Retail Recap: The important openings and partnerships of July 2023
As July comes to a close, the retail sector reflects on an overall positive month. Despite e-commerce's continued slowdown, sunny weather saw shoppers take to the high street, boosting brick-and-mortar footfall and sales.
Throughout the month, there have been mostly positive trading updates with many reporting record-breaking quarters. Financial reports were shared from high street and luxury companies including Prada, Skechers, Adidas, LVMH to name a few.
TheIndustry.fashion has curated a list of the retail stores that have opened this month, as well as a number of partnerships from businesses including Blumarine, PrettyLittleThing and Anya Hindmarch.
Store Openings
Deichmann opened a new £400k Ashley Centre store
European footwear giant Deichmann officially opened its newest store at the Ashley Centre in Epsom following a £40,000 investment. The retailer’s new store has opened in the former Sports Direct unit, covering 3,498 sq ft, opposite Pandora, WHSmith and Hotel Chocolat.
Montblanc expanded UK presence with ninth boutique opening in Leeds
Spanning over 40 sqm, the new boutique space will showcase Montblanc’s latest novelties and core collections, from elegant writing utensils to classic timepieces.
TK Maxx boosted retail presence in response to higher customer demand
Labels-for-less high street retailer TK Maxx is set to open a new Watford store, in addition to its Century Retail Park, at Atria Watford Shopping Centre later this month. The new store will be home to fashion, accessories, beauty and home, all under one roof.
Joseph to open new store on Regent Street as The North Face upscales
London landlord Great Portland Estates (GPE) has today announced that contemporary fashion brand Joseph has signed for a store at Kingsland House, 124 Regent Street, while The North Face has signed a new lease and is upscaling at 288-300 Regent Street.
Hollister and Gilly Hicks unveiled new store concept at Liverpool ONE
Located on South John Street, the opening was one of the first new prototype stores in Europe, bringing Hollister and Gilly Hicks under the same roof for the first time in Liverpool.
Luca Faloni to open third London store on Chelsea’s King’s Road
Italian menswear brand Luca Faloni is to open a new 4,500 sq ft London flagship store at 44 King’s Road in October 2023, adding to its existing stores at 107-108 Marylebone High Street and 192 Piccadilly in London’s West End.
Charity Super.Mkt continued rapid expansion with Bristol pop-up
The retailer, which has been dubbed the ‘department store for second-hand style’, has raised over £627,000 alone at Hammerson’s Brent Cross in London and The Oracle in Reading.
In Pictures: BOSS opened upsized flagship at Liverpool ONE
The relocation signalled a 130% upsize in the brand's total trading area, with the 13,500 sq ft flagship store providing "even greater capabilities to showcase the brand’s premium apparel".
Mountain Warehouse and Animal joined forces for dual-front store at Gloucester Quays
Mountain Warehouse, the UK’s largest specialist outdoor retailer, is set to introduce fashion retailer Animal to its offering and relocate to an upsized 7,000 sq ft outlet store at Gloucester Quays. The new dual-frontage store boasts 220% more space than Mountain Warehouse’s existing unit.
Naked Wolfe unveiled flagship set amongst the luxury fashion greats in Mayfair
Gen Z-focused footwear label Naked Wolfe, known for its skyscraping platform shoes, unveiled its flagship on London’s most prestigious shopping street - New Bond Street. The store launch, located at 55 New Bond Street, is a testament to the rapid growth of the brand.
H&M trialled new store concept as it focuses on omni-channel growth
H&M trialled a new store concept in Manchester to "maintain the brand's physical presence and keep high streets thriving" whilst its stores undergo refurbishments. The concept allows H&M to continue servicing customers and keep its doors open on busy high streets across the UK, whilst still evolving and updating its stores to reflect changing customer demands.
Red Run raced to establish brick-and-mortar presence at Liverpool ONE
The new 1,400 sq ft retail space, which will be situated on Manesty’s Lane, will stock the brand’s full range of high-quality active streetwear as well as exclusive and limited edition pieces.
In Pictures: Allbirds launched 'Carbon Concept Store' at Selfridges
Footwear brand Allbirds launched a pop-up at Selfridges in London, highlighting its commitment to sustainability. The pop-up focuses on carbon reduction, following the unveiling of the brand's net zero-carbon shoe last month.
Fast fashion brand Cider unveiled styling suite in London’s Shoreditch
Partnerships
Marks & Spencer launched pre-loved school uniform scheme with eBay and Oxfam
Marks & Spencer expanded its long-standing pre-loved fashion take-back scheme, 'Shwopping', to include dedicated points for school uniforms this summer in partnership with eBay and Oxfam.
Pretty Little Thing announced its biggest collaboration yet designed by Naomi Campbell
Campbell has designed a collection that is rumoured to be made up of statement looks and classic pieces, bringing celebrity-inspired looks at an affordable price in true PLT fashion.
Crocs teamed and Musician Jacob Collier to create first-ever music-making clogs
The global footwear brand, together with the musician, has created the first-ever music-making Croc clog in the run-up to the release of the Musician's new single 'WELLLL'.
In Pictures: ‘Italian flair meets American streetwear’ in Blumarine by Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs’ Heaven line joined forces with luxury label Blumarine - renowned for its high-octane embellishments and Y2k-inspired floral detailing - on a playful capsule collection that combines high fashion with ultra-feminine design codes.
Harrods presents the Sneaker Grails Exhibition with The Edit LDN
The event will be taking place 3-6 August on the 2nd floor men's footwear department in Harrods, Knightsbridge.
Lidl was determined to go viral once again with its latest merch drop
With tie-dye, block colours and checkerboard prints making appearances throughout the collection, we said goodbye to ‘Barbiecore’ and hello to ‘kidcore’.
Selfridges brought circular fashion to London store with new swap initiative
London’s iconic department store Selfridges introduced its first-ever swap shop with LOANHOOD, a fashion rental marketplace and service. The upcoming event allows customers to swap their fashion pieces for pre-loved treasures.
M&S launched a tailored FA collection with the England women’s team
Highstreet retailer Marks and Spencer was announced as the official tailor of the England Senior Women’s Team, along with the release of a womenswear collection of in-house designs.
Anya Hindmarch brought circular shopping bags back with Tesco and Morrisons
Since its launch, the Universal Bag project - designed by Anya Hindmarch and manufactured by Solent - has diverted over 150 tonnes of plastic from landfill, the equivalent of more than 12 London double-decker buses.
Rapha and Shrimps created a cycling clothing collection inspired by Italian summers
Luxury fashion brand Shrimps and cycling clothing brand Rapha unveiled their first collaborative collection of experimental clothing that bridges the gap between fashion and cycling. The 9-piece boundary-blurring capsule combines Shrimps’ playful aesthetic with Rapha’s high-performance cycling apparel.
George at Asda partnered with the female football charity on World Cup apparel
George at Asda scored a partnership with the Miss Kick foundation, which sees the two partner up on an exclusive range of World Cup-ready tees and pyjamas. In the run-up to the highly-anticipated FIFA Women’s World Cup, the discount supermarket is supporting girls’ grassroots teams and future coaching stars with donations to the Miss Kick Foundation as part of Asda’s Better Starts programme.
Christian Cowan collaborated with Candy Crush on wearable ‘Sweet Seat’
Inspired by dreaded daily commutes, the Sweet Seat is a fashionable and functional solution to ease commuters’ journeys.
Allbirds channelled dopamine dressing in its latest collection with Olivia Rubin
Sustainable footwear and apparel label Allbirds, joined forces with the London-based fashion designer Olivia Rubin on a collection inspired by the pastel hues of Notting Hill’s townhouses. Olivia Rubin injected a pop-of-colour into Allbirds’ Riser silhouette to channel dopamine dressing for this summer-ready collection.
Shake Shack made its retail debut with sub-culture brand Wavey Garms
To mark a decade of Shake Shack UK – which serves elevated versions of American classics, such as its beef burgers, crispy chicken, hand-spun milkshakes and more – Wavey Garms created a limited-release T-shirt.
Lindsay Lohan took centre stage amongst MCM icons in the new Crocs campaign
Lohan takes centre stage in the Steps Out campaign that depicts a surreal universe where virtual meets reality.
About You, Yoox Net-A-Porter and Zalando expanded successful climate change initiative
About You, Yoox Net-A-Porter and Zalando joined forces last year on a "unique collaboration" to form the 'Fashion Leap For Climate' initiative. This July, the companies expanded their climate learning platform, inviting 250 of their brand partners to take part.
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