Editors' Top Reads: News From John Lewis, Clarks and More...
Clarks, the 200‑year‑old British shoe maker, unveiled its first online marketplace, “Brands Now at Clarks,” hosting more than 100 brands across apparel, accessories and lifestyle, mixing full‑price and heavily discounted premium items. Designer Amanda Wakeley returned with a curated capsule for John Lewis, priced to sit between luxury and high‑street tiers and sold in ten UK stores and online. In March, UK clothing prices fell 0.8%, the first deflation since 2021, even as overall inflation rose on fuel costs. Retailers such as Tu Clothing and M&S are emphasizing value to retain price‑sensitive shoppers.
Ami Paris to Open Long-Term Pop-Up on Chelsea’s Sloane Street
Ami Paris will launch a 1,259 sq ft pop‑up store on London’s Sloane Street on 9 May, operating for 18 months while it scouts a permanent location. The boutique replicates the aesthetic of the brand’s Marais flagship, featuring beige tones, oak, Euville stone and gilded...
Paul Smith Launches First Drop of 'Made in British Isles' Capsule Collection
Paul Smith unveiled the first drop of its "Made in British Isles" capsule, featuring outerwear, knitwear, shirting and socks crafted with UK‑based specialists such as White Label London, Corah Textiles and Corgi Hosiery. The pieces use locally sourced fabrics, dead‑stock...
Go Outdoors Launches Latest TV Campaign with Return of Billy the Bird
Go Outdoors, owned by JD Sports, launched a new TV and digital campaign featuring the return of its parakeet mascot Billy, airing on primetime shows like Britain’s Got Talent and Saturday Night Live. The ad showcases outdoor freedom, highlighting brands...
Marks & Spencer Chairman Blames Self-Service Checkouts for Rise in Shoplifting
Marks & Spencer chairman Archie Norman blamed self‑service checkouts for a rise in shoplifting, saying they remove the human link and make it easy for honest shoppers to slip items. M&S installed 800 self‑checkouts in 2023, aiming to save about...
Consumer Confidence Falls as Rapid Price Rises Give Households the ‘Jitters’
Consumer confidence in the United Kingdom slipped for the third month in April, with GfK’s index falling four points to -25. The outlook for the next 12 months dropped six points to -43, the weakest reading since February 2023. While confidence...
How I Started in Fashion: Ruby Raut, Founder & CEO, WUKA
Ruby Raut, a Nepali immigrant, founded period‑wear brand WUKA after a personal experience with inadequate menstrual protection. She launched the company on Kickstarter in 2017, securing £7,000 (≈$8,800) in pre‑orders and operating without a salary for three years. Today WUKA...
Blacks Unveils New Brand Direction, Reimagines Five UK Stores and Relaunches Website
Blacks, the UK outdoor retailer owned by JD Group, is rolling out a new brand direction that fuses outdoor heritage with contemporary everyday style. Five flagship stores in Aintree, Brighton, Glasgow, Harrogate and Sheffield have been completely refreshed, featuring cleaner...
Puma Appoints Nike and ASICS Alum as Vice President of Global Wholesale
Puma has hired former Nike and ASICS executive Bertrand Blanc as Vice President of Global Wholesale, effective May 1. The newly created role tasks Blanc with shaping sales strategy and driving revenue across Puma’s international wholesale accounts. This appointment follows two...
Lacoste ‘Returns to Its Roots’ with New Visual Identity
Lacoste unveiled a refreshed visual identity that reintroduces a serif‑based logo and highlights the original Robert George crocodile illustration. The redesign sharpens the brand’s proportions, restores its historic green hue and adds clay and farine tones, while the iconic crocodile and...
TFG London Opens First Tri-Brand Outlet Store in Northern Ireland
TFG London opened its first tri‑brand outlet in Northern Ireland at The Boulevard in Banbridge, a 3,851 sq ft space that houses Hobbs, Phase Eight and Whistles under one roof. The store offers discounted fashion, footwear and accessories while preserving each brand’s...
Clarks 'Excited' To Open New Flagship on Oxford Circus
Clarks is set to launch a new 2,839‑sq‑ft flagship store at 522 Oxford Street, near Marble Arch, this July. The shop will feature the brand’s refreshed retail design first unveiled at its Tottenham Court Road location last November. It marks...
Susie Cave Returns to Fashion with New 'by Appointment-Only' Venture
Former model and designer Susie Cave has relaunched in fashion with a new eponymous label. The line presents 25 custom‑tailored silhouettes designed specifically for weddings and funerals, available only in black or white. The collection will be sold through a...
The Noughties Mini Skirt Is Back: 5 of Spring’s Biggest Denim Trends
Denim is making a pronounced Y2K comeback this spring, with designers re‑introducing early‑2000s silhouettes in a more refined way. The top five trends include the mini denim skirt, bootcut jeans, double denim ensembles, light‑wash denim, and low‑rise jeans, each styled...
Bleckmann Partners Australian Swimwear Brand for First EU Logistics Base
Bleckmann has partnered with Australian swimwear label Kulani Kinis to launch the brand’s first European logistics hub in Venlo, Netherlands. The move shifts warehousing, order fulfilment and returns from Australia to Europe, cutting delivery times from up to six days...