In Review, June 2026: Headline highlights from Alo Yoga, Hermès, Cubitts and more...

Camilla Rydzek

01 July 2026

Over the month of June we have seen early signs of a retail recovery, with brands upgrading and expanding their retail portfolio, while others are plotting entries into new markets.

As brands are continuing to invest into enhancing their physical retail spaces, the warm weather has seen both an uplift in demand for seasonal products, as well as a "welcome boost" to retail sales.

Yet consumer confidence, especially for young people, remains subdued amid fears for their personal finances and the wider economy.

We also look back on some incredible interviews and features this month that look behind the curtains of the industry. From an interview with the CEO of Derek Rose, which just celebrated its 100 year anniversary, to show reports from Pitti, to Scoop and Source Fashion.

We also looked at how brands and retailers are capitalising on football's biggest tournament, and how Frasers Group built up its stake in Hugo Boss over the last six years, ahead of its take-over offer earlier this month.

New Openings

Byan

Byan set to open first flagship store in London

Spanish womenswear brand Byan is gearing up to open its first London flagship store on Chelsea’s King’s Road in October.

Footasylum reopens upgraded Trafford Centre store as expansion accelerates

Footasylum has reopened its upgraded 17,178 sq ft store at the Trafford Centre in Manchester.

Alo Yoga owners eye IPO or sale after offloading wholesale T-shirt business

The brand announced today that it was further expanding its UK footprint with the opening of a tenth "sanctuary" in Edinburgh in November this year. This marks the first time that Alo is coming to Scotland, offering its range of "studio-to-street design" to the local community.

HOKA to open first-ever UK outlet with new pop-up store

Performance footwear brand HOKA has opened its first-ever UK outlet pop-up store at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth.

FatFace continues Irish expansion with new store in Galway

FatFace is continuing its expansion into the Republic of Ireland with the opening of a new store in Galway, taking its total store count in the region to seven.

Photo: Valérie Sadoun for Hermès

Hermès opens new London flagship combining six Grade II listed buildings

French luxury fashion house Hermès has opened a new flagship at 166 New Bond Street in London, its largest store in Europe.

Bondi Active to debut in UK with localised website and London pop-up

Bondi Active is entering the UK through a phased launch of its Forma collection, starting with a localised e-commerce offer and a King’s Road pop-up. Read the full piece here for the brand’s rollout plans into UK retail stores in August.

Superdry & Co opens first UK outlet following brand repositioning

Superdry has opened its first Superdry & Co outlet at Caledonia Park in Scotland, using the 4,500 sq ft unit to present its updated concept and product mix. The new outlet opening gives an early read on how the repositioned brand is being shown to shoppers.

Cubitts opens 13,000 sq ft King's Cross headquarters and optical manufactory

Cubitts has opened The Yard in King’s Cross, bringing frame making, lens production, repair, consultation and training into one central London site. The 13,000 sq ft manufactory also gives the eyewear brand a visible production base.

Salomon to open first full-price UK store outside London

Salomon will open a 3,500 sq ft store at Liverpool ONE this summer, marking its first full-price UK store outside London.

Macron set to open new store at Gloucester Quays ahead of ‘Summer of Sport’ activation

Italian sportswear brand Macron is gearing to open a 2,200 sq ft store adjacent to Jack Wills and AllSaints at Gloucester Quays outlet shopping centre, ahead of the destination’s ‘Summer of Sport’ activation.

Dubarry of Ireland set for flagship store in London’s Mayfair

Heritage outdoor lifestyle brand Dubarry of Ireland is gearing to open a 1,362 sq ft flagship store at 6 Conduit Street in London’s Mayfair this summer, following the signing of a six-year lease with London landlord The Crown Estate.

Footasylum lands in Merthyr Tydfil as UK retail expansion gathers pace

Footasylum has opened a 4,000 sq ft store at Cyfarthfa Shopping Park in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, creating 25 new jobs in the prominent high footfall retail destination.

4th & Reckless debuts shop-in-shop concept in Selfridges Manchester

Manchester-based womenswear brand 4th & Reckless has launched its first-ever shop-in-shop concept in the Selfridges store at the Trafford Centre in its home city, in collaboration with Jolie interiors.

Designer Exchange heads to Newcastle for latest store

Luxury fashion resale platform and retailer Designer Exchange is opening its latest store at 141 Grainger Street in Newcastle on 11 June.

Rokit

Rokit opens first dedicated footwear and accessories store on London’s

Vintage clothing retailer Rokit has opened its first dedicated footwear and accessories store at 107 Brick Lane in East London.

Bound

Bound to open first-ever store in Manchester’s Northern Quarter

Menswear brand Bound will be opening its debut flagship store at 34-36 Thomas Street in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter on Saturday 13 June.

Berghaus

Berghaus celebrates 60th with first North West store

British outdoor clothing and equipment brand Berghaus, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, will be opening a new 2,750 sq ft store at Manchester Arndale “later this year”, marking the brand’s first standalone store in the North West.

In Pictures: ZARA re-opens Bond Street flagship with new tech-led shopping experience

ZARA has re-opened its flagship store at 333 Oxford Street, just opposite Bond Street station, featuring a renovated interior and exterior as well as new omnichannel and automation features.

Sports Direct

Sports Direct makes Nordic debut with new Helsinki flagship

Frasers Group has opened a 30,000 sq ft store at Citycenter Mall in Helsinki, Finland, marking its first opening in the Nordic region following the acquisition of Norwegian retailer XXL in the summer of 2025.

Size?

Size? heads to Barcelona for second store in Spain

JD Sports-owned sneaker and streetwear retailer Size? is opening its second store in Spain in the heart of Barcelona on Friday, 5 June, adding to its existing flagship store in Madrid, which opened in 2016.

Victoria Beckham opens first US pop-up store in Miami

British fashion label Victoria Beckham has opened its first US store at Bal Harbour Shops in Miami, making it the first location outside London to house both its fashion and beauty businesses under one roof.

Primark opens fifth store in Romania as expansion continues

Value fashion retailer Primark opened its fifth store in Romania in June, as it continues to expand in the market with three further locations planned by the end of this year.

Data insights

Sainsbury’s clothing sales dip despite stronger grocery growth

June's retail data painted a mixed picture for the UK high street, with warm weather providing a welcome boost to sales of seasonal categories such as fashion, footwear and outdoor goods, while inflation remained stable thanks to widespread clothing discounts.

However, consumer confidence weakened sharply among younger adults and footfall continued to decline year-on-year, even as social media emerged as a major driver of high street visits, highlighting the increasingly complex forces shaping retail performance.

Summer clothing discounts keep shop price inflation in check

Shop price inflation remained unchanged in June despite warnings of looming price hikes as a result of the Middle East crisis.

Shoppers ‘making 1.7bn high street visits per year driven by social media’

Social media is driving an estimated 1.7 billion visits to UK high streets annually - an average of more than 30 million visits a week - analysis suggests.

Warm May weather "welcome boost" to UK retail sales

Warm May weather provided a "welcome boost" to retail sales, with total volume of sales, which measures the quantity bought, rising by 1.2% last month, according to new figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Consumer confidence plummets among younger adults

GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index showed that among traditionally optimistic younger adults confidence has plummeted by 11 points, amid fears for their personal finances and the wider economy.

May heatwave boosts spending on sandals and sunglasses

May’s heatwave drove a surge in spending on products ranging from barbecue food to sandals and sunglasses in a boost to retailers, figures show.

‘Record-breaking temperatures’ hit UK footfall in May

Covering the four weeks from 3-30 May, total UK footfall decreased by 2.6% year-on-year, up from -10.7% in April, according to the latest data from BRC-Sensormatic, with record temperatures in the last week of May cited as impacting activity.

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