M&S has appointed Ikea’s UK and Ireland country deputy retail manager Marsha Smith as stores director of the West division. Set to join Marks & Spencer in September, Smith has held her current post at the Swedish furniture giant for three years, including leading its Canadian arm. She has also been involved in driving Ikea’s expansion to...

Asda is outsourcing over 100 of its employees to an Indian-based supplier in a move sparking fears of job cuts, as the supermarket looks to cut costs. Outsourcing plans were revealed to staff in an email last week, affecting IT staff working in the grocery retailer’s Leeds headquarters, which houses 5,000 colleagues. According to the Telegraph,...

Debenhams has brought back its ‘Designers at Debenhams’ programme as it continues to grow its fashion offering. The online department store said the relaunch will “honour the brand’s rich heritage while embracing contemporary collaborations and present-day muses”. It claimed the programme allowed designer fashion to be more accessible to a broader...

Waitrose has relaunched its premium own-brand No.1 range with nearly 200 new and improved products. The upmarket grocer has refreshed its packaging for the line and introduced 130 new items to the range, which are being launched in stores between June and October. It has also updated and improved a further 40 items, bringing the total No.1 range...

Superdry shareholders have voted in favour of the fashion retailer’s rescue proposals, which it said means it will now avoid insolvency. Shareholders have green lit the retailer’s plans for a £10m equity raise, which will be underwritten by founder Julian Dunkerton, and a delisting from the London Stock Exchange. It said investors had opted to implement...

Aldi is investing more than £90m on store improvements this year as it looks to ensure the “shopping experience is on a par with the high-quality products”. Over 30 of the discounter’s stores will undergo refurbishments this summer, while more than 100 are set to receive upgrades later this year. Aldi said the changes will vary at store level but...