Trade press magazine, Better Retailing has reported that the Asda ‘The Deal Depot’ store, opened adjacent to the retailer’s Patchway (Bristol) hypermarket in 2019, has been permanently closed (see the First Look report from our visit ). The Deal Depot store was launched as a trial for the potential demand for a warehouse-style format offering a limited range of food and drink products in bulk...

Latest accounts filed with Companies House show the UK operation of global warehouse club operator Costco saw its sales rise by 14.4% in the year to 29 August 2021, reaching £3,582m over the 12 months. This is the wholesaler’s second year of double-digit growth over the pandemic period, following its +15.7% performance in the year to 30 August 2020 . Outstanding ‘pandemic’ result with broad...

While most retailers have seen inflation benefit their top line in their latest quarterly performances, many have seen their profitability dip. Unable to pass on the full impact of higher costs to customers, or reduce costs in other parts of their business given the rapid run-up in inflation this year, margins have been impacted. But Costco has fared better. We look at how it outperformed its pee...