In Review, May 2026: Headline highlights from Topshop, SKIMS, Russell & Bromley and more...

Camilla Rydzek

28 May 2026

As May draws to a close, TheIndustry.fashion reflects on a month marked by continued uncertainty from the Middle East crisis, a slight uptick in consumer confidence, but a sharp fall in sales - and a retail landscape that continues to adapt to an accelerating pace of change.

The face of the high street continues to evolve and this month we have seen well-known brands including Quiz Clothing and Radley announcing store closures. On the other hand, there continues to be appetite for brick-and-mortar retail, with Topshop reportedly looking to expand its presence on the high street with the opening of own-brand stores. This is part of a larger trend, it seems, with data showing that UK high streets and shopping destinations are showing signs of recovery.

From the Chelsea Flower Show to The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere and the BAFTA TV Awards, we also have a number of exciting in-depth pieces that reflect on the key moments and trends that we have seen this month.

Once again, TheIndustry.fashion reflects on a headline-grabbing month in British retail and beyond, highlighting new openings, key insights into retail and footfall, and in-depth industry analysis.

New openings

NEXT reopens Russell & Bromley location following closure

NEXT reopened Russell & Bromley’s Richmond store in south-west London following its recent closure. The lease for the Richmond location is understood to have been transferred to NEXT earlier this week, with the store now operating under the British retailer’s management.

Stradivarius

Inditex brands Stradivarius and Pull&Bear make Yorkshire debut

Inditex brands Stradivarius and Pull&Bear opened neighbouring stores at the Sheffield-based Meadowhall shopping centre, joining sister labels ZARA and Bershka.

Topshop eyes expansion amid rumours of new store plans

Topshop drafted retail property advisory firm Vedra Group as it looks to expand its physical retail network, according to a report by Retail Week.

Home Grown launches first in-store pop-up at Size? on London’s Carnaby Street

British streetwear brand Home Grown launched its first in-store pop-up at the Size? flagship store at 32-34 Carnaby Street in London, set to run for a month.

SKIMS

SKIMS readies Regent Street flagship ahead of summer opening

Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS now has branded hoardings up on its new flagship store at 245-247 Regent Street in London, ahead of its highly anticipated summer 2026 opening.

Max&Co opens flagship store on London’s Regent Street

Max&Co, the younger and more accessibly priced sibling of Italian fashion powerhouse Max Mara, opened a 2,637 sq ft flagship store at 133 Regent Street, “marking a defining moment in the brand’s evolution”.

Matalan plots store expansion in Ireland

Fashion and homeware retailer Matalan is planning to expand into the Irish market as it continues to drive its turnaround strategy.

Kookaï

In Pictures: Kookaï opens flagship boutique in London

Australian womenswear brand Kookaï opened a new store on Carnaby Street in Soho, London, marking its return to physical retail in the UK.

Bijoux De Mimi returns to King's Road for long-term summer pop-up

Bijoux De Mimi, the colourful jewellery brand targeting Gen Z, returned to King’s Road for its first long-term summer residency. Located at 324-326 Kings Road, London, the pop-up will run until 6 September.

Mango accelerates UK expansion with new London opening

Mango opened a new store at St Paul's, One New Change, as the Spanish fashion brand accelerates its plans to open 15 stores across the UK this year.

Pexwear

Pexwear opens debut store in Shoreditch as relaunch gathers pace

Heritage British workwear brand Pexwear, which was founded in Liverpool in 1816 by John Peck & Co, opened its first store at 100 Shoreditch High Street, East London.

Womenswear brand LENY marks first anniversary with first retail partnership

Independent London-based brand LENY made its retail debut at Selfridges just one year after its launch.

Oner Active to open first store in NY as UK sportswear brands bet on US

UK activewear brand Oner Active signed a 10-year lease for a store on Bond Street, New York, marking its first permanent brick-and-mortar location.

Eme Studios

Streetwear giant Eme Studios to open debut UK store

Spanish streetwear brand Eme Studios signed to open a 1,500 sq ft store at Carnaby Street in London, marking its UK retail debut and its first permanent store outside of Spain.

Anthropologie to join growing retail offer at Battersea Power Station

Anthropologie is set to open a new store at Battersea Power Station in the summer, joining the likes of Alo Yoga, ZARA, Me+Em and a host of other fashion brands at the retail destination.

Wax London unveils first pop-up at Harrods and eyes ‘other opportunities’

British menswear brand Wax London unveiled its first-ever in-store pop-up in Harrods, Knightsbridge, described as “an exciting next step in its continued growth”, with further pop-up opportunities now being considered to drive brand awareness.

Boux Avenue

In Pictures: Boux Avenue unveils refurbished Westfield London store

British lingerie, nightwear and swimwear retailer Boux Avenue reopened its 1,840 sq ft store at Westfield London following a major refurbishment.

Data insights

This month has been another turbulent one, marked by extremely hot weather (although we won't see the impact of this until next month). What the data shows is that April was a "disappointing" month for retail, and even with a slight uptick in consumer confidence (which overall still remains very low), UK retail sales tumbled at their fastest rate for almost a year. This was due to soaring petrol and diesel prices hitting fuel sales (a result of the Middle East crisis), but also waning demand for clothing.

Yet there is also positive news - according to new figures, the UK high streets and shopping destinations are showing signs of recovery, with more than 13 retail stores opening each week over the past year.

You can read more about our in-depth data analysis on retail sales and the overall landscape, as well as consumer confidence and insights on Gen Z shopping behaviour, below.

Shop numbers return to growth after years of decline, say experts

UK high streets and shopping destinations showed signs of recovery as more than 13 retail stores opened each week over the past year, according to new figures.

UK retail sales suffer sharpest fall for almost a year

UK retail sales tumbled at their fastest rate for almost a year as soaring petrol and diesel prices hit fuel sales and demand for clothing waned, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the total volume of retail sales, which measures the quantity bought, fell by 1.3% in April.

Slight improvement in consumer confidence but big purchases under pressure

A fall in inflation led to a slight improvement in consumer confidence this month amid warnings of “clear challenges ahead”. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index rose by two points in May, but was still four points lower than the same time last year at minus 23.

UK economy records strongest quarterly growth in a year

The UK economy recorded the strongest quarterly growth in a year over the first three months of 2026 with a surprise spurt in activity after the Iran war began, figures show.

Fashion downturn drags UK retail sales in April

It was a "disappointing April" for the retail sector, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG. The figures were driven both by overall low consumer confidence, with fears that the Middle East conflict would drive up living costs, leading shoppers to rein it in, and a shift in the dates for Easter, which resulted in an artificially higher March, but lower April.

Gen Z 'serial returners' surge as traditional returns deterrents lose impact

New data suggested a significant rise in so-called “serial returners” among Gen Z online shoppers. A survey of more than 1,000 shoppers found that 53% of Gen Z respondents have been identified as serial returners - up from 15% in 2023, a 38 percentage-point increase over three years.

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In Review, May 2026: Headline highlights from Topshop, SKIMS, Russell & Bromley and more...

New openings

Data insights

Interviews, features & trends