Retail 6 March 2026 - 25 April 2026

Tesco Stock: £750m Buyback Moves Fast as Profit Risk Keeps Investors on Edge
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Tesco Stock: £750m Buyback Moves Fast as Profit Risk Keeps Investors on Edge

Tesco bought 415,797 shares for cancellation on April 23 as part of its new £750 million buyback, bringing total repurchases to 822,350 shares worth about £4 million. Shares closed Friday at 490.80p, up 0.9%. Tesco reported 2025/26 sales of £66.6 billion and forecast current-year operating profit between £3.0 billion and £3.3 billion, citing uncertainty from the Iran war’s impact on UK consumers.
April 25, 2026
Rio Tinto’s A$1.5 Million Cyclone Pledge Puts Pilbara Risk Back in View
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Rio Tinto’s A$1.5 Million Cyclone Pledge Puts Pilbara Risk Back in View

Party City products will return to over 700 Staples stores and Staples.com under a new shop-in-shop deal, following Party City’s bankruptcy and closure of nearly 700 stores. The rollout, timed for graduation season, will expand through 2026 and features balloons, décor, and party goods. Staples is offering launch promotions, including discounts on balloons and custom print products. Party City’s brand now operates without its own retail chain.
April 25, 2026
Royal-Worn Russell & Bromley Shuts More Stores As Next Rescue Leaves Shoe Chain With Three Shops
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Royal-Worn Russell & Bromley Shuts More Stores As Next Rescue Leaves Shoe Chain With Three Shops

Russell & Bromley has closed more UK stores this week, including Covent Garden, as part of a wider shutdown following its January administration. Next bought the brand, intellectual property, and three stores for £2.5 million, leaving 33 stores and nine concessions outside the deal. Administrators are offering discounts of up to 90% at closing sites, and gift cards are no longer accepted. The company posted an EBITDA loss of £12.1 million in 11 months to November 2025.
April 24, 2026
WH Smith Profit Warning: Retailer Suspends Dividend as Iran War Hits Airport Spending
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WH Smith Profit Warning: Retailer Suspends Dividend as Iran War Hits Airport Spending

WH Smith cut its full-year profit forecast to £90–£105 million, suspended its dividend, and reported a statutory pre-tax loss of £25 million for the half-year. Shares closed down 9.15% after falling as much as 17%. The company cited weaker passenger numbers and spending, particularly at airports affected by Middle East conflict. WH Smith said it is cooperating with a UK regulator’s probe into past accounting issues.
April 23, 2026
Self-Checkout Crackdown Spreads Across U.S. With 15-Item Caps, New Staffing Rules
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Self-Checkout Crackdown Spreads Across U.S. With 15-Item Caps, New Staffing Rules

U.S. cities and states are advancing limits on self-checkout, with Long Beach and Costa Mesa enforcing new rules and measures pending in New York City, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Ohio. Connecticut’s bill failed last week. Target now restricts self-checkout to 10 items at most stores, reporting faster transactions. Proposed laws include item caps, staffing ratios, and fines for violations.
April 23, 2026
Leica’s New Chicago Flagship Store Brings a Rare Chicago Edition 17 M11-P to Michigan Avenue
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Leica’s New Chicago Flagship Store Brings a Rare Chicago Edition 17 M11-P to Michigan Avenue

Leica Camera will open a flagship store and gallery at 800 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago on April 30, debuting a limited Chicago Edition 17 Leica M11-P available only at the site. The two-floor space will feature cameras, gallery shows, workshops, and community events. Leica expects the special edition camera to sell out quickly. The opening includes exhibits by Craig Semetko and events with artists Alana Tsui and Dr. Romanelli.
April 15, 2026
NatWest Group Plc Deepens Sainsbury’s Pact With Nectar Card, Savings and Loans
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NatWest Group Plc Deepens Sainsbury’s Pact With Nectar Card, Savings and Loans

NatWest Group and Sainsbury’s agreed to launch savings accounts, personal loans, and a Nectar-linked credit card for Sainsbury’s customers, following NatWest’s 2025 acquisition of the grocer’s banking books. The new products will roll out in the second half of 2026. NatWest’s Boxed platform will power the services. The move extends NatWest’s embedded finance strategy amid pressure on interest income.
April 2, 2026
IKEA Dundee Store Opens After Delay as Small-Format UK Expansion Picks Up
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IKEA Dundee Store Opens After Delay as Small-Format UK Expansion Picks Up

IKEA opened its first Dundee store on Monday after a paperwork delay, launching a small-format Plan and Order Point at Kingsway West Retail Park. The outlet offers 250 home items for immediate purchase, with most larger goods ordered in. The opening is part of Ingka’s shift to city sites and follows recent job cuts and investment plans after a sales decline. Dundee joins Edinburgh and Glasgow in IKEA’s Scotland network.
March 23, 2026
Wesfarmers Stock Holds Near A$74 as Investors Weigh Retail Strength Against Rate Pressure
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Wesfarmers Stock Holds Near A$74 as Investors Weigh Retail Strength Against Rate Pressure

Wesfarmers shares traded near A$73.64 Friday, within a A$73.38-A$74.38 range, as investors assessed resilient Bunnings and Kmart earnings against weaker retail trends. The company posted a 9.3% rise in first-half net profit to A$1.1 billion in February but flagged softer second-half trading. Australia’s recent rate hike and higher fuel prices have raised concerns about discretionary spending. The interim dividend is set for payment on March 31.
March 20, 2026
Primark Raises Pay to £13 for Great Britain Staff, Expands Repair Service as Retail Wage Race Intensifies
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Primark Raises Pay to £13 for Great Britain Staff, Expands Repair Service as Retail Wage Race Intensifies

Primark will raise pay for over 27,000 retail workers in Great Britain to at least £13 an hour from April 1, with London staff earning at least £13.71. The company also expanded its clothing-repair service to three stores after a successful Manchester pilot. The pay hike comes as British retailers face higher labour costs and weak sales, with Primark’s like-for-like sales down 2.7% in the 16 weeks to Jan. 3.
March 18, 2026
Wesfarmers Limited’s Bunnings Expands Auto Range With 500 New Products in Fresh Growth Push
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Wesfarmers Limited’s Bunnings Expands Auto Range With 500 New Products in Fresh Growth Push

Bunnings will add 500 automotive products and expand floor space for the category by 30% across Australia and New Zealand, raising its in-store range to over 1,200 items. The move intensifies competition with specialist auto retailers as Wesfarmers seeks to maintain growth amid uneven consumer spending. Wesfarmers shares rose 1.47% to A$75.46 on Tuesday. Bunnings generated A$10.7 billion in revenue in the half-year to December 31.
March 11, 2026
Costco Holds Off on Special Dividend as Digital Personalization Adds $470 Million in E-Commerce Sales
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Costco Holds Off on Special Dividend as Digital Personalization Adds $470 Million in E-Commerce Sales

Costco reported quarterly net sales up 9.1% to $68.24 billion and net income of $2.04 billion, but CFO Gary Millerchip said there are no plans for a new special dividend. Digitally enabled sales jumped 22.6%, with e-commerce product recommendations generating over $470 million. Paid memberships reached 82.1 million. The company ended the quarter with $17.38 billion in cash.
March 9, 2026
Gap Inc shares slide after tariff warning, Athleta slump clouds 2026 outlook
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Gap Inc shares slide after tariff warning, Athleta slump clouds 2026 outlook

Gap warned U.S. tariffs will cut profit this quarter and issued a 2026 earnings forecast below Wall Street expectations, sending shares down 7% after reporting fourth-quarter results. Net sales rose 2% to $4.2 billion, but gross margin fell 0.8 percentage point to 38.1% due to tariffs. Athleta sales dropped 11%, while Old Navy and Gap brand sales increased. Gap approved a $1 billion share buyback and raised its dividend.
March 6, 2026
Coles Group Ltd Faces Fresh Pricing Scrutiny as Digital Shelf-Label Trial Raises Dynamic Pricing Questions
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Coles Group Ltd Faces Fresh Pricing Scrutiny as Digital Shelf-Label Trial Raises Dynamic Pricing Questions

Coles is under scrutiny after confirming digital shelf labels remain on trial in 11 stores, without ruling out future dynamic pricing. The ACCC says dynamic pricing is legal if shoppers are informed, but new rules from July 1 will ban excessive grocery markups for large supermarkets. Coles recently reported a first-half net profit of A$511 million, down 11.3%. The company is also in Federal Court over alleged misleading discount claims.
March 6, 2026
Costco earnings beat as tariff refunds loom; CEO flags possible price cuts
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Costco earnings beat as tariff refunds loom; CEO flags possible price cuts

Costco reported fiscal second-quarter net sales of $68.24 billion, up 9.1%, and net income of $2.04 billion, beating Wall Street estimates. CEO Ron Vachris said the company could cut prices if it receives refunds from struck-down Trump-era tariffs, but timing remains uncertain. A federal judge has ordered the U.S. government to begin refunding importers, with up to $182 billion at stake.
March 6, 2026
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