Retail Recap: The important openings and partnerships of October 2023

As October comes to a close, the retail sector reflects on a rocky month as consumers tighten their purse strings and hold back on non-essential shopping.

Throughout the month, there has been a mixed bag of trading updates from companies such as New Look, Deckers Brands and Adidas.

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 Burberry, Converse and Kenzo.

Store Openings

Zara made a grand return to Metrocentre with a doubled-in-size store

Global fashion retailer, Zara, returned to the North East's Metrocentre after undergoing a major refurbishment and more than doubling in size of their retail unit.

Red Run opened its flagship store at Liverpool ONE

Women’s activewear brand Red Run has opened a 1,400 sq ft flagship store at Liverpool ONE shopping centre.

FRAME deployed AI for new retail concept in Marylebone

FRAME unveiled a new retail concept in London's Marylebone, which was conceived with the help of AI.

Derek Rose to open fourth London store in Marylebone

Luxury nightwear, loungewear and underwear brand Derek Rose is opening a new 1,500 sq ft store at 39 Marylebone High Street in early November 2023, next to Paul Smith and Agnès B.

Charity Super.Mkt to open pop-up at Quayside MediaCity in Salford

Multi-charity pre-loved fashion store Charity Super.Mkt is bringing its pop-up concept to Quayside MediaCity shopping centre in Salford, Greater Manchester, on 2 November – set to run until 13 December.

Sézane to open second London store in Marylebone

French brand Sézane is to open its second London store, or "Appartement", in London in the upscale neighbourhood of Marylebone.

Oakley opened a second London store on Carnaby Street

US eyewear, apparel, footwear and sports equipment brand Oakley opened its second London store at 23 Carnaby Street, adding to its existing store a 1-4 King Street in Covent Garden.

JD was the latest retail giant to open its doors at The Ashley Centre

Sportswear retailer JD opened the doors to its 4,453 sq ft regional flagship at CBRE Investment Management’s Ashley Centre in Epsom.

In Pictures: HOKA debuted a new design concept as it opened first UK store

HOKA, a division of Deckers Brands, opened its first-ever European retail location in London's Covent Garden.

Zara set to upsize at Atria Watford in early 2024

Zara will open a 43,000 sq ft store in the Atria Watford retail and leisure destination in early 2024, replacing a smaller 18,000 sq ft store.

In Pictures: Grace Han reopened its flagship in London’s Knightsbridge

Grace Han, the luxury accessories and leather goods brand, reopened its London flagship store after demand resurges post covid.

Dr. Martens to open second Oxford Street store

Dr. Martens will open a new 4,967 sq ft store at 184-190 Oxford Street on 10 November 2023, adding to the store it already has at number 386 on the street.

Partnerships

M&S partnered with YoungMinds to support young people's mental health struggles

Retail giant Marks & Spencer partnered with YoungMinds, the leading mental health charity for young people, with the aim to raise £5 million.

Kenzo collaborated with Levi’s for first-time under Nigo’s design direction

Kenzo collaborated with Levi’s on a 20-piece AW23 men’s and women’s capsule collection for the first time under the direction of its Artistic Director, Nigo, who has a track record of working with Levi’s for his own brand.

Barbour and C.P. Company’s latest collaboration was typified by "Innovation through tradition"

Just weeks after Barbour’s collaboration with Erdem debuted at London Fashion Week, the heritage outerwear brand joined forces with Italian label C.P. Company on a collection of coats.

In Pictures: Rita Ora took centre stage in Pepe Jeans’ "I Love London" campaign

Pepe Jeans London, a brand which is part of the fashion group AWWG’s portfolio, launched the second campaign of its "I Love London" AW23 collection.

In Pictures: Barbour's craftsmanship met Roksanda's effervescence

Adding to a recent slew of Barbour’s collaborations, including C.P. Company and Erdem, the British outerwear brand joined forces with Roksanda on a collection of coats.

Converse and Liverpool FC unveiled a second collaboration collection

Converse and Liverpool FC joined forces once again to launch a limited-edition capsule collection for AW23.

Browns partnered with Luxclusif to offer iconic pre-owned bags from “superbrands”

Browns unveiled its latest Brook Street store exclusive, a curated edit of over 50 pre-owned iconic vintage bags from the likes of Chanel, Hermés and Louis Vuitton, in collaboration with luxury resale platform Luxclusif.

Represent to launch retail space in Harrods with exclusive eight-piece collection

British luxury streetwear brand Represent is launching a 118 sq ft retail space in Harrods in Knightsbridge on 26 October 2023, which will feature an exclusive eight-piece collection.

White Stuff teamed up with Thrift+ for a new resale service

Fashion and lifestyle retailer White Stuff launched a new partnership with resale platform Thrift+, offering conscious customers a way to donate and resell their unwanted garments by filling up a co-branded bag with pre-loved fashion.

Burberry partnered with Vestiaire Collective for resale

Burberry teamed up with resale platform Vestiaire Collective to offer customers the chance to trade in their pre-loved items.

Authentic Brands announced a Forever 21 line is coming to Shein

Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), the owner of Ted Baker and Quicksilver, announced the signing of a long-term deal with Forever 21 to bring it to global audiences via China-based Shein’s website.

In Pictures: Jigsaw and Roksanda teamed up for colourful, contemporary capsule

Jigsaw teamed up with Roksanda on a 29-piece contemporary capsule collection that combines the shared love of bold shape and colour from the brands' creative directors, Jo Sykes and Roksana Ilinčić.

In Pictures: Levi’s enlisted Emma Chamberlain to kick off the holiday season

Levi’s, the global denim brand, once again teamed up with Emma Chamberlain, the influencer and style expert, for its holiday campaign alongside the creation of Emma’s Edit: The Gift Guide.

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