FTSE 100 news / Companies and sectors / Retail / 20 October 2026
Retail: sector news on Tuesday 20 October 2026
Average tone +1.9 (slightly positive) across 7 companies with relevant coverage, from 82 stories.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marks & Spencer | +3.7 | 27 | Coverage was mostly favourable, with shares hitting a one-year high, a new flagship store, a Klarna partnership and plenty of positive product and Christmas range stories. |
| Tesco | +3.3 | 25 | Coverage leaned positive, led by a new share buyback tranche, a higher interim dividend and community and product promotions. |
| Sainsbury's | +1.7 | 15 | Coverage was mostly about product news, with Tu knitwear and Christmas bakery ranges and seasonal hiring all positive. |
| Burberry Group | −0.3 | 9 | Coverage was mixed: Burberry stores were hit in the Paris protests and the brand was criticised in one piece, while new collections and a possible royal print collaboration were more positive. |
| JD Sports | +3.0 | 4 | Coverage was mainly about JD Sports opening a new store in Manila and executives meeting Wall Street analysts on a Florida trip. |
| Kingfisher | +3.0 | 1 | Coverage was limited to a single piece asking whether Kingfisher is still an income candidate, which carries a mildly positive tone. |
| Next | −1.3 | 1 | Coverage was limited to a report that a Next operations director sold shares worth GBP608,354. |
Strongest stories in the sector
- +10.0 Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS) Hits New 1-Year High - What's Next?
Shares hit new one-year high - +9.2 Tesco Launches Up to GBP200 Million Third Tranche of Share Buyback
Third share buyback tranche up to £200m, shareholder returns - +7.5 M&S to open new flagship store in £3.2m revamp of Clarks Village outlet centre
New flagship store and investment in revamp - +7.5 Revealed: Brits to spend most with Amazon and Tesco this Christmas
Tesco expected among biggest Christmas spend recipients - −6.7 Chanel, Gucci and Burberry Under Fire: What Luxury Brands Have Been Hiding From Consumers
Burberry among brands criticised for hiding things from consumers. - −6.7 M&S delays opening of Sheffield Foodhall until New Year
Sheffield Foodhall opening delayed until New Year - +6.7 Should Higher Interim Dividend Require Action From Tesco (LSE:TSCO) Investors?
Higher interim dividend is positive for investors - +5.8 Burberry’s Next Print? A Watercolor by King Charles III
Possible royal watercolour print collaboration, positive brand association. - −5.8 Heartbreak as Marks & Spencer WON’T open 22,742 sq ft store before Christmas with shoppers fearing they’ll ‘miss out’
Store opening will miss Christmas, disappointing shoppers - +5.8 M&S partners with Klarna for online fashion, home and beauty
New Klarna payment partnership - +5.8 M&S Kilmarnock food store recommended for approval with key £100k town centre condition
New Kilmarnock food store recommended for approval - +5.8 Sainsbury’s Tu expands premium knitwear range with four times more styles
Tu clothing range expansion, positive product news