Category Archives: Retail

Waitrose bans kids’ magazines with ‘pointless plastic’ free toys in fight against pollution

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Waitrose has confirmed that it will no longer sell children’s magazines with plastic disposable toys in a move to help combat the issue of pollution and plastic waste.

The retailer’s decision was inspired by a campaign launched by the ten year old Skye from Gwynedd, who has made it a mission to persuade publishers to stop giving away the disposable toys in magazines.

Waitrose has backed the cause, stating that the plastic toys, often used as incentives for children and parents to purchase the magazine, have a short lifespan and cannot easily be recycled. Over the next eight weeks, it will be removing magazines containing the free toys from its shelves.

The grocer is urging publishers to replace the ‘pointless plastic’ with sustainable alternatives and the ban will not include educational or reusable craft items which are designed to be used multiple times, such as colouring pens and pencils, and collectable models.

Speaking with the BBC, ten year old Skye – who’s campaign inspired the move – said: “I’m really pleased so many people have agreed with me and supported my petition – I want to thank everyone who has signed and shared my campaign to ban plastics from comics and magazines.

“Thank you to Waitrose for agreeing with us and no longer selling the unwanted plastic tat.

“I hope all retailers can do the same and then the publishers will realise this is not acceptable anymore. We really like the magazines – we just don’t want or need the plastic packaging or the cheap plastic toys.”

Marija Rompani, partner and director of sustainability and ethics at Waitrose, said: “While we know these magazines are popular with children, some of the unnecessary plastic attached to them has become really excessive.

“Many in the younger generation really care about the planet and are the ones inheriting the problem of plastic pollution. We urge publishers to find alternatives, and other retailers to follow our lead in ending the pointless plastic that comes with children’s magazines.”

The retailer has written to magazine distributors giving them eight weeks’ notice of the policy, asking for alternatives to plastic toys and warning that they will not sell copies which contain the disposable items.

Campaigners for better sustainability measures within the children’s entertainment space has acknowledged the impact the decision may have on some publishers, but state that this is a ‘necessary step in tackling the issue of plastic waste.’

Trudi Bishop, a campaigner and columnist for ToyNews, said: “All publishers need to stop and believe in their content and not rely on cheap, nasty plastic marketing toys to sell what are great magazines.”

British lifestyle brand Joules to open stores across all of the UK and Ireland’s Center Parcs

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The British lifestyle brand, Joules, has struck up a partnership with the short break specialist, Center Parcs to open a slate of six stores at all of the Parcs’ villages across the UK and Ireland this spring.

The roll-out will commence with the opening of a Joules store at Center Parcs Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire on April 12th, the expected date for the nation’s non-essential retail reopening.

The partnership aligns closely with Joules’ lifestyle brand positioning and provides more opportunity for both new and existing customers to engage with the Joules brand and its distinctive products.

The agreement has been founded upon the two companies’ shared values of enjoying the outdoors whatever the weather, as well as the importance of time well spent with friends and family. Both brands play important roles in supporting their customers’ outdoor lifestyles and share a respect for forests and woodlands.

The Joules Center Parcs stores will offer menswear, womenswear and childrenswear collections to provide guests with all they could need for the perfect staycation, from gilets and jumpers to Joules’ outdoors-inspired Right as Rain collection.

Guests will also be able to benefit from Joules’ click-and-collect service which enables them to shop online and conveniently collect during their break. The stores will include experiential areas to host activities for the whole family (when government guidelines allow), including a tree den installation at Woburn Forest with tables for arts, crafts and workshops for all the family.

Nick Jones, CEO at Joules, said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing the Joules brand to Center Parcs from this Spring. The partnership between two outdoor loving, family-focused lifestyle brands has significant potential and supports Joules long-term strategy to develop its brand presence in line with its customers’ evolving lifestyles and increase its customer base.”

Martin Dalby, CEO Center Parcs, added: “We are delighted to have formed a retail partnership with Joules and I know the shops will be popular once open across our villages. Joules celebrates families spending time outdoors just like we do, so the similarity in our brands and the level of quality we both deliver mean they are a perfect fit.”

Emoji renews its partnership with Lojas Americanas for themed Easter Eggs across Brazil

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The Emoji Company has renewed its partnership with Lojas Americanas to launch another line of Easter Eggs across Brazil through its own D’elicce brand, an official licensee of the Emoji franchise.

Under the renewed partnership, that will see themed easter eggs launch for the second year running, the product range will be available in more than 1,700 points of sales, as well as via the app and online Lojas Americanas shopping platform. Lojas Americanas is recognised as one of the largest retail chains in the country.

“We are excited to work for the second year with Americanas through their own brand D´elicce in Brazil for the Easter Season, they develop high quality products and have a great distribution capacity, which allows reaching consumers in more than 700 cities across the country,” says Celso Rafael, CEO of Lotus Global Mkt, responsible for the brand licensing in Brazil. 

“For the emoji company, it is a great pleasure to be part of this important holiday for children and adults through this amazing partnership with Lojas Americanas and its own brand D’elicce,” added Marco Hüsges, CEO and founder of the emoji brand.

Moonpig grows its kids’ gifting portfolio with LEGO partnership and ‘ambitious plans for more to come’

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The online gifting specialist, Moonpig has detailed its huge ambitions’ for its giftable kids range, growing its portfolio of toy partners and most recently welcoming LEGO into the fold.

The firm’s partnership with the LEGO Group marks a significant step forward for the company as well as ‘its biggest brand launch on its site to date.’ Until now, Moonpig has partnered with the likes of Playmobil, Hasbro, and Pokemon, but not launched a portfolio as large as its LEGO deal.

The partnership has been billed as ‘the first of more to come,’ as Moonpig outlines its vision to “become the ultimate gifting companion for customers.”

David Rimmer, commercial director of Moonpig, told Licensing.biz: “We have been a huge emphasis on bolstering our gifting offer. As part of this, we have brought on board a number of new toy brands recently, including Playmobil, Hasbro, and Pokemon and will continue to add beloved brands as we build our kids’ gifting and birthday ranges.”

The new LEGO range features 13 different themes with more than 50 products, spanning Duplo LEGO, LEGO Marvel, and LEGO Architecture.

Its licensed line up features the popular LEGO Harry Potter and LEGO Star Wars, while the top selling LEGO City and LEGO Friends also feature.

Moonpig launched the new brand with bespoke site looks – a dedicated landing page as well as content all around the site to showcase the extensive range, and has the ambition to grow the offer even further throughout the year.

Rimmer added: “We are very excited for Lego to join our offer as the latest addition. Our ambitions are huge for our kids range, so make sure to watch this space.”

The Moonpig business has been bolstering its expanding gifting offer with a long list of brands. In the past three months, Moonpig has introduced over 50 new brands across food, alcohol, beauty, home and toys, including Playmobil, Hasbro, and Pokemon.

WHP Global takes controlling stake in Tru Kids with expansion plans for Toys R Us, Babies R Us

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The New York brand acquisition and management firm, WHP Global has taken a controlling interest in Tru Kids Inc, the parent company to Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Geoffrey the Giraffe brands, and more than 20 established consumer toy and baby brands.

Under the acquisition, WHP will now manage the global TRU business, spanning brick and mortar and digital retail spaces, as it acts to direct its strategic expansion.

WHP has now become a significant shareholder in the Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands which combined generate over $2 billion in global retail sales a year through almost 900 branded stores and ecommerce sites across more than 25 countries.

The move follows a year in which the toy sector has seen a growth across its biggest markets, including the US where, despite the struggles of the pandemic, the industry grew 16 per cent.

WHP is now one among a group of institutional investors in the Tru Kids Inc company, joined by funds managed by Solus Alternative Assets Management and funds managed by the Private Equity Group of Ares Management Corporation.

Yehuda Shmidman, chairman and CEO at WHP, said: “Our investment in Toys”R”Us reflects our belief and passion for the brand. We are thrilled to be taking the reins of the world’s leading toy brand at a time when the category is up 16 per cent and consumer demand for toys is at an all-time high.

“This is a natural fit for WHP, as we can leverage our global network and digital platform to help grow Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us around the world.”

Shmidman has extensive experience with the brands, having served as Vice Chairman of TRU since 2019.

For more than 70 years, Toys R Us it has been a destination for children and parents looking for toys. Founded by Charles Lazarus, Toys”R”Us became a globally-recognized household name.

Babies”R”Us was introduced several years after the Toys”R”Us brand was founded, and is recognised as having the largest baby registry across the USA.

In addition, there are more than 20 related consumer brands in the portfolio, including Journey Girls, Fastlane, True Heroes, You & Me, Just Like Home, and Imaginarium.

Including TRU and its fashion brands, WHP manages over $3 billion in retail sales across its portfolio of brands. WHP is backed by a $350 million equity commitment from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. with a leverage facility provided to WHP by funds and accounts managed by BlackRock.

Spring budget | Retail restart support, extended furlough, and £300m more for the Culture Recovery Fund

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A restart programme to support retailers reopening next month and a £300 million culture recovery fund have been announced in a budget described as the Government’s “use of the full fiscal firepower of the country,” by Chancellor Rishi Sunak this afternoon.

Among the first issues addressed by Sunak as he outline the plans for the 2021 budget – billed as a ‘budget of our time’ – as England makes its preparations to ease out of lockdown, was the return to business for the country’s non-essential retailers.

Under a Restart Programme described by Sunak, non-essential retailers who will be on track to have suffered a 17 week closure through the country’s third lockdown, will be offered a £6,000 grant to help them get them moving forward again.

The support will be part of a £5 billion scheme for businesses across the country, adding to the total direct cash support system for business to now total £25bn over the course of the pandemic.

For hospitality and leisure businesses, the grant has been increased to £18,000 in accordance to the staggered re-opening and social restrictions that will be enforced as they return to operation. Business rates for such businesses will remain 100 per cent suspended for these businesses for the next three months, at which point rates will be discounted by two thirds for the remaining nine months of the year.

Meanwhile, the Culture Recovery Fund which provides financial support for music venues, independent cinemas, museums, galleries, theatres, and heritage sites as they weather the financial storm of the pandemic, will receive a boost of £300 million.

The first recipients of support from a fun that now totals £1.87bn were detail in October last year, with over 1,385 theatres, museums, and cultural organisations across England benefitting from a £257 million share of the fund.

The Prime Minister’s roadmap out of lockdown has also raised hopes around the return of the live music scene, with June 21st earmarked as the date of full relaxation on any and all coronavirus restrictions.

Elsewhere, a final key point to have arisen in Sunak’s afternoon budget address was the introduction of a increase to corporation tax from 2023 to 25 per cent. The tax will be applied to profits of the businesses in excess of £250,000. Companies with profits of less than £50,000 will remain at 19 per cent corporation tax.

“It’s a tax rise on company profits, but only on the larger more profitable companies, and only in two years’ time,” said Sunak.

The Chancellor also went on to confirm that the furlough scheme will be extended until the end of September with employees set to continue to receive 80 per cent of their wages until the scheme ends, but with firms asked to contribute 10 per cent in July, and 20 per cent in August and September as it begins to wind down.

Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of retail industry charity retailTRUST, said: “Retail will have an absolutely vital role to play in tackling issues like youth employment and social mobility as we move out of this crisis so decisions taken now will not only protect vital jobs and businesses, but the social, economic and cultural importance of the sector to the UK. 

“People working in retail have been hit hard financially, emotionally and physically during the entire course of the pandemic. They have had to cope with extremely difficult changes in their working conditions, livelihoods have been placed on hold during the lockdown periods, and, very sadly, tens of thousands of people have been left with no jobs to return to due to the pandemic’s devastating impact on shops and businesses up and down the country. This has led to record demand for retailTRUST’s services.

“It is essential that the government and businesses now work together to safeguard our colleagues’ long-term interests and their wellbeing. And as a sector, we all have a responsibility to come together and make the most of initiatives which will help to protect, support and create roles.”

Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown lays out non-essential retail’s spring time reopening

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Boris Johnson’s roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions across England have offered the light at the end of a long tunnel for non-essential retailers, and the suggestion that doors will be reopening from no sooner than April 12th this year.

The plans were detailed amid a roadmap out of lockdown delivered by the Prime Minister to MPs this afternoon. Johnson is expected to give a televised broadcast to the public at 7pm this evening.

It follows what has been many weeks of a third national lockdown with the earmarked date signifying the end of what will have been at least 14 weeks of closed doors amid the non-essential retail landscape, longer than the closures of the country’s first lockdown in March last year.

Taking priority, however, as talk turns to the country’s easing out of lockdown restrictions, is the return of all pupils to classrooms, followed by relaxed rules around socialising and the eventual reopening of non-essential shops and businesses.

During the course of the third national lockdown, food shops, supermarkets, off-licences, pharmacies, and garden centres have all been categorised as essential retailers.

Market stalls selling essential goods, petrol stations, medial providers, vets, launderettes, banks, post offices and building societies have also been permitted to remain open throughout the lockdown.

Non-essential shops include everything from clothing, books, department stores and technology stores, and of course, toy shops.

Mr Johnson said that from 12 April, under step two of lockdown easing, non-essential retail will reopen. This is along with hairdressers and nail salons.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has said that retail has a low impact on the transmission of the virus.

Prior to the last lockdown, Sage recommended that “opening non-essential retail safely would require a significant effort to ensure that environments are appropriate to minimise transmission (for example social distancing and hygiene measures, ventilation)”.

This means that rules relating to social distancing, the wearing of face masks and a limit on the number of people allowed inside a shop are likely to continue when shops do eventually reopen.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “We welcome the additional clarity provided by the Prime Minister. While we are encouraged by a plan for non-essential stores to reopen, the heavy impact of the pandemic means some may never be able to.

“The cost of lost sales to non-food stores during lockdown is now over £22bn and counting. Every day that a shop remains closed increases the chances that it will never open again – costing jobs and damaging local communities.

“Non-essential shops are ready to reopen and have been investing hundreds of millions on making themselves Covid-secure. Government should remain flexible and allow non-essential retail to reopen as soon as the data suggests it is safe to do so. Until it is permitted, retailers will need continued support from Government.

“We welcome the PM’s call ‘not to pull the rug out’ from under businesses. To this end, the Government must act on three vital issues – rents, rates and grants.

“To avoid further job losses and permanent job closures, the Chancellor must announce a targeted business rates relief from April and extend the moratorium on debt enforcement, as well as removing state aid caps on Covid business grants. This would relieve struggling businesses of bills they cannot currently pay and allow them to trade their way to recovery.”

Chancellor ‘considering tax on online giants’ to help payback Government’s Covid spending

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Amazon and other major online retailers could be facing a new online sales tax to help the UK pay its debts following extensive borrowing during the pandemic.

Treasury sources have confirmed that Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering initiating a tax that will target companies who have done well out of the coronavirus crisis in order to help pay back UK government debts.

The new tax is being considered as part of a business rates review after a consultation was held last year. It also emerges following calls from business leaders of 18 companies, including Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Waterstones, and more, for a fundamental overhaul of how retailers are taxed in the UK.

Amazon saw sales in the UK increase by 51 per cent to nearly £20bn in 2020 as lockdown restrictions forced people to shop online. A report last week however, has suggested that the online behemoth paid just £71 million in business rates on its entire UK estate, including fulfilment centres, research and development centres, corporate offices in London, Amazon Lockers, Whole Foods Market stores, and delivery stations.

Furthermore, and according to real estate advisor Altus Group, who conducted the research, this represented a tax to turnover ratio of just 0.37 per cent.

Tesco’s chief executive Ken Murphy has now pushed for a one per cent levy on online sales, a move which could drastically alter the UK’s retail landscape, and a move that is now being considered by the Chancellor as attention turns to plans to help the UK’s high streets survive the pandemic.

Leaked emails showed Treasury officials had summoned tech firms and retailers to a meeting this month to discuss the online sales tax. The Sunday Times reported that Downing Street is also looking at introducing an ‘excessive profits tax’ on companies that have seen profits surge due to Covid-19.

“We want to see thriving high streets, which is why we’ve spent tens of billions of pounds supporting shops throughout the pandemic and are supporting town centres through the changes online shopping brings,” said a Treasury spokesman.

“Our business rates review call for evidence included questions on whether we should shift the balance between online and physical shops by introducing an online sales tax. We’re considering responses now.”

The Centre for Retail Research said that high street retailers paid around 2.3 per cent of annual retail sales in business rates before the pandemic.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said that ministers should not prevent businesses’ ability to recover from the pandemic.

“The key to reviving our high streets is fundamental reform of the business rates system and we oppose any new taxes that increase the cost burden on the industry which is already too high,” she said. “Economic recovery after Covid will be powered by consumer demand – the Chancellor should ensure he doesn’t introduce any new taxes that stifle this.”

Amazon has said that it will not comment on the online sales tax reports.

Online shopping and gaming surge helps Hasbro hit $1bn ecommerce revenue in 2020

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Online shopping and the world’s lean into family gaming throughout the pandemic have helped global entertainment company, Hasbro maintain a steady ship on 2020’s waters as the firm hit $1bn in ecommerce revenue for the first time last year.

Increased revenue across Hasbro Gaming and Hasbro entire gaming catalogue, including Wizards of the Coast and Dungeons of Dragons, have helped the toy maker maintain an even keel over the course of what’s been billed ‘a most challenging year.’

The pandemic has forced a year of changes most notably across the physical retail space and the TV and film sector. It comes as no surprise then, that in its full year 2020 financials, Hasbro has reported a decrease in film and TV revenues through its eOne segment, as well as lower Family Brands revenue due to retail disruption.

However, the global business did see a marked uptick in its ecommerce business that, for the first time in its history, hit the $1bn mark as shoppers have turned to online purchasing in response to lockdown restrictions.

Meanwhile, Revenues in Hasbro Gaming grew 21 per cent while revenues across its total gaming category picked up 20 per cent, and while net revenues for the full year 2020 dipped eight per cent year on year, the surge in ecommerce witnessed an increase of 43 per cent to hit the $1bn mark.

Hasbro bosses have credited the team’s resilience, tenacity, creativity, flexibility, and empathy’ for seeing it through what CEO Brian Goldner called ‘a most challenging year.’

“Our teams successfully drove demand for several product categories across our portfolio including our entire gaming portfolio from Wizards of the Coast brands to face-to-face gaming,” said Brian Goldner, Hasbro’s chairman and chief executive officer.

“They found ways to reach the global consumer despite retail closures throughout the year, delivering over $1bn in ecommerce revenues for the first time. We leveraged our global supply chain capabilities and our evolving geographic manufacturing supplier base to get products made and distributed.

“We integrated our acquisition of eOne and while live-action TV and film production was limited, we made substantial progress developing Hasbro IP for storytelling that we believe will lead to enhanced revenues and earnings power from Hasbro brands from multiple income streams.

“We developed toy and game lines for valuable pre-school brands Peppa Pig and PJ Masks to launch later this year. We concentrated on managing expenses and cash, growing adjusted operating profit margins and finishing the year with $1.45bn in cash on our balance sheet.”

Fourth quarter 2020 revenues four per cent which included growth across its franchise brands such as Magic: The Gathering, Monopoly, and Nerf, as well as products for the Star Wars and The Mandalorian franchises, and Hasbro Gaming. Dungeons and Dragons also saw a standout year.

Deborah Thomas, Hasbro’s chief financial officer, added: “Throughout 2020, the global Hasbro team did an excellent job executing in a challenging environment. In the fourth quarter, we grew revenues and adjusted operating profit, overcoming tough comparisons within the Partner Brand category and last year’s theatrical releases.

“Our focus on working capital and expense management delivered $976.3 million in operating cash flow for the year, and as part of our commitment to paying down our debt, we repaid $123 million of the debt we raised to finance the eOne acquisition.

“We continue to see strong retail, consumer and audience support for our brands and content as we look to the coming year. Global points of sale increased last year, despite lockdowns and retail disruption, and 2021 is starting with a strong year-over-year momentum.”

Condé Nast to open first immersive beauty specialist Allure Store in New York City

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Condé Nast has detailed the upcoming launch of its first Allure Store to New York City’s Lafayette Street, billing the concept store as an immersive shopping experience that will feature a curated selection of the world’s best beauty products, led by Allure’s own trusted editorial voice.

The Allure Store will open as a stand-alone brick and mortar store, in partnership with STÔUR Group and will bring a physical touchpoint to the Allure offering, inviting shoppers and the beauty community at large to join the brand’s audience of over 25 million readers.

Allure is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year having seen a 20 per cent year on year increase in traffic and a 25 per cent year on year increase in time spent – a reflection, it states, of how consumers are increasingly reliant on the insights and product recommendations from trusted beauty experts.

“The Allure audience has shown that it’s intensely loyal and trusts our expertise – something we are so grateful for. We’re thrilled that the Allure Store provides us with the opportunity to really connect with them, and to truly bring the brand to life,” said Michelle Lee, Allure’s editor in chief.

“This space will allow us to introduce our brand to new beauty enthusiasts and expand the Allure family.”

The store has been designed to ’embody the future of retail’ and crafted to ‘reflect Allure’s print and digital experience while integrating the brand’s unparalleled expertise’. The store will offer the best of makeup, haircare, and skincare brands that have been featured in Allure.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Allure Store, designed to bring the brand to life with a unique and immersive shopping environment where customers can shop by Allure’s globally respected headlines for a truly seamless experience,” said Markus Grindel, managing director, global brand licensing.

“The store marks an expansion of our direct-to-consumer experiences across the globe, and we hope that this news excites those looking ahead to when in-store shopping resumes.”

Spanning 2,900 square feet over two floors, the store shelves will mirror Allure’s content themes including the iconic Best of Beauty Awards, with seasonal product changes. The store will implement augmented reality capabilities for customers to try on products, as well as smart mirrors, and will be a hub for content creation. In addition to shopping, Allure’s editorial team will regularly host in-store events, tutorials and masterclasses.

The Allure Beauty Box, a handpicked selection of editor-approved beauty products that launched in 2012, has been a success among subscribers, with revenue up 20 per cent year on year.

The Allure Store will open its doors on Lafayette Street in New York City in Fall 2021. Allure is published in the U.S. by Condé Nast and in South Korea under license agreement with Doosan Group.