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Retailing - 2005
Unwins' administrators have sold 200 of its 350 off-licence outlets to Threshers, securing the future of up to 1,200 jobs.
28-Dec-2005
Neal's Yard Remedies, the chain of 23 natural health stores with about 200 staff, has been acquired by Peter Kindersley for undisclosed terms.
28-Dec-2005
Stead & Simpson, the shoe retailer with about 400 stores, has undergone a £51m management buy-out backed by Bank of Scotland.
28-Dec-2005
Hawkin's Bazaar, the toys and gifts company with about 80 full-time staff, is planning to set up a new £10m headquarters and distribution centre in Beccles over the next two years.
27-Dec-2005
Cotswold Outdoor is to create 40 new jobs when it opens its 18th store at the Talbot Green Retail Park in Llantrisant next month.
22-Dec-2005
Motor World is planning to expand its chain of 240 car accessories stores with 100 new sites over the next five years, with the creation of about 500 jobs.
21-Dec-2005
Premier Direct Group is to acquire Oriflame UK, the UK-based subsidiary of Swedish cosmetics group Oriflame Cosmetics, for a nominal sum.
21-Dec-2005
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is to consider plans from Westfield for a major expansion of the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre, including an extra 200,000 sq ft of retail space.
21-Dec-2005
Tesco is to seek planning permission to build a new superstore at Byres Road in the west end of Glasgow, with the creation of 350 jobs.
21-Dec-2005
And So To Bed is to expand its chain of bedroom accessories stores from 20 to 30 over the next two years, having appointed Cushman & Wakefield to find suitable sites.
19-Dec-2005
Mappin & Webb, the luxury jeweller, is considering plans to relocate its head office and up to 52 jobs from London's Regent Street to sister company Goldsmiths in Leicester.
19-Dec-2005
Urban Therapy is looking to expand its beauty shops to cities across the country.
19-Dec-2005
Filmnight has acquired Prime Time, the chain of 47 DVD stores, for about £3m, taking its total network to 99 company-owned stores and 120 franchised stores.
19-Dec-2005
Sainsbury's is planning to open 25 in-store pharmacies over the next three months, to add to the existing 154.
19-Dec-2005
Whittard of Chelsea, the tea and coffee retailer, has accepted a £21m takeover offer from Baugur.
15-Dec-2005
GUS has acquired PriceGrabber, the US-based online price comparison company, for £275m, in order to expand its Experian division.
15-Dec-2005
Walmsley Furnishing, the Preston-based chain of 100 furniture stores, has been bought out of administration by a new company called Unibrook for undisclosed terms.
14-Dec-2005
Ebuyer, the online technology retailer, is to relocate up to 232 staff from sites in Sheffield, Holbrook and Eastrington to a new £19m headquarters and distribution centre in Howden, East Yorkshire, by next spring.
14-Dec-2005
Waitrose is planning to expand its chain of supermarkets from 173 to 250 over the next ten years.
14-Dec-2005
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is to consider revised plans from Dransfield Properties for the £20m redevelopment of the former Wedgwood Alexandra Works into a shopping and health centre complex.
13-Dec-2005
Tchibo is planning to set up coffee shops in 200 Sainsbury and Somerfield stores in 2006.
12-Dec-2005
Primark is to open a 100,000 sq ft flagship store on London's Oxford Street in early 2007.
12-Dec-2005
Fresh Italy is planning to open up to six new fast food outlets over the next 12 months, to add to the three existing sites.
09-Dec-2005
John Lewis is expected to award a £100m contract to Styles & Wood for the refurbishment of its flagship store on London's Oxford Street over the next five years.
09-Dec-2005
Asda has announced plans to build a £24m 45,000 sq ft store in Enniskillen, with the transfer of 225 staff from its existing site and the creation of 75 new jobs.
08-Dec-2005
Retail Decisions is to acquire E Com Industries, the Australian gift card operator with 19 staff, for £13m.
06-Dec-2005
Costco is looking to open three new wholesale depots a year, with the 18th site expected to open at an undisclosed location next summer.
06-Dec-2005
Aldi has won planning permission to double the size of its head office in Atherstone, and sees the potential to develop a network of up to 1,500 discount stores across the country.
06-Dec-2005
Tesco is planning to open a chain of mobile phone centres, with the first opening in its flagship store in Slough this week.
05-Dec-2005
Claire's Accessories is planning to open 20 stores in the UK and Ireland next year, to add to the existing 450, and a further 100 stores will open in other European countries.
05-Dec-2005
BP Retail is looking to open a further 20 franchised BP Connect convenience stores next year, following a trial in Wigan and Manchester.
05-Dec-2005
TM Lewin has appointed BDO Stoy Hayward to help secure investment for the expansion of its chain of 30 clothing stores.
05-Dec-2005
American Golf is looking to expand its chain of 70 golf stores to about 180, and up to 150 Pro Shops could open at golf courses and resorts.
05-Dec-2005
Topps Tiles is planning to open about 24 tile stores a year for the next four or five years.
30-Nov-2005
Darlington Borough Council is to consider plans from Commercial Development Projects to build a £60m 260,000 sq ft retail park at the Yarm Road estate.
28-Nov-2005
Comptoir des Cotonniers of France is looking to open up to 40 fashion stores in the UK over the next five years, with the first due to open on London's South Molton Street.
28-Nov-2005
Hammerson is to submit plans next year for a 646,000 sq ft extension to the Queensgate shopping centre in Peterborough.
28-Nov-2005
Tesco is looking into the possibility of setting up a chain of standalone fashion stores.
28-Nov-2005
Stationery Box is looking to expand its chain of 130 stationery stores to 200 over the next four years, and 120 suitable towns have been identified.
28-Nov-2005
Speciality Retail Group has undergone a £30m management buy-out backed by Gresham Private Equity, and is now planning to expand its Suits You and Racing Green stores.
28-Nov-2005
Ocado is said to be looking to raise a further £50m to fund the expansion of its online food retailing business, and Goldman Sachs has been appointed financial adviser.
28-Nov-2005
Bhs is looking to set up a chain of 20 home furnishings stores, following a successful trial in Chichester.
28-Nov-2005
Restaurant Group is to sell 53 of its 58 Caffe Uno outlets to Paramount Restaurants for £33m, and the remaining five will be rebranded.
24-Nov-2005
ScS Upholstery is planning to expand its chain of 67 sofa stores with about 17 new sites and a 100,000 sq ft warehouse near Halifax.
23-Nov-2005
Hotel Chocolat is planning to open up to 30 luxury chocolate stores across the country next year.
21-Nov-2005
Tchibo is planning to open up to 15 coffee-to-homewares stores in Scotland, and is now seeking an initial five sites in affluent areas.
21-Nov-2005
Mamas & Papas is to open up to 15 franchised nursery stores in the UK next year, and is also planning overseas expansion with its first stores in the Middle East.
21-Nov-2005
Harvey Nichols is said to be planning to open up to ten boutique stores over the next decade, including a 32,000 sq ft store due to open at the Merchants Quarter development in Bristol in 2008.
21-Nov-2005
Jones Bootmaker is planning to expand its chain of 75 shoe stores to 100 over the next four years.
21-Nov-2005
Dobbies Garden Centres is seeking permission to set up a £7m garden centre on a 13-acre site at Strawberry Hill, Lisburn, by spring 2007.
17-Nov-2005
Peterborough City Council is to consider plans from Arlington Securities for the £50m revamp of the Brotherhood retail park.
16-Nov-2005
Ocado is planning to expand its Waitrose groceries distribution business in Southampton over the next few months, with the creation of 100 jobs.
16-Nov-2005
Asda has announced plans to create 2,800 jobs across the country, including 800 in Northern Ireland, with an average of seven new staff joining each of the group's 289 stores.
15-Nov-2005
Mappin & Webb, the chain of 32 jewellery stores, is expected to be acquired by Baugur, the Icelandic owner of the Goldsmiths chain, for £20m.
14-Nov-2005
Mexx is planning to expand its chain of nine fashion stores into a nationwide business by forming partnerships with independent retailers.
14-Nov-2005
Debenhams is planning to open at least 24 department stores in the UK over the next five years, with £115m being spent next year on store openings, refurbishments and other projects.
14-Nov-2005
Carluccio's is planning to expand its London-based chain of 23 restaurants by opening up to six new sites a year, and has also confirmed plans for a flotation next month that will value the business at up to £55m.
10-Nov-2005
Associated British Foods is to invest £250m in the refurbishment of 41 recently-acquired Littlewoods stores.
09-Nov-2005
Tesco is looking to double its chain of 600 Express convenience stores over the next ten years.
07-Nov-2005
Ocado, the online food retailer, is looking to expand its network of warehouses and has identified suitable sites in Nottingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Bristol.
07-Nov-2005
TNT is in negotiations to open 1m sq ft of distribution space in Doncaster and Hull to support Danish furniture retailer Ilva.
07-Nov-2005
Lombok has raised £3.5m to fund the expansion of its chain of nine upmarket furniture stores to more than 20 over the next three years.
07-Nov-2005
Bathstore is looking to expand its chain of 93 bathroom stores to 300 by opening up to 40 new sites a year.
07-Nov-2005
Feather & Black, the furniture retailer, has been bought out of administration by Wade Furniture for undisclosed terms, and Wade plans to double the 22-strong chain over the next four years.
07-Nov-2005
Geox, the Italian footwear supplier, is planning to set up a nationwide chain of shoe stores, including sites in major cities and a flagship on London's Regent Street.
07-Nov-2005
Asda is looking to open smaller stores of less then 10,000 sq ft, following the success of its former Safeway outlets in Northern Ireland.
07-Nov-2005
Vision Express is planning to expand its chain of 196 opticians by opening a further 100 franchised outlets over the next five years.
03-Nov-2005
Fortnum & Mason is to invest £24m in the refurbishment of its upmarket London grocery store, including an extension to the food hall and a greater emphasis on gifts and cookware.
03-Nov-2005
Blueheath has acquired AC Ward & Son, the Thurrock-based delivered wholesaler, for up to £3m.
02-Nov-2005
Marks & Spencer has announced plans to open a new store in Newtownabbey and refurbish its Sprucefield store, in order to strengthen its position in Northern Ireland.
02-Nov-2005
Tesco is to create 160 new jobs at its refurbished store in Maryhill, Glasgow.
01-Nov-2005
John David Group has bought Allsports out of administration for £18m, and is expected to keep 111 of the sports stores with an option on the remaining 67.
01-Nov-2005
Photo-Me International, the photo booth operator, has bought the Wholesale Lab Division of Agfa Photo out of administration for £6.1m.
01-Nov-2005
Peacocks, the Cardiff-based chain of 843 discount clothing and fragrance stores, is to undergo a £404m management buy-out.
31-Oct-2005
Kipling is planning to set up a nationwide network of 45 luggage stores, having just opened the first on London's Regent Street.
31-Oct-2005
River Island is looking to expand its chain of fashion stores by opening outlets in small market towns and by relocating some existing stores to larger sites.
31-Oct-2005
B&M Retail is looking to expand its chain of 22 discount stores through acquisitions or by merging with another mid-sized independent.
31-Oct-2005
GUS has sold Wehkamp, its Dutch home shopping business, to Industri Kapital for £265m.
31-Oct-2005
Tesco is planning to open a warehouse by the M25 in mid-2006 to service its online shopping customers in London and the south-east, at a cost of up to £10m.
27-Oct-2005
City of Edinburgh Council and AM Development have announced proposals for the £200m redevelopment of Princes Street, including up to 500,000 sq ft of additional retail space.
26-Oct-2005
New Look, the chain of 541 fashion stores, is planning to double its store space to 5m sq ft over the next ten years, and will concentrate on opening large outlets of about 25,000 sq ft.
25-Oct-2005
Sheffield City Council is to consider plans from Hammerson for a £500m shopping development near Pinstone Street, including 100 shops, a John Lewis store, 200 apartments, a health club and leisure facilities.
24-Oct-2005
Tesco is to seek planning permission to build a new Tesco Extra store in Walsall town centre, with the creation of up to 400 jobs.
24-Oct-2005
Hull City Council is to consider plans from Henderson Global Investors and Insight Investment for a £300m retail and leisure development next to Princes Quay Shopping Centre.
24-Oct-2005
Hallmark Cards is planning to open a further 50 Gold Crown stores in the UK and Ireland next year.
24-Oct-2005
Roche-Bobois of France is planning to open ten furniture stores in the UK and Ireland over the next five years, with the first opening in Wandsworth next month.
24-Oct-2005
Little Chef, the chain of 235 roadside restaurants, has been acquired by the founders of the Out of Town Restaurant Group for £52m.
24-Oct-2005
Kingfisher is planning to open 15 Screwfix Direct and five Trade Depot stores next year, in order to target small general builders and contractors.
24-Oct-2005
Dawsons Music is to open a 14,000 sq ft musical instruments store in Reading next month, claiming it will be the largest in the south of England.
21-Oct-2005
PizzaExpress is considering plans for a £90m flotation next month, and wants to expand its chain of 500 restaurants to 800 by opening about 30 a year.
18-Oct-2005
Liverpool City Council has approved plans for the £20m restoration of the Port of Liverpool Building at the Pier Head, including a sunken piazza with restaurants and shops.
18-Oct-2005
Bristol International Airport is to spend £7m on the development of new duty-free shops and cafes in its departure lounge, with work due to finish in May.
18-Oct-2005
Warehouse Express, the online supplier of photographic and optical equipment, has secured a £6.5m equity investment from Barclays Ventures, and now plans to relocate to a 30,000 sq ft site in Norwich and expand the workforce from 38 to 70 over the next three years.
17-Oct-2005
Experian has acquired Prediction Analytics, the US retail performance consultancy, in order to expand its Business Strategies division.
17-Oct-2005
Somerfield, the chain of 1,300 supermarkets, is to be acquired by a consortium led by Apax Partners for £1.1bn.
17-Oct-2005
Celesio is to buy 111 Cohens and Scholes pharmacies in the north-west, Midlands and Yorkshire for up to £130m, in order to expand its Lloydspharmacy chain.
17-Oct-2005
Build-a-Bear Workshop is to open six toy shops over the next two months, taking the chain to 12, and a further 12 will open next year.
17-Oct-2005
Ex Stores is planning to expand its chain of 14 action sports stores to 30 by the middle of 2007, and is interested in acquiring small chains.
17-Oct-2005
Tragus Holdings is planning to expand its chain of 82 Cafe Rouge outlets by opening 36 new sites over the next three years, funded by a £10m debt facility.
17-Oct-2005
Books for Students, the Warwick-based book distribution business with more than 200 staff, has been bought out of administration by AT Little & Sons.
14-Oct-2005
Edinburgh Woollen Mill has acquired Hector Russell, the highland dress company with four stores.
14-Oct-2005
Sweetmans, the Swansea-based bakery, has sold 22 retail outlets to Cardiff-based Ferraris, and a further five have been sold to Llanelli-based Jenkins.
12-Oct-2005
Chester City Council is to consider plans for a £24m glass-fronted extension to The Mall Grosvenor shopping centre, creating up to eight new units and an anchor store.
10-Oct-2005
MFI, the furniture retailer, is said to be considering plans to close at least 20 branches, relocate 70 of its largest stores and close some of its eight distribution centres.
10-Oct-2005
Ikea is planning to invest £150m in the expansion of its chain of UK furniture stores, including the introduction of mezzanine floors and up to 25 new stores over the next ten years.
10-Oct-2005
Phones4U is planning to expand its chain of 350 mobile phone stores with up to 100 new sites over the next year.
10-Oct-2005
Foyles has acquired Bookplace, the online book retailer, in order to expand its own web and mail order division.
10-Oct-2005
Tesco is seeking permission to build a supermarket on the Deysbrook estate in Liverpool, with the creation of about 200 jobs.
07-Oct-2005
Salon Services, the Glasgow-based beauty products wholesaler, is seeking acquisitions to expand its 95-strong network of company-owned branches and franchises.
05-Oct-2005
B&Q is considering plans to relocate head office staff from six locations around Southampton onto one site within five years, having submitted plans to double the size of the 150,000 sq ft Alldays building in Eastleigh.
04-Oct-2005
Flying Brands has acquired Garden Bird Supplies, the supplier of food and accessories for birds and other wildlife, for £4.3m.
03-Oct-2005
Brooks Brothers of the US is planning to open up to 12 menswear stores in the UK over the next five years, with the first opening at the Lion Plaza development in the City of London next month.
03-Oct-2005
Frozen Value is planning to expand its chain of discount food stores, having just opened a new distribution centre off junction 38 of the M1.
03-Oct-2005
Boots is planning to merge with Alliance UniChem in a £7bn deal that would create a combined healthcare and beauty retailing business with 2,600 stores in the UK.
03-Oct-2005
Liverpool City Council is to consider plans from Merepark and Ballymore for the development of a £160m shopping, residential and leisure development behind Central Station.
30-Sep-2005
Klondyke Garden Centres is to start recruiting 56 staff for a new garden centre and visitor attraction due to open at Houghton Hall near Carlisle next Easter.
30-Sep-2005
The Milburngate Shopping Centre in Durham is to undergo a multi-million pound refurbishment by ING Retail Property Fund Britannica, and it will be renamed The Gates.
30-Sep-2005
Liverpool City Council is to spend £6m refurbishing the Church Street shopping area, including new paving, lighting and metal sculptures.
29-Sep-2005
Debenhams is looking to expand its chain of 119 department stores with 45 new sites over the next five years.
28-Sep-2005
Republic, the chain of about 60 fashion stores, has accepted an estimated £100m takeover offer from Change Capital Partners.
28-Sep-2005
Visage Imports, the Tyneside-based fashion supplier, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms.
26-Sep-2005
Tesco is looking into the possibility of opening its own warehouses to support the expansion of its online non-food retailing operation.
26-Sep-2005
Penny Plain is to expand its chain of 11 womenswear stores by opening a new outlet in Leamington Spa this month, and is now seeking additional sites in the Birmingham area.
21-Sep-2005
WorkPlace Systems International has acquired Labor Solutions International, the US-based retail consultancy, for £3.3m.
20-Sep-2005
Albemarle & Bond is planning to expand its chain of 62 pawnbroking outlets to about 100 over the next year.
20-Sep-2005
Penhaligon is looking to expand its chain of perfume shops, and is considering locations such as London's Regent Street, Canary Wharf, Bluewater and Leeds.
19-Sep-2005
Zannier of France is planning to open 15 franchised childrenswear stores in the UK by early next year, starting with a site at Manchester's Trafford Centre in October.
19-Sep-2005
Southern Co-operatives is to acquire David's Stores, the chain of eight stores on the Isle of Wight, and £2m will be invested at the sites in 2006.
19-Sep-2005
Asda has won planning permission to build a 125,000 sq ft store in Bangor by 2008, which will involve the relocation of Bangor City football club.
19-Sep-2005
Marks & Spencer is to open a 33,000 sq ft store at the Teesside Retail Park in Stockton in autumn 2006.
15-Sep-2005
Ipswich & Norwich Co-op is to merge with Colchester & East Essex Co-op to create a group of 200 trading outlets called the East of England Co-op.
13-Sep-2005
Esprit is to open a fashion store in Norwich this month, and this will be followed by new sites in Reading, Canterbury and Manchester.
12-Sep-2005
O2 is planning to open ten mobile phone franchise stores by the end of the year, while a further 40 company-owned stores will be added next year.
12-Sep-2005
Tesco is seeking planning permission for a 25,000 sq ft store in Holywell, which could create more than 150 jobs.
09-Sep-2005
Dundee City Council is to consider plans from Lend Lease for the £50m expansion of the Overgate shopping centre, which would provide 40 more units and 500 jobs.
09-Sep-2005
TM Group, the chain of 1,300 newsagents and convenience stores, is to undergo a £165m management buy-out backed by Bank of Scotland Corporate.
08-Sep-2005
The Milton Keynes Partnership Committee has approved plans from Hermes and Prudential for the £400m expansion of the CentreMK shopping mall, including a 680,000 sq ft extension.
05-Sep-2005
Strategic Retail is to acquire eight home furnishings stores and other assets from East Kilbride-based Texstyle World Home for £1.5m, while eight other stores will close with the loss of 45 jobs.
01-Sep-2005
Tesco is to acquire 30 petrol filling stations and convenience stores from Morrisons for about £55m, in order to expand its Express store format.
01-Sep-2005
Wade Smith, the Liverpool-based fashion retailer with 35 staff, has been sold by administrators back to its founder.
31-Aug-2005
Silverscreen is planning to open a further 30 DVD stores next year.
29-Aug-2005
Hyperama Cash & Carry is to open a new 55,000 sq ft wholesale depot in Peterborough this autumn, as part of a £3m investment.
29-Aug-2005
The Post Office is to invest £10m at its 540 directly-managed branches by the end of the year, in order to start offering CDs, DVDs, electrical items and stationery.
29-Aug-2005
Barker & Stonehouse is to expand its chain of six furniture stores with a new site in Hull in October, with the creation of 22 jobs.
24-Aug-2005
Edinburgh Woollen Mill is to continue expanding its chain of 290 stores, having opened seven new sites over the last six months.
24-Aug-2005
Debenhams is planning to expand its new Desire small store format by opening sites in South Shields and Orpington this year and a further six next year.
23-Aug-2005
Hamleys is looking into the possibility of relocating its Regent Street toy shop in London to the recently-vacated Dickins & Jones department store nearby.
22-Aug-2005
House of Fraser is to close the Barkers department store on Kensington High Street in London with the loss of up to 250 jobs, and Whole Foods Market of the US is to open a flagship organic food store at the site.
22-Aug-2005
BDO Stoy Hayward has sold The Sofa Company out of administration to Klaussner Beteiligungs, and at least 34 of the 80 stores are expected to re-open.
22-Aug-2005
Allied Carpets is to open four stores in Northern Ireland later this month, having secured sites in Coleraine, Newtownabbey, Lisburn and Bangor.
17-Aug-2005
Asda has submitted plans to open its first Asda Living non-food store in Scotland at the Glasgow Fort, with the creation of 100 jobs.
17-Aug-2005
Pizza Hut is to expand its chain of restaurants in Yorkshire by the end of the year, with the creation of 150 jobs in York, Hull and Barnsley.
16-Aug-2005
Aga Foodservice has acquired Divertimenti, the London-based kitchen utensils retailer, for £1.4m.
16-Aug-2005
Apple is looking to expand its chain of five UK computer stores with up to 20 new sites over the next few years.
15-Aug-2005
Sainsbury is to take full control of the buying and merchandising of its Tu clothing range, with the creation of up to 40 jobs in Coventry.
15-Aug-2005
Merchant Retail is planning to expand its chain of 114 Perfume Shops with an additional 100 stores over the next five years.
15-Aug-2005
Waitrose has submitted plans to Stockport council to build a supermarket in Cheadle Hulme, with the creation of 200 jobs.
10-Aug-2005
Jane Norman, the fashion retailer with 39 stores and 56 concessions, has undergone a management buy-out backed by Baugur and plans to expand to 140 UK outlets over the next three years.
05-Aug-2005
Virgin Megastores is planning to open 30 new stores over the next three years, to add to the existing 117.
05-Aug-2005
Woolworths has sold its MVC chain of 76 music and DVD stores to a group of investors led by Argyll Partners for £5.5m.
02-Aug-2005
Julian Graves is planning to expand its chain of 245 snacks and ingredients stores with 40 new sites this year.
01-Aug-2005
Amazon, the online retailer, is to set up a new 200,000 sq ft distribution centre at Glenrothes in Fife, with the creation of 300 jobs.
25-Jul-2005
Game is planning to expand its chain of 650 computer games stores to 1,000 over the next three years, including new sites in continental Europe.
25-Jul-2005
Marks & Spencer is to create 200 jobs at a new store due to open at Coventry's Arena Park in October.
25-Jul-2005
Tesco is linking up with Peterborough JobCentre to recruit up to 1,000 staff for a new distribution centre due to open in Parnwell in October.
21-Jul-2005
Apollo Blinds is looking to set up a further 80 franchised outlets over the next five years.
18-Jul-2005
Boots has secured sites to open three out-of-town stores next year in Yeovil, Hayle and Great Yarmouth.
18-Jul-2005
Chips is to open three new video games stores in Hereford, Glasgow and Reading this year, taking the total chain to 29.
18-Jul-2005
Fired Earth Interiors has acquired Shaker, the furniture supplier, for undisclosed terms.
18-Jul-2005
GVA Grimley has been appointed by 3 to find suitable sites for a nationwide chain of mobile phone stores, with plans to open up to 20 by the end of the year.
18-Jul-2005
Asda has secured planning permission to develop four new stores in Northern Ireland, including one site in east Belfast and three to replace existing Safeway stores in Enniskillen, Strabane and Ballyclare.
18-Jul-2005
Molton Brown, the cosmetics supplier, has been acquired by Kao Corporation of Japan in a £170m deal.
18-Jul-2005
Mothercare is planning to expand its chain of 235 stores with 60 new sites over the next three years.
18-Jul-2005
Asda is to invest £40m in the development of four recycling centres in Wakefield, Lutterworth, Bedford and Skelmersdale.
18-Jul-2005
Shop Direct, the home shopping group, is planning to relocate its headquarters and more than 1,000 jobs from Manchester city centre to Skyways Park, Speke.
15-Jul-2005
QS is to open a 60,000 sq ft clothing store in Bolton in September, with the creation of 100 jobs, and new stores are also planned for Colne, Altrincham, Manchester and Liverpool.
13-Jul-2005
Asda is to create about 2,250 new jobs by providing eight additional customer service staff at each of its 279 stores, and at least 15 new stores are due to open this year.
13-Jul-2005
Associated British Foods has acquired the Littlewoods chain of 120 clothing stores for £409m, which will involve the conversion of 30 stores to the Primark format and the closure of the Liverpool head office with the loss of up to 270 jobs.
12-Jul-2005
United Co-op Health Care has acquired Sheard Group, the chain of seven pharmacies in Leeds and Harrogate, as well as Saffer Chemists, which has two stores in Leeds, for undisclosed terms.
08-Jul-2005
Ikea is planning to build a 230,000 sq ft furniture store in Coventry city centre, with the creation of 500 jobs.
07-Jul-2005
Esslemont & Macintosh, the Aberdeen-based department store with 120 staff, has been acquired by Owen Owen for undisclosed terms.
07-Jul-2005
Harrods has sold Kurt Geiger, its luxury shoe retailing business with more than 100 department store concessions, to a management buy-out backed by Barclays Private Equity for £46m.
06-Jul-2005
Ikea has won planning permission from Sefton Council to build a furniture store in Netherton, Merseyside, with the creation of up to 600 jobs.
04-Jul-2005
Readmans, the Leeds-based clothing and homewares retailer, has been bought out of administration by the founding family, securing the future of more than 100 jobs.
04-Jul-2005
Land of Leather, the chain of 67 sofa stores, is planning to raise about £38m in a flotation and is looking to open ten new stores a year.
04-Jul-2005
Instore is planning to expand its chain of 320 discount stores with 20 new sites over the next 12 months.
04-Jul-2005
Auctioning4u has secured a £0.6m investment from venture capitalists and others to fund the development of a warehouse in Acton and to roll-out a franchised retail network.
01-Jul-2005
West Midlands Co-op is planning to merge with Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Co-op, creating a combined group with more than 350 stores and a turnover of £500m.
01-Jul-2005
Tesco is to seek permission to build a new superstore at Culverhouse Cross in Cardiff, with the creation of 100 new jobs and the transfer of 320 jobs from its existing site.
30-Jun-2005
Dobbies Garden Centres is planning to open four new sites over the next two years.
30-Jun-2005
Tesco is seeking permission from Highland Council to build a new superstore near Wick, with the creation of up to 200 jobs.
30-Jun-2005
House of Fraser has agreed to acquire the Beatties chain of 12 department stores for £69m.
29-Jun-2005
Majestic Wine is planning to expand its chain of 122 wine stores with 80 new outlets over the next ten years, and is seeking units with good road access.
27-Jun-2005
Planet Organic is planning to expand its chain of three organic food stores with ten new sites in the London area, and will then look to open elsewhere.
27-Jun-2005
Benjys is looking to open nine sandwich stores in the north-east, with the creation of 100 jobs.
27-Jun-2005
Jarrold is to acquire Aldiss, the chain of furniture stores with 250 staff in Fakenham and Norwich, for an estimated £50m.
22-Jun-2005
Ikea has submitted plans for a town centre store in Hillingdon, as part of a strategy to establish a chain of smaller furniture stores in towns and cities across the country.
20-Jun-2005
Centros Miller is to seek permission to build an extra 300,000 sq ft at the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth at a cost of £300m, including shops, leisure, flats and a four-star hotel.
20-Jun-2005
Marks & Spencer is considering plans to set up an online grocery delivery service.
20-Jun-2005
Wagamama, the chain of 32 noodle bars, has been acquired by Lion Capital for £103m.
20-Jun-2005
Princes Mall, the Edinburgh-based shopping centre, is to undergo a £10m refurbishment, with the number of shops being reduced from 55 to 43.
16-Jun-2005
Pembrokeshire County Council is to consider plans from Simons Developments to build a £25m retail park in Haverfordwest, and it will be called the Springfield Retail Warehouse Park.
16-Jun-2005
Video Island has raised £5m from venture debt provider EVP to fund the expansion of its DVD rental service.
13-Jun-2005
Torex Retail has acquired XN Checkout, the supplier of electronic point-of-sale terminals, in a £72m deal.
13-Jun-2005
Land Securities is seeking planning permission to set up a 220,000 sq ft retail development at Cheapside in the City of London.
13-Jun-2005
Uniqlo is planning to expand its chain of six casual clothing stores with a further five sites a year.
13-Jun-2005
Mamas & Papas is to expand its chain of 23 nursery stores with a 10,000 sq ft flagship site on London's Regent Street and three other stores within the M25.
13-Jun-2005
Halfords is planning to open 12 new car parts stores this year, while four will be relocated and 35 mezzanines will be added.
13-Jun-2005
Swansea Council is to consider plans from Thurleigh Estates for the development of a £30m shopping complex at the former David Evans department store in the city centre.
10-Jun-2005
Asda is to announce plans to set up its first store on Anglesey, with the creation of 120 jobs, having bought a site in Llangefni from Safeway.
10-Jun-2005
N Brown, the home shopping group, has sold its personal loans business to an unnamed buyer for £10m.
10-Jun-2005
Asda has bought 12 Safeway stores in Northern Ireland from Morrisons for £74m, and will spend £30m redeveloping the stores.
07-Jun-2005
Focus, the DIY retailer, has started work on the £14m expansion of its distribution centre in Tamworth, and 100 new jobs will be created on completion in November.
06-Jun-2005
Hackett, the outfitter with 12 shops, has been acquired by Torreal of Spain for about £15m.
06-Jun-2005
B&Q is to create 200 jobs at a new DIY store due to open in St Oswald's Park, Gloucester, in September.
06-Jun-2005
Webbs of Wychbold is to create an extra 28 permanent jobs at its garden centre in Worcestershire.
03-Jun-2005
Asda is planning to shed about 200 warehouse jobs and 119 driving jobs at the ADC distribution centre in Pattinson Industrial Estate, Washington, but some of the staff may be redeployed at the new depot due to open nearby later this year.
02-Jun-2005
Snappy Snaps is to acquire the FotoStop Express network of 267 independent photography traders.
02-Jun-2005
Peacocks is planning to open more than 20 new Peacocks clothing stores this year, as well as 20 Bonmarches and 30 Fragrance Shops.
01-Jun-2005
Whisky Shop is planning to open eight new stores in England by mid-2007, and is seeking sites in out-of-town shopping centres and high streets.
01-Jun-2005
Somerfield has sold its Mace wholesale operations in Scotland to Palmer & Harvey McLane, which is expected to lead to the closure of the Aberness Service Centre in Aberdeen with the loss of 75 jobs.
30-May-2005
Vom Fass of Germany is seeking franchisees to expand its UK chain of off-licences to 100 over the next five years.
30-May-2005
The Entertainer is planning to buy the Gadget Shop name out of administration and open between five and ten pilot stores.
30-May-2005
Tesco is to open two trial 30,000 sq ft Homeplus stores in Manchester and Aberdeen, in order to sell clothing, homewares, entertainment and electrical products.
30-May-2005
Kingfisher is to scale down the development of B&Q superstores due to rising rents, and will instead favour "mini-warehouses".
30-May-2005
Dixons is to transfer its main national distribution centre to Newark, adding an extra 350 jobs to the existing 300 at its site off the A17, and a separate scheme is proposed to bring a further 500 jobs to the Newark Industrial Estate.
27-May-2005
Asda has announced plans to build a new supermarket in Pwllheli, Gwynedd, with the creation of 120 jobs.
27-May-2005
Disperse Group is to acquire The Woods of Windsor Group, the distributor and retailer of personal care and fragranced products with 14 shops and 80 concessions, for £4.6m.
26-May-2005
Bondvend, the Wirral-based sportswear company trading as The Soccer Kit Company, has undergone a £1.6m management buy-in.
26-May-2005
Merchant Retail, the chain of 110 perfume shops, has accepted a £222m takeover offer from AS Watson, the Hong Kong-based owner of Superdrug.
25-May-2005
N Brown is to sell Teleview, its Leigh-based television rental business with almost 100 staff, to Martin Dawes of Warrington for £6.3m.
24-May-2005
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has unveiled plans to invest £2m in improvements to outdoor and indoor markets across the city.
24-May-2005
Clark Business Products has merged with Bath-based 1st Office Equipment Group and Bristol-based Braley Reprographics to form a new group called 1st Office, and there are plans to open new franchised shops across the south west.
24-May-2005
Marks & Spencer is planning to refurbish up to 20 stores this year, at a cost of about £300m.
23-May-2005
Silverscreen is on target to open 50 DVD stores this year, having just agreed terms for new sites in Northampton, Gloucester and Worthing.
23-May-2005
Pizza Hut is looking to open a further 75 stores across the country this year.
23-May-2005
Chapelfield, the new £275m shopping centre development due to open in Norwich in September, has started recruiting almost 800 staff for the 90 shops and 15 restaurants.
20-May-2005
Superdrug is planning to spend £75m opening 40 new health and beauty stores by the end of the year, with the creation of 400 jobs, and the 700-stong chain is expected to reach 1,000 by the end of 2008.
20-May-2005
Sainsbury is looking to recruit up to 10,000 staff aged over 50, in order to improve customer service in its supermarkets, but has also announced plans to shed most of the 180 field sales staff in its banking division.
19-May-2005
Homebuy Group has acquired BC Acquisition for £28m, in order to expand its customer base for rented televisions and other electrical equipment.
18-May-2005
Hobbs is expanding its chain of fashion stores from 66 to 90 this year.
17-May-2005
Smythson of Bond Street, the stationery retailer, has been acquired by Kelso Place Asset Management for £16m.
17-May-2005
Joseph, the chain of 63 fashion stores, has been acquired by Onward Kashiyama of Japan for £140m.
17-May-2005
Matalan is to refurbish most of its 187 discount clothing and home furnishings stores over the next three years.
16-May-2005
Animal is planning to open nine action sports stores this year, to add to the existing 23 in the UK and five abroad.
16-May-2005
Lush is planning to expand its chain of 65 cosmetics stores with 18 new sites this year.
16-May-2005
Moda in Pelle is to expand its chain of 27 footwear stores to 56 over the next five years, having secured £2m from Bank of Scotland Corporate.
12-May-2005
Develica is to build an 84,500 sq ft retail park specialising in DIY and bulky goods in Blackwood, South Wales, with the creation of 110 jobs, and work is due to start in August.
11-May-2005
Pringle of Scotland has announced a £7m investment in the expansion of its knitwear outlets in the UK and abroad.
10-May-2005
Somerfield is to acquire 22 forecourt convenience stores from Fuelforce for £1.5m, and will invest £20m in the redevelopment of its total chain of 184 forecourt stores over the next two years.
09-May-2005
Boden, the mail-order clothing company, is to open a further two stores over the next 18 months, following a successful trial in North Acton.
09-May-2005
Sainsbury is to combine the management of its Bells Stores and Jacksons convenience store chains, and new store openings will lead to 665 new jobs across the North over the next two years.
06-May-2005
Pets at Home is to expand its chain of 162 pet stores with 17 new sites this year.
05-May-2005
HMV Group is planning to open ten new Waterstone's book stores and up to 25 HMV music stores over the next 12 months.
05-May-2005
Alliance UniChem has acquired Bairds Chemists, the Northern Ireland-based chain of 50 pharmacies with about 500 staff, for £81m.
05-May-2005
Morrisons has acquired three bakeries in Middlesbrough, Wigan and Lydney from the administrators of Rathbones for £15m, while its Safeway stores on the Channel Islands have been sold to CI Traders for £51m.
03-May-2005
Matalan is to sell its Lee Cooper jeans brand to a private equity consortium that includes Sun Capital for £30m.
03-May-2005
Specsavers is to invest £3m in the expansion of its chain of Hearcare stores from 50 to 100 by the end of the year.
02-May-2005
Fat Face has been acquired by Advent International for an estimated £100m, and is now planning to open up to 20 clothing stores a year.
02-May-2005
JoJo Maman Bebe is planning to open up to 12 maternity stores a year, and is seeking investment of more than £1m.
02-May-2005
The Works, the chain of 230 book stores with 1,600 staff, has undergone a £50m management buy-out backed by Hermes Private Equity.
29-Apr-2005
Phoenix Equity Partners has acquired a majority stake in Bank Stores, the branded clothing retailer with 30 stores, as part of a £30m deal that will see the store network double in size over the next three years.
29-Apr-2005
Dixons is planning to open a further 20 PC City stores in France, and make its first moves into Portugal and Poland.
28-Apr-2005
Legal & General Ventures has sold a portfolio of seven companies to Vision Capital for undisclosed terms, including the TM Group of convenience stores, Trident Components and Coal Products.
28-Apr-2005
John Lewis has announced plans to set up a £40m department store at the proposed Eastgate and Harewood quarter development in Leeds, with the creation of 900 jobs.
27-Apr-2005
Stylo is considering plans to open a further 100 footwear stores over the next two years.
27-Apr-2005
Basebuy has been bought out of administration by a management team, securing 300 jobs at 29 discount clothing stores.
26-Apr-2005
B&Q has won planning permission for a new DIY superstore on the site of the former Norwich livestock market, with the creation of 250 jobs.
25-Apr-2005
Cook is planning to expand its chain of 15 frozen ready meals shops to 30 by the end of 2006.
25-Apr-2005
Darlington Borough Council has selected Discovery Properties of London to build a £90m shopping centre in the town centre, and Debenhams is expected to take the anchor store.
25-Apr-2005
Shop Direct is to create 150 new jobs at its home shopping call centre in Preston.
21-Apr-2005
Altium Capital is to help Eat raise funds for the expansion of its chain of sandwich bars from 41 to 100 over the next few years.
21-Apr-2005
Wilkinson is planning to open a further 22 discount stores this year, to add to the existing 250.
20-Apr-2005
Game is planning to open 70 computer games stores this year, including 45 in continental Europe.
20-Apr-2005
Monsoon has bought 47 stores from Etam for £43m, taking its total chain of fashion stores to about 300.
20-Apr-2005
Debenhams is to recruit 850 jobs for a new distribution centre due to open in Peterborough this summer.
19-Apr-2005
Flying Brands is to acquire Minds Direct, the CD and DVD home shopping retailer, for £0.6m.
19-Apr-2005
Carphone Warehouse is planning to create hundreds of new jobs with the expansion of its Talk Talk landline division and the opening of more mobile phone stores.
18-Apr-2005
Argos is to acquire 33 Index catalogue stores for £44m, while the remaining 126 Index stores will be closed by Littlewoods with the loss of 3,200 jobs.
18-Apr-2005
GameStop of the US is planning to set up a UK chain of video games stores, having just opened the first in Birmingham.
18-Apr-2005
Swatch is planning to open 25 watch stores in towns and cities across the country, to add to the existing 16.
18-Apr-2005
Asda is to relocate the 20-strong design team for its George fashion brand from Lutterworth to Rathbone Place in London.
18-Apr-2005
Poundland is planning to open 30 discount stores a year, taking the total from 121 to 400.
18-Apr-2005
Asprey & Garrard has raised £55m from the sale and leaseback of its Bond Street store in London, in order to fund the international expansion of its luxury goods business.
18-Apr-2005
Co-operative Group is to shed 59 jobs at its distribution centre in Birtley and 137 jobs at its centre in Nottingham, due to the development of a new site in Coventry.
14-Apr-2005
B&Q is seeking permission to set up a distribution centre on the Towers Business Park in Rugeley, with the creation of 700 jobs.
13-Apr-2005
Laminate Flooring Direct, the Middlesbrough-based chain of 22 flooring stores, has been bought out of administration by LF Direct for undisclosed terms.
11-Apr-2005
Sunderland Council is considering plans from Prudential Assurance Company for the £10m expansion of the Galleries shopping centre in Washington over the next two years, including 100,000sq ft of additional shopping space.
11-Apr-2005
Subway, the sandwich retailer, is planning to open concessions in 400 convenience stores and groceries over the next five years.
11-Apr-2005
Hotel Chocolat is planning to open ten chocolate stores this year, following a successful trial in Watford.
11-Apr-2005
Debenhams is considering plans to open up to 130 Desire small-format stores, depending on the success of a trial in Truro.
11-Apr-2005
Underfivepounds.com is planning to expand its chain of discount homeware stores from four to eight sites this year.
11-Apr-2005
Blueheath has acquired CTM Wholesale, the Wrexham-based grocery wholesaler, for up to £4.9m.
11-Apr-2005
Etam has sold its UK-based chain of 209 fashion stores to the owner of Arcadia for undisclosed terms, and about 50 of the sites are expected to be sold on to other retailers.
11-Apr-2005
Domino's Pizza is to invest £2m opening nine pizza outlets in Liverpool, with the creation of 250 jobs.
07-Apr-2005
Homebase, the DIY retailer, is to relocate a number of head office functions and up to 500 jobs from Wallington to parent company Argos Retail Group's site in Milton Keynes.
07-Apr-2005
Headlam Group has acquired the retail division of Gaskell Flooring, which trades as Gaskell Wool Rich and Tomkinson Carpets, for £0.4m.
05-Apr-2005
Kleeneze has acquired Kitbag Sports, the internet sports retailer, for £6m.
05-Apr-2005
Cash Generator is planning to expand its chain of 75 second-hand stores in the UK and Europe to 250 over the next five years.
04-Apr-2005
Colliers CRE is to provide property advice to Islandrive for plans to set up a chain of 30 drive-through coffee shops.
04-Apr-2005
Cushman & Wakefield is to advise KA International of Spain with plans to expand its chain of furniture stores with up to 80 new sites in the UK.
04-Apr-2005
Tesco is in negotiations to set up a 500,000 sq ft distribution centre at Barlborough Links near Chesterfield.
04-Apr-2005
Asda is planning to open 15 pharmacies this year, following the relaxation of pharmacy opening regulations.
04-Apr-2005
Mothercare is planning to open up to ten more stores this year, while a further five will be refurbished.
04-Apr-2005
Aberdeenshire Council is considering plans from Northburn Developments to build a £15m retail park with seven units in Inverurie.
30-Mar-2005
T&G is planning to double its chain of six nautical-themed clothing stores this year.
30-Mar-2005
Wildlife Works is to raise £1.5m in a share placing to fund the development of a new conservation-based fashion brand, and a chain of concessions will be opened in department stores.
30-Mar-2005
Sainsbury is planning to relocate its IT staff back to its Holborn headquarters in London, as part of the renegotiation of its outsourcing contract with Accenture.
30-Mar-2005
Music Zone, the chain of 54 record stores with 500 staff, is to undergo a management buy-out, and there are plans to expand the network to 100 sites.
29-Mar-2005
Next is planning to expand its chain of fashion stores with an additional 800,000 sq ft of selling space this year.
29-Mar-2005
Newbury Town Council is inviting developers to propose plans to build a Mediterranean-style shopping plaza in the town centre.
23-Mar-2005
House of Fraser has agreed to acquire Jenners, the Edinburgh-based department store with 750 staff, for £46m, and will retain the Jenners name.
22-Mar-2005
House of Fraser is planning to expand its chain of 50 stores with 20 new sites over the next ten years, and is interested in locations such as York and Cambridge.
21-Mar-2005
Kingfisher is to open five B&Q Warehouse branches this year, while its smaller chain of Mini-Warehouses will be expanded with 22 more conversions and ten new sites.
21-Mar-2005
Bright Futures is planning to expand its chain of 30 Scootermart mobility products stores to 150 over the next five years.
21-Mar-2005
Lidl is planning to double its chain of 18 discount stores in the north-east over the next five years, and may also set up a new distribution centre, with the creation of up to 900 jobs.
21-Mar-2005
TJ Hughes is planning to open a further six discount stores across the country with the creation of about 400 jobs, taking the total chain to 44 outlets.
17-Mar-2005
MDA is to create about 260 jobs at its new £5m promotional goods warehouse in Blackburn over the next two years.
15-Mar-2005
Greggs is planning to create 650 jobs at its bakery operations throughout the country over the next year.
15-Mar-2005
Wrexham Council is to consider plans from Wilson Bowden for a £95m retail development in the town centre, including a Debenhams department store and up to 40 smaller units.
15-Mar-2005
Restormel Borough Council has approved plans for the £40m regeneration of the shopping facilities in St Austell town centre.
14-Mar-2005
Bathstore is planning to expand its chain of 70 bathroom shops with 30 new stores this year and 50 in 2006.
14-Mar-2005
Ecco is planning to expand its chain of ten shoe shops with up to 20 new sites over the next three years, including seven this year.
14-Mar-2005
Waitrose, the food retailer, is planning to open six stores this year, while 74 will be refurbished and six extended.
14-Mar-2005
Somerfield is planning to expand its chain of 48 Essentials convenience stores with a further 23 sites over the next year.
14-Mar-2005
Tesco has reached agreement with Rosemound and British Land to set up a 750,000 sq ft distribution centre at the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal.
14-Mar-2005
Pavers has won permission from City of York Council to set up a £3m 40,000 sq ft shoe distribution centre in Poppleton, securing 45 jobs and creating 55 new ones.
10-Mar-2005
Unwins, the off-licence chain with 388 stores, has been acquired by DM Private Equity for about £32m, and DM plans to sell the wholesale business and close 10% of the stores.
08-Mar-2005
Travis Perkins is planning to expand its chain of builders' merchants with 70 new sites this year, while its Wickes DIY chain will open fewer than ten stores.
08-Mar-2005
Lloyd Maunder is to acquire the Dewhurst chain of 109 butcher shops, which will involve the transfer of 500 staff.
07-Mar-2005
Devernois of France is planning to expand its UK-based chain of fashion stores from two to 12 over the next three years.
07-Mar-2005
Hyndburn Borough Council is to consider plans from Peel Holdings for the £26m revamp of the Peel Centre in Accrington, in order to attract larger retailers and create hundreds of jobs.
02-Mar-2005
Tesco is seeking permission from Hastings Borough Council to rebuild its supermarket in St Leonards, with the creation of 120 new jobs.
02-Mar-2005
Littlewoods is planning to relocate its home shopping business and 1,500 staff from Crosby to a new multi-million pound site at Netherton's Senate business park.
28-Feb-2005
Carphone Warehouse is planning to open 100 mobile phone stores this year, having identified 300 potential sites.
28-Feb-2005
Slater Menswear is planning to expand its chain of 20 stores to at least 25 this year.
28-Feb-2005
Olio & Farina, the Italian food and kitchenware retailer, is to set up a franchise operation in the UK with its first store opening in St Albans in March.
28-Feb-2005
Morrisons is to recruit 350 staff for a new supermarket due to open at Easterhouse in Glasgow in the summer.
25-Feb-2005
Asda is seeking permission to build a superstore at Pickering Street in north Liverpool, with the creation of 250 jobs.
24-Feb-2005
Stockton Council is considering proposals for the £24m refurbishment of Billingham Forum, as part of a town centre regeneration plan.
23-Feb-2005
Habitat, the furniture retailer, is planning to set up a flagship store on London's Regent Street, and is also seeking co-location sites with Borders nationwide.
21-Feb-2005
Asda is to spend £600m on its expansion programme this year, including 20 new stores, 20 refurbishments and 6,000 new jobs.
21-Feb-2005
Asda is to relocate its Bearsden superstore in Glasgow to a new 55,000 sq ft site nearby later this year, with the creation of 200 jobs.
18-Feb-2005
Bells Stores is to expand its Teesside-based chain of 55 convenience stores with eight new sites this year, as part of a £5m investment programme approved by new parent company Sainsbury.
17-Feb-2005
House of Fraser is to open a new 140,000 sq ft department store in Bristol in 2008, as part of an extension of the Broadmead shopping centre.
17-Feb-2005
Foyles is to open its second London book store at the Royal Festival Hall in June, and is also planning to expand overseas.
16-Feb-2005
Rossendale Council is to consider plans from Hurstwood Group for the £30m redevelopment of Rawtenstall town centre, including new shops, restaurants and leisure facilities.
14-Feb-2005
Ponden Mill, the home furnishings retailer with 132 stores, has been acquired by Marston Mills for undisclosed terms.
14-Feb-2005
Smile Stores has acquired Nugent Westward, the chain of 25 convenience stores in the south west, taking its total network to 110.
14-Feb-2005
Fat Face is planning to expand its chain of 90 fashion stores with 20 new sites a year, and will use a larger format in major city centres and regional malls.
14-Feb-2005
TM Lewin is to expand its chain of 21 clothing stores with eight new sites this year.
14-Feb-2005
Asda is seeking permission to develop a £40m 380,000 sq ft clothing distribution centre in Washington, Wearside, by the end of 2006, with the creation of 700 jobs.
10-Feb-2005
Trago Mills has won permission from Teignbridge Council to invest £7m in the development of a new garden centre and other facilities at its store near Newton Abbot.
09-Feb-2005
New Look has announced that 70 staff have agreed to relocate from Weymouth to a new distribution centre in Staffordshire in September.
09-Feb-2005
Jimmy Chung's is planning to spend £2m expanding its Chinese restaurant chain with new outlets in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
08-Feb-2005
East Coast Group has acquired Bebecar, the London-based supplier of nursery products with 20 staff, for undisclosed terms.
07-Feb-2005
GlynWebb, the chain of 26 DIY stores, is to invest £3.5m in new outlets and refurbishments this year.
07-Feb-2005
Phase Eight, the chain of 46 fashion stores and 44 concessions, has undergone a £27m management buy-out and is now planning a major expansion programme.
07-Feb-2005
Hancocks Cash & Carry is to open a 15,000 sq ft depot in Watford and is also seeking suitable sites in Berkshire, Kent and Essex.
07-Feb-2005
Caffe Nero is to continue expanding its chain of 198 coffee bars with 40 new sites a year.
07-Feb-2005
Scotmid has awarded a £3.5m contract to Morrison Construction to build a new headquarters at Newbridge, near Edinburgh.
03-Feb-2005
Rubicon, the owner of the Principles and Warehouse fashion chains, has been acquired by Shoe Studio Group in a £140m deal backed by Baugur.
03-Feb-2005
Asda is planning to open 30 jewellery counters, 30 photo centres and six optical departments in its stores, with the creation of 800 jobs.
01-Feb-2005
Artigiano, the mail order fashion company, is planning to set up a 30,000 sq ft distribution centre in Cowes.
01-Feb-2005
Co-op is to build a new regional distribution centre in West Thurrock, with the relocation of up to 550 staff from two existing sites in Gillingham and Swanley.
31-Jan-2005
Ocado has secured a £15m equity investment to help fund the expansion of its online food retailing business.
31-Jan-2005
Thresher is to shed about 120 head office and field management jobs, in order to focus on the expansion of its chain of off-licences.
31-Jan-2005
Storey Carpets is planning to open 16 stores over the next two years, including new sites for all three of its fascias - Storey, Walter Wall Carpets and Woodland Floors.
31-Jan-2005
Crew Clothing is planning to expand its chain of 30 sports fashion stores with five new outlets this year.
31-Jan-2005
Racing Green is planning to open a further 15 fashion stores over the next two years.
31-Jan-2005
Jaeger is planning to open at least ten fashion stores and concessions over the next year, to add to the existing 89.
26-Jan-2005
Cook is planning to expand its chain of 14 frozen meal shops with ten new sites a year, and will open a £1.5m 31,000 sq ft production facility in Sittingbourne in August.
24-Jan-2005
Dixons is planning to relocate up to 40 of its 300 Currys electrical stores away from "fashion-led" retail parks over the next three years, due to the comparatively high rents.
24-Jan-2005
Corby Council is considering plans from Tops Estates for the development of a £35m shopping mall at Willow Place.
24-Jan-2005
Hobbs is planning to expand its chain of fashion stores in market towns across the country, and expects to open 16 concessions this year.
24-Jan-2005
Debenhams is planning to expand its chain of 107 department stores with at least 25 new sites by 2008.
24-Jan-2005
Netto is planning to open 70 discount supermarkets in south Wales, with the creation of 1,700 jobs.
21-Jan-2005
Tesco is planning to build a superstore in Rutherglen, Glasgow, with the creation of 350 jobs, as part of a £40m redevelopment project by Vico Property Group.
20-Jan-2005
City of Edinburgh Council is to consider plans from the Fountain North consortium for the £200m redevelopment of eight acres of S&N's Fountainbridge brewery site, including new shops, offices and homes.
19-Jan-2005
Bestway has agreed to acquire Batleys, the Leeds-based chain of 18 cash and carry depots with 2,500 staff, for undisclosed terms.
19-Jan-2005
Tragus Holdings, the chain of 157 Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia restaurants, has been acquired by Legal & General Ventures for about £92m, and plans to open at least 12 new sites a year.
19-Jan-2005
Gaucho Grill, the chain of Argentine restaurants, has undergone a £23m management buy-out backed by Barclays Private Equity, and there are plans to double the eight-strong chain over the next four years.
19-Jan-2005
WestLB is said to be planning to sell the Boxclever TV rental business to Fortress Investor Group and Cerberus Capital for an estimated £140m.
18-Jan-2005
John Cheatle Group has acquired the Rawcliffes chain of 19 schoolwear shops for undisclosed terms, taking its total network to 70.
17-Jan-2005
Virgin Megastores is planning to open ten shops and refurbish 30 this year, but up to 30 underperforming stores will close.
17-Jan-2005
Bestway is in talks to acquire Batleys, which could lead to the creation of a combined chain of 50 cash and carry depots.
13-Jan-2005
Asda is seeking permission to build a superstore at Horn Hill in Lowestoft, with the creation of up to 250 jobs.
13-Jan-2005
Robert Dyas is planning to expand its chain of 85 hardware stores with 25 new sites this year.
11-Jan-2005
Superquinn, the Irish grocery retailer, is to be acquired by Select Retail Holdings for £244m, and the new owners may expand the business into Northern Ireland.
10-Jan-2005
Craghoppers is planning to open a further 30 outdoor clothing concessions this year.
10-Jan-2005
Domino's Pizza is planning to expand its chain of 300 pizza outlets over the next three years, including four new sites in Northern Ireland.
10-Jan-2005
Morrisons is seeking permission to build a superstore at Foss Islands Road in York, with the creation of 350 jobs.
10-Jan-2005
Scottish Co-op is to invest £16m in expanding and improving its chain of stores this year, including new stores in Moodiesburn, near Glasgow, and Balmedie, near Aberdeen.
07-Jan-2005