​Non-essential stores in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) reopened on Monday with expectations of heavy demand after more than four months of being closed. 

​Amazon will create 10,000 new permanent jobs in the United Kingdom in 2021, taking its total workforce in the country to more than 55,000, it said on Friday.

​After a year in which weddings were cancelled across Britain, they're back on the agenda, so with supreme good timing, Selfridges has just been granted a licence to host the ceremonies and receptions.

Be warned, consumer sustainability issues may be more important than you think. Over half of people in the UK (56%) are less likely to buy from organisations with a weak sustainability record, according to a new survey.

​Joules Group had good news on Tuesday as it’s expecting a “positive performance” across all retail channels for the financial year that ends in a few weeks, with revenue and pre-tax profit ahead of expectations. 

​Live-stream commerce is making major inroads globally and with most retailers having little in-house expertise in this area, external companies are capitalising on the sector’s fast expansion.

In a further sign of how important environmental, social, and governance-linked (ESG) issues are these days, lifestyle retailer Joules has announced a renewal of its funding deal with a strong ESG element included.

​Next continued to show just how strong it has been in recent periods on Thursday as the retailer increased its guidance due to sales dipping only slightly in the latest quarter.

​Global-e, the cross-border e-commerce specialist, has launched its initial public offering that will see it listing on NASDAQ in the US. The shares will be price between $23 and $25.

​Alibaba’s Taobao Live is investing more heavily in livestreaming, a step that should boost its revenues and increase pressure on other e-tailers around the world to increase their livestreaming offers.

​Ultra-luxe label Hermès has unveiled a newly transformed flagship in Beijing's China World Trade Centre. It covers two floors and more than 900 sqm with an “eye-catching façade that beckons from afar”.

Malls giant Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has delivered a Q1 update that showed turnover still "strongly impacted by ongoing Covid-19 restrictions”. But reopenings so far suggest plenty of pent-up demand.

As expected, a poor performance from its retail operations hit the Grosvenor Group in its latest trading year as the pandemic caused the high-end property business to swing to its first loss since the financial crisis.

The White Company did surprisingly well in the 12 months to August 1 last year and has reported group operating profit up 4% to £14.1 million.

​French Connection is “moving in the right direction once again”, the company told us on Wednesday as it delivered weak full-year results for the period to the end of January. 

The Los Angeles-based beauty, baby and consumer goods company founded by actress Jessica Alba said on Monday that it is aiming for a valuation of more than $1.5 billion with its upcoming U.S. IPO.