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PRShots Roundup brings you the latest retail news from M&S, Asda, Hamleys, Dolce & Gabbana, Next, Suit Direct, Frasers, Shoezone, Boss, La Bougie and John Lewis. Plus, why shoppers head to marketplaces first, the social video metrics you need to know and more.
THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS
Asda apologises after thousands of George orders hit by IT glitch
Asda has apologised after thousands of customers ordering from its George clothing range were left out of pocket ahead of the new school year due to a botched IT update.
Shop prices have fallen into deflation for the first time in three years
The BRC-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index for August shows annual shop prices fell 0.3%, down from a rise of 0.2% in July, this is the first time prices have fallen in nearly three years.
Hamleys closes 40 loss-making shops as sales fall
Hamleys revenues fell to £51.4m in 2023 down from the £56.6m but pre-tax profit rose from £293,000 to £673,000 as it reduced store numbers to 193 and moved to a new digital strategy.
Dolce & Gabbana falls to fifth UK loss in a row
The UK arm of Dolce & Gabbana’s turnover fell from £35.3m to £32.3m and recorded a pre-tax loss of £2.1m for the year to 31 March, an improvement on its previous FY loss of £2.8m.
Thousands of Next staff win equal pay claim
More than 3,500 current and former employees at Next at have won the final stage of a six-year legal battle over equal pay and could trigger similar battles at other retailers.
Suit Direct owner turnover falls and returns a loss
Baird Group which owns Suit Direct sales fell significantly with a £358k profit turning to a £9m loss as it disposed of its license to sell Ben Sherman clothes, closed unprofitable stores, and cut jobs.
Mike Ashley has appointed his daughter as director of UK retail business
Mike Ashley, who founded Frasers Group has promoted his younger daughter as director of his expanding retail empire.
Ikea launches secondhand peer-to-peer marketplace
Ikea has launched Ikea Preowned a peer-to-peer marketplace for customers to sell their unwanted furniture and will first be tested in Madrid and Oslo until the end of the year.
M&S to trial clothing-only store
Marks & Spencer is set to trial a clothing-only store. The boutique-style shop appealing to Gen-Z shoppers will be smaller than an average M&S store, with the first set to open this autumn.
Frasers Group seeks approval for £585m private share buyback
Frasers Group is seeking approval for majority shareholder Mike Ashley to cash in £585m of shares, which could be bought back by the company in a private deal.
River Island and Boohoo battle suppliers over quality concerns
UK fast fashion giants River Island and Boohoo are reportedly tackling quality concerns with suppliers leading to either the withholding of payments or threats to send back orders.
TRENDS, SUSTAINABILITY, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Where should Wilko focus to win back customers?
It’s been one year since value retailer Wilko fell into administration, which saw the beloved high street chain close 400 stores and cost 12,000 people their jobs.
Why shoppers head to marketplaces first
Marketplaces are the first place that consumers from across Europe now turn when they want to buy a new report finds.
The top social video metrics to help you make better content
Social video metrics track the success of your video content. They can highlight opportunities and show you what’s working (and what isn’t). Hootsuite picks the seven most influential metrics.
Five key trends in B2B marketing
Like just about everything in marketing, B2B marketing is changing and fast. Here are five of the most important developments.
Why is Frasers Group building a shopping centre portfolio – and what is it doing with it?
Frasers Group is known for being one of the sector’s most prolific investors in retail brands, but it’s also quickly becoming a property giant.
Why are convenience stores all the rage?
This week, Waitrose announced a big push into the convenience store market and follows a similar push by the other supermarkets. CityAM analyses the reasons behind the convenience craze.
3 ways JD Sports is driving global growth
JD Sports’ global sales nudged up in its second quarter as it steams ahead with its plans to become the “leading global sports-fashion powerhouse”.
Carbios expands bio-recycling operations with new licensing agreement in the UK
French bio-recycling specialist Carbios is entering the UK with its pioneering recycling technology for coloured, multi-layered materials, and textiles.
Fresha gets $31m funding facility from JP Morgan
Beauty and wellness marketplace platform Fresha has secured a $31m venture debt facility from JP Morgan to help drive growth and entry into new markets.
BRAND NEWS
Shoezone launch exclusive back-to-school range
Shoezone has partnered with Heavenly Feet to release a back-to-school shoe range that comes with a removable measuring insole, allowing parents to find the perfect fit for their child’s feet.
John Lewis reveals top 10 Christmas 2024 toys
John Lewis has revealed its top ten toys for Christmas 2024 as it gears up for the much anticipated golden quarter.
Frasers Group has revamped House of Frasers name, website and app
House of Fraser, the department store brand in Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, has been revamped and renamed as part of the retailer’s wider digital elevation strategy.
Ireland's La Bougie perfumery brand launches in UK
Ireland’s premier fragrance and candle brand La Bougie has launched in the UK in with in-store and online platforms for its range of eaux de parfum, candles and scent diffusers.
Major Gateshead Metrocentre investment will create new anchor units
The Metrocentre shopping destination in Gateshead is planning to spend £6 million on an upgrade to revitalise an area in and around its Green Mall entrance.
David Beckham models Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss has lined up an all-star cast for its Boss range led by its newest partner, David Beckham, for its fall/winter advertising campaign.
AND FINALLY x2
Lidl’s croissant is heading onto the runway
Nikolas Bentel has collaborated with Lidl on a new handbag and purse combination inspired by Lidl’s best-selling croissants. The bag will be available for £50 on the 29th at www.nikbentel.com.
Could Taylor Swift be the next Lord Mayor of London?
Calls are building to award Taylor Swift the Freedom of the City, but what does it mean and could it make the pop star eligible for Lord Mayor?
PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES
What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending August 23rd 2024?
1/ AW24
2/ Christmas
3/ Halloween
4/ Denim
5/ Orange
6/ Home
7/ Candle
8/ Necklace
9/ Bag
10/ Dress
NEW BRANDS TO PRSHOTS
Initially London are the UK's only full-service monogramming company specialising in classic accessories, home linens and gifts for all occasions and all include their fabulous embroidered and laser-etched monograms.
Causebook vision goes beyond creating notebooks. They craft spaces for mindfulness, where each product is designed to awaken your senses, with vibrant colours and carefully selected materials that feel great in the hand.
BHF is the biggest funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases in Europe and helps find cures and treatments to give people more time with loved ones. Their shops and online store sell everything from Christmas gifts and cards to wedding accessories, clothing and garden furniture.
Ada Dakin is named after Founder Sophie Dakin’s grandmother, a gracefully strong yet beautifully independent woman who made her own dresses and taught Sophie how to sew. The collection is a kind and responsible collection which inspires individuality, femininity and offers ethically-minded, considered fashion choices without compromising on style.
Jan Constantine is the international home textile label started by British designer Jan Constantine who is known for her bold, distinct and original collection of home textiles and her work as a designer and manufacturer of a range of home interior products.
HELP WITH YOUR IMAGE SEARCHES
The latest images on PRShots are found here https://www.prshots.com/whatsnew why not bookmark the page for a regular feed of the latest images on PRShots!! You can select the latest images from the last 24 hours, week, or month.
BRANDS WITH NEW IMAGES
Clothing, beauty and accessories
Peacocks has new AW24 womenswear and jewellery, Louise Redknapp Edit, new pyjama, lingerie and swimsuit collaboration with model Caprice, womenswear for Summer 2024.
Primark has new Halloween makeup, Beetlejuice movie tie-ins, Kappa ranges, PS Sweet makeup ranges, new leopard print outfits, Brat Girl summer and denim ranges, back-to-school ranges, Edit ranges, beauty ranges.
Very has new summer holiday ranges, plus Everyday, V by Very Curve and V by Very as well as occasion wear, a Michelle Keegan collaboration, airport ranges, and a new Back-to-school range.
Fatface has new Autumn ranges of mens, womens and kidswear and accessories including boots, slippers, perfumes and soaps, scarves, hats, bags and a new jewellery range.
Dune London has new women’s boots, shoes, and bag ranges, suitcases and travel luggage, handbags and accessory ranges for high summer 2024.
Roman Originals has new Dusk ranges, plus floral outfits, and Roman Petite and Curve ranges, SS24 womenswear and new Petite and Ariella ranges.
Monsoon has new childrens and womenswear ranges, accessories including bags, shoes, boots, jewellery and scarves as well as womenswear, including dresses, coats, skirts, trousers and more plus jewellery ranges for AW24.
M&S has new AW24 accessory ranges of shoes, bags, scarves and gloves, “the parent hood” baby club imagery plus AW24 M&S and Autograph ranges of womenswear and accessories, including waistcoats, jumpers, dresses, skirts, tops, bags, shoes and boots, plus a unique range of knickers for those with Stoma bags.
F&F has new Active Kate Ferdinand collaborations, Xmas ranges including jumpers, coats and party wear in satins, gold and black metallics and sequins, a new Autumn F&F Edit and athleisure outfits.
New Look has August ranges of womenswear including coats, jumpers, skirts and tops, back-to-school ranges, new summer and high summer 2024 womenswear dresses, trousers and tops.
Fable England has a new AW24 collaboration with the National History Museum new jewellery ranges, AW24 small accessories ranges from scarves to purses and AW24 nightwear.
Matalan has Halloween wear for all the family, a new Bing NSPCC kidswear, winter jumpers and coats, jewellery, Soluxe activewear ranges for all the family, denim ranges, new AW Transition menswear and womenswear.
River Island has new menswear and womenswear for the autumn, plus leopard prints, Western and FlackStock ranges of festival wear, a collection of dresses, shoes, bags and jewellery for The Races, and high summer ranges.
Scamp & Dude has new womenswear and accessories including t-shirts, bags and scarves, plus news kids ranges, high-summer women's wear ranges and accessories for holidays, the beach, the evening and for relaxing at home.
Barbour has a new Modern Heritage ranges of menswear and womenswear for AW24, a new William Morris womenswear range, plus a Steve McQueen Racing 60th anniversary clothing range.
George at Asda has new lingerie ranges for AW24 and Style Stories by Erica Davies for George womenswear.
John Lewis has new AW24 menswear and womenswear collections from its Kin, Anyday and JLP collections and new kids wear for AW24.
TK Maxx has new menswear and womenswear ranges for AW24 including coats, jackets and hoodies, plus Leopard skin prints t-shirts and skirts.
Iolla has new ranges of glasses and sunglasses.
Dune London Mens has new AW24 transitional ranges plus ranges of summer shoes, boots and trainers.
Oliver Bonas has new August, September and October clothing, shoes, hats, accessories and jewellery ranges, ranges with a Mediterranean and Nostalgia themes, new cosmetics ranges and new summer dresses (midi and mini), bags, jackets, hats, jewellery, sunglasses, flats, training shoes and sandals.
Rebecca Rhoades has new AW24 partywear outfits.
Cayo has new ranges of children’s dummies.
National Trust shop has new autumn-winter 2024 accessory ranges including scarves, socks, gloves and hats.
Joe Browns has new AW24 womenswear ranges and accessories including bags, purses, belts and jewellery, shoes and boots, plus menswear ranges of jumpers, jackets, boots, shoes, scarves, hats and accessories.
See additional new clothing and accessories images from
Bonmarché Curvy Kate Threadbare Celtic & Co Betty & Biddy Lipsy Peachaus
Home, garden and food
Dobbies Garden Centres has new Christmas ranges including food and drink, trees, decorations and gifts for pets, RHS branded garden gift ranges, Halloween ranges, plus Snow & Sparkles, Magic Woodland, Classic Noel, Colour Pop and Festival Tales Christmas decoration ranges plus autumn homewares, playhouses and garden toys.
B&M has new Woodland Charm, Japandi and Natural Earth homeware, plus bedding and soft furnishings for AW24, Halloween and Christmas 2024 ranges of decorations, Christmas mugs, cushions, candles, and things for the kitchen and the Christmas dining table.
Cult Furniture has new sofas, armchairs, TV stands and tables, Arbor kitchen furniture, Bourton office furniture, Boucle and Eco Edit range for indoors.
Marks & Spencer has new homeware including tableware, soft furnishings, candles, diffusers, vases and planters and a new collaboration with the National Gallery of heavily patterned cushions, vases, candelabras and tableware.
Homesense has new Halloween decorations, Christmas gifts and decorations, kitchenware ranges aimed at the home and student markets.
Matalan has new Halloween decorations, Folk Harvest AW24 ranges for the kitchen, bathroom and the living room, Christmas gifting, new homeware (indoors and out) ranges including cushions, kitchenware, bowls, baskets, planters and gift ideas for the summer.
Next has new Chic, Scandi Collection, Rustic Romance homeware ranges for AW24 including gifts, lighting, furniture and vases, it also has Christmas decorations, gifts and soft furnishings.
Home Bargains has a new Harvest and Winter charm ranges of things for the home for the autumn and Halloween including Haunted House ranges.
Sandberg Wallpaper has a new Ett Hem Öland, Chinoiserie Garden Collections for the bedroom, dining room and lounge.
John Lewis has its Dawn & Dusk, Wisdom & wonder and Trinket & Treasure ranges of Christmas decorations for the home plus Christmas gift ranges for him and her.
TK Maxx has homeware, Beetlejuice-themed Halloween things for the home and everything for the summer holidays from luggage to beach towels.
Cambridge Imprint has a new Six Crowns range of paper crowns, crackers and paperchains plus, Christmas card and wrapping paper ranges, Giant scrapbooks, albums, pen pots, letter trays, pen boxes, notebooks, exercise books, trays, memo books and planners.
Online Home Shop has a selection of bar stools, new bedding ranges and themed hoodie blankets for all occasions.
Designers Guild has William Yeoward Khotan and Malatya ranges of fabrics for curtains, blinds and soft furnishings.
National Trust shop has new autumn-winter 2024 gifts for the home and autumnal decorations.
Oliver Bonas has new October releases of homeware, Christmas decorations, plus AW24 ranges for September and October homeware drops, plus jewellery boxes, ring holders and trinket pots.
Arran Sense of Scotland has new 2024 festive gift collections and a new After the Rain collection.
Hobbycraft has new ideas for Christmas baking and decoration, autumn and Halloween as well as home décor ideas.
Cutter & Squidge has Christmas hampers, Yule logs, mince pies, cakes and cookies.
Very has its Very Christmas range for the home including decorations, gifts and things for the Christmas table, plus new homeware solutions for the bedroom, living room and dining room.
Primark has a new Quiet Luxury and Harvest lines of homeware for the kitchen, lounge and bedroom.
The Gluttonous Gardener has new BBQ herb garden ranges, summer gifts, wedding gift roses and new plant ranges.
Dunelm has a Muppets range, Christmas gift ranges, new Classic Christmas, Festive Folk, Merry & Bright and Winter Shimmer ranges, sofa and chair ranges, plus lots of gifts for the home, its Elements and Churchgate AW24 ranges for the home, a Made to Measure William Morris range.
Furniture Village has Nature’s Palette, Cosy Cottage, Alba and Trend ranges for the lounge, dining room and bedroom.
See additional new home images from
Hotel Chocolat Quorn Stone Teenage Cancer Trust George Home
DIARY
PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts
Days until the new School year – 05
Days until London Fashion Week - 17
Days until Halloween – 65
Days until Black Friday – 94
Days until Christmas – 120
How to get your brand on the August Media Calendars
The Olympics are on and the summer is in full swing, and hopefully the weather has improved – i.e. stopped raining in the north and stopped being so damn hot in the south. So, there are just a few weeks left to boost your summer-related images before the AW23 images fully kick in.
There’s still time to tag anything relevant to summer/high summer and push anything related to the outside: garden furniture, anything for a garden party, or picnic or barbecue. Plus, don’t forget to add all of the other spellings, BBQ, Bar-B-Que, etc., and add any other related keywords like picnics, garden parties, etc. If you have them, then firepits and chimineas for the colder UK evenings would be good.
It's also a good time to start uploading your AW24 images. So jumpers, scarves, coats, boots, raincoats, hoodies, and cardigans will all start to be searched for by the media.
It's also not too early to start thinking about back-to-school items - Scottish schools start again in mid-August - and university students will be getting ready to sort out their wardrobes and rooms in September, so add fresher(s) and university as keywords to anything relevant.
There’s also still time to add Halloween ideas and Christmas gifts if you have them.
If you’re a PRShots brand user and you need more ideas, then take a look at the keywords that media are searching for on PRShots and try and add those in.
If you’re looking for more hooks to help promote your brand and products, then see the list of days, weeks and fortnights below.
August Diary - Weeks/Months
Music festivals are still on, so add any festival wear and camping-related things you have and keyword them with festival, particularly in the weeks running up to the August bank holiday weekend with Reading/Leeds festivals 21st-25th August.
The 29th marks 3 months until the Black Friday/Cyber Monday (29th Nov – 2nd Dec) weekend so start preparing for those sales now.
Weeks to celebrate this month include;
Paralympics (28th - 8th Sept)
August - Days
26th – Krishna Janmashtami – (Hindu Holiday)
28th – Summer Paralympics Opening Ceremony
28th – National Red Wine Day
29th – 3 Months until Black Friday (changes annually)
30th – Blackpool Illuminations start
NB - All dates have been checked, but some events may change due to unforeseen circumstances or have not been fully confirmed for 2024 by the authorities controlling the event(s).
How to get your brand on the September Media Calendars
Summer is nearly over, and it’s time to look to the autumn and to the winter. Mid-September marks just 100 days to Christmas so you should be adding your Christmas images for those monthly/weekly magazines with medium lead times. Plus, look at adding some Spring-Summer 2025 images for those titles with long lead times, as they will be starting to look at their Feb and March 2025 issues so you can help them out with previews of SS25.
The media are going to be starting to create features around what to wear for university or college, and the office autumn wardrobe. Now the nights are drawing in, they’ll also be running features on winter wear, so add coats/jumpers/boots. Plus they’ll be looking for images for Halloween and bonfire night parties and there are decorations and gifts for Christmas and some last-minute AW images.
Don’t forget to add keywords – Gifts, Christmas, Xmas, Autumn, Winter, and Halloween will all be looked for. It’s National Yoga Awareness Month, so you could add yoga as a keyword on any athleisure wear, floor mats, rugs etc.
If you’re a PRShots brand user and you need more ideas, then take a look at the keywords that media are searching for on PRShots and try and add those in.
If you’re looking for more hooks to help promote your brand and products, then see the list of days, weeks and fortnights below.
September Diary - Weeks/Months
September is National Honey Month and National Yoga Awareness month and it’s second-hand September (an Oxfam initiative https://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/second-hand-september/), Self-Care September, as well as Organic, September, and Sourdough September.
September also has London Fashion Week between 13th-17th September and this year features men and women’s fashion and features digital and physical events see the schedule here https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/schedule.
There’s also: the Moda trade show (1st-4th Sept), London Textile Fair (3rd-4th Sept) Top Drawer (10th-12th Sept) and Sustainable Fashion Week (20th Sept to 29th Sept).
Other weeks to celebrate this month include;
New York fashion week (6th-11th)
National Horse Race Week (7th-15th)
Bridal Fashion Week (8th-10th)
Fairtrade Fortnight (9th – 22nd)
Sexual Health Week (11th- 17th)
British Science Festival (11th -15th)
Jane Austen Festival (13th-22nd)
Open House Festival (14th -22nd)
Negroni week (16th-22nd)
Milan fashion week (17th-23rd)
Great British Beach Clean Week (20th-29th)
British Food Fortnight (20th Sept - 6th Oct)
Paris fashion week (23rd Sept -1st Oct)
Shetland Wool Week (28th Sept – 6th Oct)
September - Days
1st – National Tofu Day
1st – Schools start going back
2nd – Labor Day US
5th – International Charity Day
6th – Read a Book Day
6th -8th – The Goodwood Revival
7th – National Beer Lovers Day (US)
7th – Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu holiday)
8th – Great North Run Newcastle
11th-12th – Yom Kippur
15th-16th – Eid Milad un Nabi (Mawlid)
16th – First Day of Sukkot (Jewish Holiday)
16th – 100 days until Christmas
21st – Zero emissions day
22nd – Car-free Day
22nd – September Equinox
23rd – Last Day of Sukkot – Jewish Holiday
25th – 3 months until Christmas Day
27th – World Tourism Day
NB - All dates have been checked, but some events may change due to unforeseen circumstances or have not been fully confirmed for 2024 by the authorities controlling the event(s).
Do you have any news on your brand that you want us to feature, or have a new appointee or a new event that you would like us to feature? Get in touch at news@prshots.com We don't charge, so get emailing now!!!
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