M&S Eyes Nearly Half Online, Toolstation Goes for €1

Marks and Spencer wants online to reach nearly 50% of fashion, home and beauty sales alongside a network of 180 highly productive stores, but has put no year on it. Today's briefing also covers US grocery prices rising at their fastest since April, Travis Perkins selling Toolstation Benelux for one euro, and Lidl keeping its comparative price ads in France.

00:00 Intro

00:07 M&S targets nearly 50% online, 180 stores

00:43 UK supermarket till sales up 3.2% in October

01:06 US CPI up 0.4%, grocery prices up most since April

01:27 Food Lion buys five Winn-Dixie stores

02:03 Ethan Allen's Kathwari out, interim CEO named

02:26 Travis Perkins sells Toolstation Benelux for €1

03:01 Action loses French court bid against Lidl ads

03:32 Costco adds beauty discovery tables

04:09 Supreme and Timberland return to the field boot

Sources:

- Marks & Spencer: M&S Sets Near-50% Online Target for Fashion; Plans 180-Store Network https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/newsroom/press-releases/capital-markets-day-2026

- NielsenIQ: UK Supermarket Till Sales Up 3.2% in October; Final Week Reaches 4.1% https://nielseniq.com/global/en/news-center/2026/uk-supermarket-sales-bounce-back-in-october-as-extra-spending-lifts-growth/

- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: CPI Up 0.4% in October; Grocery Prices Up Most Since April https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi_11102026.htm

- Ahold Delhaize: Food Lion Agrees to Buy Five Winn-Dixie Stores in Georgia https://newsroom.aholddelhaize.com/food-lion-to-acquire-five-winn-dixie-stores-in-southern-georgia-exceeding-2026-growth-plan/

- Ethan Allen: Ethan Allen CEO Kathwari Out After Four Decades; Former Neiman Marcus Executive Named Interim https://ir.ethanallen.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/335/a-new-day-at-ethan-allen

- Travis Perkins: German Investment Group to Acquire Toolstation's 100-Plus Benelux Stores https://www.investegate.co.uk/announcement/rns/travis-perkins--tpk/travis-perkins-divestment-of-toolstation-benelux/9866401

- RetailDetail EU: French Court Rejects Action's Bid to Block Lidl Comparative Price Ads https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/general/action-comes-up-empty-lidl-is-allowed-to-compare-prices/

- Beauty Independent: Costco Steps Up Its Beauty Destination Ambitions With New Prestige Displays https://www.beautyindependent.com/costco-steps-up-beauty-destination-ambitions-new-prestige-displays/

- Footwear News: Timberland’s Beloved Field Boot Is Getting a New Limited-Edition Collaboration With Supreme https://wwd.com/footwear-news/sneaker-news/supreme-timberland-bandana-field-boot-release-date-1239409069/

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