Recent Posts
News•Feb 27, 2026
Lakeside Shopping Centre Announces Arrival of Fashion Heavyweight Urban Outfitters
London’s Lakeside Shopping Centre announced that Urban Outfitters will open a 6,500‑square‑foot store on the lower level in summer 2026. The new outlet will feature the retailer’s own brands alongside labels such as Levi’s, Dickies and Carhartt WIP, and will include a dedicated cultural space for music and social interaction. The opening follows more than £100 million of tenant‑led fit‑out investment and comes after a strong 2025 sales year, further diversifying the centre’s fashion offering. Lakeside aims to increase dwell time and attract a younger, fashion‑forward demographic.
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 26, 2026
Retail Atmosphere Starts with People, Not Shelves
Retail atmosphere is driven more by people than by shelves. While visual merchandising and layout influence perception, the article argues that staff behavior, eye contact, and consistent appearance create the emotional experience that customers remember. Human cues reduce decision stress...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 26, 2026
Akeneo Partners with Stripe to Help Businesses Get Ready to Sell on AI Agents
Akeneo, a product experience company, announced a partnership with Stripe to integrate its PIM platform with Stripe’s Agentic Commerce Suite. The joint solution lets merchants expose structured, real‑time product data to AI assistants and enables agent‑ready checkout, payments, and fraud...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 26, 2026
Eurobrick Supports New Marks & Spencer Flagship Store in Bristol
Marks & Spencer opened a new flagship store at Cabot Circus in Bristol in November 2025, featuring a food hall fitted out by Eurobrick. The supplier delivered 75 m² of its I‑Clad cladding system together with Red Blue Flamed brick slips...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 26, 2026
EcoVista Evolves Brand to Sharpen Focus on Retail Media, DOOH and Stadia
EcoVista has launched a refreshed brand identity and website, sharpening its focus on three core verticals—Retail Media, Digital Out of Home (DOOH), and Venues & Stadia. Over the past year the company expanded its retail‑media projects, moving from pure installation...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 26, 2026
Ecommpay Launches Free E-Commerce Fraud Defence Guide
Payments platform Ecommpay released a free whitepaper titled “E‑commerce fraud defence: A quick guide for merchants.” The guide details nine top fraud threats, including friendly fraud, refund fraud, account takeover and AI‑powered deepfakes, and offers actionable mitigation tactics. Ecommpay claims...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 22, 2026
Akeneo PX Pulse Data Reveals How Transparency and Data Have Become Retail’s Most Valuable Currency
Akeneo’s latest PX Pulse survey shows sustainability transparency is now a core consumer expectation. 41% of shoppers demand proactive disclosure of product origins and environmental impact, while 72% say such transparency boosts trust. The study also finds 77% regularly seek...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 20, 2026
How LegitGrails Helps Verify Saint Laurent Items
LegitGrails offers an online, photo‑based authentication service for Saint Laurent handbags, shoes, wallets and accessories. Users upload detailed images, choose a turnaround speed, and receive a digital certificate after experts and AI assess construction, materials and branding details. The service promises...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 19, 2026
London’s First Dedicated Textured Hair Concept Studio Opens
Tressly Studios is opening the United Kingdom’s first dedicated concept store and salon for Afro, curly and coily hair in Lewisham Shopping Centre on 7 March. The space blends a modern salon experience with a curated selection of culture‑first hair...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 19, 2026
A Fresh Note for King Street as MATIERE PREMIERE Opens UK Debut in Covent Garden
French luxury fragrance house MATIERE PREMIERE has opened its first UK flagship at 31 King Street, Covent Garden, occupying a 708 sq ft space. The boutique showcases the brand’s full portfolio, built around single‑note natural raw materials, and joins an elite roster...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Are We Entering an Era in Which Engagement Is As Important as the Promotion Itself?
Promotions are evolving from simple price cuts to interactive experiences that require customer participation. Leading online casinos and e‑commerce giants like Shein and AliExpress now embed daily spin games, resource‑management mini‑games, and scarcity‑driven challenges into their offers. These engagement mechanics...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Smart Retail Is Transforming Small Farm Shops
Stonehills Farm in East Yorkshire has introduced RFID‑enabled fridges and freezers that let customers unlock units, pay instantly, and trigger real‑time stock monitoring via a mobile app. This smart retail model replaces traditional honesty boxes with automated vending, preserving product...
By Retail Focus (UK)
News•Feb 18, 2026
How Reward Systems Boost Customer Retention in Mobile Apps
Retailers are pivoting from acquisition to retention as mobile apps become the primary consumer channel, with users spending over 85% of their time in apps. A modest 5‑6% lift in app retention can translate into profit gains of 25% to...
By Retail Focus (UK)