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Retailing 2006
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The information below comes from the UK Activity Report.
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Asda is considering plans to set up a 655,000 sq ft distribution centre in Carcroft, South Yorkshire, in order to replace the Corby depot that is due to close in July 2007 with the loss of up to 250 jobs. 21-Dec-2006

Pet Supermarket is planning to relocate its pet supplies warehouse in Jarrow to a new 30,000 sq ft site by the end of 2007, and is seeking external investment to help expand the business with about 60 new staff over the next five years. 19-Dec-2006

Sainsbury's is looking into the possibility of relocating hundreds of staff from its London headquarters to sites in Watford, Farnborough, Hatfield and Leeds, having appointed Cushman & Wakefield to assess the cost implications. 18-Dec-2006

Sainsbury's is in negotiations to set up an 800,000 sq ft distribution centre at the Pineham scheme in Northamptonshire, while Morrisons is considering a 300,000 sq ft site in Swindon and Tesco an 850,000 sq ft site in Andover. 18-Dec-2006

Bloomfield Shopping Centre in Bangor is to undergo a £20m extension by May 2007, in order to create three new units and up to 200 jobs. 15-Dec-2006

JT Morgan is to relocate its Swansea department store to the Thurleigh development on Princess Way, which is due for completion in 2008. 15-Dec-2006

Beanscene is planning to expand its chain of 13 coffee houses in Scotland to 45 by 2009, and is also looking to move into England. 14-Dec-2006

Carpetright is looking to double its chain of carpet stores in continental Europe to 200, including up to 70 in Poland. 13-Dec-2006

Coletta & Tyson is to shed about 60 of the 250 jobs at its ornamental plants business near Beverley in February 2007. 12-Dec-2006

Co-operative Group is in merger discussions with United Co-operatives, which would create a combined group with 86,000 staff and 2,300 food stores. 12-Dec-2006

Cybertill is planning to expand the workforce at its St Helens-based retail technology business from 50 to 100 in 2007. 11-Dec-2006

Land Securities is to seek planning permission to extend the Buchanan Galleries shopping centre in Glasgow by 400,000 sq ft. 11-Dec-2006

Jysk of Denmark is said to be planning to open franchised furniture stores in the UK, as part of an international expansion programme. 11-Dec-2006

Tobar Group is planning to expand its chain of 30 Hawkin's Bazaar toy shops in 2007, having identified 50 potential sites. 11-Dec-2006

Passion for Perfume is planning to expand its chain of 34 perfume shops with about 12 new sites in 2007. 11-Dec-2006

United Auctions is seeking planning permission for a new £10m mart at Hill of Drip near Stirling. 07-Dec-2006

Tesco is to acquire eight Makro cash-and-carry stores in Malaysia for £80m, and will convert them to its Extra hypermarket format. 07-Dec-2006

Wokingham District Council has approved plans from Rock Investment Group for the £80m redevelopment of Wokingham town centre, including 27 new shops and 137 flats. 05-Dec-2006

Consolidated Vending is to raise £1.3m in a share placing on Aim to fund the expansion of its photo booth business. 04-Dec-2006

Coffee Republic has agreed a regional development franchise with CR Direct to open coffee bars in Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. 04-Dec-2006

Farmers' City Market is planning to open its first supermarket in Kingston-upon-Thames and an online shopping service, and hopes to develop a nationwide chain of outlets. 04-Dec-2006

Tesco is seeking permission to expand its Purley Extra superstore in Croydon from 82,000 sq ft to 139,000 sq ft, which would be the country's largest supermarket. 04-Dec-2006

Bestway is planning to invest £11m in the development of two new wholesale depots in Gillingham, Kent, and Edmonton, north London, in 2007. 04-Dec-2006

Day Birger et Mikkelsen of Denmark is planning to open up to eight womenswear stores in the UK next year, followed by a few menswear stores in 2008. 04-Dec-2006

Buffalo David Bitton of the US is planning to open fashion stores in London, Brighton, Croydon and Kingston-upon-Thames, and believes there is potential for up to 50 sites. 04-Dec-2006

Halfords is planning to expand its chain of 420 stores in the UK and Ireland with 15 to 20 new sites a year. 04-Dec-2006

Kingfisher is planning to expand its chain of four Trade Depot DIY stores to nine over the next 15 months. 04-Dec-2006

Carpetright is expected to set up a 490,000 sq ft carpet distribution centre at Gazeley's Ultrabox site in Purfleet, Kent. 04-Dec-2006

Tesco is considering plans to set up an 850,000 sq ft distribution centre at Fradley Park in Lichfield. 04-Dec-2006

Pret a Manger is planning to open 20 new outlets a year for the next three years, and will also introduce kiosks into retail parks, airports and railway stations. 04-Dec-2006

Pizza Hut is planning to open 35 new outlets a year on retail and leisure parks, having appointed Colliers CRE to advise on its expansion programme. 04-Dec-2006

Barnsley Council is to consider plans from Dransfield Properties for the £15m redevelopment of the Penistone markets area, including a new retail market, car park and Tesco supermarket. 01-Dec-2006

Tesco has won council backing to build a £10m 50,000 sq ft superstore in Peterhead, with the creation of up to 300 jobs. 30-Nov-2006

Ecko Unlimited of the US is planning to start opening fashion stores in London and other European cities. 27-Nov-2006

Juicy Juicy is planning to open ten more juice bars over the next 18 months, and has a target list of 23 cities. 27-Nov-2006

Daiso of Japan is looking to open discount stores in the UK and continental Europe. 27-Nov-2006

Homebase is planning to refurbish up to 100 small DIY stores over the next three years. 27-Nov-2006

Crew is planning to expand its chain of 34 fashion stores with up to 12 new sites a year for the next four years. 27-Nov-2006

Peacocks, the discount clothing retailer, is seeking a suitable site to open a flagship store on London's Oxford Street in 2007. 27-Nov-2006

Debenhams has agreed to set up a 94,000 sq ft department store at the £235m Markets Project in Barnsley, which will include 475,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space and is due for completion in 2011. 27-Nov-2006

Big Yellow is planning to expand its chain of 42 self-storage stores with 19 new sites. 27-Nov-2006

Virgin Group is planning to delist its Victory Corporation cosmetics and jewellery subsidiary, in order to restructure the business and focus on selling through TV and the internet. 27-Nov-2006

WH Smith is planning to open 50 stores in motorway service stations, in partnership with Moto Hospitality and Swayfield Group. 27-Nov-2006

Marks & Spencer is to invest £35m in improvements to seven of its 14 stores in Northern Ireland in 2007, with the creation of 250 jobs. 24-Nov-2006

ScS Upholstery is planning to expand its chain of 88 sofa stores to 100 in 2007. 22-Nov-2006

Sterling Mills is planning to expand its shopping village in Clackmannanshire by 25,000 sq ft, with the creation of up to 100 jobs. 21-Nov-2006

South Kesteven District Council has approved plans from East Anglia Co-op for the development of a £10m shopping complex in Bourne, while One Medical is to build a medical centre at the nearby Southfields Business Park. 21-Nov-2006

Whitbread is planning to double its UK chain of Costa coffee shops to 800 by 2010, and its 147 overseas outlets will also expand. 20-Nov-2006

Hawes & Curtis is looking to further expand its chain of 20 shirt stores, having opened a 6,000 sq ft outlet on London's Jermyn Street. 20-Nov-2006

Robert Dyas is planning to open a further ten hardware stores in London and the South East over the next six months. 20-Nov-2006

Neal's Yard Remedies is planning to expand its chain of 24 natural health stores with new outlets in London, Exeter and Leamington Spa. 20-Nov-2006

Burberry, the luxury goods company, is planning to expand its store space by 14% a year over the next five years. 15-Nov-2006

Somerfield is planning to outsource its IT department to India, with the loss of up to 120 jobs in Bristol. 15-Nov-2006

BP is planning to develop a nationwide network of 150 franchised BP Connect and Wild Bean Cafe outlets by 2010, to add to the existing 170 company-owned sites. 15-Nov-2006

Sainsbury's is looking to open between 30 and 45 new stores in the North West over the next five years, as part of a plan to open 200 nationwide. 13-Nov-2006

JD Sports has appointed property agency Capa to dispose of about 40 stores across the country. 13-Nov-2006

Ilva is planning to set up a clearance outlet at its 650,000 sq ft homewares distribution centre in Doncaster, in order to sell damaged goods and customer returns. 13-Nov-2006

Harlequin Restaurants is considering plans to create a nationwide network of fast-food outlets in shopping malls, depending on the success of two new sites in Dundee. 10-Nov-2006

O2 has sold 46 mobile phone stores to Orange, as part of the ongoing reorganisation of its network following the acquisition of The Link. 09-Nov-2006

Modus Properties and CIREF are planning to invest £7.5m in the expansion of the Birchwood Shopping Centre in Warrington by spring 2008, creating ten new stores and up to 100 jobs. 08-Nov-2006

John Lewis is looking to invest £350m in the development of a further ten department stores at undisclosed locations throughout the country, in addition to the 11 new sites announced previously. 08-Nov-2006

Marks & Spencer is looking to expand its chain of Simply Food stores from 187 to 400, and is also planning to expand its overall store space by between 15 and 20% over the next five years. 08-Nov-2006

Bridgend Council is to consider plans from William Ewart Properties next year for the expansion of the Rhiw shopping centre in Bridgend from 100,000 sq ft to 300,000 sq ft. 08-Nov-2006

Fishworks is planning to expand its chain of 11 fishmonger and restaurant outlets to 19 by summer 2008. 08-Nov-2006

Cooltrader is planning to expand its chain of 40 frozen food stores with ten new outlets a year, including the first sites in southern England. 08-Nov-2006

Asda is planning to expand the number of stores offering online shopping from 91 to 157 by October 2007, with the creation of 1,800 jobs. 06-Nov-2006

BrightHouse is looking to expand its chain of 145 hire-purchase electricals and homewares stores with at least 100 new sites. 06-Nov-2006

CMC is to close its carpet and furniture stores in Norfolk with the loss of 40 jobs, including outlets in Norwich, Lowestoft, Pulham and Dereham. 31-Oct-2006

Yarmouth Borough Council has approved plans for a multi-million pound extension to the Market Gates shopping centre, in order to attract new retailers to Yarmouth. 30-Oct-2006

Phase Eight, the fashion retailer valued at about £60m, is expected to be put up for sale by Barclays Private Equity. 30-Oct-2006

Coffee Republic is planning to open up to 20 franchised coffee bars in each UK region over the next five years. 30-Oct-2006

Home Bargains is planning to expand its chain of 140 discount household stores with up to 25 new sites over the next four years. 30-Oct-2006

Coppernob is planning to open up to 30 womenswear concessions in department stores over the coming months, including Debenhams and House of Fraser sites. 30-Oct-2006

Stationery Box has appointed Grant Thornton to conduct a strategic review of its 137 stationery stores. 30-Oct-2006

Joy is planning to expand its chain of 15 fashion stores to 30 over the next year. 30-Oct-2006

Kirklees Council is to consider plans for the multi-million pound expansion of Huddersfield's 300,000 sq ft Kingsgate shopping centre, including three possible options worth up to £100m. 27-Oct-2006

Timpson is to expand its chain of 565 shoe repair branches with 30 new outlets over the next 12 months, while more than 100 outlets are being refitted at a cost of £1.5m. 26-Oct-2006

Homebase is to relocate its DHL Exel Supply Chain distribution centre and up to 250 jobs from Northampton's Brackmills industrial estate to Wellingborough from next May. 25-Oct-2006

Hutchison 3G is planning to open 120 mobile phone stores on high streets by the end of the year, including 73 Link outlets acquired from O2. 25-Oct-2006

Debenhams has agreed deals to open 26 new department stores over the next four years, and a further 70 will open overseas. 25-Oct-2006

Hyper Value is to close up to nine of its 15 discount stores in Wales, and stores in Cheltenham, Gloucester, Southampton, and Weston are being sold to Buyology. 24-Oct-2006

B&Q is to shed at least 20 night shift jobs at its DIY stores in Kidderminster and Wolverhampton. 24-Oct-2006

NTL Telewest is planning to open a network of stores next year, in order to improve its customer service reputation and benefit from a relaunch under the Virgin brand. 23-Oct-2006

Mothercare is to invest up to £23m in the refurbishment of its out-of-town stores. 23-Oct-2006

Marks & Spencer is said to be considering plans to set up a chain of homeware and furniture stores of less than 20,000 sq ft on retail parks. 23-Oct-2006

Kingfisher is planning to expand its chain of 30 Screwfix Direct outlets to 100 by next year, having appointed Colliers CRE to find suitable sites. 23-Oct-2006

Holland & Barrett is planning to open 25 new health food stores over the next 12 months, to add to the existing 500. 23-Oct-2006

Topps Tiles is planning to open a further 30 of its new-look tile stores by the end of 2007. 23-Oct-2006

Clinton Cards is planning to close a further 90 stores by next July, but up to 15 new outlets will open under both the Clinton Cards and Birthdays fascias. 23-Oct-2006

Wickes is looking to expand its chain of 179 DIY stores with up to 140 new sites. 23-Oct-2006

East of England Co-operative Society is investing £40m in the expansion of its chain of 200 trading outlets in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, including new stores and refurbishments. 20-Oct-2006

Tesco is planning a multi-million pound investment in its three stores in Braintree, with the creation of up to 200 jobs. 20-Oct-2006

Styles & Wood, the Manchester-based shopfitting company with 300 staff at four sites, is planning a flotation next month with a valuation of about £100m. 19-Oct-2006

Adidas is to open its first UK sports store at a JJB outlet in Liverpool's Williamson Square. 18-Oct-2006

Midlands Co-op is planning to refurbish 70 of its 163 convenience stores and supermarkets next year. 18-Oct-2006

Planet Organic has secured funding to expand its London-based chain of three natural food stores with four new outlets within the M25. 18-Oct-2006

Hargreaves Contracting has won a contract to refurbish and build seven stores in the North West for discount supermarket chain Aldi. 17-Oct-2006

Asda is considering the future of its Hunters Road distribution centre in Corby, casting doubt on the future of up to 350 jobs. 16-Oct-2006

Sweaty Betty is planning to expand its chain of 23 sportswear stores from 23 to 50 over the next three years. 16-Oct-2006

Elvi is planning to expand its chain of 25 fashion stores to 48 over the next three years, and is also looking to open 15 more concessions. 16-Oct-2006

Adams Childrenswear is to change its name to Myriad Childrenswear Group, and plans to open 15 new stores by next summer. 16-Oct-2006

Ink Shop is considering plans to set up a nationwide chain of 200 franchised printing outlets by 2017. 13-Oct-2006

Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield is to undergo a £91m expansion project by next summer, including the creation of a new upper mall and hundreds of new jobs. 13-Oct-2006

Kirklees Council has outlined plans for the £200m redevelopment of Huddersfield town centre, including 60 new shop units, offices, apartments, a 100-bed hotel, a library and an art gallery. 12-Oct-2006

AS Watson is to close the Darlington head office of its Savers health and beauty chain next year with the loss of up to 83 jobs, in order to combine it with the Superdrug office in Croydon. 11-Oct-2006

Martin Groundland & Co is planning to more than double its Symingtons and Red Contemporary jewellery stores to 40 by 2011, and is seeking prime locations throughout the country. 11-Oct-2006

Fareham Borough Council is to consider plans from Dominion Trust for a 31,000 sq ft extension to the Fareham Shopping Centre. 11-Oct-2006

Argos is planning to open up to 35 smaller city centre stores of about 5,000 sq ft over the next five years. 10-Oct-2006

Tesco has won planning permission from East Lothian Council to build a new store in North Berwick, with the creation of up to 150 jobs. 09-Oct-2006

Halfords is planning to launch a nationwide chain of Bike Hut bicycle stores, depending on the success of three pilot stores. 09-Oct-2006

Red5 is seeking investment to open a further 20 gadget stores next year, to add to the existing three. 09-Oct-2006

Internacionale is planning to expand its chain of 75 Au Naturale homeware stores to 200 over the next five years. 09-Oct-2006

QS, the chain of 207 discount clothing stores, is to close its Brighton head office next month, in order to consolidate its support and distribution operations in Solihull. 09-Oct-2006

Jessops is planning to expand its chain of 293 photography stores with 15 new sites over the next 12 months. 09-Oct-2006

Ilva is considering plans to expand its chain of three homeware stores with new sites in Reading and Milton Keynes next year. 09-Oct-2006

Auntie Anne's of the US is looking to expand its chain of six pretzel stores in the UK, having appointed GVA Grimley to find suitable sites. 09-Oct-2006

Explore Learning is planning to expand its chain of 13 children's learning centres into high streets and shopping centres, and hopes to reach 60 sites by 2009. 09-Oct-2006

Tesco is to create up to 250 jobs at a new supermarket due to open in Enniskillen in autumn 2007. 06-Oct-2006

Carluccio's is planning to expand its London-based chain of restaurants into new regions by opening five new sites a year, starting with the South West. 05-Oct-2006

Screwfix Direct is to create at least 300 jobs at a new 545,000 sq ft distribution centre at Primepoint 14 in Stafford next year. 04-Oct-2006

Foo-Go is looking to set up a nationwide chain of 40 sandwich shops, depending on the success of its first outlet in Lincoln. 04-Oct-2006

Morrisons is to close its distribution centre at Prologis Park in Coventry, and operators DHL and Exel will shed up to 200 jobs unless an alternative contract can be found. 03-Oct-2006

Bassetlaw Council has approved plans from Centenary Investments for the £7m expansion of the Priory shopping centre in Worksop, including two new large stores and a number of smaller units. 03-Oct-2006

Trago Mills is to set up a new shopping centre on a 120-acre site near Merthyr Tydfil by 2008, with the creation of 350 jobs. 02-Oct-2006

Handleman UK is to set up a £17m 275,000 sq ft home entertainment goods distribution centre at the Wingates industrial estate in Bolton, with the creation of 300 jobs over the next few months. 02-Oct-2006

West Lothian Council has approved plans from Land Securities for the £90m expansion of the Almondvale shopping centre in Livingston, including over 350,000 sq ft of new retail space. 02-Oct-2006

Bhs is looking to invest at least £100m in improvements to its chain of high-street stores, following a fall in clothing sales. 02-Oct-2006

Superdrug is planning to expand its Superdrug and Savers health and beauty stores from 1,175 to 1,800 over the next ten years, as part of an expansion programme that will include a new 536,000 sq ft distribution centre in Dunstable in 2008. 02-Oct-2006

Sainsbury's has selected Wincanton to control warehouse and transport operations for 220 northern convenience stores, including a new distribution centre in South Yorkshire. 02-Oct-2006

Next is considering plans to step up the rate of expansion of its Next Home homeware stores, with its second site opening at the Lakeside Retail Park in Thurrock. 02-Oct-2006

United Co-operatives is to close its supermarket in Saltney, Flintshire, in November, with the loss of 47 jobs. 28-Sep-2006

Land of Leather is planning to expand its chain of 85 furniture stores with 56 new sites in the UK and Ireland by 2012. 28-Sep-2006

Morrisons has won approval from Dundee City Council to build a multi-million pound superstore on Forfar Road. 27-Sep-2006

United Co-operatives, the Rochdale-based chain of 530 food stores with 16,000 staff, is in merger talks with Sheffield Co-operative Society, which has 36 stores and 1,200 staff. 27-Sep-2006

Eden District Council has approved plans for the £77m redevelopment of Penrith town centre, including a Sainsbury's superstore, other shops and a new square. 26-Sep-2006

Botterills is planning to expand its Scottish chain of 44 convenience stores with two new sites by the end of the year. 25-Sep-2006

Signature Brands is looking to sell the Paul Costelloe fashion label and its chain of six stores, having hired Cavendish Corporate Finance to conduct an auction. 25-Sep-2006

Dunelm, the chain of 82 home furnishings stores, is planning a flotation that will value the business at up to £400m next month, in order to raise its profile and support its expansion programme. 25-Sep-2006

Kwik Save is looking to raise £30m to secure the future of its chain of discount supermarkets. 25-Sep-2006

Laura Ashley is planning to expand its chain of 178 clothing and homewares stores with up to 20 new sites over the next year. 25-Sep-2006

Hughes & Hughes of Ireland is expanding into the UK, having been selected as preferred bidder to operate a bookshop at Heathrow's Terminal Five. 25-Sep-2006

JOY is to expand its chain of ten fashion stores with four new sites over the next month, and is also planning to set up a chain of up to five Hob kitchen wear stores over the next year. 25-Sep-2006

Beard Papa of Japan is planning to open up to 25 bakery outlets across the UK over the next five years, starting with three sites in central London. 25-Sep-2006

Coventry City Council is to consider plans from Stoford Developments for the £23m redevelopment of a two-acre site on Bishop Street, including new shops, offices and apartments. 22-Sep-2006

Ringtons is planning to open up to 100 tea and coffee shops across the country over the next ten years, with the first sites opening in Cambridge, Canterbury and Brighton. 22-Sep-2006

Woolworths is planning to open 100 new stores over the next five years, while up to 25 of its larger sites will be closed. 21-Sep-2006

Hambleton District Council has approved plans from Rokeby Developments for a £8m retail development on a 2.5-acre site in Northallerton, including units for Homebase and Halfords. 20-Sep-2006

Sher Brothers is to open a new cash and carry depot near the Kingston Bridge in Glasgow next month, with the creation of 70 jobs. 20-Sep-2006

Tesco is planning to set up six more regional buying offices across the country, making it easier for small local suppliers to approach the company. 20-Sep-2006

Patisserie Valerie, the London-based chain of 11 upmarket cafes, has sold an 80% stake in the business to Risk Capital Partners, and is now looking to expand outside London. 19-Sep-2006

Westfield has unveiled plans to open a new £1.6bn shopping mall at Shepherd's Bush in London in 2008, including flagship stores for Debenhams, Waitrose, M&S and Next and 265 smaller units. 19-Sep-2006

West Dorset District Council has selected Simons for the redevelopment of Dorchester town centre, including up to 120,000 sq ft of retail units. 18-Sep-2006

RoadChef, the operator of 20 motorway service stations, is expected to be sold after Nikko Principle Finance shortlisted four potential purchasers for its 52% stake. 18-Sep-2006

McDonald's has appointed GVA Grimley to advise on the expansion of its chain of fast food properties, including up to 50 new sites a year and relocations. 18-Sep-2006

Dobbies Garden Centres is to open a 50,000 sq ft garden centre at Fife Leisure Park in May 2007 and a 45,000 sq ft site in Sheffield in autumn 2007. 18-Sep-2006

Dwell is planning to expand its chain of two furniture stores to 20 by 2010, and is seeking 10,000 sq ft sites in major cities. 18-Sep-2006

Morrisons is to close its 28,000 sq ft supermarket in Tunbridge Wells in October with the loss of up to 116 jobs. 15-Sep-2006

Kettering Borough Council is supporting plans from Bee Bee Developments to build a £16m six-storey building in Station Road, including shops, offices and flats. 13-Sep-2006

Austin Reed, the fashion retailer, has rejected a £41m takeover approach from Dawnay Day. 11-Sep-2006

AG Parfett & Sons, the cash and carry wholesaler, is planning to relocate its trading department and eight staff from Liverpool to its Stockport head office next summer. 11-Sep-2006

Zadig & Voltaire of France is looking to open a further two womenswear stores in London to add to its first outlet on Sloane Street, having appointed Michael Horwitz & Co to find suitable sites. 11-Sep-2006

Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed by Select to find suitable locations for womenswear stores, as the retailer is planning to open ten more stores in Scotland over the next 12 months. 11-Sep-2006

South Holland District Council has approved plans for the £6m expansion of the Springfields Shopping Centre in Spalding, including ten new stores and a 43-bedroom hotel. 06-Sep-2006

Tobar Group has secured a multi-million-pound investment from Primary Capital to fund the expansion of its toy wholesale, mail order and online business as well as its chain of 22 Hawkin's Bazaar stores. 06-Sep-2006

Good 2 Go, the Scottish Spar retailer, is planning to open a further 20 stores over the next five years, to add to the existing nine. 06-Sep-2006

Wing Yip is planning to set up a food wholesale depot in Nottingham by 2009, after completing work on new sites in north London and Cardiff. 06-Sep-2006

Premier Contract Cleaning of Sheffield is to increase its workforce from 90 to 120, having won a contract to conduct an annual clean-up at most of Iceland's 684 stores. 05-Sep-2006

DSG International is to invest up to £50m in a new business called The Tech Guys over the next five years, offering a technical troubleshooting service with the creation of 2,000 jobs, a call centre and up to 200 stores. 05-Sep-2006

T-Mobile is planning to open 190 mobile phone stores by next June, with the creation of 800 jobs. 05-Sep-2006

Powys County Council is to consider multi-million pound plans from Welshpool Livestock Sales to relocate its sheep market to Buttington Cross, and the existing site will be transformed into retail units. 04-Sep-2006

Barneys New York, the US department store, is planning to open its first overseas outlet at the White City development in London. 04-Sep-2006

Next is to open trial standalone stores in Derby and Newbury for its Lime discount clothing range. 04-Sep-2006

Fopp is planning to open seven new entertainment stores in Scotland over the next year, taking its total chain to 37. 04-Sep-2006

Bathstore is looking to open up to 100 new bathroom stores across the country, and is seeking sites of up to 5,000 sq ft. 04-Sep-2006

Steinhoff of South Africa is seeking further acquisitions in the UK furniture retailing and manufacturing sector, following last year's rescue of the Homestyle stores. 31-Aug-2006

Tesco is investing £30m in the expansion of its non-food online retailing operations, with much of the work being handled by distribution centres in Southampton and Manchester. 31-Aug-2006

Du Pareil au Meme of France is planning to open up to 20 childrenswear stores in the UK over the next five years, with the first opening at Lakeside in Essex later this year. 28-Aug-2006

Internacionale is planning to open a further 15 Au Naturale homewares stores by next March, having appointed Savills to find units of up to 10,000 sq ft. 28-Aug-2006

The Works has acquired six stores in Sutton, Monmouth, Penzance, Horsham, Huntingdon and Stirling from Clinton Cards, as part of a strategy to reach 400 outlets by 2011. 28-Aug-2006

Morrisons and Wincanton are conducting a review of their depots across the East Midlands, which could lead to the loss of some of the 350 jobs at sites including Northampton and Coventry. 25-Aug-2006

European Home Retail, the Swindon-based catalogue shopping company, is seeking a suspension in the trading of its shares, in an attempt to refinance the business. 24-Aug-2006

Capital Shopping Centres has submitted plans to extend the 563,000 sq ft Potteries Shopping Centre in Stoke-on-Trent by 30,000 sq ft, creating four new units. 23-Aug-2006

Land Securities is in discussions with Liverpool City Council about plans to refurbish the St Johns and Clayton Square shopping centres. 22-Aug-2006

B&Q is to create 80 jobs at a new DIY store and garden centre due to open in Torquay next year. 21-Aug-2006

Beales is looking to expand its chain of department stores from 12 to 20, and is seeking sites in seaside and market towns. 21-Aug-2006

Julian Graves is planning to open 50 new snacks and ingredients stores by next March, and will also open concessions in department stores and garden centres. 21-Aug-2006

Accantia is planning to set up a chain of at least 25 health and beauty spa treatment centres, with the first opening in London's Covent Garden this month. 21-Aug-2006

Caffe Nero, the coffee shop chain, is considering plans for a £169m management buy-out. 21-Aug-2006

Marks & Spencer is creating 300 jobs at a new distribution centre to be run by Christian Salvesen in Stoke-on-Trent, and the site is due to open in October. 17-Aug-2006

The Trafford Centre in Manchester is to create 500 new jobs this autumn, following a £24m expansion scheme that includes a number of new restaurants and cafes. 16-Aug-2006

Aldi is planning to invest £200m in the development of 150 discount supermarkets in Scotland. 16-Aug-2006

Stokes is planning to close some of its 60 greengrocery stores in the South West. 16-Aug-2006

Sainsbury's is to create 130 new jobs at its store in Rayleigh Weir, Essex, in November, following the expansion of the site from 35,000 sq ft to 68,000 sq ft. 15-Aug-2006

Slater is looking to expand its chain of 25 menswear stores with 30 new sites, and is seeking units of up to 15,000 sq ft. 14-Aug-2006

Raspberry Village is planning to expand its East Midlands-based chain of furniture and accessories stores from two to eight over the next 12 months. 14-Aug-2006

Dreams is planning to expand its chain of 120 bed stores with up to 15 new sites this year. 14-Aug-2006

Sniff is planning to open up to five new footwear stores over the next three years, following the success of its first outlet in London. 14-Aug-2006

Superdrug is planning to open a further 24 health and beauty stores by the end of the year and 80 stores next year. 14-Aug-2006

The Range, the chain of 27 crafts and housewares stores, is planning to set up a 450,000 sq ft distribution centre at an undisclosed site near Nottingham, with the creation of 120 jobs. 09-Aug-2006

Greggs is closing 14 bakery shops and cutting 200 jobs, following a fall in profits at its Bakers Oven shops in northern England and Scotland. 07-Aug-2006

Jarrold is planning a £2m expansion at its department store in Norwich, including the creation of a new menswear store. 07-Aug-2006

Bik Bok of Norway is planning to open 14 fashion stores in the UK over the next three years, having appointed Harper Dennis Hobbs to find suitable sites. 04-Aug-2006

Symingtons is planning to set up a nationwide chain of ten Red costume jewellery stores over the next two years. 04-Aug-2006

Sainsbury's has bought four supermarkets in Bodmin, Sleaford, Canvey Island and Northallerton from Somerfield, with the transfer of 300 staff. 04-Aug-2006

Wrangler is planning to open up to 16 denim stores in the UK over the next four years. 04-Aug-2006

Mackays is planning to expand its chain of 270 fashion stores to 300 over the next year. 04-Aug-2006

Habitat has appointed Harper Dennis Hobbs to find suitable locations in London for new furniture stores, and is also conducting a review of its property portfolio. 28-Jul-2006

Smile Stores is planning to expand its chain of 95 convenience stores to 100 by next year. 28-Jul-2006

Reiss is planning to expand its chain of 45 fashion stores with up to 20 new sites over the next year. 28-Jul-2006

Magnet is to invest £27m in the refurbishment of its chain of 170 kitchen showrooms by the end of 2008. 28-Jul-2006

Music Zone is planning to open a further ten music and entertainment stores this year. 28-Jul-2006

Carphone Warehouse is planning to recruit 1,000 additional sales staff for its mobile phone stores. 28-Jul-2006

Kingfisher is planning to refurbish 110 B&Q Warehouse stores over the next three years, at a cost of up to £200m. 24-Jul-2006

Ghost is planning to open 30 womenswear stores over the next three years, having appointed CWM to find suitable sites. 24-Jul-2006

Build-a-Bear is looking to open up to 75 toy shops in the UK over the next few years, and will target zoos and football clubs. 24-Jul-2006

Thorntons is planning to open 30 confectionery stores over the next few years, taking the total to 400. 24-Jul-2006

Woolworths is looking to open up to 50 franchised Ladybird children's wear stores over the next five years. 24-Jul-2006

Asda has submitted plans to Highland Council to build a 70,000 sq ft store at Slackbuie in Inverness, as well as a 100-bed hotel, health centre and five smaller shops. 20-Jul-2006

Tesco is planning to build a £65m distribution centre at the Centreport business park in East Yorkshire by next year, with the creation of up to 1,000 jobs, and a planning application has been submitted by Sterling St James. 20-Jul-2006

Avon is to shed about 190 jobs in its cosmetics business, affecting sites in Northampton, Corby, Windsor and elsewhere. 17-Jul-2006

Reebok, the sportswear supplier, is to relocate 250 sales, marketing and administration jobs from Lancaster to Stockport and Bolton. 17-Jul-2006

The Perfume Shop is planning to open at least 20 new stores over the next 12 months, to add to the existing 138. 17-Jul-2006

Robert Dyas is planning to open hardware concessions in up to 100 Somerfield stores, depending on the success of a six-month trial. 17-Jul-2006

Virgin Mobile is considering plans to open a nationwide chain of mobile phone outlets, and a flagship store will open at Lakeside in Essex this month. 17-Jul-2006

Gondola is looking to develop a new restaurant chain to add to its existing PizzaExpress, Ask and Zizzi outlets, and is currently testing two upmarket pizza formats. 13-Jul-2006

Pets at Home is to expand its chain of 173 pet stores with 18 new outlets over the next year, and £2.6m is being invested at its Trentham Lakes distribution centre in Staffordshire with the creation of up to 100 jobs. 13-Jul-2006

Glasgow City Council is to consider plans from The Mills and Ivanhoe Cambridge for the £100m redevelopment of the St Enoch shopping centre, in order to increase retail and leisure space from 750,000 sq ft to 1m sq ft. 13-Jul-2006

Iceland is to close its frozen foods distribution centre in Flintshire in September, with the transfer of up to 350 jobs to its site in Warrington. 13-Jul-2006

Soup Kitchen International is planning to open up to 50 Original SoupMan franchised soup outlets in the UK. 12-Jul-2006

Asda has submitted plans to build a £10m store at Tain in Easter Ross, which would create 250 jobs. 12-Jul-2006

Marks & Spencer is planning to create 4,000 new jobs at stores throughout the country. 12-Jul-2006

John Lewis Partnership is to set up a £45m 650,000 sq ft distribution centre at the Nova MK site in Milton Keynes by 2009. 12-Jul-2006

Westfield is in discussions with LVMH and other luxury retailers about plans to include a 50,000 sq ft upmarket mall at the White City shopping centre development due to open in London in 2008. 12-Jul-2006

Burberry, the fashion company, is seeking a suitable site to set up a 100,000 sq ft head office in the West End of London. 12-Jul-2006

Ilva is to start recruiting up to 350 staff for a furniture store due to open at the MetroCentre in Gateshead in October. 11-Jul-2006

Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed property agent by Blend, the Danish fashion retailer that is planning to open five stores in the north-west, starting with an outlet at the Arndale Centre in Manchester in September. 10-Jul-2006

Powerhouse is planning to convert its 53 electrical stores to the new Go Switch On format this year. 10-Jul-2006

Holland & Barrett is planning to expand its chain of 500 health food shops to 650 over the next three years. 10-Jul-2006

HMV is to close its recently-acquired Ottakar's head office locations in Salisbury, Clapham and London Bridge with the loss of 100 jobs, and all 140 stores will be rebranded as Waterstone's. 10-Jul-2006

Tesco is seeking planning permission to build a 69,000 sq ft retail academy and training centre near its Hertfordshire head office. 06-Jul-2006

Floors 2 Go is planning to expand its chain of 139 laminate and wooden flooring stores with up to seven new outlets by the end of the year. 04-Jul-2006

Julian Graves is to extend its warehouse on the Pensnett Estate in Kingswinford with the creation of ten jobs. 03-Jul-2006

Reading Borough Council is to consider plans from Brook Henderson Estates for the £7m redevelopment of the Bristol & West Arcade in the town centre, including new shops, a gym and luxury flats. 03-Jul-2006

Alexon is looking to sell its Dolcis chain of 67 footwear stores and 150 concessions, having appointed Hawkpoint to find a buyer. 03-Jul-2006

Wilkinson is planning to expand its chain of 264 hardware stores with 20 new outlets this year, and aims to reach 370 by 2010. 03-Jul-2006

Co-operative Group is to sell seven department stores in Blyth, Bishop Auckland, Skegness, Berwick, Hoddesdon, Leighton Buzzard and Mansfield to Anglia Regional Co-operative Society. 03-Jul-2006

Kingfisher is planning to open 15 more Screwfix Direct trade counters over the next year, to add to the existing 19. 03-Jul-2006

Sainsbury's is planning to extend about 70 stores over the next year, in order to expand its ranges of homewares, electricals and clothing. 03-Jul-2006

Ethel Austin is investing £5.6m in the refurbishment of its chain of 310 discount stores, and has already completed 40 sites. 28-Jun-2006

Abbeycrest has secured the future of its jewellery manufacturing business through the sale and leaseback of its Leeds headquarters and a £33m refinancing deal. 27-Jun-2006

Score, the Dutch fashion retailer, is planning to open up to 60 menswear stores in the UK, having appointed Harper Dennis Hobbs to find suitable sites. 26-Jun-2006

Body Shop is planning to open a further 15 beauty products stores across the country this year, having appointed Savills to find suitable sites. 26-Jun-2006

OKA is planning to open two upmarket furniture stores on high streets every year, and its third London outlet will open in Chelsea in July. 26-Jun-2006

Fat Face is planning to expand its chain of 115 fashion stores with 25 new sites this year. 26-Jun-2006

Storey Carpets is planning to expand its chain of 42 carpet stores by opening about ten new sites in Yorkshire and Lancashire over the next 12 months. 26-Jun-2006

United Co-operatives is to close the Nantwich head office of its recently-acquired P Williams pharmacy business in August, with the loss of 21 jobs. 22-Jun-2006

DSG International is to sell its 60% stake in The Link chain of mobile phone stores to O2 for £30m, and O2 is expected to rebrand 100 of the 300 sites and sell the remaining 200. 22-Jun-2006

Berits & Brown is looking to set up a chain of 60 franchised delicatessen stores throughout the country. 22-Jun-2006

Primark is to start recruiting 100 staff for a new discount clothing store due to open in Wolverhampton in October. 21-Jun-2006

Whitbread is planning to open 300 Costa Coffee shops in China over the next five years, in partnership with Yueda Group. 21-Jun-2006

Majestic Wine is looking to expand its chain of 129 stores through the acquisition of new freehold and leasehold sites, and aims to reach 200 sites within six years. 20-Jun-2006

Birmingham City Council is to consider plans from Argent Group for the £2m refurbishment of the Paradise Forum centre, which will create new retail and exhibition space. 19-Jun-2006

Bestseller Group of Denmark is seeking suitable sites in London to open stores for some of its 14 fashion and accessories brands. 19-Jun-2006

Animal is planning to open 20 new sports stores across the UK and Europe over the next two years. 19-Jun-2006

SweatyBetty is planning to open five women's active wear stores this year, to add to the existing 20. 19-Jun-2006

Primark is to create 90 jobs at a new discount clothing store due to open in Swansea in August. 16-Jun-2006

Somerfield is planning to reformat 94 recently-acquired forecourt stores under the Somerfield Essentials brand. 15-Jun-2006

Heatons is planning to expand its chain of fashion and homewares stores in Northern Ireland by opening new sites in Belfast and Armagh, with the creation of about 100 new jobs. 14-Jun-2006

Sainsbury's is to transfer 34 IT, administration and finance jobs from its recently-acquired Bells Stores business on Teesside to Holborn, Hull and Streatham. 14-Jun-2006

DSG International is to create 1,000 customer service jobs in its out-of-town Currys electrical stores, but 250 management jobs will be lost. 14-Jun-2006

Little Chef is to start modernising its chain of 230 roadside restaurants this year, including the introduction of the Coffee Tempo brand, and a £12m-a-year food supply contract has been awarded to Woodward Foodservice. 13-Jun-2006

Sainsbury's is to close its Jacksons distribution centre at Melton near Hull in October with the loss of up to 140 jobs, in order to relocate the work to Maltby, near Rotherham. 12-Jun-2006

Carphone Warehouse is planning to open 60 mobile phone stores in the UK over the next 12 months, as well as 190 in Spain and the rest of Europe. 12-Jun-2006

Herbal Inn is planning to expand its chain of 47 herbal remedy stores to 55 by the end of the year. 12-Jun-2006

Bathstore is looking to open 18 bathroom stores in Scotland, having appointed Culverwell to find roadside sites of up to 5,000 sq ft. 12-Jun-2006

Halfords is looking to open up to 150 car parts stores in eastern Europe, starting with a three-site trial in the Czech Republic. 12-Jun-2006

Morrisons has submitted plans to Wyre Forest Council to build a 77,000 sq ft superstore on Green Street in Kidderminster, with the transfer of 170 staff from its existing store and the creation of 180 new jobs. 09-Jun-2006

Boost Juice of Australia has agreed a £5m deal with the founder of Millies Cookies to start opening juice bars in the UK later this year. 07-Jun-2006

Debenhams has agreed to set up a 105,000 sq ft department store at the £130m Centros Miller development on the 10-acre Canal Corridor North site in Lancaster. 07-Jun-2006

JD Williams, the catalogue retailer, is to open two 80,000 sq ft warehouse units in Hadfield, Derbyshire, by the end of the year. 07-Jun-2006

Lovejuice has secured a £2.3m investment to fund the opening of about 50 juice bars across the country. 07-Jun-2006

Imagine Homes is to set up a £2.5m "new homes supermarket" on a 17,000 sq ft site in Chiswick, west London. 07-Jun-2006

Fishworks is seeking suitable sites in London and across the country to open new fishmonger and fish restaurant outlets. 07-Jun-2006

Theo Fennell is seeking a strategic investor to fund the expansion of its jewellery retailing business. 06-Jun-2006

Bolingbroke & Wenley is to close its furniture store in Chelmsford in July, with the loss of about 70 jobs. 06-Jun-2006

Natuzzi is planning to expand its chain of leather sofa stores from two to more than 15, having appointed King Sturge to find suitable sites within the M25. 05-Jun-2006

New Look is to invest £100m in the expansion of its chain of fashion stores this year. 05-Jun-2006

Peacocks is planning to spend £15m opening 63 new discount clothing and perfume stores over the next year, with the creation of 1,000 jobs. 05-Jun-2006

Macdonald Estates is looking to buy a 16-acre site in Glenrothes from Tullis Russell to build a £50m shopping centre, and Tullis Russell will use some of the proceeds to install a 49MW biomass station at its paper mill. 02-Jun-2006

Newport City Council has approved plans from Modus Corovest to develop a £210m shopping centre by 2009, including a Debenhams department store. 02-Jun-2006

Stockton Council is to consider plans from Redleaf VI to build a £18m shopping centre in the High Street. 01-Jun-2006

Quintain is seeking a partner to build a £250m shopping centre at the £2bn Wembley development in north London. 01-Jun-2006

TM Retail is planning to invest £50m in the acquisition of new sites for its chain of convenience stores over the next three years. 29-May-2006

Coinstar is planning to install self-service mobile phone top-up machines in 400 convenience stores across the country. 29-May-2006

Redbridge Council is seeking a partner for the £100m redevelopment of Unity Square in Ilford, including new shops, a theatre and 500 homes. 29-May-2006

Bestway is planning to relocate staff from the recently-acquired Batleys wholesale business in Leeds to sites in London and Huddersfield. 29-May-2006

Uniqlo is planning to open up to 25 casual clothing stores in London and the South East by 2010. 29-May-2006

Boundary Mill Stores is planning to expand its chain of five out-of-town discount clothing stores to 20. 29-May-2006

British Bookshops is planning to expand its chain of 53 book stores to more than 100 over the next five years, and will drop the Sussex Stationers fascia. 29-May-2006

Paul Costelloe is looking to open four more standalone womenswear stores, as well as department store concessions. 29-May-2006

Tesco is to create 200 new customer service call centre jobs at its Tesco Finance Centre in Cardiff by September. 26-May-2006

James Hall & Co, the Preston-based distributor to Spar shops across the north, is to relocate to a new site in Fulwood over the next two years, at a cost of £30m. 26-May-2006

Wilkinson is creating 80 jobs at a new store in Market Drayton this August, one of 25 new stores being opened this year. 25-May-2006

Mothercare is planning to open 50 more stores this year, and is seeking opportunities in South Asia, the Far East and the Middle East. 25-May-2006

Morrisons is planning to close the former Safeway distribution centre at Felling in Gateshead with the loss of 130 jobs, and a further 600 jobs are at risk at its depot in Stockton. 24-May-2006

Marks & Spencer is to spend £300m refitting up to 70 stores over the next year, and total capital expenditure will be at least £520m. 24-May-2006

Woolworths is to close its store in Leicester city centre next January, with the loss of 90 jobs. 23-May-2006

Fenland District Council is to consider plans from the North Brink medical practice and Sudbury-based Construct Reason to build a £6m shopping centre in Wisbech, with a focus on health-related services. 23-May-2006

Asda has announced plans to build a new £10m superstore in Easter Ross by summer 2007, with the creation of 250 jobs. 22-May-2006

Parkridge Developments is seeking outline planning permission for a £35m project in Trowbridge, including 75,000 sq ft of retail space, 70 new homes and offices. 22-May-2006

Quba Sails is looking to open up to 20 new sailing clothing stores across southern England, and Donaldsons has been appointed to find suitable sites. 22-May-2006

Robert Dyas is planning to expand the selling space in its 95 hardware stores by 7% over the next year, in order to introduce electronic products. 22-May-2006

Wilson Bowden has pre-let 79,000 sq ft at the 30-acre Blenheim Park site near Nottingham to Wholesale, the independent health foods distributor. 22-May-2006

Sainsbury's is looking to spend up to £100m on the acquisition of sites for new supermarkets over the next two years. 18-May-2006

House Shop is planning to expand its Cheshire-based chain of five furniture stores to 15 over the next 18 months, having just been acquired by the founder of Music Zone. 17-May-2006

Tesco is said to be looking to set up two new distribution centres, and its adviser Lambert Smith Hampton is seeking 50-acre sites near the M62 and the M4. 17-May-2006

USC is looking to dispose of ten of its 62 clothing stores, having appointed CB Richard Ellis to provide advice. 17-May-2006

Modus Properties has been appointed preferred developer for the £80m regeneration of Swindon town centre, including a 250,000 sq ft shopping centre. 17-May-2006

Sainsbury's is planning to install recycling units in 347 of its supermarkets over the next three years. 16-May-2006

Kent & Curwen is planning to open a nationwide chain of sportswear and accessories stores, depending on the success of a site due to open on London's Conduit Street later this year. 16-May-2006

Eden Park is looking to expand its chain of eight rugby clothing stores. 16-May-2006

Rosebys, the chain of over 300 home furnishings stores, has secured £10m from its venture capital backers to support its three-year business plan. 16-May-2006

The Entertainer is to expand its chain of 36 toy shops with six new sites this year. 16-May-2006

Expo, the Dutch gifts retailer, is planning to open up to 12 stores a year in the UK, starting with the conversion of four former Athena outlets. 16-May-2006

Boots is to bring 100 IT staff back in-house, having decided to reduce the extent of its outsourcing contract with IBM. 16-May-2006

Fossil, the US-based accessories retailer, is looking to open a further 30 stores in the UK over the next five years, and has just acquired a flagship store on London's Oxford Street. 15-May-2006

Le Riche, the retail division of Channel Islands-based CI Traders, is planning to move its distribution operation to Portsmouth by 2007. 12-May-2006

Littlewoods is to close warehouses in Eccles, Worcester and Wigan with the loss of 1,200 jobs next year, in order to centralise the logistics side of its mail order and online shopping business in Oldham. 10-May-2006

Home Entertainment is to close its ChoicesUK TV shopping channel, in order to focus on its 225 stores. 10-May-2006

Whitbread is to set up Costa Coffee shops in a number of Tesco supermarkets. 10-May-2006

Rugbystore, the online sports goods retailer with 20 staff, is to set up a 16,000 sq ft office and storage centre at the Cavalry Park Business Park in Peebles. 09-May-2006

Sell It Shack has opened its first online auction shop in Manchester, and believes there is potential for up to 500 sites nationwide. 09-May-2006

Dreams is looking to expand its chain of 118 bedroom furniture stores into northern England. 09-May-2006

Sainsbury's has announced plans to open a 20,000 sq ft supermarket in Dursley, Gloucestershire, in 2008, with the creation of 225 jobs. 08-May-2006

Video City is to invest £5m in the expansion of its chain of 24 DVD rental stores in Northern Ireland, with the creation of 150 jobs. 05-May-2006

Co-operative Group Pharmacy is planning to open about 40 stores this year, taking its total pharmacy chain to more than 400. 05-May-2006

Hilco UK is looking to secure the future of its recently-acquired chain of seven Budget DIY stores in Northern Ireland with an informal settlement offer to creditors. 04-May-2006

Asda is seeking planning permission to open a new £25m store in Antrim, with the creation of 400 jobs. 02-May-2006

Range Home & Leisure is recruiting 100 staff for a new £5m superstore due to open at Huntington in York in September, and the company is also looking to open a distribution centre near the M62 and more stores in Scotland. 02-May-2006

Links of London, the jeweller, has been put up for sale with a valuation of up to £100m. 02-May-2006

Blue Inc is planning to double its chain of 30 menswear stores over the next three years, and has appointed DTZ to find suitable sites. 02-May-2006

Countrywide Farmers, the chain of 40 petfood and rural products stores, is planning to open five more outlets and has just listed on independent exchange ShareMark. 02-May-2006

Kleeneze is recruiting 40 extra staff in the UK to prepare for the expansion of its direct sales retailing business into Germany, Poland, Italy and Turkey. 02-May-2006

Odeon is to open foyer shops in its cinemas to sell DVDs, books and other film-related products, in a joint venture with Total Home Entertainment. 02-May-2006

DFS is planning to open eight furniture stores this year, to add to the existing 75, and is also seeking acquisitions. 02-May-2006

Plymouth City Council has approved plans from Horton Cherry Lee Architects for the development of a £40m retail and leisure complex at Colin Campbell Court. 28-Apr-2006

Carpetright is planning to open a chain of carpet stores in eastern Europe, with the first opening in Poland next week. 26-Apr-2006

Superdrug is in negotiations with ProLogis to set up a 500,000 sq ft distribution centre in Dunstable. 26-Apr-2006

Amazon, the online retailer, is to get a £0.6m grant to expand the workforce at its site in Glenrothes with 125 additional staff, as part of the latest round of Regional Selective Assistance grants. 24-Apr-2006

Bonmarche is to invest £2.5m in improvements to more than 40 of its high-street discount fashion stores. 24-Apr-2006

Individual Restaurant Company is planning to open six Piccolino restaurants this year, including sites in Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield and Surrey. 24-Apr-2006

McDonald's is to spend £140m updating its fast food chain, with 60 outlets being refurbished over the next six months. 24-Apr-2006

Tesco is planning to set up a £100m fund to test environmental technologies at its stores, and is also considering plans to form joint ventures with property investors to raise capital for growth. 24-Apr-2006

Tesco is in negotiations with ProLogis to set up a 386,000 sq ft warehouse in Crewe, in order to expand the range of household furniture sold in its stores. 24-Apr-2006

Aldi is looking to expand its chain of 332 discount stores to 1,500, and has published a list of more than 300 towns and cities where sites are being sought. 24-Apr-2006

Trespass is planning to spend £2.5m opening a further 12 outdoor clothing stores across the country, to add to the existing 23. 24-Apr-2006

Co-operative Group is to invest £23m refurbishing its convenience store chain, and £37m will be spent on new equipment. 24-Apr-2006

Powys County Council is to consider plans from White Young Green for the development of a new shopping complex at The Smithfield in Welshpool, and four leading supermarket chains are said to be interested. 19-Apr-2006

Wilkinson is to set up a 20,000 sq ft homewares store at the Hereward Cross development in Peterborough, with the creation of up to 70 jobs. 18-Apr-2006

Toys R Us is to move its Cardiff store to the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay this autumn, to make way for the £535m St David's 2 retail and leisure development. 18-Apr-2006

Harvey & Thompson is planning to expand its chain of 69 pawnbroking outlets with 30 new sites over the next three years, and will list on Aim next month. 18-Apr-2006

Woolrich of the US is planning to open its first outdoor clothing store in the UK at a 5,000 sq ft site in central London. 18-Apr-2006

Confetti is planning to expand its chain of five wedding stores to 15 over the next two years, having appointed Blair Kirkman to find suitable sites. 18-Apr-2006

BB's Coffee & Muffins is planning to expand its chain of 130 outlets to 300 by the end of 2008. 18-Apr-2006

Vom Fass, the German retailer of vinegars and wines, is planning to open seven franchised stores in the UK this year and 15 next year. 18-Apr-2006

Thresher Group is conducting a strategic review of its 254 Haddows and Victoria Wine off-licences in Scotland, which could lead to them being sold. 18-Apr-2006

Moss Bros is planning to expand its chain of 118 menswear stores to 200 over the next five years. 18-Apr-2006

Costcutter is planning to open a further 50 convenience stores on Murco forecourts over the next two years. 14-Apr-2006

B&M Retail is planning to expand its chain of 22 discount stores to 40 by 2007. 14-Apr-2006

First Motorway Services has agreed a £7.7m refinancing package with Lloyds TSB Corporate, and is launching a new investment programme for its four sites. 13-Apr-2006

WH Smith has announced plans to demerge its news distribution business from its retail division over the next 12 months. 13-Apr-2006

Pavers is planning to expand its chain of 50 shoe shops with 10 new sites a year over the next five years, and its York-based head office and warehouse will relocate to a larger site nearby in October. 13-Apr-2006

Brighton & Hove Council is to consider proposals for the £9m transformation of the London Road market into an arts and crafts centre, including street entertainment and stalls for visiting farmers' markets. 13-Apr-2006

Aldi has announced plans to build a £4m discount superstore in Bedworth town centre. 11-Apr-2006

Evans Cycles is planning to expand its chain of 19 cycle stores with five new outlets this year, and hopes to eventually achieve between 50 and 100 sites nationwide. 10-Apr-2006

Faith is planning to open 10 shoe shops and 10 concessions this year. 10-Apr-2006

TM Retail is planning to rebrand its remaining Forbuoys and Dillons convenience stores as McColl's and Martin's, at a cost of more than £1m. 10-Apr-2006

Aylesbury Vale District Council has appointed Warner Estate Holding to develop 265,000 sq ft of retail space at the Waterside scheme. 10-Apr-2006

Tile Depot is planning to expand its chain of 10 tile stores to 30 over the next 18 months, having secured an investment from Risk Capital Partners. 10-Apr-2006

Natuzzi of Italy is planning to open six sofa stores in London over the next two years. 10-Apr-2006

Aldi is to open seven new discount supermarkets in Wales, at a cost of £24m. 07-Apr-2006

Barclays Ventures and other investors are providing £8m to 99p Stores to fund the opening of up to 45 new discount stores throughout the country over the next two years. 06-Apr-2006

Huntley's of Samlesbury is planning a £1.5m expansion of its farm shop near Preston, which will involve a new retail outlet, a jam factory, a rural education centre and the creation of 80 jobs over the next three years. 06-Apr-2006

DSG International is to rebrand its 190 high street Dixons electrical stores under the Currys name, at a cost of £7m. 05-Apr-2006

South Lanarkshire Council has approved plans for the £400m redevelopment of East Kilbride town centre, including new shopping facilities, theatre, conference centre, civic centre, health centre and library. 04-Apr-2006

Florida Group is seeking planning permission to relocate its Norwich-based shoe retailing operation from Barrack Street to its Dibden Road headquarters. 03-Apr-2006

Boots is to set up a chain of 60 midnight pharmacies in retail parks, train stations and airports across the country. 03-Apr-2006

Inditex of Spain is planning to launch its Zara Home furnishings line into the UK this year, with the first store opening in London's Regent Street. 31-Mar-2006

McArthurGlen has announced plans for the £5m expansion of its Designer Outlet shopping centre in York, in order to create more retail space and 50 new jobs. 31-Mar-2006

Woolworths is to increase capital expenditure from £58m to £90m this year, in order to upgrade some of its larger stores and introduce collection points for internet orders. 30-Mar-2006

Druckers is looking to expand its chain of 40 patisserie outlets to 100 over the next three years, and has appointed Churston Heard to find suitable sites. 30-Mar-2006

GUS has announced plans to demerge Argos Retail Group and Experian into two separate companies on the London Stock Exchange later this year. 29-Mar-2006

Blackwell's is considering plans to sell off its academic publishing business for up to £600m, in order to focus on its chain of bookshops. 27-Mar-2006

Extreme is planning to open 25 franchised sports stores in the Middle East and 18 in Poland and Russia over the next 12 months. 27-Mar-2006

Morrisons is considering plans to set up a new £70m distribution depot in the south-west by 2009. 27-Mar-2006

Next is to spend about £16m modernising the top 10% of its clothing and home furnishings stores. 27-Mar-2006

Subway is planning to open 50 sandwich stores in Northern Ireland over the next five years, with the creation of up to 1,000 jobs. 24-Mar-2006

Reid Furniture is planning to open two new stores in Northern Ireland this year, at a cost of £2.5m. 23-Mar-2006

Borders is to open a 26,000 sq ft flagship book store in Cardiff city centre in December, and smaller stores will open in Llantrisant, Newbury, Southampton and Milton Keynes. 23-Mar-2006

Ted Baker is planning to open up to 70 fashion stores in 16 countries over the next four years. 23-Mar-2006

ISold It of the US is planning to set up a UK network of shops that will enable people to sell their unwanted goods in internet auctions, with the first site opening in the West Midlands in June. 21-Mar-2006

Ilva, the Danish furniture retailer, is to set up a 650,000 sq ft distribution centre in Doncaster with the creation of 250 jobs, and TNT Logistics is to run the site. 20-Mar-2006

T-Mobile is looking to acquire 150 mobile phone stores in high streets and shopping centres by the end of next year, taking the total to more than 300. 20-Mar-2006

New Look is planning to expand its number of out-of-town fashion stores from 15 to 50 over the next two years, and is seeking units between 10,000 and 20,000 sq ft. 20-Mar-2006

Dainese of Italy is seeking a suitable site in southwest London to open its second protective clothing store in the UK. 20-Mar-2006

Muji, the Japanese general merchandiser, is seeking a suitable site in the West End of London to open a 10,000 sq ft flagship store. 20-Mar-2006

B&Q is planning to convert 80 Warehouse stores to its showroom format over the next four years, following successful trials in Milton Keynes and Gloucester. 20-Mar-2006

Tesco is to create up to 100 jobs at its Roborough superstore in Plymouth, when a new extension opens in August. 17-Mar-2006

Sasha is to invest £7m opening a chain of 20 fashion stores in Northern Ireland over the next two years, with the creation of 250 jobs. 17-Mar-2006

Tesco is planning to build a Tesco Extra store at the Gorton district centre in Manchester by the end of next year, with the creation of 500 jobs. 16-Mar-2006

Peel Holdings has resubmitted plans to Hyndburn Council for the £26m revamp of the Whitebirk Retail Park, and hopes to attract Next, Boots, Asda and Arcadia to the site. 16-Mar-2006

Dunelm Mill is to close its household goods warehouse at the Centrum 100 business park in July, with the loss of up to 50 jobs, in order to transfer the work to a larger site in Stoke. 16-Mar-2006

United Co-operatives is planning to invest up to £200m in the acquisition of new outlets this year, focusing mainly on food stores and pharmacies. 15-Mar-2006

Tesco is planning to build a £75m distribution depot at the former NEC site in Livingston, with the creation of 1,400 jobs, but its existing site in Dundee will close in 2007 with the loss of 432 jobs. 15-Mar-2006

Boots is to modernise 700 smaller stores over the next three years, as part of a £250m investment that will also involve the consolidation of 17 regional distribution centres into a new £70m warehouse in Nottingham and the loss of 2,250 jobs. 15-Mar-2006

Johnson Service is considering plans to sell its Sketchley, Johnsons and Jeeves dry cleaning operations for an estimated £90m, in order to focus on corporate wear and apparel. 14-Mar-2006

Beales has acquired the 43,000 sq ft former Allders department store in Horsham, West Sussex, and expects to re-open the site in September. 13-Mar-2006

Budgens is planning to open 25 franchised stores a year, and aims to sell its 128 company-owned sites by the end of 2007. 13-Mar-2006

Waitrose is looking to open further supermarkets in Scotland, having just acquired its first two stores in Edinburgh from Somerfield. 13-Mar-2006

Superdrug is to set up a 30,000 sq ft distribution centre at the Cabot Distribution Park in Bristol. 10-Mar-2006

East Midlands Development Agency is planning to set up a 30,000 sq ft "alternative supermarket" supplying fresh local food over the next two years, which could lead to the development of a 300-strong nationwide chain. 10-Mar-2006

Glasgow Rangers Football Club has agreed a £48m licence with sports retailer JJB Sports, which is expected to lead to the loss of some of the 200 jobs in its Rangers Shop chain. 10-Mar-2006

Palmer & Harvey, the wholesaler, is setting up a 36,000 sq ft distribution centre at Titchfield Park near Fareham. 09-Mar-2006

Restaurant Group is planning to open up to 43 outlets this year, including the conversion of about 13 former Deep Pan Pizza sites. 09-Mar-2006

Sainsbury's is to reorganise its distribution centre on the Swift Valley Industrial Estate in Rugby at the end of the month, with the loss of up to 65 jobs. 08-Mar-2006

Lincolnshire Enterprise has awarded a £2.3m grant for the £37m Marshall's Yard development in Gainsborough, and the retail and leisure complex is due to open at Easter 2007. 07-Mar-2006

Morrisons is recruiting 350 staff for a new supermarket due to open on the Farington Business Park in Leyland this summer. 06-Mar-2006

Officers Club is planning to expand its chain of 140 menswear stores with 20 new sites this year. 06-Mar-2006

Co-operative Group is looking to open a further 24 HomeStore outlets, and is seeking suitable 30,000 sq ft sites on retail parks. 06-Mar-2006

Welcome Break has agreed a franchise deal with Starbucks to open coffee bars in its service stations. 06-Mar-2006

Tesco is in negotiations to set up two new distribution centres, including a 700,000 sq ft site at Centrepoint near Goole and a 800,000 sq ft site at Hartland Park near Farnborough. 06-Mar-2006

Iceland, the frozen food retailer, is to shed 84 jobs at its Expert Appliance Care Centre in Deeside, as well as 20 jobs in London and 131 engineering jobs around the country. 03-Mar-2006

Tameside Council is to consider plans from Apollo Ashton LP for the £40m expansion of the Arcades shopping centre in Ashton, including a department store and a new transport interchange by 2009. 02-Mar-2006

Hallmark Cards is to shed 170 of the 2,000 jobs at its Bradford headquarters over the next 12 months, and the warehousing operations of its Tigerprint division will move to Brighouse. 02-Mar-2006

Somerfield is planning to shed at least 500 of the 1,800 jobs at its headquarters in Bristol. 02-Mar-2006

Amazon, the online retailer, is to relocate its customer service centre from Slough to Ireland, with the creation of up to 450 jobs in Cork. 02-Mar-2006

Co-operative Group has sold its department store in Abington Street, Northampton, to sports goods retailer Sportsworld for undisclosed terms. 01-Mar-2006

MFI is to close 11 furniture showrooms, three delivery stores and two factories in North Lincolnshire and Teesside, with the loss of about 1,500 jobs, in order to focus on mid-market kitchen and bedroom sales. 01-Mar-2006

McDonald's is to close 25 of its 1,250 fast food restaurants in the UK, at a cost of £23m. 01-Mar-2006

Junglee Fun is planning to set up at least ten more franchised high-street cafes that provide soft play for younger children over the next 18 months, and is seeking partners to open its first large-scale play centre. 28-Feb-2006

Radley is planning to develop a chain of handbag stores, having sold a 50% stake in the business to Phoenix Equity Partners for £45m. 28-Feb-2006

House of Fraser, the department store chain valued at £328m, has received a preliminary takeover approach from private equity firm Apax Partners. 27-Feb-2006

Samsonite, the luggage supplier, is to set up a 20,000 sq ft headquarters for about 50 staff at Heathrow in May. 27-Feb-2006

Blair Kirkman has been appointed by Natural to find suitable locations for the expansion of the Natural health foods and cafe chain from five to 30 outlets by next year. 27-Feb-2006

Monsoon Accessorize is planning to build a £30m headquarters in west London through private developer Houge. 27-Feb-2006

QS Discount is planning to open discount stores in Bolton, Oldham, Salford, Wigan and Skelmersdale over the next five years, with the creation of 250 jobs. 23-Feb-2006

New Look is seeking permission for the redevelopment of its 30-acre site in Weymouth, including a new 120,000 sq ft headquarters, warehousing and a 50-room hotel. 22-Feb-2006

Farrans Construction has won a £27m contract from GML Estates to build the first phase of the £200m Bridgewater retail park near Banbridge in North Ireland by April 2007. 21-Feb-2006

TJ Hughes is planning to open a further six discount stores this spring, taking the total to 50, and up to 200 new jobs will be created. 21-Feb-2006

East Riding Council is to consider plans from Castlemore for the development of a £50m retail park with 15 units at Grovehill Road in Beverley. 21-Feb-2006

Asda is planning to open at least 25 new stores this year, including supermarkets, convenience stores and non-food shops, with the creation of 7,000 jobs. 21-Feb-2006

Bracknell Forest Borough Council has approved outline plans for the £750m redevelopment of Bracknell town centre, including 602,000 sq ft of retail space. 20-Feb-2006

Trafford Borough Council and Ask Developments are planning to regenerate Urmston town centre, at a cost of £43m. 20-Feb-2006

Greenwoods is planning to expand its chain of 92 menswear stores to 100 by the end of the year. 20-Feb-2006

Blacks is looking to open up to 50 stores on retail parks, at a rate of about ten new sites a year. 20-Feb-2006

Craghoppers is looking to expand its chain of outdoor clothing concessions from 32 to 120 by next year. 20-Feb-2006

Tesco is looking to recruit about 150 non-food buyers, as part of a strategy to expand its fashion, electricals, toys and catalogue sales. 20-Feb-2006

DCK Concessions is linking up with Philip Green to open a chain of up to 50 fashion accessories stores over the next two years, depending on the success of a trial at the MetroCentre in Gateshead. 20-Feb-2006

Amazon has secured a Scottish Executive regional selective assistance that will help create 50 new jobs at its online shopping fulfilment centre in Glenrothes. 15-Feb-2006

Glasgow City Council is to consider revised plans from Peel Holdings for a £1.2bn shopping and leisure development at Glasgow Harbour, including 500,000 sq ft of retail space. 15-Feb-2006

Gap is looking to recruit a team of 35 fashion designers in London, and also expects to open 50 new stores in the UK, France and Japan over the next few years. 13-Feb-2006

Next is to set up a major new clothing warehouse at the Brookfields Park site near Rotherham next year, with the creation of hundreds of new jobs. 13-Feb-2006

Help the Aged is seeking suitable sites in 56 town centres to expand its chain of charity shops. 13-Feb-2006

Westminster City Council is to consider plans from Paddington Development Corporation for a £700m shopping, housing and office complex in West London, and construction work is expected to start next year. 13-Feb-2006

Dartford Borough Council is to consider plans from Lend Lease Retail to develop an events venue next to the Bluewater shopping centre. 13-Feb-2006

The Works is planning to expand its chain of discount books and stationery stores from 250 to 400 by 2010, with 30 new sites opening over the next 12 months. 13-Feb-2006

Hobgoblin is planning to double its chain of musical instrument stores to 20 through franchising. 13-Feb-2006

Hawkin's Bazaar is planning to open 50 toy and gadget stores over the next three years, with the workforce rising from 550 to 750. 13-Feb-2006

Silverscreen is looking to dispose of eight underperforming sites from its chain of 80 DVD stores. 13-Feb-2006

Borders is looking to dispose of about 18 Books etc stores, in order to focus on its larger Borders format. 13-Feb-2006

Moss Bros is planning to open at least ten additional menswear stores this year. 13-Feb-2006

Tesco is planning to set up a chain of convenience stores on the US West Coast, at a cost of £250m a year, with the first sites opening next year. 13-Feb-2006

Blooms of Bressingham has acquired Stevenage Garden Centre in Hertfordshire for £1.3m, and intends to redevelop the 10-acre site. 09-Feb-2006

Fife Council is to consider plans from Hammerson for the redevelopment of Fife Central Retail Park in Kirkcaldy, in order to provide space for a DIY store, an associated garden centre and five non-food retail units. 09-Feb-2006

Express Gifts is to shed 80 of the 1,400 jobs at its mail order business in Hyndburn. 09-Feb-2006

Whole Foods Market is looking to close its seven Fresh & Wild organic food stores and replace them with larger outlets under the Whole Foods brand. 09-Feb-2006

John Lewis has confirmed plans to open a 240,000 sq ft department store in Croydon by 2011, as part of the proposed Park Place shopping mall. 08-Feb-2006

ScS Upholstery has announced plans to expand its chain of 76 sofa stores with eight new outlets this year. 07-Feb-2006

Ink Shop is planning to set up three new print outlets in Ayr, Paisley and Lanarkshire this year, taking the total chain to nine. 06-Feb-2006

Carphone Warehouse has announced plans to set up a call centre at the Tulketh Mill building in Preston, with the creation of an initial 150 jobs in June and a further 150 in August. 06-Feb-2006

Pierre Cardin is planning to open up to ten fashion stores in the UK this year through licensee Crowther, with the first opening in London's Covent Garden within two months. 06-Feb-2006

Caffe Nero is planning to expand its chain of 250 coffee bars to 450 over the next six years, and is also looking to take the brand abroad. 06-Feb-2006

Land of Leather is planning to expand its chain of 72 stores with five new sites by May. 06-Feb-2006

Asda is seeking permission to build a new £16m store on the site of its existing store at South Bank, Middlesbrough, with the creation of an additional 120 jobs. 03-Feb-2006

Asda has agreed to set up a superstore at Cardiff City's proposed new football stadium at Leckwith. 02-Feb-2006

McDonald's is planning to refurbish 200 of its UK fast food restaurants over the next five years, and is also looking to refranchise up to 600 sites. 02-Feb-2006

Powerhouse is closing 31 loss-making electrical stores with the loss of 250 jobs. 02-Feb-2006

Henderson Group is to invest £18m in its chain of convenience stores in Northern Ireland this year, including 28 new outlets and the redevelopment of more than 50 others. 01-Feb-2006

Carpetright has announced a deal with House of Fraser to open 18 carpet concessions in department stores, with the first opening in May. 01-Feb-2006

Boots is to invest about £200m in store refurbishments and improvements to its distribution infrastructure. 01-Feb-2006

HMV, the music and book retailer valued at £659m, has received a preliminary takeover approach from private equity firm Permira. 31-Jan-2006

Jessops is to invest £5m in the roll-out of digital film processing kiosks into a further 200 stores. 30-Jan-2006

Kingfisher is planning to open 50 Trade Depot building products stores over the next five years, with the creation of 1,300 jobs. 30-Jan-2006

Jessops is linking up with Carphone Warehouse and Game to open a chain of triple-branded technology superstores, depending on the success of a trial at the Brent Cross Retail Park in London. 30-Jan-2006

Wyevale Garden Centres is looking to sell 31 of its smaller garden centres, including 16 freehold sites. 27-Jan-2006

DSG International is in talks to outsource its Dixons technical customer support centre to Capita, which would involve the transfer of up to 1,000 Nottingham-based staff. 27-Jan-2006

Modus has submitted outline plans for the £200m redevelopment of Crewe town centre, including a new department store. 26-Jan-2006

Ikea is to submit plans for a new furniture store at the Holywood Exchange in Belfast, with the creation of 400 jobs. 25-Jan-2006

Wing Yip is to invest £15m in the redevelopment of its food wholesale depot in Cricklewood, and a new site will be opened in Cardiff over the next two years. 25-Jan-2006

Sainsbury's is considering plans to close its Exel-operated distribution depot at Springhead Enterprise Park in Northfleet in April, but some of the 191 staff could be redeployed at a site in Charlton. 24-Jan-2006

Crew Clothing is looking to expand its chain of 33 sports fashion stores to 40, and is also piloting concessions in department stores. 23-Jan-2006

Robert Dyas is planning to expand its chain of 94 hardware stores by opening ten new sites a year. 23-Jan-2006

Swarovski is planning to expand its chain of 30 jewellery stores by opening up to seven new company-owned stores and six franchises this year. 23-Jan-2006

Game is planning to open about ten new computer games stores in the UK this year, and is also looking to expand its Spanish business. 23-Jan-2006

DSG International is running a trial of a new out-of-town Dixons Warehouse format in Dudley, offering electrical goods at "internet prices". 23-Jan-2006

St Modwen is working on plans for the £150m redevelopment of Bedford town centre, including a new department store, bus station, cinema and leisure complex. 20-Jan-2006

John Lewis is to close Caley's department store in Windsor in July, with the loss of 134 jobs. 20-Jan-2006

Newry & Mourne Council has selected Carvill Group to build a £6.5m four-storey mixed-use project in the Sugar Island area of Newry, including shops, restaurants and residential accommodation. 19-Jan-2006

House of Fraser is to shed a further 100 jobs at the Wolverhampton-based head office of its recently-acquired Beatties department store business. 19-Jan-2006

Boots is to close its online warehouse operation in Long Eaton, in order to outsource the work and up to 47 jobs to iForce in Birmingham. 19-Jan-2006

Debenhams has asked four banks to prepare a strategic review of its department stores business, which could lead to a £3bn flotation. 19-Jan-2006

Merseyrail is to open its own chain of convenience stores at railway stations under the "M to Go" banner, and Nisa Today's has been selected as supply partner. 17-Jan-2006

Bargain Booze is planning to open up to 60 off-licence stores a year for the next ten years. 17-Jan-2006

The Linen Green designer outlet village in Co Tyrone has submitted plans for a £2.5m expansion, in order to create 15 additional shops by summer 2007. 16-Jan-2006

Gondola is planning to open about 30 new restaurants a year for the next ten years, to add to its existing 504 PizzaExpress, ASK and Zizzi sites. 16-Jan-2006

Julian Graves is planning to expand its chain of 270 snacks and ingredients stores with up to 80 new sites this year. 16-Jan-2006

Greggs is planning to expand its chain of 1,319 bakery outlets with about 50 new sites this year. 16-Jan-2006

Ikea has won planning permission to build a new furniture store at Tameside in Manchester by October, with the creation of 500 jobs. 13-Jan-2006

Somerfield has confirmed plans to close its Exel-operated distribution centre in Rainham, Essex, in April, with the loss of up to 160 jobs. 12-Jan-2006

Webbs of Wychbold is looking to recruit 94 new staff at its garden centre in Worcestershire, following a £5m expansion programme. 12-Jan-2006

Past Times is to close its call centre in Witney, Oxfordshire, with the loss of at least 100 jobs, while new owner EPIC Reconstruction is still considering the future of its 95 gift shops. 12-Jan-2006

Thresher Group is looking to sell the franchises of 600 of its 2,000 off-licences to their store managers. 12-Jan-2006

Wagamama is to expand its UK chain of 40 noodle restaurants with 12 new sites this year, and has also announced moves into the US, Denmark and Turkey. 12-Jan-2006

Ikea has announced plans to open ten new furniture stores across the country over the next three years, with a greater emphasis on city centre sites. 11-Jan-2006

Boots is to recruit up to 100 staff for a new 11,500 sq ft health and beauty store due to open at Festival Park in Stoke-on-Trent in April. 11-Jan-2006

Domino's Pizza is planning to expand its chain of 407 pizza outlets to more than 800 over the next nine years, and expects to open 50 this year. 11-Jan-2006

Tesco is seeking permission from Stockton Council to expand its Ingleby Barwick store on Teesside by about 40%, with the creation of 100 jobs. 10-Jan-2006

Mr Lucky Bags is to shed an unspecified number of the 100 jobs at its novelty gifts business in Stoke-on-Trent. 10-Jan-2006

Wilkinson is to create about 80 jobs at a new discount store due to open in Watford in March. 10-Jan-2006

Wyevale Garden Centres is to relocate its marketing and buying operations from Hereford to Slough, with the loss of 66 of its 159 head office jobs. 10-Jan-2006

Morgan is planning to invest £3m opening up to 30 fashion stores over the next year, as well as 30 department store concessions and a number of store refurbishments. 09-Jan-2006

Gerry Weber of Germany is planning to set up a nationwide network of womenswear stores in the UK, starting with a flagship store on London's Regent Street. 09-Jan-2006

Asda is to submit plans to Sandwell Council to expand its superstore in Great Barr with a new mezzanine floor, creating more than 100 jobs. 04-Jan-2006

Tradex is to close its discount cash and carry outlet in Preston with the loss of 57 jobs, and outlets are also closing in Leeds, Lincoln, Huddersfield and Hull. 04-Jan-2006

Superdrug is planning to open at least 35 health and beauty stores this year, as part of a £15m investment programme. 03-Jan-2006







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