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PRShots Roundup brings you the latest retail news from WHSmith, Primark, Shein, New Look, Bravissimo, Rise & Fall, Me & Em, Pandora, Newbie, Sports Direct and Asda. Plus, how can John Lewis catch up with Marks & Spencer and more.
THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS
WHSmith slashes £12m from high street sale to push deal through
WHSmith has completed the sale of its high street business to private equity firm Modella Capital - but at a reduced price after weaker trading conditions led to a last-minute renegotiation.
Asda aims to knock Primark off UK clothing top spot with George push
Asda is plotting to overtake Primark as the UK’s biggest clothing retailer as it doubles down on the revival of its fashion arm, George.
Clarks cuts over 1,200 jobs as sales fall by almost £100m
Clarks cut more than 1,200 jobs as its sales slumped by almost £100m to £901.3m and made a pre-tax loss of £39.2m down from a loss of £39.8m.
Shein to reportedly confidentially file for Hong Kong IPO
Fast fashion giant Shein is believed to be planning to confidentially file a draft prospectus for a Hong Kong IPO.
New Look’s owners are talking to investment banks ahead of a possible auction process over the next 12 months.
Bravissimo suspends online orders after suffering warehouse fire
Bravissimo has paused all online orders after suffering a fire at its warehouse, which has taken toll on order processing operations.
Ocado’s rising debt casts shadow over turnaround plans
Ocado Group is facing renewed scrutiny over its heavy reliance on debt amid soaring interest costs that threaten its path to profitability.
Rise & Fall raises £4m total funding after latest round
Affordable luxury fashion and homeware brand Rise & Fall has received an injection of £1.4m in fresh funding from Wealth Club.
Pandora works with Amazon to crack down on global counterfeit jewellery network
Pandora has worked with Amazon to uncover and shut down a criminal network responsible for selling counterfeit Pandora jewellery in several European countries.
TRENDS, SUSTAINABILITY, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY
How can John Lewis catch up with Marks & Spencer?
With new hires, store investments and a sharpened fashion offering, John Lewis is beginning to show green shoots of progress, but can it make up ground on Marks & Spencer?
Why retailers need to protect against cyber-attack
More than one in four UK businesses have been the victim of a cyber-attack in the last year and many more risk “sleepwalking” into such disruption unless they take urgent action.
Going beyond metrics to crack customer retention
Customer retention can be difficult to master. Consultant Abi Hough explains to econsultancy why brands need to go beyond numbers to keep customers coming back.
Which brands stand out on LinkedIn, and what can marketers learn from them?
As LinkedIn grows in popularity, many brands are looking to get the most out of this platform. How are stand-out brands using it to succeed, and what can marketers learn from them?
24-7 customer support doubles as UK retailers race to meet convenience demands
As customer expectations continue to evolve in the digital age, new data reveals that UK retailers are increasingly prioritising customer convenience by extending their customer service hours.
PEOPLE, MOVERS AND SHAKERS
M&S names Woolworths Group exec as new food MD
M&S has appointed Woolworths Group (Australia and South Africa) exec Andrew Hicks as its new marketing director for M&S food.
BRAND NEWS
Newbie set to open 10th UK store
Swedish owned sustainable kidswear/lifestyle brand Newbie is having another growth spurt with its latest UK store opening at The Lexicon, Bracknell, Berkshire, on 10 July.
Sports Direct launches Women’s Euro 2025 campaign
Sports Direct’s new summer campaign kicks off with… football. That's unsurprising given that the Women’s Euro tournament kicks off in just days and England squad members play a central role.
& Other Stories debuts beachwear made from seaweed-derived fibre
H&M Group’s & Other Stories has unveiled a beachwear collection made, most appropriately, from Keel Lab’s Kelsun fibre which is derived from seaweed.
Me & Em to open first Manchester store
Luxury British womenswear brand Me & Em will open a 2,200 sq ft store on Manchester's King Street in the coming weeks.
AND FINALLY x2
M&S faces possible court battle over VAT on viral strawberry sandwich
M&S’ new strawberry and cream sandwich is under scrutiny from VAT experts as sandwiches are normally zero-rated, but should this be classified as confectionery and hence subject to 20% VAT?
"That Dress" worn by Elizabeth Hurley auctioned for €12,090
One of the most iconic dresses of 20th-century fashion worn by actress Elizabeth Hurley, alongside Hugh Grant, at the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994 has sold for €12,090.
PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES
What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending June 27th 2025?
1/ AW25
2/ SS25
3/ Garden
4/ Kitchen
5/ Cushion
6/ Embroided
7/ Christmas
8/ Swimsuit
9/ Bathroom
10/ Rug
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
Quay is a sunglasses company that was born out of the US festival scene and as you would expect from an alternative birth it does things differently.
Inspecs has new SS25 imagery of sunglasses from Radley, Superdry and Botaniq.
Salts Cashmere is launching 1st September with a unisex range of cashmere jumpers and tops that are made in Yorkshire.
The Orchard specialises in everything for the home and the garden, from sofas and chairs to soft furnishings and kitchenware through to barbecues and firepits.
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.
BRANDS WITH NEW IMAGES
Clothing, beauty and accessories
Accessorize has a new Palma range of womenswear shoes and accessories, a new SS25 beachwear, bags, scarves and jewellery – including Z charms, - a new Seville range of beachwear and clothing, new jewellery charm ranges.
Bonmarché has new womenswear ranges for AW25.
Roman Originals has new Petite and Curve ranges, plus outfits with this summer’s must-haves, crochet and embroidery/broderie anglaise, including big-pattern midi-length summer dresses, Bardot tops, denim, trousers and cropped pants.
New Look has new cowboy core womenswear drops for July.
Barbour has new outfits for the festival season.
The Orchard has a new Christmas gifting collaboration with Ellie Beaumont.
Matalan has back-to-school ranges, AW25 transitional womenswear ranges, England football strips, new AW25 transitional ranges, plus Paw Patrol kidswear, makeup ranges, and new accessory ranges for women.
Fatface has new AW25 clothing ranges for women and has a new collaboration with the Marine Conservation Charity and has new beachwear and evening wear for the summer plus new shoes, sandals and accessories.
Oliver Bonas has new clothing, jewellery and accessories drops for July, including bags, hats, shoes, sandals, scarves and sunglasses.
River Island has a new RI Studio range and Mykonos Night range of womenswear, new Wimbledon whites ranges, new summer festival outfits and accessories, new Arm Candy beaded bag range, new Latin-American flavoured summer ranges.
Primark has a new Hight Summer Rita Ora collaboration of clothes and accessories, new travel makeup sets, new band t-shirts, womenswear, new Youth ranges, a new collaboration with Ashley Huish on summer wear, plus there’s beachwear for all the family.
Iolla has new summer sunglasses ranges for him and her.
Monsoon has new July and August clothing drops, new wedding and bridal ranges, new SS25 ranges for the beach and holidays, plus women’s and kids clothing for the summer, new sandals for the beach.
Cotton Traders has new AW25 womenswear, new Jasmine Harman’s SS25 Edit of beachwear and relaxed summer clothing and accessories.
F&F has new Abbey Clancy festival imagery, a new summer band t-shirts and beach wear drop, new F&F Active sportswear and athleisure collaboration with Kate Ferdinand, new summer beachwear campaign imagery.
M&S has new summer menswear and womenswear campaign imagery, plus new t-shirts, sandals, shoes, sunglasses, swimsuits and bikini ranges, Autograph underwear, and a suede-themed range of clothing.
Scamp & Dude has new stripey clothes and accessories, new SS25 athleisure wear, dresses, shorts, jackets, hoodies, coats, bags and scarves, plus new collaborations with Nicky Newman and Sabrina Elba.
National Trust has a new collaboration with Craghoppers on outdoor AW25 clothing.
Curvy Kate has new Superhero ranges of bras, and new ranges of swimwear for the spring and summer, including swimming costumes and bikinis.
Peacocks has a new Louise Redknapp Edit of summer womenswear, plus her Linen Edit for summer, a new SS25 Edit range, and a new menswear range.
Fable England has new Alice’s Garden jewellery and accessories, new Forget Me Not jewellery for SS25, plus bag charms and jewellery based on the Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit characters.
See additional new clothing and accessories images from
Very Sims Wear Threadbare George at Asda TK Maxx Lipsy
Home, garden and food
Oliver Bonas has Christmas decorations, gifts and things for the home, plus new July/August/September/October drops of homeware ranges for the kitchen, dining room and lounge for SS25.
Nest has new HKLiving furniture and rugs, Audo Copenhagen and Norwegian designer furniture for the home plus Hay Traverse and Pallisade garden furniture, including tables, chairs and loungers.
Quorn Stone has Orotelli decorative tiles, plus new natural stone and new Lullington Beige stone effect floor tiles, Canyon Terrazzo effect porcelain tiles and chequered decorative tiles for the bathroom.
Hobbycraft has new kids ideas for the summer holidays plus DIY decoration ideas for homes.
Ruggable has new outdoor ranges of its machine-washable rugs, plus rugs for every room in the home including collaborations with top designers and influencers.
Matalan has AW25 homeware for the autumn including Halloween and Harvest Festival themed soft furnishings.
Cambridge Imprint has new mug ranges, sketching pencils, patterned wrapping paper, memo books, labels, tea towels, box files, envelopes, postcard boxes, postcards, and tea trays.
Ivyline has Christmas ranges including trees, wreaths, tree skirts and decorations, and new pots, planters, candleholders and lanterns for inside and outside the home.
Treats by Mars has new Galaxy Frappe Duo and Caramel mixes.
Primark has new travel gadgets, new summer-themed homeware including kitchenware, candles and soft furnishings, Lilo and Stitch themed things, outdoor ranges from picnic blankets to thermoses, bedding and tableware.
Dobbies Garden Centres has tomato growing kits, Christmas and Halloween decorations, new summer pots, pet toys and hoses, plus Disney-themed garden tools, bags, wheelbarrows and bird houses.
Homesense has new Halloween items and new homeware plus new homeware for the kitchen, dining room and the conservatory, plus tableware and picnic items for eating out in the garden.
Jellycat has a new Amuseables range of animals, flowers and food, new baby ranges, a Bartholomew Bear collaboration with department store Liberty.
Arran Sense of Scotland has new refill packages, home fragrances, scented candles, After the Rain summer fragrance and a new mum and bride scent range.
National Trust has a collaboration with Sitting Spiritually on a selection of outdoor swings from two- seater to four-seaters as well as pots for the garden, water bottles and autumn decorations.
Furniture Village has new AW25 Cottagecore Comfort furniture for bedrooms and Cherry Lacquer for dining rooms and living rooms and Seeing Green office and dining furniture.
Dunelm has more of the collaboration with designer Sophie Robinson, a new AW25 Modern Nostalgia, Into the Wild, Harvest Hues and Quite Luxury collections of homeware including furniture, bedding, curtains, soft furnishings.
See additional new home images from
George Home M&S The Gluttonous Gardener Home Bargains Online Home Shop Habitat Sofology TK Maxx Jan Constantine B&M
DIARY
PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts
Days until School holidays start (23rd July) – 23
Days until School holidays ends (3rd Sept) – 65
Days until Halloween – 123
Days until Black Friday - 151
Days until Christmas Day – 178
How to make your products attractive to the media in July
Summer is here! So keep on adding anything summer-related to your media centres, eg summer clothing, swimwear, bikinis, shorts, beachwear, sunglasses, plus things to keep you cool, like fans, sun hats and sun shades. Also, push anything to do with the outside, such as garden furniture, anything for a garden party, or a picnic or barbecue, and don’t forget to add all of the other spellings that people may search on eg BBQ, Bar-B-Que, etc and other related keywords like picnic.
The festival season is now in full-swing, and the media are all looking for festival wear and things to take to festivals (tents, fans, ice boxes, torches, etc). We’re also getting ready to go on holiday, so luggage, bags, bumbags, beach towels, etc are all being searched for.
Clothing keywords being searched for this summer include; denim, florals, crochet, midi-dresses, maxi-dresses, polo, preppy, tennis-core, cottage-core and festival wear.
But not everyone is going abroad. The cost-of-living crisis is still cutting-into everyone’s wallets, so shoppers are still looking at holidays closer to home. Add in keywords and phrases like “staycation”, “holistay”, “holiday at home” to your keywords and why not suggest clothing like raincoats, coats, hoodies, and cardigans? If you stock them, then firepits and chimineas for the colder UK evenings would be good to add.
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.
July Diary - Weeks/Months
July is Independent Retailer Month, Plastic-free Month, and National Ice Cream Month in the US.
Weeks to celebrate this month include;
Berlin Fashion Week (30th June – 3rd)
Wimbledon fortnight (30th June - 13th)
The Tour De France (5th – 27th)
Alcohol Awareness Week (7th- 13th)
July - Days
4th - US Independence Day
5th - Pride London parade
5th – National Bikini Day
6th - British Grand Prix
7th – World Chocolate Day
10-13th - Goodwood Festival of Speed
11th – World Population Day
12th – Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland)
12th – Wimbledon Womens Final Day
13th – Wimbledon Mens Final Day
14th - Bastille Day (France)
15th – St Swithin’s Day
18th - Nelson Mandela International Day
19th-20th - Northern Pride
19th – National Ice Cream Day (US Third sundae in July 😉)
22nd- 23rd – Start of the school holidays
24th – National Tequila Day (US)
25th – Christmas in July (5 months until Christmas)
27th – Tour de France ends
27th – National Parents Day (US 4th Sunday in July)
29th – National Lipstick Day
For more diary dates for this year see the Marketing Retail Diary
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).
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