Retail Recap: The important openings and partnerships of June 2023

Chloe Burney

30 June 2023

As June comes to a close, the retail sector reflects on a mixed bag of results. During the first half of the month, bank holidays failed to boost sales, however, higher temperatures and tourism welcomed an increase in revenues towards the end of June.

Throughout the month, there has been a mixed bag of trading updates shared from companies including Mulberry, H&M and Primark.

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 Crocs, MCM, GANNI and Jacquemus.

Store Openings

Victoria Leeds welcomed Phase Eight and Whistles to fashion line-up

Womenswear brands Phase Eight and Whistles opened at Victoria Leeds Shopping Centre. Victoria Leeds blends historic architecture with contemporary design across Victoria Quarter and Victoria Gate.

It offers a variety of fashion brands, including Mulberry, Vivienne Westwood, Hobbs, Calvin Klein and Gant, amongst many others.

Lucy & Yak reveals new Manchester store opening date and upsized Barnsley distribution centre

Conscious clothing brand Lucy & Yak has announced it will be opened the doors to its new store in Manchester’s Northern Quarter on Saturday 22 July 2023, and it also upsized its distribution centre – taking a 40,000 square foot site at 36 Business Park in Barnsley.

London Designer Outlet secured new store upsizings as trading hits "record-breaking" levels

Guess, Levi’s and The North Face invested in store upsizings at the London Designer Outlet, as it recorded its sixth consecutive month of "record-breaking" trading.

Located at Wembley Park, the London Designer Outlet is home to a variety of fashion brands, including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Marks & Spencer, Kurt Geiger and Puma.

Roarsome

Roarsome opened a pop-up at Battersea Power Station as a “road test” for a permanent store

Childrenswear brand Roarsome opened a pop-up retail space at Battersea Power Station – set to run until the end of August 2023 – as a precursor to a permanent store its opening on Northcote Road, also in Battersea, South West London, in September.

French Connection to open outlet store at The O2

French Connection is geared up to open a 1,766 sq ft store at The O2 arena’s Icon Outlet destination, marking its first outlet store to open in six years, and its debut outlet store in London.

The new store, which has a clean and minimalist design aesthetic and is adjacent to Clarins and Ted Baker on the outlet’s upper level, will stock “responsible denim”, signature dresses and relaxed staples for both men and women, as well as accessories.

’47 to open pop-up store in Soho as Major League Baseball comes to London

US sports lifestyle brand ’47 opened a pop-up store at 19 Air Street in Soho on Friday, 23 June, just in time for two Major League Baseball (MLB) games that were played at the London Stadium on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June.

Monsoon unveiled a new travel boutique concept amid rapid expansion

Just days after announcing the opening of its new Islington store, womenswear retailer Monsoon announced a new travel boutique opening in London’s Waterloo Station.

The store is the latest addition to the travel retail portfolio of Monsoon’s parent company, Adena Brands, which operates 37 Accessorize travel stores in stations and airports across the UK and Europe.

In Pictures: Loop Generation opens Mini Loop in Chelsea

Loop Generation, the pre-loved designer fashion platform backed by fashion retail entrepreneurs Touker Suleyman and Tom Singh, opened its second store in Chelsea, this time dedicated to designer baby and childrenswear.

The opening of Mini Loop follows the arrival of the first Loop Generation store in April 2022.

Jigsaw Islington

In Pictures: Jigsaw opens first story-telling concept store in Islington

Jigsaw opened the doors to a vibrant new retail concept in Islington where it will tell different stories via curated collections throughout the season.

The pop-up concept (pictured above) is located on the popular Upper Street and covers 860 sqm of retail space. It is the first time the premium British brand has opened a concept store.

Birmingham’s Bullring debuts Inditex duo Bershka and Pull&Bear

Fashion giant Inditex boosted its presence at Birmingham's Bullring to 76,000 sq ft by adding Bershka and Pull&Bear to its existing lineup of not one, but two Zara stores.

Bullring’s landlord Hammerson has announced the signing of Bershka and Pull&Bear’s first-ever West Midlands stores, which will be located on the upper level.

In Pictures: Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS launched swimwear pop-up in London

SKIMS, the American shapewear, underwear, clothing and swimwear brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede in 2019, launched a SKIMS Swim pop-up within Selfridges Corner Shop concept in London, set to run from 12 June – 8 July 2023.

Farah brought vintage-inspired menswear to London’s Soho

Menswear brand Farah, famous for styling subcultures of the past, relocated from its store on Earlham Street to its latest brick-and-mortar unit at Berwick Street in London's vibrant Soho.

Shaftesbury Capital announced that the 1,100 sq ft store, split across two levels, has relocated to the newly refurbished retail units at the south end of Berwick Street.

Pandora opened new "modern" store at Braehead Centre

Pandora opened an upsized store at the Braehead Centre, offering a "unique and personalised" retail experience for shoppers in Glasgow.

The new 1,635 sq ft store is located on the upper level of the main centre, covering Pandora’s previous unit and the neighbouring one.

BOSS to relocate and upsize at Lakeside in Essex

BOSS signed for a larger unit at Lakeside in Essex, spanning 4,218 sq ft in a prime position at the shopping centre – moving from a smaller unit on the lower mall.

The expanded and refitted store will open this summer, though an exact date has not yet been revealed.

Charity Super.Mkt

Multi-charity concept shop 'Charity Super.Mkt' opened in Glasgow Fort

Charity Super.Mkt opened Scotland’s first-ever multi-charity fashion store at Glasgow Fort on 27 June, following its success in raising over £620,000 in London and Reading.

The concept store (pictured above), which will is situated next to Mamas & Papas, is home to pre-loved clothes and a DJ set every weekend.

M&Co announced its return to the high street with 50 stores

M&Co, the value fashion chain, is set to return to the high street with a major store re-opening plan under its new owner AK Retail.

A number of stores are set to re-open this autumn with 50 stores planned over the next two years. AK Retail, which also owns Yours Clothing, Bad Rhino and Long Tall Sally, acquired the M&Co name and IP back in February after the business fell into administration.

In Pictures: Aquazzura transforms London townhouse into flagship boutique

Luxury Italian label Aquazzura, has transformed a three-story townhouse in the heart of London into its newest flagship store, home to its footwear, bags, jewellery, and homeware collections.

Located in London’s affluent neighbourhood of New Bond Street, the new store tells the brand’s story though interior design.

In Pictures: River Island’s new concept store at Manchester’s Trafford Centre

River Island opened a new 21,000 sq ft concept store, called River Island Studios, at Manchester’s Trafford Centre, combining physical and digital with interactive fitting rooms and self-service tills.

The store is carrying womenswear and menswear clothing, including the brand’s expansive denim range, and accessories, and there’s also a range of suits and smarter looks.

In Pictures: Jigsaw opened a new store in Kingston upon Thames

Jigsaw opened the doors to its new location in Kingston upon Thames in South West London in the heart of town centre in Market Square.

The British fashion retailer, which was founded 53 years ago in nearby Kew, previously occupied a store in a different location in the town but the new site places it at the centre of the shopping action with near neighbours including Sweaty Betty and Whistles.

Puma to open at Gloucester Quays

Athletic apparel brand Puma is getting ready to open a new 2,184 sq ft outlet store at Gloucester Quays.

The store will feature the brand’s range of sports apparel, including its classic women’s, men’s, and kids clothing ranges.

In Pictures: Dune London opened new flagship store in Newcastle

Footwear retailer Dune London opened a new 1,400 sq ft flagship store at 136-138 Grainger Street in Newcastle, part of Central Arcade but with a high street front.

The new standalone store, which is carrying the brand’s latest women’s and men’s footwear collections as well as accessories, marks a return to Newcastle for Dune London, as its previous store at Eldon Square closed during the pandemic.

manolo blahnik

Manolo Blahnik unveiled first men's pop-up at Harrods in London

Artisanal footwear label Manolo Blahnik announced the opening of its first-ever men’s pop-up at the legendary department store Harrods in partnership with Kurt Geiger.

When one thinks of Blahnik's iconic footwear designs, the Haginsi pumps that made a name for themselves on the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker come to mind. However, the brand's menswear offering is just as remarkable and are being showcased in a pop-up at Harrods from today until 31 July.

Il Porticciolo set to open childrenswear flagship boutique on King’s Road

Traditional Italian childrenswear brand Il Porticciolo is opening a 1,077 sq ft two-level flagship boutique at 253 King’s Road in Chelsea in September, relocating from nearby Sydney Street.

It will showcase a variety of classic pure cashmere and pure Merino wool jumpers, traditional hand and machine-smocked dresses, plus embroidered collar shirts with heirloom standards, available for boys and girls up to the age of 12.

In Pictures: Joe Browns opened the doors to first-ever franchise store

Fashion and homeware retailer Joe Browns, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, opened the doors to its first franchise store in Bowness-on-Windemere’s Queen Square in Cumbria.

Partnering with successful retail entrepreneurs Adrian and Julie North, the opening marked the first franchise store for Joe Browns.

Partnerships

GANNI and Ace & Tate collaborated on playful eyewear collection

GANNI, the Copenhagen-based contemporary luxury brand, and Ace & Tate, the Amsterdam-based eyewear label, joined forces to create an eyewear collection that’s reflective of both brands’ "fun, responsible and inclusive ethos".

The partnership married GANNI’s Scandinavian style and Ace & Tate’s eyewear expertise. The capsule is made up of three styles including a boxy square shape, a slim silhouette and a Y2K-inspired wraparound silhouette.

MCM and Crocs reunite for a second collaboration

German luxury fashion house, MCM (Modern Creation München), added to its ever-growing list of collaborations by joining forces with cult-favourite footwear brand, Crocs, for a Spring / Summer 2023 collection.

The collaboration saw the classic clog reimagined in two new covetable colourways. This comes after last year’s Crocs x MCM collaboration, which featured a striking neon design sporting a playful bulldog motif in yellow and black.

Dr. Martens collaborated with the Hackney-based radio station to celebrate individuality

British-born subversive footwear brand, Dr. Martens, once again dipped its toe into the music world, this time with a collection in collaboration with Hackney-based radio station NTS.

With "a bond formed through music", Dr. Martens’ new release with Hackney-based online radio station and media platform NTS is a symbol of self-expression.

Jacquemus

In Pictures: Jacquemus puts a surrealist spin on Nike’s iconic Air Forces

Contemporary French fashion brand Jacquemus, joined forces with sportswear giant Nike, for a second footwear collaboration. This time, the leaders in their respective fields introduce the sure-to-sell-out J Force 1.

Designer and Founder Simon Porte Jacquemus built a now cult-favorite brand with the right concoction of style, pricepoint and marketability. After garnering a hefty fashion following, the designer renowned for its itty-bitty Chiquito bags joined Nike to create the Air Humara LX, which was an instant sell-out.

ASOS and FMR teamed up to launch incubator for ethnic-minority owned fashion brands

ASOS and the (Fashion) Minority Report joined forces to launch their inaugural incubator programme, scaleUP, an initiative to help bridge the gap between the fashion industry and ethnic minority-owned brands.

The initiative follows the publication of a report from London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which found that Black and Asian people face hurdles in setting up and running businesses, including struggling to access funding.

The Rolling Stones headline Skechers’ latest sneaker collection

US-based Skechers joined forces with the iconic Rock and Roll band, The Rolling Stones, on a limited-edition sneaker collection for men and women.

The Skechers x The Rolling Stones collection was produced in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group's merchandise and brand management company.

prettylittlething

PrettyLittleThing joined forces with GIRLvsCANCER on post-surgery swimwear collection

Fast fashion giant PrettyLittleThing (PLT) launched its second collection with cancer charity GIRLvsCANCER, this time on a post-surgery swimwear collection.

This marked the fashion brand's first-ever post-surgery swimwear collection, bringing affordable options to fashion-conscious cancer survivors.

Jacamo partnered with LADbible to elevate digital content and launch a TikTok shop

N Brown Group’s menswear platform Jacamo partnered with youth publisher LADbible Group to elevate its use of digital content and create engaging videos and campaigns – with every look shoppable at Jacamo online.

Browns launched exclusive collection with LA’s Crenshaw Skate Club

London luxury retailer Browns launched an exclusive 20-piece unisex capsule collection with South Central LA-based brand Crenshaw Skate Club (CSC) featuring “skate and streetwear classics”.

The collaboration is part of Farfetch-owned Browns’ FARFETCH BEAT 009 retail concept series, which introduces exclusive product experiences to a global audience.

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Retail Recap: The important openings and partnerships of June 2023

Store Openings

Partnerships

Features