The definitive Index cataloguing the triumphs, challenges and progress of the 500 most significant retailers in the UK. With a focus on “RetailCraft”, the way a retailer trades, manages, grows and connects with customers, the IRUK 500 assesses retailers across six dimensions of performance. Via this hub you can access the annual report, the performance dimensions, news and analysis as well as the new monthly indices launching in March 2016. Let us know your thoughts on research@internetretailing.net
Boohoo.com today reported 40% growth in turnover and pre-tax profits up by 129% and said it would continue to invest in marketing and the customer experience. The fast fashion retailer, a Top100 company in IRUK Top500 research, reported revenue of £127m in the six months to August 31, 40% up (more…)
B&Q and Screwfix owner the Kingfisher Group today said its transformation plan, which aims to unify the service and product ranges that its customers see across its businesses, had got off to a good start. The unified customer offer will be underpinned by a single digital platform and more efficient (more…)
The John Lewis Partnership this week said it would keep investing in omnichannel technology in both its Waitrose and John Lewis businesses as it continues its focus on the customer experience. The group said that it was committed to delivering an omnichannel strategy that aims to adapt as the way (more…)
Dunelm this week reported a 23.2% growth in home delivery sales – which are predominantly made online – in a year in which it developed a new website and emphasised a better customer experience across its sales channels. The fast growth helped to lift overall sales to £880.9m, up by (more…)
Next today said international growth and sales of third-party brands had helped its predominantly online Directory business to grow by 7.1% during the first half of its financial year. The fashion-to-homewares retailer, a Leading retailer in IRUK Top500 research, said full-price sales in the channel grew by 5.5%. Much of (more…)
Wilko.com, Superdrug, and Office, Leading retailers in the InternetRetailing UK Top500 (IRUK 500), record the highest sentiment in the IRUK 500 Brand Sentiment Tracker for the month of June. Supermarkets are among the most-talked-about retailers to be monitored by the Tracker, which also found a negative relationship between the amount of (more…)
Retailers are bringing increasingly sophisticated tools to bear in the task of explaining and showing products to potential buyers. Alongside the latest digital and store-based technology, the basics of clear information and top-quality imagery remain a constant. Chloe Rigby outlines 12 approaches that IRUK and IREU Top500 retailers, leaders in (more…)
Asda’s new management team will continue to focus on the customer offer, both online and off, after like-for-like sales fell by 7.5% compared to the same time last year in the second quarter of the year. The supermarket, a Top50 retailer in IRUK Top500 research, will continue to focus on (more…)
Amazon is opening its 13th UK fulfilment centre as it expands its network to meet customer demand. The new centre, at Tilbury, Essex, will feature robotic technology that has been shown to speed up the time it takes to process an order while cutting the amount of space needed for (more…)
Enabling customers to buy when and how they want continues to boost business at Screwfix , which today posted second quarter sales up by 24.5%, compared to the same period last year. The DIY and trade tools business saw like-for-like sales grow by 13.3% in the quarter to July 31, (more…)
Ocado, Boots, and Debenhams lead the field for merchandising deployment in the first edition of the IRUK 500 Product and Merchandising Tracker. The Tracker monitors Elite and Leading Top500 retailers across six product categories. Fragrance retailers and those selling FMCG goods were most likely to offer large discounts, revealed the (more…)
Best-practice approaches to online merchandising from retailers as diverse as Disney Store, Watch Shop, Currys, Amazon and Shop Direct are analysed in the 2016 IRUK Top500 Merchandising report, published this week. The report features an in-depth look at how these leading retailers, who all stood out in the InternetRetailing research, (more…)
The 2016 IRUK Top500 Merchandising Performance Dimension Report looks at the merchandising strategies that best practice retailers are putting to work. Here, Chloe Rigby hears from Jonathan Wall and Sam Perkins on how merchandising strategies guide Shop Direct websites from Very to Littlewoods.com. Shop Direct has invested heavily in data (more…)
Game Digital today said that multichannel and digital were strategic priorities as it continues to move from being a business that predominantly sells products to one that sells products and services. At the same time, said the gaming retailer, a Top100 retailer in IRUK Top500 research, it is developing its (more…)
Sainsbury’s planned takeover of Argos has been cleared by the UK’s competition authority. The two retailers today welcomed the news of the go-ahead from the UK Competition and Markets Authority, which clears the way for Sainsbury’s to create a multichannel giant that some suggest could rival Amazon in the UK. (more…)
John Lewis is taking steps to expand further its international coverage, after a year in which online international sales have increased by 50%. At the same time, international traffic to its website has increased by 15%. The department store, an Elite retailer in IRUK Top500 research, has extended from 33 (more…)
Mothercare had some interesting things to say about the way its customers are buying across sales channels in a first quarter update out this week. Here are our top-level findings. 1. Online sales are still growing, even as total sales fall UK online sales grew by 6.4% in the first (more…)
Superdry parent company Supergroup reported its full-year results to the city today. It was the first set delivered by chief executive Euan Sutherland. Here’s what it said about its multichannel strategy. Superdry is serving customers who want to shop online… Ecommerce sales grew to 23.1% of Superdry’s retail sales of (more…)
Waitrose is looking for new global customers as it seeks to expand in international markets. The retailer has become the first supermarket to sell own-label products through the British Corner Shop website. The online shop delivers British customers to customers around the world. Waitrose, a Leading retailer in IRUK Top500 (more…)
Gear4music said today that online sales to Europe spiked in the first full week following the UK’s Brexit decision. As the pound quickly lost value in response to the shock news that British voters had opted to leave the European Union, European customers flocked to shop on the website. Sales (more…)
