Burberry, Gucci and Saint Laurent are among the creditors owed £36m following the collapse of Matchesfashion last month. The luxury ecommerce platform owes money to more than 500 unsecured creditors, with hundreds of suppliers likely to receive less than a penny in the pound. Administrators at Teneo said in a new report that creditors are unlikely to be paid back and if they are, the amount would be “very low”. “On present information, it is unlikely that sufficient funds will be realised to enable a distribution to be made,” according to documents filed at Companies House. Subscribe to Retail ..read more

John Lewis is posting its job interview questions online, in a bid to make the process less overwhelming for potential staff members. The retailer is set to publish its questions “for every role” online “for everyone to see,” according to the Financial Times. John Lewis talent acquisition lead Lorna Bullett said: “We want the right people, from a variety of backgrounds, with the best talent to join our organisation. “It makes absolute business sense to find ways of helping candidates to really demonstrate what they can do.” Subscribe to Retail Gazette for free  Sign up here to get th ..read more

PrettyLittleThing co-founders Adam Kamani and Umar Kamani have launched a new interior design business, Kamani Rossar. The new firm from the entrepreneurial brothers, which has studios based in London and Dubai, is a business partnership with interior designer Rob Rosser, with the three holding shares in the new firm. Kamani Rossar will provide interior design services to an external base of global, luxury clients, as well as for Kamani Property Group’s portfolio of commercial, residential and industrial buildings across major cities including London and Dubai. Adam Kamani said: “It has been a ..read more

Poundland has shut nine of its former Wilko shops within months of reopening them, under a “constant review” of its estate. A spokesperson for the discount retailer said affected workers had been offered positions a nearby shops in all cases. The move comes after the business’s owner Pepco Group agreed to take control of up to 71 Wilko store leases from administrator PwC under a last-minute deal in September. Poundland began reopening the shops with its own branding within weeks and relaunched 64 of the stores, hiring 960 ex-Wilko staff members by mid-December. Subscribe to Retail Gazette for ..read more

Decathlon has expanded its BuyBack scheme to include all sports equipment following the success of its initial launch on unwanted bicycles. The initiative has been rolled out across fitness equipment, racket sports, camping gear and water sport items, such as kayaks and paddle boards. To access the scheme, customers are asked to complete a quick online assessment to register the return of their unwanted product before dropping it off in any Decathlon store nationwide to receive a voucher of up to 40% of the valued item. Subscribe to Retail Gazette for free  Sign up here to get the la ..read more

Pret A Manger has made a series of board changes, including bringing back its co-founder as ramps up its next phase of international growth. Former chief executive officer of Pret owner JAB Holdings Olivier Goudet is stepping down as chairman and will be succeeded by his colleague and JAB partner, Konrad Meyer. After spearheading the acquisition, Meyer became a board member in 2018 and also served as interim chief financial officer at the height of Covid-19 back in 2020. Meanwhile, Pret A Manger co-founder Sinclair Beecham and former chairman and board member Larry Billet are both returni ..read more

Mango has unveiled its spring/summer 2024 capsule collection designed in collaboration Victoria Beckham as it marks its 40th anniversary. The capsule collection features ready-to-wear, including tailoring, lingerie dresses, and knitwear, alongside bags, jewellery, and footwear, with prices ranging from £50 to £300. The Spanish fashion retailer said the new line, which is now available worldwide, reflects “the essence of the designer’s eponymous label, considered the perfect blend of classic British luxury with a subtle contemporary twist”. The collaboration with Beckham is the latest in ..read more

The seemingly unstoppable march of Aldi and Lidl continued last year, and was driven by one major thing: new stores. Last year, Aldi committed to a long-term target to open 500 new stores across the UK, taking its total number of sites to 1,500, with 35 new stores set to open this year alone. Despite its grand expansion plans, last year Aldi UK boss Giles Hurley told The Telegraph he had been made to delay the grocer’s opening schedule as it faced a large number of planning objections from rival supermarkets.  Its competitors reportedly filed 77 objections to its planning applications fro ..read more

Primark has hired a trio of new executives to its strategic advisory board. The fast fashion retailer has appointed ex-Sephora CEO Martin Brok, Additionally, former Tesco and Gap executive Christophe Roussel and ex-Walmart president of digital and chief marketing officer Sona Chawla. The execs will join a team led by Primark CEO Paul Marchant and chaired by its outgoing finance director John Bason, according to Retail Week. Primark company Associated British Foods (ABF) initially announced Bason’s retirement as well as the launch of a “newly constituted” strategic advisory board in 2022. Subsc ..read more

John Lewis executive finance director Bérangère Michel has resigned from the Partnership after 16 years. Michel will step down from her post in the autumn after deciding “to pursue her future career options outside of the partnership”. Her departure is the first major change to John Lewis Partnership’s executive team since former Tesco boss Jason Tarry was named as chair Dame Sharon White’s successor. Michel joined the business in 2008 as its head of financial strategy and has held various senior leadership positions across retail, supply chain and customer operations in both John Lewis and Wa ..read more