Amazon pledges 30,000 roles for young people as Wickes grows third-quarter revenue
Today brings a youth jobs pledge from Amazon, growth figures from Wickes and ME+EM, and a steady run of new stores and services around the country.
In brief
- Amazon has pledged 30,000 roles for young people Retail Times.
- Wickes grew revenue by 4.5% in the third quarter of 2026, driven by continued volume growth across the business Wickes.
- ME+EM increased revenue by 29% to £190 million in the year to January 2026 TheIndustry.fashion.
- ASOS has appointed Nick Goodchild as AI and Creative Studios Director TheIndustry.fashion.
- Concerns over retail crime reporting have been raised with MP Tony Vaughan Better Retailing.
Jobs and people
Amazon has pledged 30,000 roles for young people, in what Retail Times describes as a UK youth unemployment crisis Retail Times.
ASOS has brought in Nick Goodchild, a former Tommy Hilfiger executive, as AI and Creative Studios Director. The appointment is aimed at scaling creative content production TheIndustry.fashion.
Concerns over retail crime reporting have been raised with MP Tony Vaughan. The meeting comes as the government prepares to introduce new measures that could tackle rogue trade Better Retailing.
Debenhams CEO Dan Finley has been named among the first wave of speakers for Spring Fair, which takes place at the NEC Birmingham from 7-10 February 2027 TheIndustry.fashion.
Money and results
Wickes grew revenue by 4.5% in the third quarter, which it puts down to continued volume growth across the business Wickes.
At ME+EM, EBITDA rose 53% to £37 million alongside revenue of £190 million, with growth in the US lifting revenue TheIndustry.fashion.
United Wholesale Scotland has reported a record £327m turnover, although operating profit fell Better Retailing.
The ACS's forthcoming 2026 Forecourt Report shows average investment per forecourt fell to £14,810, down from £15,500 in 2025, as retailers face rising costs Better Retailing.
Stores and openings
French Connection has opened a 1,569 sq ft outlet store at Dalton Park outlet shopping centre in County Durham Completely Retail.
The dedicated charity for Bristol Children's Hospital is set to open its largest Gromit Unleashed shop yet at Cribbs Mall Completely Retail.
Harry Ramsden's Group has opened its second Harry's Hut, the brand's smaller-footprint format, at Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Swindon Completely Retail.
The Cotswold Company has launched a free interior design service at five of its showrooms as it looks to attract more customers into its stores Retail Gazette.
Digital and marketing
M&S has become the latest retailer to partner with Klarna, joining John Lewis and Boots Retail Gazette. It has also unveiled three ways for customers to earn extra money in their Sparks wallets: spending on bubbles, flowers or lunches at its cafes Retail Gazette.
Tesco-owned Booker has rolled out more than 500 digital advertising screens across 100 UK wholesale sites Retail Gazette. Separately, research suggests retailers and brands may be missing out on sales by concentrating holiday advertising around Black Friday and Cyber Monday InternetRetailing.
Our take
If you are starting out in retail, today's Amazon pledge is worth noting, and there are 19,097 live jobs on TRAP today, including 631 at Aldi and 630 at M&S. Wickes, which reported 4.5% revenue growth in the third quarter, has 77 live roles with us. For store teams, the retail crime discussion is a good reminder to make sure you know how your own store reports incidents.
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