Gemma Goldfingle

Nov 13, 2024 | retailgazette.co.uk | Gemma Goldfingle

John Lewis has released its much-awaited Christmas 2024 ad focused on a sister’s quest to find the perfect gift. Set to the soundtrack of Richard Ashcroft’s Sonnet, ‘The Gifting Hour’ ad follows Sally dashing into John Lewis’ Oxford Street store on the hunt for a last-minute Christmas present for her sister Falling through a rack of dresses, she enters a fantastical world and stumbles out of the wardrobe in the attic of her childhood home.

Nov 13, 2024 | retailgazette.co.uk | Gemma Goldfingle

The Range and Wilko owner, CDS Superstores, has acquired the Homebase brand name, intellectual property, and up to 70 UK stores. The brand will continue to trade online, and the acquired stores will continue to trade as Homebase over the coming months but will re-open as The Range stores. “These stores will include everything you’d expect from The Range, combined with much broader choice across garden, showroom and DIY categories – retaining the best of the Homebase expertise and heritage.

Nov 6, 2024 | retailgazette.co.uk | Gemma Goldfingle

Frasers Group has written another open letter to Boohoo demanding shareholders get approval before the group sells any of its assets and that it hire independent advisers to ensure fair terms, as it claims: “Desperate people do desperate things.”The Mike Ashley controlled group, which owns 27% of Boohoo, accused the retailer having an “utter disregard for shareholder views”.

Nov 5, 2024 | grocerygazette.co.uk | Gemma Goldfingle

Asda is piloting a self-service returns drop box where shoppers can deposit unwanted or faulty products and be automatically refunded. The trial in the supermarket’s Ashton-under-Lyne store in Greater Manchester allows customers to return goods by scanning their receipt and barcode at the self-service machine then drop their product into a chute or place in a cupboard. Items from grocery to electricals can be returned or exchanged.

Nov 3, 2024 | grocerygazette.co.uk | Gemma Goldfingle

Asda has made an A Team of gnomes the star of its festive ad, as the ceramic commandos go on a mission to rescue Christmas in its stores. The decision to feature gnomes in the ad follows the popularity of the garden ornaments in Asda stores, with the retailer selling over 100,000 festive gnomes over the last four Christmas periods. The ad opens with two Asda workers, staring out of a store into a huge snowstorm, concerned over how they are going to get the store ready for Christmas.