The information on this page comes from the
UK Activity Report.
B&Q is to create 100 new jobs with the relocation of its existing Doncaster distribution centre to a new purpose-built centre at the Redhouse Interchange at Woodlands. 30-Dec-2003
Asda has won permission to expand its store in Dumbarton, with the creation of 100 jobs. 24-Dec-2003
Wilkinson is to open a store in Workington with the creation of 80 jobs, one of 20 new outlets planned by the company over the next 12 months. 23-Dec-2003
Neck & Neck of Spain is planning to open ten franchised childrenswear shops in the UK, having recently opened its first at Bluewater. 22-Dec-2003
Carphone Warehouse is planning to expand its chain of 500 mobile phone stores with 100 new outlets in 2004. 22-Dec-2003
Athlete's Foot of the US is planning to open 25 footwear stores in the UK over the next five years, having just opened its first in Llandudno. 22-Dec-2003
Tesco has secured an option on Fuller Smith & Turner's interests in the Master Brewer Hotel site at Hillingdon, West London, and is expected to seek planning permission for a new store. 19-Dec-2003
Tesco is seeking permission to build a Tesco Extra hypermarket on the site of its existing store in Llansamlet, Swansea, with the creation of 200 jobs. 19-Dec-2003
Carrick Council is to consider proposals from Clavell for the construction of a department store and up to 35 shops in Truro by 2008. 19-Dec-2003
Charnwood Borough Council is considering plans from Charles Street Buildings for the development of a £7m retail park at the Co-op site in Thurmaston, Leicester. 17-Dec-2003
Courts is considering plans to open up to 50 new furniture superstores, and is also piloting a new format for its 32 high street outlets. 15-Dec-2003
Maplin is looking to expand its chain of 81 electronics stores to more than 200, with 15 sites due to open next year. 15-Dec-2003
Compass has won a 10-year contract to revamp and manage Woolworths' in-store restaurants. 10-Dec-2003
Westfield has submitted proposals for the £150m transformation of Bury town centre, including a new department store, shops, a cinema and additional car parking. 09-Dec-2003
Solihull Council is considering plans from Fordgate for the £40m transformation of Chelmsley town centre. 09-Dec-2003
Ikea has won permission to build a 300,000 sq ft furniture store in Edmonton, north London, by the end of 2004, with the creation of up to 500 jobs. 08-Dec-2003
Pets at Home is to invest £55m in the development of up to 200 smaller neighbourhood stores, and will open between 30 and 50 sites a year. 08-Dec-2003
BDO Stoy Hayward is looking to sell up to 111 Our Price music stores out of administration. 08-Dec-2003
Cult Clothing of Cheltenham has secured a £2m finance package to fund the expansion of its nationwide chain of clothing stores. 03-Dec-2003
B&Q has submitted plans to Bassetlaw District Council to build a £65m distribution centre in Worksop. 01-Dec-2003
Waitrose is forming a partnership with Expat Shopping to sell Waitrose-branded products in Expat's shops in continental Europe. 01-Dec-2003
Carpetright is to open carpet concessions in 12 Allders department stores this year, and a further 17 next year. 01-Dec-2003
Topps Tiles is planning to expand its chain of 196 tile shops to 350 by opening 25 new sites a year. 01-Dec-2003
Lush is planning to expand its chain of 51 handmade cosmetics stores to 100 by opening up to 20 new sites a year, and is also looking to expand into continental Europe. 01-Dec-2003
New Look, the fashion retailer, is to set up a new 10,000 sq ft headquarters above its flagship store on London's Oxford Street. 01-Dec-2003
David Morgan, the Cardiff-based department store, is considering plans to close next year with the loss of 390 jobs, in order to free up the site for redevelopment. 27-Nov-2003
Coffee House Franchising, the master licensee for the Canadian-owned Esquires brand, is expected to go into liquidation with the loss of up to 60 UK-based coffee franchisees. 27-Nov-2003
Topps Tiles is to open a new £7.2m tile distribution centre at Grove Park in Leicestershire by March, with the creation of up to 15 jobs. 27-Nov-2003
Benjys is planning to create 1,000 new jobs by expanding its sandwich store and mobile delivery network over the next two years. 25-Nov-2003
Cherwell District Council is in talks with developers about plans to build new shops, a library and a cinema in Bicester town centre. 24-Nov-2003
TJ Hughes is planning to expand its chain of discount department stores from 37 to 50 over the next three years. 24-Nov-2003
Aberdeen Murray Johnstone Private Equity has invested £1.2m in Texstyle World Home, the chain of 17 homeware stores that is seeking new sites. 24-Nov-2003
Tchibo of Germany is to start expanding its chain of value merchandise and coffee shops in the UK, and hopes to reach 500 sites eventually. 24-Nov-2003
The London Development Agency is to provide a £0.4m grant to help revitalise the Hatton Garden jewellery industry, and the money will be used to provide specialist training for 220 people. 21-Nov-2003
Tesco is planning to build two new supermarkets at Croxteth and Litherland on Merseyside, with the creation of almost 1,000 jobs. 21-Nov-2003
Jaeger is planning to open six fashion stores in the current financial year, taking the UK total to 58, while expansion abroad will focus on India, China and Japan. 19-Nov-2003
Asda has won permission to build a food distribution centre in Didcot, with the creation of about 500 jobs. 18-Nov-2003
Somerfield and TM Retail are considering plans to expand their joint Somerfield Martin's convenience store format to 200 TM sites. 17-Nov-2003
Adminstore is to spend £1.5m refurbishing up to six convenience stores in London over the next 12 months. 17-Nov-2003
Inditex is planning to expand its chain of Zara fashion stores in the UK from 24 to 100, and will also expand in Italy, France and Germany. 17-Nov-2003
Bhs is planning to refurbish between 15 and 20 department stores over the next year. 17-Nov-2003
East is planning to expand its chain of fashion stores from 45 to about 90 over the next three years. 17-Nov-2003
Brown & Jackson has raised £5.5m from the sale of six properties, in order to fund the modernisation of its chain of discount stores. 13-Nov-2003
Belfast City Council is to consider plans from Brunswick Sirocco for a £85m retail development on a 16-acre site formerly occupied by Howden Sirocco on the east bank of the Lagan. 13-Nov-2003
Ikea has won permission to extend its furniture store in Warrington, with the creation of 100 jobs. 13-Nov-2003
Printing.com is planning to expand its chain of franchised high-street printing outlets from 60 to 175 over the next two years. 11-Nov-2003
O'Briens of Ireland is planning to develop a chain of up to 500 sandwich bars across the UK, and will start by targeting London and the South East. 10-Nov-2003
Littlewoods is planning to shed 60 of the 360 jobs in its IT department by the end of the year. 10-Nov-2003
Carphone Warehouse is to recruit a further 230 sales staff this year, as part of its ongoing store opening programme. 10-Nov-2003
Magnet has secured a £7.5m investment from its Scandinavian parent to fund the opening of new kitchen showrooms next year. 10-Nov-2003
Air Miles is to open about 12 high-street travel shops in the south-east over the next few years, and has also announced plans to rename itself as The Air Miles Travel Company. 07-Nov-2003
Morrisons is recruiting 350 staff for a new store due to open in Hartlepool in spring 2004. 06-Nov-2003
Kingfisher has announced plans to launch a chain of 50 mini-warehouse stores under its B&Q brand, with the creation of 1,500 jobs. 04-Nov-2003
Arnotts is planning to close its department store in Inverness with the loss of 146 jobs. 03-Nov-2003
John Lewis is planning to expand its chain of 26 department stores with at least five new sites between 2008 and 2012. 03-Nov-2003
Basilico is planning to expand its chain of four upmarket pizza delivery stores to 150 over the next five years, and a new franchising operation will start by focusing on the London area. 03-Nov-2003
JJB Sports is seeking the first out-of-town site for its TJ Hughes discount department store format. 03-Nov-2003
Oasis Stores, the operator of more than 160 fashion stores, has received a takeover approach from Baugur of Iceland. 30-Oct-2003
Midlands Co-op is to close its Co-op superstore at Thurmaston in Leicester in January, with the loss of 200 jobs. 30-Oct-2003
Games Workshop is seeking partners to expand its fantasy games retailing business into Japan, and is currently setting up a new £6m manufacturing operation in Memphis in the US. 27-Oct-2003
Blacks Leisure is to step up its expansion programme by opening 20 stores this financial year and a further 30 next year. 27-Oct-2003
Next is to create 150 new jobs with the opening of a new larger fashion store in Birstall at the end of November. 27-Oct-2003
Dune is planning to expand its chain of 30 shoe stores to 60 over the next five years, and is seeking a flagship store in central London. 27-Oct-2003
Asda is planning to recruit up to 10,000 permanent employees to cover during holiday periods throughout the year, in order to reduce the cost of re-hiring and training temporary staff. 27-Oct-2003
Planet Organic is planning to open three more organic food stores in London over the next two years. 27-Oct-2003
Highland Council is to consider plans from Inverness Estates for the development of a £30m retail park on the outskirts of Inverness. 21-Oct-2003
John Lewis has confirmed plans to set up a department store at Liverpool's £750m Paradise Street redevelopment, relocating up to 600 jobs from its existing Church Street store in 2008. 21-Oct-2003
Spark Response is creating 40 new jobs at its call centre in Gateshead, including vacancies for managers, sales advisers and warehouse staff. 21-Oct-2003
Michel Guillon is considering plans to roll out a nationwide chain of eye boutiques, with up to four stores opening in city centres next year. 20-Oct-2003
ScS Upholstery is planning to open a further six furniture stores over the next 12 months. 17-Oct-2003
Fat Face, the operator of 71 leisure clothing stores, is considering plans for a £50m flotation and expects to open 18 new stores this financial year. 16-Oct-2003
Matalan is considering plans to open separate homeware stores and is seeking suitable town centre locations in the south. 14-Oct-2003
D2 is looking to expand its chain of 91 fashion stores with nine new outlets over the next 12 months. 14-Oct-2003
Toyworld is planning to expand its chain of 20 toy stores with eight new outlets next year, including a megastore in Leeds. 14-Oct-2003
Maskreys is setting up a new £2m warehouse for its retail interiors business at Wentloog Industrial Park in Cardiff, with the creation of 14 jobs. 14-Oct-2003
Dunelm Mill is to open a new textiles store at St Margaret's Retail Park in Swindon in December, with the creation of 100 jobs. 14-Oct-2003
Dabs.com, the Bolton-based online retailer of electronic goods, is considering plans to open five stores following a trial at Liverpool airport. 13-Oct-2003
Bargain Booze is planning to expand its chain of 500 off-licence franchises by recruiting at least 75 new franchises a year over the next two years. 13-Oct-2003
B&Q has awarded a contract to Simons Construction to build up to seven new DIY stores a year. 08-Oct-2003
Tesco has announced plans to build a £7.8m superstore in Workington by 2007, with the creation of 150 new jobs. 07-Oct-2003
Dixons is planning to set up a chain of up to 130 xL electrical superstores, which are about four times larger than its traditional shops. 06-Oct-2003
TM Lewin is to start expanding its chain of clothing stores outside London for the first time, with the first opening in Manchester in November. 06-Oct-2003
Scootermart is planning to quadruple the size of its chain of 26 mobility stores. 06-Oct-2003
Ottakar's is planning to expand its chain of 117 bookstores to 300 over the next ten years. 06-Oct-2003
Krispy Kreme of the US is planning to open 25 doughnut outlets in the UK and Ireland over the next five years, with the first few sites in London. 03-Oct-2003
Quiz Clothing, the Glasgow-based operator of about 40 fashion stores, is planning to open more stores in England, including a new site in Birmingham's Bullring this month. 03-Oct-2003
Aberdeenshire Council has approved plans from Bett Properties for the development of a £5m retail complex in Fraserburgh, which will create up to 100 jobs. 03-Oct-2003
Sainsbury is acquiring five stores in New Hampshire and Vermont from GU Markets for undisclosed terms, in order to expand its US-based Shaw's Supermarkets chain. 02-Oct-2003
Coffee Republic is planning to sell 22 of its 72 coffee bars and convert the remaining 50 into Republic Deli sandwich outlets. 01-Oct-2003
Morrisons is looking to create up to 700 jobs in Wirral by building two new stores in Ellesmere Port and New Brighton. 29-Sep-2003
Storey Carpets is planning to open up to 10 new stores in the north of England by the end of next year, taking the total to 43. 29-Sep-2003
Asda is to recruit 50 extra staff for its store in Shipley, following a £5.2m refurbishment. 29-Sep-2003
HMV Media is planning to open at least nine more Waterstone's book shops by the end of next year. 29-Sep-2003
Robert Dyas, the retailer of home and garden products, is considering its future and has received a number of approaches from potential buyers. 29-Sep-2003
Ethel Austin is to open discount clothing outlets at 20 Co-op stores across the country next year, and a further 20 stand-alone stores will open before the end of this year. 26-Sep-2003
Darlington Borough Council has approved plans from St Martins Property Group for the development of a £45m shopping complex in the town centre. 26-Sep-2003
Caffe Nero is planning to expand its chain of 131 coffee bars to 150 by January 2004 and to 300 within five years. 26-Sep-2003
Arnotts is to close its department store in Paisley in January with the loss of 160 jobs. 23-Sep-2003
Isle of Wight Council is to consider plans from Halladale for the development of a £7.5m three-storey retail development on the site of Newport Bus Station. 22-Sep-2003
Somerfield is to shed 50 jobs at its headquarters in Bristol, in order to transfer invoice processing work to India. 22-Sep-2003
Stationery Box is planning to expand its chain of 130 stationery stores with new outlets in Scotland. 22-Sep-2003
Piper Private Equity is planning to support the expansion of small retailers and leisure companies with a £20m investment fund. 22-Sep-2003
Begbies Traynor has sold 10 of the 19 former Proibito discount fashion stores out of administration to Prohibition UK, and the remaining nine have closed. 22-Sep-2003
Build-a-Bear Workshop of the US is planning to open a nationwide chain of toy shops, having awarded its UK franchise to Amsbra. 22-Sep-2003
Dixons is seeking suitable locations to open small-format PC World stores, following a recent trial in Lincolnshire. 22-Sep-2003
Confetti is to open its first wedding gift store outside London in Leeds in October, and a nationwide chain could follow. 22-Sep-2003
Liberty International has launched a £240m cash call to fund extensions and improvements to shopping centres in Gateshead, Newcastle, Norwich, Cardiff and Oxford. 19-Sep-2003
Next has announced plans to extend many of its existing clothing stores and open at least four stores of more than 20,000 sq ft over the next six months. 19-Sep-2003
Sheffield City Council has approved plans for the St Paul's Place phase of the £130m Heart of the City project, including shops, restaurants, cafes, apartments and offices. 17-Sep-2003
Maldon District Council is to consider plans from Dartmouth Park Estates for the development of a £10m retail park on the edge of the town centre. 16-Sep-2003
Marks & Spencer is to invest £3.6m in the expansion of its store in Basingstoke town centre. 16-Sep-2003
Segafredo Zanetti Espresso of Switzerland is planning to open 100 coffee shops in the UK, starting with sites in London and Leeds. 15-Sep-2003
Kingfisher is planning to expand its global network of DIY sourcing offices over the next few years, in order to improve the management of its B&Q supply chain. 15-Sep-2003
Box 2 is planning to open a chain of 20 franchised plus-size fashion shops, with the first opening in Wimbledon before the end of the year. 15-Sep-2003
Penny Plain is planning a £2m investment in the expansion of its chain of seven fashion stores to 20 over the next three years. 15-Sep-2003
Boots is said to be considering plans to close hundreds of high-street stores, in order to reduce costs and invest in its more profitable larger sites. 15-Sep-2003
Woolworths is said to have approached a number of potential buyers for its chain of 18 Big W out-of-town superstores. 15-Sep-2003
Midlands Co-op has acquired 30 Alldays stores in the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire for £20m. 12-Sep-2003
Wilkinson is to open a household goods store in Ellesmere Port in early 2004, with the creation of 90 jobs. 12-Sep-2003
Asda has announced plans to build a store at the Chapel Street development in Rugby, with the creation of 350 jobs. 12-Sep-2003
JJB Sports has held discussions with a number of venture capital firms about the £50m sale of its chain of 40 TJ Hughes discount department stores. 12-Sep-2003
City Centre is planning to open up to five new restaurants this year, and a further 15-20 next year. 12-Sep-2003
Saks is planning to open a further 15 beauty salons across the country by the end of the year, and the head office in Darlington will be expanded with the creation of a number of new jobs. 11-Sep-2003
Makro is planning to build a cash and carry warehouse in Londonderry with the creation of 250 jobs. 10-Sep-2003
AMP Henderson Global Investors has backed a £27m management buy-out at Fudge, the Australian hair care brand, and Fudge is now planning to transfer its operational headquarters to the north of England. 08-Sep-2003
King Sturge is seeking an additional eight sites in London for the expansion of Fresh Italy, the fast-food operator that specialises in pasta and salads. 08-Sep-2003
Costcutter is planning to expand its chain of 35 company-owned convenience stores, and is seeking locations of less than 3,000 sq ft. 08-Sep-2003
Dreams is to accelerate the expansion of its chain of 83 bed shops, and expects to reach 100 by the end of the year. 08-Sep-2003
ClientLogic is creating up to 125 jobs at its call centre in Exeter to handle the expected seasonal rise in demand for the John Lewis Direct home shopping service. 08-Sep-2003
Marks & Spencer has submitted proposals to Westminster City Council for the £300m redevelopment of its London headquarters, in order to relocate to Paddington Basin. 05-Sep-2003
Vono Beds is to set up a new bed showroom at the former Yarnolds curtain factory in Wolverhampton next year, with the creation of scores of jobs. 03-Sep-2003
Laura Ashley has sold its 11 Benelux stores to Laben Holdings of the Netherlands for a nominal sum. 02-Sep-2003
Sainsbury Developments is seeking permission to build a 215,000 sq ft shopping centre at the Shippams site in Chichester, including a department store and smaller units. 01-Sep-2003
Home Entertainment is planning to double its chain of 210 Choices Video stores over the next few years. 01-Sep-2003
WH Smith is planning to revamp its entire chain of 550 high street shops and 220 travel stores. 01-Sep-2003
Specsavers has acquired 10 more stores in the Netherlands from the Prins Brillen group. 01-Sep-2003
Fresh & Wild is to start opening organic shops outside London following a £2m cash injection from investors, with the first opening in Bristol in November. 01-Sep-2003
B&M is to invest about £3m opening up to seven discount stores in Greater Manchester over the next few years, and two will open this year with the creation of 100 jobs. 01-Sep-2003
Wolverhampton Council has unveiled proposals to build a £150m shopping and leisure complex in the city centre by 2008, and further details will be announced when a development partner has been found. 01-Sep-2003
Matalan is to open a household goods superstore at Greenbridge in Swindon next spring, with the creation of 100 jobs. 01-Sep-2003
Tesco is starting to recruit 400 staff for a new supermarket due to open in Wath-upon-Dearne in November. 27-Aug-2003
Beanscene is planning to roll out a nationwide chain of franchised coffee houses, and is also looking to establish an in-house magazine, a record label, and an internet radio station. 26-Aug-2003
Morrisons has won planning permission to build a new head office for 500 staff at Thornbury in Bradford, and more than 200 jobs will be transferred from Wakefield. 25-Aug-2003
Harrods is considering plans to build a £5m store at the Balnagown estate near Inverness, as well as a theme park and holiday village. 25-Aug-2003
Molton Brown has raised £28m from Bridgepoint Capital to expand its chain of upmarket cosmetics stores into the US and continental Europe. 25-Aug-2003
B&Q is to spend up to £175m upgrading its DIY Supercentres to mini-Warehouses, at a cost of about £1m per store. 25-Aug-2003
SoundControl is to open its first musical instruments store in London in October, and sites in Liverpool and Southampton are expected to follow. 25-Aug-2003
Viyella is to relocate its IT, accounts and warehousing from Jaeger in King's Lynn to its North Yorkshire base in November, with the loss of about 50 jobs. 22-Aug-2003
Matalan has announced plans to open three clothing and homewares stores in Northern Ireland this year with the creation of 200 jobs, including sites in Belfast, Craigavon and Portadown. 20-Aug-2003
Marks & Spencer is said to be planning to develop up to three new stores in London, including sites in White City, Piccadilly Circus and Knightsbridge. 18-Aug-2003
Londis is planning to open up to 100 symbol stores this year, to add to the existing 2,300. 18-Aug-2003
Harvey Nichols is planning to open five more boutique-style shops over the next five years, and is seeking suitable sites in cities such as Cardiff, Newcastle and Bristol. 18-Aug-2003
Ask Central is to open three burger restaurants in the London area under the Jo Shmo brand, and an expansion programme will be devised if the trial is successful. 15-Aug-2003
Safeway is considering plans to build a new supermarket at Ellon near Aberdeen, with the creation of 90 new jobs and the transfer of staff from its existing site. 14-Aug-2003
Birse has won a £11m contract to build a new headquarters for B&Q in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire. 13-Aug-2003
John Lewis has announced plans to create up to 700 jobs at a new £45m department store due to open at the Trafford Centre in Manchester by 2005. 11-Aug-2003
B&Q is to create 300 new jobs in Northern Ireland over the next 12 months, including 250 at a new DIY store near Lisburn and 50 through an expansion at its Coleraine store. 11-Aug-2003
Rayburn Trading Company, the distributor of health and beauty products, is to relocate to a 91,000 sq ft warehouse in North Road, Manchester, in 2004. 11-Aug-2003
Makro is to open new cash and carry depots in Ipswich and Chester over the next few months, and additional openings are being planned. 11-Aug-2003
Mulberry is to raise £3.5m in a share placing to fund the development of its luxury goods business. 07-Aug-2003
Morrisons has announced plans to recruit 350 staff for a new store due to open in Kilmarnock in February. 06-Aug-2003
Rhondda Cynon Taff Council has approved plans from Scarborough Developments for the £50m redevelopment of Pontypridd town centre, including a new shopping centre. 06-Aug-2003
New Look, the fashion retailer, is considering plans to return to private ownership through a management buy-out. 05-Aug-2003
Carphone Warehouse is planning to create up to 400 jobs at 100 new stores this year, and a similar number of jobs at its call centres. 05-Aug-2003
Matalan has outsourced its Skelmersdale-based logistics operation to Wincanton in a £65m five-year deal, with the transfer of about 140 staff. 04-Aug-2003
Trago Mills is to invest £5m in the development of a garden centre at its out-of-town shopping complex near Newton Abbot. 01-Aug-2003
Reid Furniture is planning to spend up to £10m opening new stores in the north west of England and refurbishing existing stores over the next 18 months. 25-Jul-2003
Blacks Leisure is to open a further 15 stores this year, including a mixture of all its brands. 21-Jul-2003
Ciro Citterio, the menswear retailer, has been put up for sale with an estimated value of £10m. 18-Jul-2003
Tesco is to create 1,400 jobs from the expansion of its Tesco Express convenience stores, 2,000 jobs at existing stores, 50 jobs in its new telecoms division and 350 jobs at a new service centre in India. 18-Jul-2003
Camp Hopson is planning a £8m refurbishment of its department store in Newbury, starting in autumn 2004. 17-Jul-2003
Heighley Gate is to recruit a further 50 staff at its garden centre in Morpeth once a £7m expansion project is complete. 17-Jul-2003
RSM Robson Rhodes is to close all 21 Andy's Records music shops by September, with the loss of up to 160 jobs. 17-Jul-2003
Newcastle City Council is planning to spend £150m on extensions and improvements to the Eldon Square shopping centre, in partnership with Capital Shopping Centres and Shell Pensions Trust. 17-Jul-2003
Waitrose is linking up with a consortium of eight Cornish farmers to build a £25m supermarket offering local produce near Penryn, and similar projects could be launched throughout the country. 14-Jul-2003
JJB Sports has identified 19 potential sites to open sports superstores, and five more health clubs will open this year. 14-Jul-2003
Heal's is looking to open upmarket furniture stores in up to 12 cities, with its first regional outlet opening in Manchester in July. 14-Jul-2003
Gifts4All is to open its first standalone gift store at the Bullring in Birmingham this autumn, and more sites will follow. 14-Jul-2003
Time is planning to expand its chain of 140 high street Computer World stores to 250 over the next two years. 14-Jul-2003
Flight Centre of Australia is planning to expand its chain of 60 discount airfare stores in the UK with new outlets in Scotland. 14-Jul-2003
HMV is planning to expand its chain of 166 music stores with 15 new outlets this year, with the focus on medium-size towns. 14-Jul-2003
Tiffinbites is planning to establish a nationwide chain of fast food shops, offering a range of Indian foods and snacks. 14-Jul-2003
Benjys, the chain of sandwich bars, is to launch a fleet of franchised sandwich vans, and is seeking up to 500 entrepreneurs. 11-Jul-2003
Tesco has announced proposals to build a new store in Clacton, as part of the multi-million pound Brook Park development. 07-Jul-2003
Boots is launching a new Work Convenience store format targeted at city workers, and it could be rolled out to 150 sites depending on the success of a trial in London's Holborn. 07-Jul-2003
Fushi is planning to open about 30 health and beauty stores over the next five years, having just opened a flagship store in London. 07-Jul-2003
Osim of Singapore is planning to open 50 health shops in the UK over the next five years, with its first standalone outlet at Bluewater. 07-Jul-2003
Somerfield is looking to acquire about 100 forecourt sites over the next three years, and also wants to downsize about 50 supermarkets and sub-let the surplus space to complementary retailers. 07-Jul-2003
Country Baskets is opening a trade-only warehouse for its floral decoration business in Stourbridge, with the creation of 50 jobs. 03-Jul-2003
Tesco is seeking outline planning permission from Mansfield District Council to build a supermarket in Chesterfield Road South, which would create 270 jobs. 03-Jul-2003
Monsoon, the fashion retailer, is considering a takeover offer from the family of its chairman and founder, which would involve the transfer of its listing from the main market to Aim. 03-Jul-2003
Focus Wickes is to launch a £250m bond issue to fund the opening of about 70 Wickes DIY stores over the next three years, taking the chain to 220. 03-Jul-2003
Marks & Spencer has appointed Exel to carry out a global review of its overseas supply chain, in order to achieve savings of about £100m a year by reducing the number of manufacturer-owned warehouses used to hold stock. 30-Jun-2003
Laura Ashley is to sell its furniture and clothing stores in Switzerland, Italy and Austria to EDMI Holdings for a nominal sum. 30-Jun-2003
Safeway is in negotiations to acquire a further six urban sites for its new Citystore convenience format. 30-Jun-2003
Budgens, the South Ruislip-based chain of supermarkets, is seeking a new head office site. 30-Jun-2003
Merchant Retail is to invest £3.7m in the expansion of its chain of 80 Perfume Shops this year, with the creation of about 100 jobs. 27-Jun-2003
Tesco is seeking permission to extend its Allerton superstore in Liverpool with the creation of up to 60 jobs. 27-Jun-2003
Marks & Spencer is recruiting an extra 50 staff for its revamped Culverhouse Cross store in Cardiff, which is due for completion in November. 26-Jun-2003
Dixons is planning to open a further ten computer superstores over the next year with the creation of 2,200 jobs, including its first store in Sweden. 26-Jun-2003
Penny Plain is to open a further four fashion stores in 2004, and is also expanding its mail-order and online retailing operations. 23-Jun-2003
Matalan is to open a new discount store at Newport on the Isle of Wight next year with the creation of 100 jobs, while a new store will open in Hull this August. 23-Jun-2003
Morrisons has won permission from South Derbyshire District Council to build a new supermarket in Swadlincote, with the creation of 350 jobs. 23-Jun-2003
Gadget Shop is planning to expand its chain of 55 gift shops to 90 over the coming months, and expects to recruit a further 500 sales staff by Christmas. 23-Jun-2003
Holland & Barrett is planning to expand its chain of 472 health food shops to at least 550, while its recently-acquired GNC chain will increase from 50 to 150 by 2007. 23-Jun-2003
Select is planning to expand its chain of 217 womenswear shops with up to 30 new outlets a year. 23-Jun-2003
Halfords, the bicycle and car parts retailer, is considering plans to open a further 70 out-of-town stores and 90 high-street stores. 23-Jun-2003
Pets at Home is considering plans to launch a chain of up to 150 high street branches, depending on the success of a trial of about six stores in the Manchester area. 20-Jun-2003
Ikea has launched a recruitment drive for 380 staff for its new furniture store in Cardiff, which is due to open in November. 19-Jun-2003
Wokingham District Council is considering plans from Rockmartin for a £11m development in the town centre, including 11 new shops, flats and houses. 19-Jun-2003
Internet Cameras Direct is planning to expand the workforce at its Marsden-based online retailing business from 60 to 200 over the next five years. 18-Jun-2003
Debenhams is to set up a department store in Newry, as part of the £25m redevelopment of The Quays shopping centre. 18-Jun-2003
Boots is considering plans to open health and beauty stores in the US, and discussions are taking place with a number of potential partners. 17-Jun-2003
Majestic Wine is planning to expand its chain of off-licences from 107 to 175. 17-Jun-2003
MFI is planning to open 25 high street furniture stores, while a further 50 superstores will be revamped. 16-Jun-2003
Brintons is to open its first high street carpet store in Kingston-upon-Thames later this year. 16-Jun-2003
Reiss is to invest £4m opening eight fashion stores this year, to add to the existing 26. 16-Jun-2003
Justice is planning to expand its chain of four upmarket jewellery stores into a 100-strong nationwide chain. 16-Jun-2003
Waitrose is to spend £130m refurbishing and extending its chain of supermarkets, including a new corporate identity, new checkout systems and the opening of about nine new stores next year. 16-Jun-2003
Jessops is planning to expand its chain of photography shops into continental Europe, while its UK expansion programme will include about 20 new shops a year. 16-Jun-2003
The Watch Repair Centre is to expand its chain of 12 jewellery shops with 10 new outlets over the next two years, with the creation of up to 30 jobs. 13-Jun-2003
Sainsbury has announced the loss of 200 head office jobs and a further 500 are expected to go later this year, with the buying department being hardest hit. 13-Jun-2003
St James Security is creating several hundred jobs throughout the country, having won a contract to provide security guards at 202 Kwik Save stores. 12-Jun-2003
Arcadia and Bhs are to replace the Co-op at the Fairhill Shopping Centre in Ballymena, as part of a £20m redevelopment of the site that will create 200 jobs. 12-Jun-2003
WildDay.com is planning to expand its online leisure and clothing retail business in Nairn with the creation of up to 27 jobs. 11-Jun-2003
Nottingham City Council is to consider plans from Monk Estates for the £70m redevelopment of Trinity Square, Birkbeck House and British Land House, in order to create ten retail units and student flats. 11-Jun-2003
Asda is planning to open two standalone clothing stores in Leeds and Croydon by September, which could lead to the development of a nationwide chain dedicated to its George fashion range. 11-Jun-2003
Marks & Spencer is considering plans to open Simply Food stores at the Moto chain of motorway service stations, starting with a trial at Toddington on the M1 this summer. 11-Jun-2003
Lingarden is to close its recently-acquired Blackwell Bros plant nursery in Swindon with the loss of 40 jobs, in order to transfer the work to its site in Wisbech. 10-Jun-2003
Primark is looking to expand its chain of 116 value clothing stores, including new megastores in large cities. 09-Jun-2003
Napiers Herbal Health Care is planning to open four new outlets a year, taking its chain of herbal medicine clinics to 30. 09-Jun-2003
Sofa Sofa is looking to open a number of out-of-town furniture stores in the London area. 09-Jun-2003
Benetton, the fashion retailer, is planning to dispose of half of its megastores, in order to focus on its traditional smaller format. 09-Jun-2003
Boots is to invest £238m in new stores and computer systems this year, but 500 jobs are being shed in the IT and human resources departments at its Nottingham head office. 06-Jun-2003
Satchi is planning to expand its health and beauty chain in the north-east with new outlets in Newcastle, Durham and Leeds over the next 12 months, and the workforce will increase from 17 to 70. 05-Jun-2003
Asda is seeking permission for the £10m expansion of its Gloucester store, with the creation of 100 jobs. 05-Jun-2003
Highland Council is considering plans from Macdonald Estates for the development of a £20m DIY and garden centre at the former Inverness Precast Concrete site in Inverness, which could create up to 250 jobs. 03-Jun-2003
Redcats is to create 200 new jobs at its home-shopping call centre in Bradford. 03-Jun-2003
Sainsbury is planning to open 100 convenience stores on Shell garage forecourts over the next three years, with the creation of up to 2,000 jobs. 03-Jun-2003
Fine Art Auction Group has acquired the Bristol Auction Rooms, as part of a strategy to develop a national network of regional salerooms. 02-Jun-2003
Auntie Anne's of the US is planning to set up a nationwide chain of pretzel stores in UK shopping centres, having opened a pilot site at Victoria Station in London. 02-Jun-2003
Ethel Austin is planning to open eight value clothing stores over the next six months, taking its chain to 250. 02-Jun-2003
Music Zone is to develop a kiosk business under the name of Music Zone Bug, in order to sell music in limited space locations such as stations and airports. 02-Jun-2003
Staples is planning to expand its chain of office supplies stores from 93 to 250 over the next few years, and new buying and merchandising units are to be established in the UK. 02-Jun-2003
Asda is planning a £4m expansion at its supermarket in Stowmarket, with the creation of 70 jobs. 30-May-2003
Plymouth City Council is to consider proposals from Colesbourne Asset Management for a £40m retail development on the west side of the city centre. 30-May-2003
Peacocks is planning to open 60 new discount clothing stores by next March, with the creation of more than 1,000 jobs. 29-May-2003
Sainsbury has won permission to build a supermarket in Otley by next spring, with the creation of 150 jobs. 28-May-2003
Bonmarche is planning to open up to eight fashion stores in Northern Ireland this year, and property consultancy Lisney is seeking suitable sites. 27-May-2003
Gap is looking to close 13 of its 149 UK fashion stores, including two units in central London. 27-May-2003
Sainsbury is to set up a convenience stores division at its London head office, in order to fund the expansion of its chain of 57 Local stores. 27-May-2003
Athlete's Foot of the US is planning to open about 20 athletic footwear stores in the UK, including company-owned and franchised outlets. 27-May-2003
Gelert, the supplier of outdoor equipment, is to invest £4.5m in a new warehouse and office facility in Porthmadog, with the creation of up to 70 new jobs over the next five years. 23-May-2003
Matalan is recruiting 100 staff for a new discount store due to open in Harlow in June. 22-May-2003
Powerhouse is considering plans to sell up to 55 of its electrical stores, having sent details to a number of property companies. 22-May-2003
Marks & Spencer has awarded fit-out contracts to David McLean Contractors and Wates Interiors for its chain of Simply Food convenience stores. 21-May-2003
B&Q is planning to build a DIY superstore at the proposed Junction retail complex in Oldbury, West Midlands, with the creation of 250 jobs. 21-May-2003
Hoopers is to close its department store in Cheltenham with the loss of more than 40 jobs. 21-May-2003
Newcastle City Council is to receive plans from Closegate Hotel Developments for a £6m retail and leisure development above the city's Haymarket Metro station, including new bars, shops and the creation of up to 200 jobs. 19-May-2003
Asda is targeting eight potential sites for new stores in the Greater Manchester area, and its property team has been consulting with local councillors and members of the public. 19-May-2003
Wilkinson Hardware Stores is planning to expand its chain of shops from 220 to 300 over the next three years, with the creation of 7,000 jobs. 19-May-2003
HMV Media is to restart an expansion programme for its chain of Waterstone's book shops this year, starting with a new store at Manchester's Trafford Centre in July. 19-May-2003
Harlow Council is to consider plans from Stannifer for the 250,000 sq ft expansion of the Harvey Centre, including a new department store. 19-May-2003
Ocado is planning to expand its Waitrose online delivery service with new satellite distribution centres in Milton Keynes and south east London. 19-May-2003
Whitbread is in talks with the John Lewis Partnership about the possibility of opening Costa coffee shops in Waitrose supermarkets. 16-May-2003
Asda has announced plans to invest in its distribution network, including the introduction of cardboard and plastic recycling centres and the creation of 1,200 jobs in Wakefield, Lutterworth, Falkirk, Grangemouth and Wigan. 14-May-2003
Debenhams, the department store operator, has received a £1.54bn takeover bid from venture capital group Permira. 13-May-2003
Tesco has submitted plans to build a superstore on the site of the Clowes Printworks in Beccles, Suffolk. 12-May-2003
Spar is planning to expand its 2,500-strong symbol network by recruiting a further 500 independent outlets over the next year. 12-May-2003
Wooden Tots is planning to open luxury toy shops in Manchester and Edinburgh. 12-May-2003
Harvey Nichols has started recruiting 500 staff for a new £25m store due to open in Manchester by the end of the summer. 09-May-2003
Morrisons has submitted plans for a new superstore at Speke on Merseyside, with the creation of up to 500 jobs. 08-May-2003
Benjys is to invest £4m in the expansion of its chain of sandwich outlets, and aims to open 15 new branches and create 500 jobs by March 2004. 08-May-2003
Marks & Spencer is to set up a new customer services operation at the Chester Business Park in the autumn, with the creation of 77 jobs. 06-May-2003
Greggs is to create more than 100 jobs in Yorkshire this year, including seven new stores and the expansion of its main bakery in Leeds. 06-May-2003
Littlewoods is to close the warehouse in Heywood that supplies its Index catalogue shops over the next 18 months, putting 400 jobs at risk. 06-May-2003
Mountain Warehouse is planning to expand its chain of 23 outdoor equipment stores in factory outlet centres with another two or three sites this year, and will also start opening high street stores. 06-May-2003
Sportizus is planning to open 11 sports and celebrity memorabilia stores this year. 06-May-2003
Tesco has submitted outline applications for new stores in Cradley Heath and West Bromwich, which could create 400 jobs. 02-May-2003
Dunelm is to create 100 jobs at a new home furnishings superstore in Sunderland in July. 01-May-2003
The Gretna Gateway designer shopping venue in Dumfries & Galloway is to create up to 100 new jobs, as part of a £8m expansion plan by owner Northridge Capital. 30-Apr-2003
Next has announced plans to create more than 150 jobs at a new large-format fashion store at the Retail World shopping development on Tyneside in July. 30-Apr-2003
Barbour, the waxed jacket manufacturer, is planning to expand its chain of five UK shops into a nationwide chain, and also has long-term plans to open a shop in every major city in the world. 29-Apr-2003
Bertram Books is reviving plans to relocate its book wholesaling business from two sites in Norwich to a mothballed complex on the Broadland Business Park early next year. 28-Apr-2003
Ottakar's has acquired 24 stores from Hammicks Bookshops for £3.3m, with most of the sites in the south of England. 28-Apr-2003
Poundland is planning to open 30 more discount stores over the next three years, and its first Scottish store will open in East Kilbride. 28-Apr-2003
Office World is planning to expand its chain of 56 UK stores with 30 new outlets, but its ten stores in Germany will close. 28-Apr-2003
DFS Furniture is looking to expand its chain of 64 furniture stores to about 100, with three due to open by the end of summer. 25-Apr-2003
Boots is considering plans to outsource the management of one of its warehouses to Unipart. 25-Apr-2003
Freeport, the developer of discount shopping malls, has become the potential takeover target of a newly-formed management group. 23-Apr-2003
North Wiltshire District Council has approved plans from Parkridge for the construction of a B&Q store, garden centre, builders' merchant and restaurant in Chippenham. 22-Apr-2003
GUS is planning to float its chain of 450 Lewis furniture stores in South Africa. 22-Apr-2003
Big Food Group is to refurbish about 150 Iceland stores over the next 12 months, and most of the 760-strong chain will be converted to its new design within three years. 22-Apr-2003
Bloomsbury Jewellery is seeking financial backing to open five new stores over the next two years. 22-Apr-2003
M-XS is planning to expand its chain of four men's gifts shops to up to 50, and is seeking a new chief executive prepared to invest in the business. 22-Apr-2003
Baxters, the food manufacturer, is to open two stores in Scottish tourist destinations this year. 22-Apr-2003
Tesco is to relocate up to 200 jobs from its two depots in Milton Keynes to a new site in Daventry. 17-Apr-2003
Pizza Hut is planning to open 75 new outlets this year, with the creation of 3,500 jobs. 17-Apr-2003
GUS is to close its Innovations mail-order catalogue and its McCord furniture catalogue, with the loss of up to 30 jobs at its Wembley office. 16-Apr-2003
Somerfield has received a £500m bid approach from a consortium that could be interested in the break up of its store estate. 16-Apr-2003
Debenhams is planning to spend £430m opening nine new department stores and refurbishing others by spring 2005, with the creation of about 2,000 jobs. 16-Apr-2003
Greggs has started work on the £2m expansion of its Birmingham headquarters, in order to support the expansion of its chain of bakery shops across the Midlands from 130 to 190 by 2008. 16-Apr-2003
Brentwood Borough Council is to consider plans from Halladale for the £20m revamp of the Chapel High Shopping Centre and Becket House site. 14-Apr-2003
Victory Corporation is in talks to sell the Capo chain of 18 fashion stores to a management buy-out. 14-Apr-2003
Austin Reed, the fashion retailer, is to shed 50 jobs at offices in London and Thirsk. 14-Apr-2003
Time Group is to invest £1m in the expansion of its computer wholesale operations in continental Europe, starting with an office in Toulon, France. 14-Apr-2003
Moss Bros is to expand its menswear retailing business with 40 new Moss outlets and 12 new Gee outlets over the next three years. 11-Apr-2003
Tesco is planning to create 11,000 jobs in the UK over the next 12 months as part of its ongoing expansion programme. 10-Apr-2003
Subway is looking to open up to 40 sandwich restaurants across the North West, creating more than 350 jobs, and expects to reach 2,000 stores across the UK within 10 years. 10-Apr-2003
Selfridges, the department store group with an estimated market value of more than £460m, has received an approach about a potential takeover offer. 10-Apr-2003
Co-operative Group is planning to refit 160 Alldays convenience stores this year, and is also looking at the possibility of establishing a common retail distribution centre with other co-operative societies. 10-Apr-2003
Sainsbury has announced plans to create 10,000 mostly part-time jobs in order to reduce check-out queues, but is also said to be considering 650 redundancies at its London head office. 07-Apr-2003
B&Q has identified 100 suitable sites to open mini-Warehouse DIY stores, while its existing estate of 220 smaller stores will be modernised with the relocation of 60 sites and the expansion of 50. 07-Apr-2003
Halfords is planning to shed up to 80 jobs at its head office in Redditch, including 40 in the marketing and merchandising department. 07-Apr-2003
Julian Graves has secured a £4.5m cash injection to fund the expansion of its chain of 185 snack stores, and 50 new sites are expected to open this year. 07-Apr-2003
Dobbies Garden Centres is to set up a £5m Garden World in Ayr by March 2004, with the creation of 90 jobs. 07-Apr-2003
Tesco is planning to convert 136 One Stop convenience stores into its Express format this year. 07-Apr-2003
Morrisons has submitted plans to build a distribution centre at the Latimer Park industrial estate near Kettering, which would create about 550 jobs. 04-Apr-2003
Sainsbury and Tibbett & Britten are to relocate some of their warehouse operations from Corby to Waltham Cross in July, affecting up to 150 jobs. 02-Apr-2003
Chesterfield Borough Council is to consider plans from AWG Developments for the £20m transformation of a former Demaglass site, including a DIY warehouse complete with garden centre. 01-Apr-2003
Comet, the electrical goods retailer, is planning to build a £72m distribution hub in Skelmersdale to service the North and Scotland. 31-Mar-2003
Selfridges has confirmed that negotiations are taking place to open department stores on specific sites in Bristol, Leeds and Newcastle, as part of a strategy to open a chain of eight stores across the country. 31-Mar-2003
Alexon has announced plans to open up to 200 additional fashion stores, with the Envy chain growing from 50 to 100 and Bay Trading from 38 to 180. 31-Mar-2003
Bewise is acquiring eight former What Everyone Wants stores with the creation of up to 200 jobs, taking its chain of clothing and homewares stores to 178. 31-Mar-2003
Boots has announced plans to close its 12 Wellbeing health and beauty outlets, shed 700 jobs and rationalise its retail operations in continental Europe and Asia Pacific. 28-Mar-2003
Austin Reed, the operator of 140 clothing stores, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. 28-Mar-2003
Woolworths is to create more than 250 jobs in Aberdeen in July, with the opening of a Big W store at the Boulevard retail park. 28-Mar-2003
Specsavers is planning to open three new optician stores in Northern Ireland over the next 12 months, with the creation of 40 jobs. 27-Mar-2003
Ted Baker is planning to move into Australia and New Zealand by opening fashion outlets in 20 department stores. 26-Mar-2003
JJB Sports, the sportswear retailer valued at up to £540m, is considering a proposal from its chairman to return to private ownership. 26-Mar-2003
Selfridges is in discussions to open a £35m store in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which would create about 800 jobs. 24-Mar-2003
Asda is to set up a £30m distribution centre in Skelmersdale by August, in order to distribute frozen and chilled food to stores across the north-west. 24-Mar-2003
Chester City Council has approved plans from ING Real Estate for a £200m retail development around Northgate Street, including 60 new shops. 24-Mar-2003
Dixons, the Hemel Hempstead-based electrical retailer, is to shed 350 of its 2,000 head office jobs. 19-Mar-2003
South Lanarkshire Council has approved plans from Glasgow-based Elandome for the £4m expansion of the New Cross shopping centre in Hamilton. 18-Mar-2003
Hamleys, the toy retailer, is considering plans for a management buy-out. 18-Mar-2003
Dr Holiday is planning to expand its chain of 15 travel agencies with additional outlets across Scotland, and will then open up to 40 stores in England over the next few years. 17-Mar-2003
Powerhouse, the electrical retailer, is planning to close its distribution centre in Milton Keynes with the loss of up to 90 jobs, in order to focus on warehouses in Walsall, Mossend and Hemel Hempstead. 17-Mar-2003
Early Learning Centre is planning to shed up to 25 of the 190 jobs at its head office. 17-Mar-2003
Wyevale Garden Centres is seeking acquisitions to expand its chain of 124 garden centres, and has identified 200 independent businesses as potential targets. 17-Mar-2003
Natural World is looking to expand its chain of 30 shops, having identified up to 90 potential locations. 17-Mar-2003
Sainsbury is to invest £30m in training over the next three years, in order to improve product availability and cut queues. 17-Mar-2003
Karrimor has bought 15 YHA Adventure Shops out of administration, in order to expand its outdoor equipment retailing business. 17-Mar-2003
French Connection is planning to double its chain of 25 fashion stores in the US. 13-Mar-2003
Ask Central is planning to expand its chain of 145 pizza and pasta outlets with up to 30 new sites a year. 13-Mar-2003
Premier Direct is to create a further 150 sales jobs throughout the country over the next 12 months, in order to expand its Tyneside-based giftware business. 11-Mar-2003
Advent International has acquired a minority stake in ILVA, the Danish furniture retailer, for an estimated £90m, and the business will be expanded into Sweden and the UK. 11-Mar-2003
Asda is looking to open up to 300 smaller stores on town high streets, following successful trials in Bodmin and Walthamstow. 11-Mar-2003
Fast Retailing of Japan is to close 16 of its 21 UK fashion stores with the loss of about 450 jobs, in order to focus on its five London sites. 10-Mar-2003
TK Maxx is planning to open 30 discount fashion stores in the UK this year. 10-Mar-2003
Waitrose is seeking a suitable site in the north for a third regional distribution centre, and four new stores will open in Romsey, Portishead, Belgravia and Mill Hill this year. 10-Mar-2003
Lush is looking to expand its chain of 41 UK cosmetics stores with 20 new sites this year, and will also open in Japan and Spain. 10-Mar-2003
Gadget Shop has developed a new store design, which will be used in 50 new outlets this year. 10-Mar-2003
B&Q has identified 45 suitable sites for its mini-Warehouse format, and up to five will open this year. 10-Mar-2003
Brown & Jackson is seeking permission to set up a £20m Poundstretcher headquarters and distribution centre in Huddersfield, with the creation of 400 new jobs and the relocation of 300 jobs from Leeds. 07-Mar-2003
New Look, the chain of 492 fashion stores, is planning to shed up to 60 of the 471 jobs at its head office in Weymouth. 07-Mar-2003
BDO Stoy Hayward has announced the break up of Macclesfield-based fast food chain SLF Group, with 21 branches being sold out of administration to Eliance. 06-Mar-2003
Flying Brands is seeking acquisitions to expand its home shopping business and to increase the use of its call and packing centres. 06-Mar-2003
Arcadia is considering plans to open Top Shop fashion stores in Europe's leading cities. 05-Mar-2003
Asda has announced plans to build a £20m store in Galashiels, with the creation of 360 jobs. 05-Mar-2003
Moray Council is to consider plans from Macdonald Estates for the development of a £14m retail park on the site of the Elgin Auction Centre. 04-Mar-2003
Yo! Sushi is in negotiations to sell a 30% stake in the business to an unnamed venture capitalist, in order to raise funds to double its chain of UK sushi restaurants and open its first franchised outlets overseas. 03-Mar-2003
Nauticalia is planning to expand its chain of 12 nautical gift shops with eight new outlets over the next few years, and will also open its first franchises in continental Europe. 03-Mar-2003
Thorntons, the confectionery retailer, is looking to open up to 40 franchised outlets, but the number of company-owned stores is expected to remain at 390. 03-Mar-2003
Oil & Vinegar, the Dutch food retailer, is planning to open 90 stores in the UK over the next three years, mainly franchised outlets in shopping centres. 03-Mar-2003
Claire's Accessories is considering plans to set up a chain of 150 Girl Heaven stores, and its first department store concessions will open in Debenhams. 03-Mar-2003
Ponden Mill is planning to expand its chain of 120 soft furnishing stores with up to 30 new outlets a year. 03-Mar-2003
Rank is said to be looking into the possibility of opening high street betting shops for its recently-acquired Blue Square business. 03-Mar-2003
Caffe Nero is to expand its chain of 111 coffee bars to 125 over the remaining few months of its financial year. 28-Feb-2003
Greggs is to create 200 jobs in the south west and South Wales with eight new bakery shops and the expansion of its site in Treforest, which currently employs 400 people. 26-Feb-2003
Tesco has announced plans to offer permanent jobs to 3,000 temporary staff and to recruit a further 3,000 for the Easter period. 26-Feb-2003
Sainsbury is looking to sell its specialist property development division, which employs nine staff, in order to focus on its main supermarkets business. 26-Feb-2003
Domino's Pizza is planning to expand its chain of 272 pizza outlets with 50 new sites this year. 26-Feb-2003
Spark Response is creating 50 new jobs at its mail order call centre at Follingsby Park, Gateshead. 25-Feb-2003
Speciality Retail Group is to expand its Autonomy womenswear shops onto the high street with two pilot stores in Bath and Guildford, and is also planning to redesign its Woodhouse menswear stores. 24-Feb-2003
Co-operative Group is considering plans to shed up to 100 of the 300 jobs at the Eastleigh head office of its recently-acquired Alldays convenience store business. 24-Feb-2003
Mamas & Papas is planning to expand its chain of 17 nursery stores with 10 new outlets this year. 24-Feb-2003
Sweet Factory is planning to open 30 confectionery outlets in the UK this year, and most will be mall kiosks. 24-Feb-2003
KFC is planning to open 58 fast food restaurants this year, taking the total to more than 650. 24-Feb-2003
Welcome Break is creating 80 jobs with the opening of a new motorway service station on the M54 in Shropshire next month. 21-Feb-2003
Brown & Jackson is planning to modernise 100 Poundstretcher discount stores this year, and there will also be eight new stores, some relocations and some closures. 20-Feb-2003
Asda has announced a £360m expansion programme with the creation of 3,900 jobs this year, including 10 new stores and the addition of mezzanine floors in up to 40 existing stores. 19-Feb-2003
Littlewoods has put its 14-storey Old Hall Street building in Liverpool up for sale, and up to 1,750 staff will eventually be moved to new premises nearby. 19-Feb-2003
Manchester City Council and Pillar Property have announced plans for the development of a £60m retail park on a 24-acre site in Cheetham Hill Road, and construction work will start in the summer. 19-Feb-2003
Kleeneze, the catalogue and door-to-door sales group, is shedding 70 jobs in its books and gifts division. 18-Feb-2003
Leeds City Council has approved plans from the Universities Superannuation Scheme for the development of the £150m Trinity Quarter shopping area in the city centre, including 70 retail outlets. 18-Feb-2003
Dunnes is to close its Warrenpoint supermarket in Northern Ireland next month with the loss of 36 jobs. 17-Feb-2003
B&Q is to recruit 235 staff for a new DIY store due to open in Tunbridge Wells in May. 17-Feb-2003
GUS is to shed up to 150 of the 4,000 jobs in its ARG Equation home shopping division in Manchester. 17-Feb-2003
Cook is planning to more than double the size of its chain of seven upmarket frozen food shops this year, and is seeking town centre sites in the south-east. 17-Feb-2003
McArthur Glen, the developer of designer outlets, is to set up a new 7,300 sq ft head office at Seymour Mews House in London W1. 17-Feb-2003
Lowries Cash & Carry has acquired eight Right Choice convenience stores in the north-east from A&S Stores. 17-Feb-2003
Boots is to close its 12 in-store complementary therapy clinics, providing health services such as homeopathy, herbalism, aromatherapy and reflexology, with the loss of about 50 jobs. 13-Feb-2003
Birmingham Alliance is to assist 130 retailers find more than 8,000 staff for the opening of the £500m Bullring development in September, and a recruitment task force has been set up with Jobcentre Plus, Birmingham City Council and Pertemps. 11-Feb-2003
Wycombe District Council has revealed plans for the £100m development of the Phoenix shopping centre on a 16-acre site in High Wycombe by 2006, including department store, shops, bars, cinema and fitness centre. 10-Feb-2003
Greggs is planning to expand its chain of 1,200 bakery stores with 500 new outlets over the next five years. 10-Feb-2003
Somerfield and TM Retail are forming a joint venture to open six convenience stores under the Somerfield fascia. 10-Feb-2003
Co-operative Group is planning to close the Alldays distribution centre in Dundee, with the loss of up to 85 jobs. 10-Feb-2003
Dixons is to close its Mastercare electrical goods distribution centre in Milton Par, near Didcot, with the loss of about 80 jobs. 07-Feb-2003
Big Food Group is to shed up to 100 jobs at its recently-acquired Booker business in Wellingborough, in order to relocate a number of support functions to Deeside in North Wales. 05-Feb-2003
Sedgefield Borough Council is considering plans from Mastercare Service & Distribution for the development of a distribution centre in Newton Aycliffe to serve Dixons and PC World, which could create 250 jobs. 04-Feb-2003
Sainsbury is to roll out its own health and beauty departments in about 50 stores, having dropped a trial partnership with Boots. 04-Feb-2003
Daisy & Tom has raised £2.6m to fund the expansion of its chain of children's stores. 03-Feb-2003
SoftWide is planning to open up to 40 computer software shops in the UK this year, to add to its existing three London sites. 03-Feb-2003
Gamestation is planning to open between 70 and 100 computer games shops this year, taking the total to more than 140. 03-Feb-2003
BrightHouse is planning to open 20 electrical stores this year. 03-Feb-2003
Faith Shoes is looking to expand its chain of 35 stores with 15 new sites this year. 03-Feb-2003
Tower Records has confirmed plans to withdraw from the UK, with Virgin taking over the leases on two of its remaining stores in central London. 03-Feb-2003
Ferrari's Bakery is planning to open a further 12 shops across South Wales over the next 18 months, while the existing 41 outlets are being refurbished. 31-Jan-2003
Dunelm is recruiting 90 staff for a new homewares store due to open in Stockton next month. 31-Jan-2003
Durham Pine is to open 20 company-owned and franchised furniture stores this year with the creation of 140 jobs, and its name will be changed to DP Furniture. 30-Jan-2003
Hennes & Mauritz of Sweden is planning to open up to 15 fashion stores a year in the UK. 30-Jan-2003
Tesco is to spend £64m opening six new supermarkets in Ireland, with the creation of 1,500 jobs. 29-Jan-2003
Whittard of Chelsea is planning to open about six tea and coffee stores in the UK this year. 27-Jan-2003
Fads, the high-street DIY retailer currently in administration, is closing 26 stores and negotiations are taking place for the sale of the remaining 73. 27-Jan-2003
Somerfield is forming a partnership with Margram to operate convenience stores on petrol station forecourts, starting with 12 sites in the south-east. 27-Jan-2003
Balfour is aiming to expand its chain of convenience stores from 100 to 300 over the next two years, which would involve the acquisition of more than one group. 27-Jan-2003
Stiles Harold Williams is seeking a further 50 sites in London to enable US-based Subway to open franchised sandwich outlets. 27-Jan-2003
Farmfoods is planning to expand its chain of 263 frozen food outlets, and is seeking suitable premises at hundreds of locations. 27-Jan-2003
Kleeneze, the direct sales retailer, is to sell its main site in Hanham, Bristol, for £4m, in order to relocate to a dedicated distribution centre nearby. 24-Jan-2003
Tupperware is to close its plastic containers direct-selling business in the UK, with the loss of 1,700 jobs. 24-Jan-2003
Laura Ashley is to raise £9m in a rights issue to fund the closure of 35 clothing and home furnishing stores in continental Europe. 24-Jan-2003
Ma Potter has raised £4.5m of venture capital to expand its restaurant chain from 11 to 20 outlets, with the creation of 500 jobs. 23-Jan-2003
Kingfisher is to sell a portfolio of 15 retail parks and five development sites to a consortium led by Pillar Property and Capital & Regional for £695m. 23-Jan-2003
Ernst & Young is to close What Everyone Wants, the Glasgow-based discount retailer currently in administration, having failed to find a buyer, and up to 2,500 jobs will be lost. 23-Jan-2003
Aldi, the German food retailer, is planning to build a distribution centre at Neston in Wirral with the creation of up 200 jobs. 22-Jan-2003
Debenhams is planning to set up a department store in Wolverhampton, as part of the redevelopment of an eight-acre site near Bell Street. 22-Jan-2003
McDonald's is to expand its chain of 1,231 UK fast food restaurants with 44 outlets this year. 21-Jan-2003
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Association of Town Centre Managers are to trial US-style business improvement districts, in order to revive town high streets by allowing local businesses to vote on improvement schemes. 21-Jan-2003
Gadget Shop is to relocate its headquarters from Hull to Scotland in April, with the creation of 25 jobs, and a number of possible sites are being considered near Glasgow airport. 21-Jan-2003
Waitrose is recruiting 200 staff for a new store due to open at Portishead marina near Bristol in July. 20-Jan-2003
TM Retail, the chain of convenience stores with an estimated valuation of £200m, is said to be seeking a buyer. 20-Jan-2003
Topps Tiles is planning to open 24 tile shops this year, to add to the existing 180. 20-Jan-2003
Cameron Toll has announced plans for the £37m refurbishment of the Cameron Toll Shopping Centre in Edinburgh. 20-Jan-2003
Homestyle has appointed advisers to find a buyer for its Rexmore upholstery distribution business. 17-Jan-2003
Ottakar's is planning to expand its chain of 93 book stores to 100 this year. 17-Jan-2003
Clinton Cards is planning to open 35 new greeting card shops this year, to add to the existing 699. 17-Jan-2003
Ted Baker is to spend £1.6m relocating three of its fashion stores this year. 17-Jan-2003
JJB Sports has signed contracts to open a further 18 sports stores this year. 16-Jan-2003
Compass is planning to open up to 45 Harry Ramsden's fish shops this year, including about 30 franchises. 16-Jan-2003
Matalan is planning to open a further 20 discount stores this year, and the computer systems in its supply chain will be updated with the help of Cap Gemini. 16-Jan-2003
Wirral Council has sold Birkenhead Market to a management buy-out, securing the future of more than 2,000 jobs, and £2m will be invested at the site. 15-Jan-2003
Monsoon is planning to open 10 to 15 fashion stores in the UK over the next year and up to 30 overseas. 14-Jan-2003
Domino's Pizza is looking to open up to 45 new outlets in the North-East and Yorkshire over the next few years, with the creation of more than 1,000 jobs. 13-Jan-2003
Book Club Associates is to shed 119 jobs at its mail order business in Swindon, and one of its three sites in the town will close. 13-Jan-2003
Tesco has won permission to build a Tesco Extra superstore in Long Eaton town centre, with the creation of about 400 jobs. 13-Jan-2003
Dreams has acquired its former Quicknet franchise out of liquidation, gaining three bed stores in East Anglia. 13-Jan-2003
Littlewoods is planning to shed more than 100 of the 1,800 jobs at its Liverpool headquarters, as part of a strategy to separate the high street and mail order operations. 13-Jan-2003
Sandwell Council is to announce plans for a £100m retail and leisure development on a 10-acre site at West Bromwich Street in Oldbury town centre. 07-Jan-2003
Hammerson is to submit revised plans for a 1m sq ft development at the Brent Cross shopping centre in north London, including homes, leisure and retail space. 03-Jan-2003
Hobbs, the womenswear retailer, has undergone a £30m management buy-out backed by Barclays Private Equity, and there are plans to double the number of stores to 60 over the next five years. 02-Jan-2003
The information on this page comes from the
UK Activity Report.
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