Drapers
Nicola Harrison
Nicola Harrison is Acting News Editor at Retail Week
Nicola has worked on the news desk for three years, covering property, furniture, DIY, general merchandise, policy and entertainment.
Before that she worked at HR magazine, which was her first proper reporting job.
Nicola's interests include retailers launching new formats and expanding internationally, as well as the changing landscape of the retail property market.
Follow Nicola on twitter: @NicolaRHarrison
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Retail sales slip as consumers feel the pinch
23 June 2011
Retail sales slipped in recent weeks, marking the first time in a year when sales have not shown growth. -
Moss Bros like-for-likes up 13.4% as it disposes of Cecil Gee
20 June 2011
Menswear group Moss Bros has said like-for-likes surged 13.4% in the 20 weeks to June 18 and has disposed of menswear chain Cecil Gee to JD Sports Fashion. -
Lord Myners questions Mary Portas's appointment as government adviser
31 May 2011
Former City Minister Lord Myners is understood to have questioned what has been done to identify potential conflicts of interest related to Mary Portas’s appointment by David Cameron to lead a review in to the future of the high street. -
British Land to kick start new developments
24 May 2011
Property developer British Land is push the button on new retail developments for the first time since the recession. -
Agent Provocateur hires Chris Woodhouse as chairman
23 May 2011
Luxury lingerie retailer Agent Provocateur has hired Debenhams finance director Chris Woodhouse as chairman. -
Hollister signs for National Geographic store on Regent Street
19 May 2011
US fashion chain Hollister has snapped up the store on Regent Street currently occupied by National Geographic, it is understood. -
Brand Alley seeks £87m to fund growth
16 May 2011
Online private sales site Brand Alley has appointed Merril Lynch to raise €100m (£87m) to fund the acquisition of fledgling businesses in the sector. -
Non-food price inflation slows
4 May 2011
Non-food price inflation slowed to 1.2% in April driven by promotional activity over Easter. -
Consumer confidence falls to 'worrying' level in April
28 April 2011
Consumer confidence fell sharply in April, making the chances of a double dip recession “increasingly real”, according to the GfK NOP. -
Young fashion chains eye Regent Street locations
26 April 2011
SuperGroup owned young fashion retailer and brand Superdry and Abercrombie & Fitch owned fashion chain Hollister are eyeing stores on famous shopping destination Regent Street in London. -
Westfield Stratford to open September 13
15 April 2011
Westfield Stratford City is to open to the public on September 13. -
TJ Hughes appoints executive chairman
13 April 2011
TJ Hughes’ new owners have hired investor Anthony Solomon as executive chairman. -
Stricter rules for pre-pack administrations
1 April 2011
New rules for pre-pack administrations could make it harder for owners to regain control of failing businesses. -
JJB Sports landlord to oppose CVA
23 February 2011
One of the UK’s largest landlords, Capital Shopping Centres, has dealt JJB Sports a further blow and said it would not back the struggling retailer’s company voluntary arrangement (CVA). -
Inflation rises to 4%
15 February 2011
Inflation rose to 4% in January, up from 3.7% in December. -
Shop price inflation rises to 2.5%
9 February 2011
Shop price inflation rose sharply to 2.5% in January, up from 2.1% the month before. -
George Davies in talks to design Morrisons clothing range
7 February 2011
George Davies, the retail entrepreneur behind Next, Per Una and George at Asda, is in talks with Morrisons about designing the supermarket’s first clothing range. -
M&S Direct chief stands down
3 February 2011
Marks & Spencer head of M&S Direct Dave Hughes has left the retailer. -
London, Glasgow and Manchester best for town centre shopping
25 January 2011
London, Glasgow, and Manchester have emerged as the towns which offer the best town centre shopping experience. -
Asos sales jump 59%
19 January 2011
Etailer Asos’ retail sales soared 59% to £100m in the three months to December 31. -
West End retail sales up 3.8% in December
17 January 2011
Retail sales in London’s West End increased 3.8% year-on-year in December, as post-Christmas Sales pulled in shoppers. -
Shop price inflation rises to 2.1% in December
12 January 2011
Shop price inflation rose to 2.1% in December, up from 2% in November, as rising costs pushed prices up. -
SuperGroup Christmas sales sparkle
12 January 2011
SuperGroup, the young fashion business which owns brand Superdry and chain Cult, has revealed a bumper Christmas, with total retail sales surging 93.6% to £51.7m. -
The White Company reveals strong Christmas trading
4 January 2011
The White Company experienced a 24% surge in Christmas sales boosted by the opening of the retailer’s first ‘life-style’ store on London’s Sloane Square, according to the Daily Telegraph. -
Bluewater records highest ever Christmas footfall as Sales pull in crowds
4 January 2011
Shopping Centre Bluewater said it experienced a record Christmas, recording its highest ever footfall of 28.1 million. -
JJB to ask shareholders for further £50m
4 January 2011
Troubled sports chain JJB Sports is expected to ask investors for a further £50m following the £31.5m promised before Christmas, according to reports. -
Debenhams poaches WHSmith marketing director
17 December 2010
Debenhams has poached WHSmith group marketing director Richard Cristofoli to be marketing director. -
Laura Ashley sales rise despite snow
16 December 2010
Fashion-to-furnishings retailer Laura Ashley said like-for-likes grew 2.7% in the 19 weeks to December 11. -
Business rates revamp under Localism Bill
14 December 2010
Local authorities will have greater control over setting business rates under new powers proposed in the Localism Bill. -
Cath Kidston plans Far East push as profits soar
6 December 2010
Fashion-to-furnishings retailer Cath Kidston has revealed a jump in profits and outlined plans for expansion in the Far East. -
John Lewis to open in Middle East, according to reports
29 November 2010
John Lewis is understood to be in talks to open department stores across the Middle East, according to reports. -
Forever 21 to open on London's Oxford Street
17 November 2010
UPDATED: US fast fashion retailer Forever 21 has confirmed it has signed for a flagship store in London’s Oxford Street, currently occupied by HMV. -
Fat Face to reduce markdowns with product overhaul
12 November 2010
Lifestyle retailer Fat Face has overhauled its product offering as part of chief executive Anthony Thompson’s turnaround strategy. -
SuperGroup sales surge 68.4%
10 November 2010
SuperGroup, the owner of young fashion brand Superdry, experienced a 68.4% surge in group total sales to £57.5m in the three months to October 31. -
Arcadia mulls closure of 200 shops
8 November 2010
Arcadia could close as many as 200 stores as it looks to restructure its property portfolio in the next three years. -
Paphitis reveals plans for lingerie chain Boux Avenue
4 November 2010
Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis has revealed his new lingerie retailer will be called Boux Avenue, and has outlined plans to open in shopping centres including Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Sheffield’s Meadowhall and the Bullring in Birmingham. -
Highest shop price inflation since January
3 November 2010
Shop price inflation increased to 2.2% in October, up from 1.9% in September, making it the highest rate since January. -
Traffic-free shopping on Oxford Street on November 27
29 October 2010
London’s famous shopping Mecca Oxford Street will offer traffic-free shopping again this year, on November 27. -
London shopping centre One New Change opens
28 October 2010
One New Change, the shopping centre in the City of London, opened its doors to the public today. -
Spending Review: 490,000 public sector jobs to go
20 October 2010
Nearly half a million public sector workers will lose their jobs over the next four years as part of the Coalition Government’s Spending Review. -
GIVe closes Regent Street store
30 September 2010
George Davies’ GIVe brand has exited its flagship Regent Street store in London almost a year to the day after it first opened. -
Sainsbury's eyes China expansion
27 September 2010
Sainsbury’s has sent a team to China to explore the possibility of opening the group’s first overseas shops in almost a decade. -
Tesco to expand online offer overseas
21 September 2010
Tesco is planning to launch online shopping in China, Poland and the Czech Republic as part of its global expansion plans under incoming chief executive Phil Clarke. -
Sir Stuart Rose joins private equity firm Bridgepoint
14 September 2010
Marks & Spencer chairman Sir Stuart Rose has been appointed to private equity firm Bridgepoint’s European Advisory Committee. -
Boden profits surge 16% in 2009
13 September 2010
Online and mail order retailer Boden’s pre-tax profits increased 15.9% to £28.7m in 2009 as it focused on cost control. -
Westfield Stratford to open in September 2011
18 August 2010
Westfield’s new shopping centre in east London, Stratford City, will open in September 2011, the developer has revealed. -
Fashion drives downward pressure on consumer price inflation
17 August 2010
Consumer price inflation (CPI) slowed to 3.1% in July, down from 3.2% in June, according to the Office for National Statistics. -
Bangladesh called upon to increase minimum wage
12 August 2010
The Ethical Trading Initiative has backed calls for the Bangladeshi government to make a further increase in the minimum wage. -
Ed Hardy closes Westfield store as Australian arm collapses
12 August 2010
US streetwear brand Ed Hardy has closed its store at Westfield London after the Australian arm of the retailer, which had the licence for the store, collapsed into administration. -
Benetton profits grow but outlook uncertain in key markets
2 August 2010
Italian fashion group Benetton said net income increased from €29m (£24m) to €40m (£33m) in the first half of 2010, as the business focused on higher value product, cost savings and the benefits of positive currency effects and sales in emerging markets. -
Local shops should be better protected, says London Assembly
28 July 2010
The London Mayor should change his policies to enable councils to protect local shops from big retail developments, according to the London Assembly. -
Shop Direct full year losses narrow
21 July 2010
Littlewoods owner Shop Direct said its pre-tax losses narrowed from £114m to £21m in the year to April 30 after a year of “significant restructuring”. -
Consumer confidence falls in run up to Budget
30 June 2010
Consumer confidence fell again in June as speculation about spending cuts and tax rises in the lead up to the Budget dampened confidence. -
Beales profits surge as revenue dips
28 June 2010
Department store Beales’ pre-tax profit surged 67% to £909,000 in the 26 weeks to May 1. -
Inditex to launch Zara transactional website on September 2
9 June 2010
Spanish retail giant Inditex, which owns chains including Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear and Bershka, will launch Zara transactional websites in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain on September 2. -
BRC warns Government against increasing VAT
7 June 2010
The British Retail Consortium has called on the Government to focus on public spending cuts rather than tax rises in order to tackle the deficit, reiterating its belief that VAT should not be increased. -
SouthGate Bath 75% let
21 May 2010
Shopping centre SouthGate Bath has signed a raft of fashion retailers ahead of opening in September, meaning the scheme is now 75% let. -
National Insurance rise scrapped, new government confirms
12 May 2010
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government has this afternoon confirmed that it will scrap part of Labour’s planned rise in National Insurance. -
Shop price inflation rises to 2% in April
5 May 2010
Shop price inflation rose to 2% in April, up from the 1.2% recorded in March. -
Westfield Stratford signs raft of retailers
4 May 2010
Australian property developer Westfield has signed a raft of retailers including Primark, Topshop and H&M to its shopping centre in Stratford. -
Asos full-year sales rise 35%
20 April 2010
Asos said sales rose 35% to £223m in the year to March 31 with full year pre-tax profits expected to be in line with forecasts. -
JD Sports Fashion's profit rockets 61%
14 April 2010
JD Sports Fashion pre-tax profit surged 61% to £61.4m in the year to January 30 but sales at its fashion fascias have slowed since the new financial year. -
Tory plans ‘do not include an increase in VAT’
6 April 2010
The Conservative Party has insisted that it would not need to increase VAT in order to cut the deficit if it forms the next Government as Prime Minister Gordon Brown is today expected to confirm that the next general election will be held on May 6. -
Cath Kidston confirms sale and lays out international expansion plans
1 April 2010
Cath Kidston has confirmed it has been bought by private equity vehicle TA Associates and has laid out plans for international expansion. -
Laura Ashley profit rise driven by strong UK performance
1 April 2010
Laura Ashley’s group pre-tax profit climbed 7.8% to £11m in the year to January 30, driven by a strong performance in the UK. -
Sainsbury's like-for-likes up 1.7% in Q4
24 March 2010
Sainsbury’s like-for-likes rose 1.7% excluding fuel in the 11 weeks to March 20, as the supermarket became the seventh biggest kidswear retailer by volume. -
Shop vacancies on the rise
9 March 2010
Shop vacancies rose in the three months to January 31, with more than one in ten shops on the high street lying empty. -
SRG CVA approved
23 February 2010
Speciality Retail Group, the menswear retail group which comprises chains Suits You, Racing Green and hire business Young’s, has won backing for its Company Voluntary Arrangement. -
UK comes out of recession
26 January 2010
The UK has exited its most severe recession since the 1930s as data this morning showed the economy grew by a weaker-than-expected 0.1% in the last three months of 2009. -
Fashion sales outperform in December, says ONS
22 January 2010
Clothing, textiles and footwear were the strongest performers in December in a month where total sales volumes failed to impress. -
The White Company reports strong Christmas
18 January 2010
Clothing and homewares retailer The White Company said trading was strong at Christmas and reported full year profits soared 31% to £7.9m. -
London's West End in Christmas lights switch-on
4 November 2009
50,000 Londoners gathered last night to see the biggest-ever co-ordinated Christmas lights switch-on across the capital’s most famous high streets. -
Oxford Circus diagonal crossing opens
2 November 2009
A new diagonal pedestrian crossing on London’s Oxford Circus is to be unveiled this morning.
