UK Retail Briefing - February 2014
Each month Mintel’s UK Retail Briefing concentrates on a particular sector or market. This month’s focus is on the clothing and footwear retail sector.
This sector focus includes:
- Consumers' Christmas clothes shopping habits as well as extracts from Mintel’s exclusive monthly Consumer Tracker survey on spending habits, January 2014.
- The impact of inflation, January 2013-December 2013
- Market share of the major clothing retailers.
- Comparison of major clothing retailers Christmas performance.
We also include Analyst's Comments on the dynamic’s between online and offline retailing, a review of UK retail sales performance, and monthly headlines and retail news analysis for the UK.
What you get
What's included
- Consumer Attitudes and Behaviour
- Market data
- Competitive analysis
- Risks and Opportunities
- What’s Next
- Market Trends
This market report provides in-depth analysis and insight supported by a range of data. At the same time, introductory and top-level content is provided to give you an overview of the issues covered.
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Market
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Consumer
Mintel's proprietary consumer research provides our analysts with the attitudinal and behavioral data used to provide valuable insight to topical issues.
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Brand/Company
Mintel provides overviews of the top brands and manufacturers, and uses consumer research to explore attitudes and reactions to brands, as well as insight into what will resonate with consumers.
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Data
Market reports provide appendices of data to support the research and insight produced. Our tables of data are easily manipulated and downloadable to support your research needs and covers factors from consumer attitudes to market forecasts.

* This is a sample representation of the report layout and does not reflect the research included in this report.
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Table of contents
Analyst Comment
- Online vs Stores
- The dynamics of retailing
- Stores
- Store sales – prospects
- Figure 1: Online and store sales of multi-channel retailers, 2012-18
- Historical perspective
- An artificial distinction
- Online vs Stores
Retail Sales – Background and Outlook
- Key points
- Retail sales trends
- Figure 2: Retail sales trends, 2013-14
- BRC data for January
- Figure 3: UK retail sales y/y growth, BRC vs ONS, 2012-14
- John Lewis
- Figure 4: John Lewis: Year-on-year growth, 2012-13
- Inflation and wages
- Figure 5: The income squeeze: Wages growth vs inflation, 2008-14
- Inflation
- Figure 6: Annual percentage change in the consumer price index for selected product groups, 2013-14
- Looking forward
- Key points
Sector Focus – Clothing and Footwear
- Key points
- Mintel’s Tracker: Demand for personal adornment falling
- Figure 7: The consumer: Proportion agreeing that spare money is spent on jewellery/clothing/personal items, February 2013-January 2014
- Figure 8: The consumer: Proportion agreeing that spare money is spent on jewellery/clothing/personal items, by selected age group, February 2013, July 2013 and January 2014
- Figure 9: The consumer: Proportion agreeing that spare money is spent on jewellery/clothing/personal items, by region, February 2013, July 2013 and January 2014
- Clothing inflation prompts strong spending in 2013
- Figure 10: Consumer spending (incl. VAT), 2009-14
- Figure 11: Consumer prices index: Annual % change, selected categories, January-December 2013
- M&S’s market leadership under threat
- Figure 12: Market shares: The ten biggest clothing retailers, 2012
- Figure 13: Projected revenues based on estimated 2013 sales growth: Marks & Spencer and Next, 2012-16
- Christmas 2013
- Figure 14: Major clothing retailers’ trading performance, Christmas 2013
Headlines for the Month
- Food retailers
- Specialist food retailers
- Off-licences
- Clothing retailing
- Footwear retailing
- Department stores
- DIY retailing
- Electrical retailing
- Furniture retailing
- Home shopping
- Health and beauty retailing
- Sports and leisure goods retailing
- Economy
- Food retailers
News Analysis – Food and Drink
- Bakers
- Greggs cuts staff after sales growth
- Co-ops
- Co-op
- …begins flash sale of food essentials
- …launches 2014 saving stamps campaign
- Convenience stores
- McColl’s
- …reports strong Christmas sales
- …flotation confirmed
- One Stop completes refurbishment of Alfred Jones
- Grocers
- Asda
- …accused of raising prices before January rollback
- …believed to be lining up bid for Early Learning Centre
- …to push George brand into homewares
- Fortnum & Mason reports strong festive sales
- Lidl
- …looking for new, larger UK headquarters
- …trialling self-checkouts in the UK
- Morrisons
- …online executive quits after weeks in the role
- …treasurer arrested for insider deal
- Sainsbury’s announces departure of CEO
- Tesco
- …and Waitrose to open tube station collection points
- …reportedly sizes up bid for Mothercare
- Specialist food retailers
- Thorntons posts Q2 sales rise
- Hotel Chocolat revives stake sale process
- Off-licences
- Conviviality Retail first half like-for-likes up
- Bakers
News Analysis – Non-food
- Clothing retailing
- Blue Inc
- …Christmas sales rise
- …considering flotation on stock market
- Bonmarche posts positive like-for-likes
- Burberry
- …appoints BSkyB CEO as Non-executive Director
- …Christmas sales driven by online
- Fat Face
- …positive after Christmas trading
- …preparing for stock market flotation
- H&M produces flat revenues
- Jaeger reports Christmas sales jump
- Karen Millen like-for-likes rise over Christmas
- Laura Ashley pays shareholder dividend
- Matalan sales up as EBITDA falls
- Monsoon Accessorize posts pre-tax profit for 2013
- Moss Bros set to beat profit forecast
- Primark Christmas sales up 12%
- Reiss produces turnaround Christmas figures
- SuperGroup announces sales are on “on track”
- Topshop to launch stores in New York
- White Stuff enjoys successful Christmas
- Footwear retailing
- Shoe Zone claims value retailers can profit online
- Electra to buy shoe chain Hotter
- Mixed goods retailing
- KPMG resigned as Poundworld auditor due to "misleading" results
- Poundworld to partner etailer Poundshop.com
- Multi-sector retailing
- Argos
- …to encourage app downloads with in-store NFC
- …and Homebase put pressure on suppliers
- Home Retail Group
- …releases Interim Management Statement
- …reportedly to name Walden as new CEO
- Marks & Spencer
- …hires Inditex employees to boost overseas trade
- …prepares for Australian launch
- Department stores
- House of Fraser
- …pushing for listing
- …to roll out queue-beating technology
- John Lewis
- …sees strong Christmas and New Year sales growth
- …to sponsor Commonwealth Games
- …bans angora wool
- …reports strong weekly sales
- …sees full year sales rise
- Selfridges Christmas sales soar
- DIY retailing
- B&Q hires former Matalan boss
- Topps Tiles opens boutique store
- Electrical retailing
- BC considers potential float of Phones4U
- Carphone Warehouse like-for-likes climb over Christmas
- Dixons reports on “lively” Christmas
- Music and video goods retailing
- Game
- …sees like-for-likes rocket at Christmas
- …enter courtroom battle with UK’s largest landlord consortium
- HMV closes Oxford Street flagship
- Carpet retailing
- Carpetright issues profit warning
- United Carpets and Floors 2 Go change prices after OFT probe
- Furniture retailing
- DFS and B&M advance flotation plans
- Endless plots sale of Bathstore
- IKEA
- …announces sales growth
- …sales surge
- Home shopping
- Able & Cole sees sales rise
- Amazon to deliver on Sundays
- Ao.com
- …announces flotation plans
- …seeks £1.2 billion IPO valuation
- Asos sees Christmas sales surge
- Findel to deliver “strong profit growth”
- MandM Direct experiences late sales surge
- Mothercare signs up to eBay partnership
- My-Wardrobe hires new recruits as part of turnaround programme.
- N Brown sees revenues rise
- Ocado
- …post pre-tax loss for 2013
- …sales rise over the fourth-quarter
- Sales growth slows for Amazon UK
- Shop Direct posts Christmas sales rise
- Health and beauty retailing
- Superdrug
- …considers UK headquarters to support London IPO
- …sees rise in like-for-likes over Christmas
- The Perfume Shop announces strong Christmas trading
- Book and stationery retailing
- Foyles like-for-likes edge up
- Waterstones reduces full-year losses
- WHSmith
- …extends contract with distribution company
- …like-for-likes down but profit solid
- Sports and leisure goods retailing
- Adidas to open digital store in Bluewater
- JD Sports
- …records improvement in like-for-likes
- …to launch value chain Open
- Sports Direct
- …acquires stake in Debenhams
- …and Debenhams meet to explore option
- …stake in Debenhams
- Garden centres
- L-Gam acquires Jardiland
- Toys and games retailing
- Mothercare in talks to sell Early Learning Centre
- Miscellaneous specialist retailing
- Albemarle & Bond calls off sale
- Alfred Dunhill owner forced to inject cash into business
- Halfords sales up 7%
- Economy
- BRC
- …sales monitor shows "respectable" Christmas trading
- …key export markets show huge growth in UK retailer searches
- …UK retailers cut prices for ninth consecutive month
- ONS confirms strong retail growth in December
- Shop vacancies at lowest level for four years
- The City gives green light to retailer IPO’s
UK Retail Briefing - February 2014