In Review, February 2026: Headline highlights from Topshop, M&S, Burberry and more...

Camilla Rydzek

27 February 2026

As February draws to a close, TheIndustry.fashion reflects on an incredibly busy February that came with both highs and lows.

From Topshop returning to the highstreet, to new store openings across the capital and beyond - we can see brands are continuing to invest in creating meaningful physical retail spaces.

We have also been busier than ever to bring you the best highlights from London Fashion Week AW26, with highlights including Richard Quinn, the return of Phoebe English, and Burberry.

We have also seen muted retail sentiment, as footfall and retail sales are failing to pick up across January and February - although there were also bright spots.

TheIndustry.fashion reflects on another headline-grabbing month in British retail and beyond, from new openings to key insights into retail and footfall, and in-depth analysis.

New Openings

Asda to launch new George concept store in Peterborough as part of wider UK rollout

Asda has selected Peterborough for its next standalone George concept store, part of a initiative to rebrand 10 Asda Living stores across the UK in 2026.

Carnaby Street Kookaï

Kookaï to make UK retail return with store on London’s Carnaby Street

Womenswear brand Kookaï is to make a return to the UK high street “in the coming months”, with a new 1,800 sq ft flagship store at 37 Carnaby Street in London.

Topshop expands high street presence with 32 John Lewis stores

Topshop and Topman are expanding their presence on the UK high street. 32 John Lewis stores are now stocking a curated selection of Topshop’s womenswear, while Topman debuts in seven locations.

Longchamp

Longchamp arrives in Edinburgh with first UK store outside London

Longchamp has unveiled its first standalone store in Scotland, opening a new flagship on Multrees Walk in Edinburgh’s luxury retail district.

Marks & Spencer unveils new Bath flagship as it continues store renewal strategy

Marks & Spencer has opened a new 83,000 sq ft flagship store at Bath SouthGate, representing a significant investment in the city centre and a relocation from its former Stall Street location.

Data insights

(Matt Crossick/PA)

This month has seen a somewhat bleak outlook for retailers, although there are bright spots. Consumer confidence has improved in February, and online retail was boosted due to an unprecedented demand in jewellery. Yet generally retail confidence is lackluster, with falling footfall pointing to deeper troubles.

Consumer confidence edges up in February, but wet weather dampens retail outlook

Consumer confidence has improved for a third straight month, yet sluggish retail sales leave retailers under continued pressure, according to surveys by the British Retail Consortium and the Confederation of British Industry.

Violence and abuse against retailers falls by a fifth, but ‘unacceptably high’

The BRC hailed “hard-won” progress that resulted in the overall number of incidents falling from 2,000 a day to 1,600, but said levels remained “unacceptably high” – and far beyond the 455 incidents a day registered before the pandemic.

Unprecedented’ demand for jewellery helps retail sales surge in January

A bright spot of good news as retail sales surged last month in the biggest rise for more than a year and a half as online retailers experienced “unprecedented” demand for jewellery and strong orders of sports supplements amid the New Year health-kick.

Retailers looking to cut staff hours due to high employment costs, bosses warn

New research from the British Retail Consortium showed that 61% of retail CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) and finance directors plan to “reduce number of hours and overtime” for staff.

UK shopper footfall down on last January but up on 'disappointing' Christmas

Shopper footfall rallied in January compared with a disappointing Christmas but remained down on a year earlier, figures show.

January sales drive online retail growth following subdued ‘Golden Quarter’

Retail growth rose to 1.7% in January, after sales were flat in December at 0.2%, and online retail spend growth (excluding groceries) reached 5.7%, with its share of overall retail spending reaching its highest level since January 2022, at 59.2%.

Retail sales pick up in January after consumers hold off on Christmas spending

Total UK retail sales increased by 2.7% year on year in January, above the 12-month average growth of 2.3%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.