In Review, August 2026: Headline highlights from NEXT, Lefties, Russell & Bromley and more...
Physical retail has continued to attract investment throughout August, with brands opening flagship stores, expanding into new regions and taking larger formats despite softer clothing demand. Notably, NEXT opened its largest UK store at Bluewater this month, while Lefties made its UK retail debut with a flagship at Liverpool ONE, and Russell & Bromley prepared to reopen its Westgate Oxford store.
Several brands also expanded their geographic reach. Boden continued its US rollout, Fabletics announced plans to enter India, and SKIMS selected Westfield London for its second UK store, which is due to open in 2027.
Meanwhile, established retailers returned to familiar locations and formats. Russell & Bromley prepared to reopen at Westgate Oxford under NEXT, while Karen Millen re-entered bricks-and-mortar retail after seven years away.
August also saw Frasers Group acquire Harvey Nichols, alongside interviews with founders preparing for further growth and previews of September’s shows across New York, London, Milan and Paris.
New Openings
Berghaus heads to Manchester for first standalone store in North West
British outdoor brand Berghaus opened a new store at Manchester Arndale shopping centre, its first standalone store in the North West.
Lefties lands at Liverpool ONE for UK debut
Inditex’s budget fashion and lifestyle brand Lefties, a sister brand of ZARA and a competitor of Primark, opened its highly anticipated 27,000 sq ft flagship store on South John Street at Liverpool ONE, marking the brand’s UK retail debut.
Gerard Darel strengthens London presence with new Regent Street flagship
Gerard Darel, the French brand specialising in luxury womenswear and accessories, opened a 1,937 sq ft flagship at 221 Regent Street, arranged over two floors. The new London store houses its AW26 collection alongside art, vintage furnishings and artisanal objects, coinciding with its latest Dree Hemingway campaign.
Scamp & Dude chooses Harrogate for its first year-round northern England location
British B Corp-certified fashion brand Scamp & Dude confirmed its first permanent northern England store would open in Harrogate during October 2026. The two-floor James Street location will provide more than 2,100 sq ft for womenswear, community events and the brand’s private Bolt Room.
Uniqlo accelerates UK expansion with new store in Cambridge
Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo prepares to open a 9,472 sq ft store at Cambridge’s Grand Arcade on 24 September 2026. Occupying the former Ted Baker unit, the two-floor space will carry AW26 products and women’s and men’s LifeWear essentials.
Mulberry ramps up UK investment with new store at Liverpool ONE
British luxury brand Mulberry signed for a 979 sq ft store at Liverpool ONE, scheduled to open in November 2026. The Keys Court location supports its Back to the Mulberry Spirit strategy, which places greater emphasis on the UK market and long-term customer relationships.
Fabletics to launch in India, as Lululemon and SKIMS prepare to follow
Fabletics, the US activewear brand, announced plans to enter India via a dedicated website and mono-brand store in New Delhi, with Mumbai to follow. Under an exclusive long-term partnership, Reliance Brands Limited will build and operate the business, covering standalone stores, e-commerce and locally adapted retail concepts.
SKIMS selects Westfield London for second UK store
SKIMS, the shapewear brand founded by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede, signed for a second UK store at Westfield London, due to open in 2027. Its White City location will follow the first UK flagship at 245-247 Regent Street, which opened in July.
Purdey to launch two-month pop-up at Harrods
Purdey, the British brand for outdoor and country living, announced a Harrods pop-up scheduled for 7 September to 8 November 2026. It will be located in the second-floor menswear designer collections area and carry products from the Sporting Collection, Global Sporting Range and Lifestyle Collection.
Russell & Bromley to reopen at Westgate Oxford under NEXT
British footwear retailer Russell & Bromley prepares to reopen at Westgate Oxford on 3 September, returning to its former lower-ground-floor unit. The Oxford reopening forms part of NEXT’s work to rebuild the store footprint after acquiring the brand through a pre-pack administration deal.
Boux Avenue’s new retail concept rollout continues with two more store upgrades
Boux Avenue, the British retailer of lingerie, nightwear and swimwear, progressed its store concept rollout with refurbishments in Guildford and Belfast. The latest store upgrades follow projects at the Trafford Centre, Bluewater and Westfield London, with refitted interiors, redesigned frontages, updated signs and improved digital screens.
Karen Millen returns to UK high street after seven years
British premium fashion brand Karen Millen returned to bricks-and-mortar retail through three concessions in TFG stores during August. Its high-street return began at Fosse Park in Leicester, followed by locations at Aberdeen’s Union Square and Liverpool ONE on 17 August.
Fashionphile opens first physical UK space with London pop-up
Fashionphile, the luxury resale platform founded in the US, opened its first physical UK space at China Works in Vauxhall, London. Customers can shop authenticated luxury products in person at the London pop-up, following the company’s October 2025 acquisition of UK resale business Luxe Collective.
Boden accelerates US retail expansion with third store in Alabama
British clothing brand Boden announced a 2,000 sq ft store at The Summit in Birmingham, Alabama, opening during autumn 2026. The Alabama location will become its third US store, following openings in Nashville during July and Atlanta in November 2025.
Charles Tyrwhitt celebrates 40th with anniversary video and new Oxford Street store
Charles Tyrwhitt, the British menswear retailer, released a film celebrating its anniversary before opening a new Oxford Street flagship in October. Founder Nick Wheeler appears alongside figures from entertainment, business and sport in the 40th anniversary programme, which combines personal anecdotes with material from the brand’s history.
NEXT expands Cribbs Mall store as investment continues
At Cribbs Mall in Bristol, NEXT confirmed plans to move its store and refit it, creating a 47,000 sq ft fashion space. The Cribbs investment also includes a separate 1,797 sq ft unit for the region’s first standalone Bath & Body Works location.
American Vintage heads east for 11th London store
French fashion retailer American Vintage opened a 963 sq ft flagship at 54 Redchurch Street in East London. The Shoreditch opening became its 12th UK store and 11th in the capital, adding to the brand’s existing East London location in Spitalfields.
In Pictures: NEXT opens largest UK store at Bluewater
The largest UK store from NEXT is now open at Bluewater in Kent, occupying a 132,000 sq ft unit with 83,000 sq ft of trading space. The two-floor flagship brings together womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and home, with a distinct design identity for each department.
Levi’s joins fashion line-up at Cribbs Mall as Moss upsizes
At Cribbs Mall near Bristol, Levi’s took a five-year lease on the former Moss unit measuring 2,265 sq ft. As part of the two fashion deals, Moss will occupy a larger 4,124 sq ft store under a 15-year lease at the shopping centre.
Nobody’s Child accelerates UK retail expansion with new Bath boutique
Womenswear brand Nobody’s Child opened a 1,500 sq ft boutique at SouthGate Shopping Centre in Bath on 8 August. The Bath store became its 11th standalone UK location and fourth opening of 2026, following Cambridge, Harrogate and Bluewater.
JD Sports unveils significant upsize of Meadowhall flagship store
JD Sports unveiled a relocated 29,225 sq ft store at Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield, three times the size of its previous unit. The upsized flagship combines five units on the centre’s Lower High Street and represents a major investment by the retailer.
Tod's launches Harrods pop-up for Red Dot sneakers
Italian luxury footwear brand Tod’s opened a dedicated pop-up at Harrods focused on its Red Dot men’s sneaker collection. The temporary retail space presents a curated selection of styles combining the company’s traditional hand craftsmanship with its approach to product development.
Data insights
Men’s suit searches soar but demand for slim-fit styles sees sharp decline
Online searches for men’s suits rose 124% year-on-year, according to data from tailoring retailer Dobell. The category breakdown showed morning suit searches increased 307% and linen suits rose 297%, while slim-fit suit sales revenue declined 62.8% over one year.
Retail sales weaken in July as demand for clothing falls
According to the Office for National Statistics, UK retail sales volumes fell by 0.5% in July against the previous month. The official retail figures showed that clothing sales were declining at their fastest rate for more than a year, weakening the wider monthly result.
Consumers want styling advice amid too much choice, ASOS finds
Almost two thirds of consumers said fashion offered too many choices without enough guidance on how to style them. The ASOS-commissioned research, based on almost 2,000 UK consumers, also found 68% considered knowing what to buy easier than knowing how to wear it.
Football shirt sales surge as nostalgia drives 2026/27 kit boom
Sales of Adidas’ Liverpool home shirt for the 2026/27 season rose 99% at JD Sports compared with the previous design. The nostalgia-led kit draws on Liverpool’s 1989/91 home shirt through a deeper active red colour and chalk-style detailing.
Summer clothing sales soar as heat drives spending
According to the BRC and KPMG, UK retail sales rose 1.3% year-on-year in July, against a 12-month average of 1.8%. Summer clothing and garden products were areas of demand in an otherwise subdued period for retailers, the monthly retail data showed.
Heatwave hampers high street footfall in July as consumers stay home
Total UK footfall declined 2.1% year-on-year in July, improving from a 3.4% fall in June, according to BRC-Sensormatic data. The footfall monitor showed high-street visits down 3.8%, as continued hot weather affected visits to physical retail locations.
Searches for second-hand bridesmaid dresses up 17% year-on-year
Searches for second-hand bridesmaid dresses increased 17% year-on-year, according to figures from resale platform Vinted. The supporting consumer survey found 24% of former bridesmaids had considered declining the role because of cost, rising to 35% among women aged 25 to 34.
BRC urges rethink of employment reforms as Brits back Saturday jobs
Research commissioned by the British Retail Consortium found that 80% of UK adults viewed part-time work as important for young people. The organisation called for retail jobs offering flexibility at entry level to be protected following the Opinium research, with support reaching 91% among respondents aged 55 and over.
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