Main Image: Sofology

PRShots Roundup brings you the latest retail news from Cotswold Outdoor Group, Ikea, Gymshark, M&S, Debenhams, Whistles, B&M, Burberry, Warpaint and John Lewis. Plus, the British fashion brands gaining popularity in the US, why toys are going viral in 2025 and more.  

THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS

Cotswold Outdoor Group losses sharply reduced

Cotswold Outdoor Group turnover for FY to Jan 2025 fell slightly to £158.9m from £159.7m and made a small pre-tax loss of £380,000, down from a £7.3m loss previously.

Ikea opens Oxford Street store

Ikea to open its Oxford Street store on Thursday and has plans for a major new site in Brighton this summer and smaller outlets in Norwich, Chester and Harlow in Essex.

Gymshark puts almost 300 jobs at risk amid restructure

Gymshark has placed almost 300 jobs at risk – almost a third of its workforce - as part of a business-wide restructure.

Easter sales rise across UK supermarkets

Kantar figures show supermarket sales climbed by 6.5% compared to 2024 over the four weeks to 20 April boosted by Easter falling later this year.

M&S cyberattack related to hacking group Scattered Spider

A hacking group called Scattered Spider is believed to have been responsible for the ongoing M&S cyberattack.

Warpaint London goes from strength to strength

Warpaint London FY revenues to 31 Dec grew 13% to £101.6m, with EU revenue up 22% and US revenue up 19%, and posted a pre-tax profit of £24.2m up 33%.

Shops could be forced to accept cash in future

Shops and services may have to be forced to accept cash in the future to help protect vulnerable people who rely on it, MPs have said.

TRENDS, SUSTAINABILITY, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY

The secrets of successful staff suggestion schemes

Initiatives such as M&S’ Straight to Stuart suggestion scheme can help unlock smart business ideas from retail’s frontline. Retail Week looks at how they can be used most effectively.

M&S cyber attack: What happened and what can retailers learn from it?

Over a week has passed since Marks & Spencer was first hit by what they called a “cyber incident” on Easter Monday, causing issues with click-and-collect services and contactless payments

The British fashion brands gaining popularity in the US

President Donald Trump’s tariffs have put the spotlight on British retailers with popularity in the US Retail Week looks at the brands it affects.

Why are toys going viral in 2025?

As the Labubu toy trend and desire for Jellycats reaches a fever pitch, Vogue Business speaks to fans and brand experts to unpack our fascination with childish goods.

How to unblock your creative flow with AI

Martech looks at how forward-looking teams are reducing repetitive work while surfacing the right content at the right time.

Deliveroo introduces virtual store concept for retailers

Electronics retailer Maplin and womenswear brand Ann Summers will be the first retailers to trial Deliveroo’s fully-branded virtual storefronts within the app.

Debenhams deploys virtual try on platform

Debenhams has partnered with virtual fitting room and virtual try on platform Retail Social, and will be using the platform firstly in its beauty products, before extending to cover its fashion brands. 

PEOPLE, MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Whistles names former Topshop exec as creative director

Whistles has named former Topshop design chief Jacqui Markham as its new creative director.

B&M appoints interim CEO

B&M has appointed group chief financial officer Mike Schmidt as interim chief executive, to replace Alex Russo, who retires today.

Burberry begins search for new chair

British luxury group Burberry is using headhunters to find a successor to chair Gerry Murphy.

BRAND NEWS

Vinted launches venture capital arm with eye on UK start-ups

Vinted has launched a venture capital arm Vinted Ventures which will focus on investing in UK growth-stage start-ups, with finances available between €500k-€10m.

Boots adds dedicated menopause zones in stores

Boots is rolling out new dedicated menopause zones in 150 UK stores this summer, while expanding the range of products in the same category.

Nike forms new team for secretive brand with Kim Kardashian

Nike is putting together a dedicated team to operate a new brand with Kim Kardashian’s label Skims, with plans to release its first collection geared toward women this spring.

John Lewis, Decathlon and Tapestry join Ellen MacArthur’s Fashion ReModel project

A number of established brands and fashion groups have joined in the second cohort of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s The Fashion ReModel project.

AND FINALLY

The White House goes to war with Amazon

The White House slammed Amazon over reports it would soon tell consumers how much US President Donald Trump's tariffs have contributed to the prices, a policy Amazon denied.

JOIN THE GREEN GRADS

Green Grads are looking for new recruits and sponsors

Green Grads is a platform for recent UK graduates with ideas to heal the planet and it’s now recruiting for its fifth cohort, with over 200 current grads listed on the website. It’s also a great chance for a brand to show commitment to the environment and sustainability by joining Green Grads expanding cooperative of outward-looking forward-facing stellar British brands by becoming a sponsor. Sponsorship opportunities start with the comparatively modest sum of £500 and current sponsors include such well-known names as Heal's, Anglepoise, Ercol, the Futon Company, Camira and many more. To find out more see http://www.greengrads.co.uk

PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES

What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending April 25^th 2025?

1/ SS25

2/ Embroidered

3/ Garden

4/ Orange

5/ Swimsuit

6/ Denim

7/ Vase

8/ Dress

9/ Earrings  

10/ Fascinator

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.

NEW BRANDS TO PRSHOTS

Sketched by Siena is a unique card design company founded in 2020 by Siena, a graphic design graduate from Ravensbourne University who creates the cards by hand with the help of her sister Ellie.

Cave Cove was born from the rhythm of the tides and the wonder of the wild. Founded by three women, the brand is at its heart a female-led business created for the benefit of the many, not the few. Every embroidered detail, every flowing pattern, and every delicate texture on its clothing ranges is a reminder to embrace the elements and live with gentle joy.

Ruggable all started at the kitchen table. That's where Jeneva Bell first conceived of a rug you could put in your washing machine. After years of development, they launched the original Ruggable machine-washable rug and the brand has gone on to be hugely successful ever since.

Plia Parasols makes wooden garden parasols, upholstered with luxury outdoor fabrics. Sewn in Cornwall, customers can either plump for one of the in-house designs, or go bespoke and supply their own fabric for a totally unique parasol.

Oriana B.  was launched in 2019 by Dublin-based Londoner Katharine Deas sourcing and selling unique furniture online, having pivoted from a 25-year international corporate career to pursue her love of design. Oriana B products include furniture, lampshades, lights, lamps, and mirrors.

BRANDS WITH NEW IMAGES

Clothing, beauty and accessories

Barbour has new festival outfits, mens summer outfits including a range of festival wellies, plus a new Crocs collaboration, a Very British Summer collaboration of clothes and accessories with Lucy Williams.

Primark has new denim ranges, Pau Eche collaboration of summer and beach clothing, accessories and jewellery, new childrenswear for the summer, Tanlines makeup and skincare, Krispy Kreme, Hello Kitty and Guiness collaborations, beachwear with swimsuits, wraps, bikinis and shorts, plus linen ranges.

River Island has new Latin-American flavoured summer ranges of womenswear and menswear ranges, a new women’s wear collaboration with Latin-Australian brand Del Maar, including dresses, sarongs, sandals, bikinis and swimsuits, plus new linen outfits and jewellery.

Roman Originals has new summer dresses, tops and trousers including crochet and embroidery ranges, plus Petite, Dusk and Curve ranges for the summer, plus big pattern and denim SS25 womenswear imagery.

M&S has a new Autograph underwear, suede-themed range of clothing, a Collection range of women's clothes, shoes, bags, jewellery, and accessories, new Per Una clothing ranges, as well as new perfume ranges and casual and formal men’s wear ranges.

Peacocks has a new summer womenswear, plus a Louise Redknapp Linen Edit for summer, a SS25 Edit range, and a new menswear range.

Oliver Bonas has new May and June 2025 uploads of jewellery, women’s clothing, bags, hats, shoes, sunglasses and accessories as well as new ranges for SS25.

George at Asda has new summer holiday wear modelled by Yasmin Le Bon, including bikinis, swimsuits, shorts, trousers, dresses and accessories, plus new athleisure outfits and accessories.

Iolla has new sunglasses and glasses for the summer with the option of multi-coloured lenses, plus ranges of frames and glasses based on nostalgia for a Scottish coastal summer.

Threadbare has a new menswear, Spring Romance and Another Sunday ranges of clothing and new summer footwear and beachwear, plus a Spring Romance womenswear range, plus new SS25 womenswear and menswear ranges.

Accessorize has new beachwear including shirts, shorts, bikinis and dresses, plus accessories including makeup sandals, bags, card holders and jewellery.

Matalan has a new Et Vous and Taylor & Wright collaborations, Father’s Day kidswear clothing, Holiday Shop collections for all the family, men’s and women’s summer ranges with clothes for the beach.

TK Maxx has new womens, mens and kids clothing and accessories for the spring and summer, as well as haircare products and makeup.

Lipsy has a new Love & Roses V&A museum collaboration of womenswear.

Curvy Kate has its range of swimwear for the spring and summer, including swimming costumes and bikinis. 

Fable England has new bag charms and jewellery based on the Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit characters, new Alice’s Garden, Running Bunny and Bunny Blues jewellery and bags, Wonderland ranges of bags and scarves, plus new accessories and core jewellery ranges.

Celtic & Co has new smart cool summer midi dresses and sandals for the holidays and the beach.

F&F has new F&F Active sportswear and athleisure collaboration with Kate Ferdinand, new summer beachwear campaign imagery and has Abbey Clancy top picks for the spring.

Bonmarché has a new Dash collaboration of summer outfits with Lisa Snowdon.

Joe Browns has new SS25 menswear, polo tops, t-shirts, shorts, shoes, hats and accessories plus womenswear including dresses, shorts, skirts, beachwear, shoes, jewellery, towels, sarongs, scarves, purses, handbags, shopping bags and beach bags for the summer.

Scamp & Dude has clothes and accessories, new SS25 athleisure wear, dresses, shorts, jackets, hoodies, coats, bags and scarves, plus new collaborations with Nicky Newman and Sabrina Elba.

John Lewis has new Anyday, John Lewis and Kin men’s ranges and a Goodie Works t-shirt collaboration, plus new women’s clothing, shoes and accessory ranges for the spring and summer. Plus a range of women’s bags and jewellery.

Very has a new Michelle Keegan collaboration, plus drops SS25 lookbook imagery, a new V by Very and V by Very Curve ranges of dresses, jumpers, jackets, coats jumpsuits, swimwear, jeans, trousers and shoes.

Monsoon has new SS25 ranges for the beach and holidays, plus women’s and kids clothing for the summer, new sandals for the beach, plus new jewellery and bags for women and kids, new wedding outfit shoes and dresses.

Dune London has new bags, sandals and shoes for him and her for the summer, bag charms, clutch bags, handbags and belts, bridal shoe ranges for casual to posh weddings.

See additional new clothing and accessories images from

New Look Cotton Traders  Joma Jewellery Katie Loxton Crew Clothing Tu Clothing Celtic &Co

Home, garden and food

Primark has new bedding and tableware Edits, new Krispy Kreme and Hello Kitty collaborations for packed lunches, new paisley pattern soft furnishings and bedding, plus homeware including diffusers, candles, vases and jugs for the home.

M&S has new homeware including dining ware, furniture, lighting, bedding and tableware, new wash bags beauty and wellness ranges, Ultimate bedding sets, makeup ranges, SS25 Boho, Classic and Exquisite Earth furniture and homeware ranges.

The Gluttonous Gardener has new ranges of plants and food.  

Nest has new Hay Traverse and Pallisade garden furniture, including tables, chairs and loungers, new Vitra office furniture, living room furniture including lounge chairs, plus Ferm Living and a Tom Dixon collaboration.

Home Bargains has new Father’s Day gifts, Wickford & Co candle jars and diffusers, plus luxury candles, diffusers and room sprays from The Vault.

Oliver Bonas has new Father’s Day gifts, new June/July/August/September/October drops of homeware ranges for the kitchen, dining room and lounge, plus furniture and home accessories including mirrors, lighting and tableware for SS25.

Jellycat has a Bartholomew Bear collaboration with department store Liberty, new Amuseables range of animals, flowers and food, plus books and the cuddliest soft toys and bags for SS25.

Cambridge Imprint has new memo books, pencils, labels, tea towels, box files, envelopes, postcard boxes, postcards, tea trays, lined exercise and hardback books, stamps, ribbons, and albums.

Dobbies Garden Centres has new Father’s Day gifts, garden furniture, sheds and outside storage solutions, home houseplants including orchids, garden tool ranges, homeware, pet ranges, kids garden toys.

Online Home Shop has furniture for the garden including tables, chairs, benches, swings and hanging chairs.

Habitat has a new home collaboration with Scion including furniture, shelving, lighting, candles, diffusers soft furnishings and bedding.

Sofology has new SS25 furniture ranges, including power recliners, sofas, chairs and stools plus furniture for the lounge in bright spring colours.

Treats by Mars reveals a new Galaxy honeycomb snack.

TK Maxx Has new kitchenware ranges and things for the garden.

Matalan has new tableware and kitcheware.

Homesense has new AW25 homeware and kitchenware including dishes, chairs, art, rugs, jugs plus Christmas 2025 crackers, wreaths and decorations.

Jan Constantine has new cushion ranges.

B&M has new DIY tools and electrical ranges, new baby and food events as well as new Lego kits, Garden solar lighting, spring electrical ranges, garden decorations, cookware and dining decorations.

See additional new home images from

Quorn Stone Designers Guild George Home Hobbycraft John Lewis  Fritz Fryer Dunelm

DIARY

PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts

Days until Father’s Day – 46

Days until School holidays start (23rd July) – 84

Days until Halloween - 184

Days until Christmas Day – 239
 

How to get your brand in the media in May

We’re now well into Spring, and there are two long bank holiday weekends to enjoy this month, and with a bit of luck, we’ll have great weather for at least one of them.

To get the best chance for a download, add images that are related to the summer, and make sure they’re accompanied by any keywords relating to being out of the house and into the garden and the great outdoors, including garden, garden parties, barbecues (don’t forget to add all of the other spellings BBQ, Bar-B-Que, etc.) picnics, outdoors.

Summer holidays are on the horizon, so campaign images that include the beach or the outside world will be used. Upload any images you have of summer outfits, holiday clothes, festival clothes, sandals, beachwear, swimsuits, bikinis, linen, and sandals.

Not everyone will be going abroad so still keep keywords and phrases like “staycation”, “holistay”, “holiday at home”, to your keywords, also think about uploading images more appropriate to a UK holiday, like cardigans and hoodies for the colder UK evenings.

May is also the start of wedding season, so if you have any wedding-related items, then get ready to promote them along with any wedding keywords, bridal, bride, groom, hen party, stag do, 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.

May Diary - Weeks/Months

May is National Walking Month, National Smile Month (12^th May – 12^th Jun), and Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

It’s also:

Small Business Week – (May 4^th - 10^th)

Dementia UK Time for a Cuppa Week (1^st-8^th)

National Doughnut Week (10^th – 18^th)

National Stationery Week (12^th –18^th)

Cannes Film Festival (13^th – 24^th)

Sandwich Week (19^th – 25^th) 

RHS Chelsea Flower Show (20^th – 24^th)

National Barbeque Week (May 26^th – Jun 1^st )

May - Days

(30^th-1^st) -Yom Haatzmaut

1^st – World Password Day

3^rd – World Press Freedom Day

4^th – Star Wars Day

4^th – Firefighters Memorial Day

5^th –Cinco de Mayo (US Holiday)

5^th – May Day 

8^th – VE day

9^th – Europe Day

9^th – Whit Monday / Pentecost 

10^th – Searches of Prom dresses peak

11^th- World Fairtrade Day

11^th – Mother’s Day (US and Australia) 

12^th – International Nurses Day

13^th – World Cocktail Day

15^th – International Day of Families

15^th - Father’s Day gift searches rise / BBQ searches rise

15-16^th – Lag BaOmer 

17^th – Eurovision Final in Basel Switzerland

17^th – World Whisky Day 

17^th - Men’s FA Cup Final

18^th – Women’s FA Cup Final 

20^th – World Bee Day

21^st – International Tea Day

22^nd – World Goth Day

22^nd – Craft Distillery Day (US)

25^th - Geek Pride Day

25^th – National Wine Day (US)

25^th – Camping-related searches rise

26^th – Spring Bank Holiday 

26^th – Memorial Day 

29^th – National Biscuit Day

29^th – Ascension Day 

30^th – BBQ searches peak

31^st - UEFA Champions League Final

 NB - All dates have been checked, but some events may change due to unforeseen circumstances or have not been fully confirmed for 2025 by the authorities controlling the event(s).