kindness, and then switches from live action to various styles of animation. The two-minute advert was created by agency adam&eveDDB, which also helped to produce a complimentary 30-second clip that carries a direct call to support the two charities. The advert also marks the first time the John Lewis Partnership has included a specially commissioned song. British singer Celeste wrote and recorded the track, A Little Love, with 10p from each download going to the partnership’s charity campaign. “Each year festive adverts come and go – and some are remembered more vividly than others,” Waitrose executive director James Bailey said. “But our advertising this year will leave a lasting legacy – and in that way we hope it won’t just be for Christmas. “We did consider whether it was right to produce an ad this year at all. “However, FareShare and Home-Start told us how much of a difference this campaign could make, both on a financial level and in raising awareness of the incredibly important work they do with families across the UK.” John Lewis executive director Pippa Wicks said: “We recently set out our ambition for our business to be a force for good – so we decided that this year was the year to break the mould and do something different. “We have a long tradition of helping support the communities which we serve, so, as we launch one of the best-loved assets, our Christmas ad, it’s fitting to take this one step further by working hand in hand with two incredible charities supporting families in need.”
The Entertainer warns Christmas gifts may not be delivered in time if shops stay shut
The boss of the UK’s biggest toy chain has warned that some children’s presents will not arrive in time for Christmas due to a shortage of couriers if shops are kept shut through December. The Entertainer chief executive Gary Grant told the PA news agency there “is not enough delivery capacity” if the current four-week lockdown in England is extended next month. It came as the retail boss vented his anger at shopping centre giant Westfield, accusing it of “playing hardball” after it threatened legal action over outstanding rent at the start of England’s second lockdown. Grant said The Entertainer had seen one of its strongest ever Octobers last month as consumers moved their shopping forward due to the pandemic. He said the retailer was prepared for the second lockdown, with click-and-collect services in place at stores and an investment into expanding its online capacity. However, he stressed that it would still be vital that some stores open next month to ensure retailers such as his can meet the spike in demand they typically see before Christmas. “Last year, we were delivering at 100 per cent capacity in the run up to Christmas so it’s hard to even contemplate what will happen if stores stay shut,” he said. “In that case, we won’t be able to deliver all presents in time because there just aren’t enough white vans for all retailers to deliver these goods to homes.” The BRC is among groups calling on people to start their Christmas shopping early amid concerns that closures this month could lead to a challenging December. England’s lockdown, which started last week, is slated to end December 2.