As May comes to a close, the retail sector reflects on a month of highs and lows. There have been a string of positive trading updates from companies such as Adidas, Zalando and Hugo Boss.
There have also been some not-so-positive trading updates from retailers including Mulberry and Under Armour. Not to mention The Vampire’s Wife shuttering due to the wholesale market’s upheaval.
TheIndustry.fashion has curated a list of the retail stores that have opened this month as well as a number of partnerships from Loewe, On and ASOS.
Store Openings
TALA debuted its first in-person shop at Selfridges
Social-first athleisure brand TALA was the latest online brand to branch into brick-and-mortar, debuting its first physical store presence at Selfridges on 10 May.
Homiés Marbella brought a touch of Puerto Banús to London with new Soho store
Premium Spanish lifestyle brand Homiés Marbella, which was founded by friends Itziar Fuentes and JM Fernández in 2014 in Puerto Banús, Marbella, opened a 500 sq ft store at 52 Brewer Street in the heart of London’s Soho.
MAKSU brought Mediterranean warmth to London with its first UK store
MAKSU, the womenswear brand with a Mediterranean spirit, has launched in the UK with its first flagship store in London as well as a dedicated online store. Inspired by the Mediterranean’s vivid colours, MAKSU offers an elevated take on bohemian style.
In Pictures: Deichmann headed to Belfast for first store in Northern Ireland
German footwear retailer Deichmann opened a new 8,438 sq ft store at The Keep retail and leisure centre in Belfast, its first in Northern Ireland.
Mango’s UK presence to explode with over 20 store openings
Mango announced its plans to dominate the UK high street with more than 20 store openings set for 2024. The expansion is focused on London, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Primark continued brick-and-mortar investment with an anchor store at Ashley Centre
As Primark continues its store expansion scheme, the high street retailer has announced its plans to join the Ashley Centre, Epsom’s lineup.
New Look showed commitment to physical retail with £3.3m upgrade to Greater Manchester stores
New Look announced it is making a “strategic investment” of £3.3 million to upgrade 20 of its stores in Greater Manchester over the next 12 months. The move “will create a blueprint” for further improvements to be rolled out across New Look’s wider estate.
HERA launched pop-ups in three Fenwick stores
Cheltenham-based streetwear brand HERA, which was acquired by former Gymshark Chairman Paul Richardson in 2021, launched pop-ups in Fenwick’s flagship Newcastle store as well as its stores at Brent Cross and Kingston.
Dover Street Market took to the streets of Paris
London has a reputation for harnessing the future of fashion and that’s exactly what it did when Dover Street Market’s department store-turned-exhibition cropped up in Mayfair in 2004. The innovative retailer later expanded to the US and Asia, adding Paris to its lineup this month.
All Good Things landed at Outlet Shopping at The O2
Sustainable fashion business All Good Things has opened a 4,000 sq ft store at Outlet Shopping at The O2 in London. It adds to the fashion retailer’s existing store at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, which has been operating since 2019.
H&M to relocate in Belfast with “enhanced” Castle Street store
H&M’s flagship Belfast store is on the move from 171 Victoria Square to a new store on Castle Street, the city’s premium retail destination, with a “new, fresh interior look and feel for the brand”.
In Pictures: Oliver Spencer’s new store in London’s Marylebone
Oliver Spencer opened a new 500 sq ft store at 39 Chiltern Street in Marylebone, its fourth store in the capital. It adds to the burgeoning mix of menswear retailers on the street, which include Grey Flannel, owned by Timothy Everest, Trunk, Sunspel and John Simons.
SKIMS Mens made first international retail move with launch at END.
Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede’s brand SKIMS has today announced the launch of its “first men’s multi-brand shopping experience” at the END. flagship store at 59 Broadwick Street in Soho, London.
Mango’s UK retail rollout gathers pace with Angel Central opening
Mango opened a new 3,200 sq ft store on the ground floor of Angel Central shopping centre in Islington, north London, exclusively stocking its womenswear lines.
FatFace opened a new store at Dublin’s Blanchardstown Centre
Lifestyle brand FatFace opened a new 2,000 sq ft store at Blanchardstown Centre in Dublin, marking its first full-price store opening in Ireland for 14 years, adding to five existing stores.
Finisterre relocated and upsized Covent Garden store to new Neal Street flagship
Cornwall-based surfing brand Finisterre, founded by British professional surfer Tom Kay in 2003, relocated its Covent Garden store from 7 Earlham Street to a new 2,702 sq ft flagship at 47-49 Neal Street – its largest UK store to date.
Albaray signals growth ambitions with the opening of its second retail store
Albaray, the women’s contemporary and conscious fashion brand, made its growth ambitions clear with the opening of its second physical retail store in Bath.
In Pictures: Phase Eight opened upsized Bluewater flagship as expansion strategy continues
Phase Eight opened a new 2,500 sq ft flagship store at Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, which is over three times bigger than its previous unit.
Award-winning Labrum opened pop-up in London’s Soho
Labrum, which last year won the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, is set to open an 800 sq ft pop-up store at 35 Marshall Street in Soho “in the coming weeks”, as agreed with London landlord Shaftesbury Capital.
Partnerships
ASOS partnered with Reliance Retail to bring its own brands to India
Indian retailer Reliance Retail partnered with ASOS to bring the British retailer’s own brands to India. This strategic union aims to “redefine the fashion landscape in India” while narrowing ASOS’ financial losses.
END. partnered with Adidas Originals on new ‘Fly Fishing’ collaboration collection
END. partnered with Adidas Originals on a new ‘Fly Fishing’ collaboration collection of footwear and apparel, available to buy from 31 May. The collection “taps into the fast-growing sport and underground culture of fly fishing” which is apparently “captivating a new generation of Millennial and Gen-Z anglers”, who wish to disconnect from the daily grind and “reconnect with nature”.
In Pictures: On and Loewe’s latest apparel and footwear collection for SS24
Premium Swiss running brand, On, and luxury Spanish house, Loewe, joined forces for a fifth time on a new collection of technical activewear, statement outerwear and cushioned footwear for men and women.
In Pictures: Gap’s limited-edition collaboration collection with DÔEN
This month saw the launch of a new collaboration collection between Gap and California clothing label DÔEN, featuring limited-edition women’s and kids’ apparel and accessories.
My Wardrobe HQ merged with Cercle to form a rental powerhouse
Fashion rental service My Wardrobe HQ (MWHQ) announced its merger with fashion resale and rental platform Cercle. This strategic move sees MWHQ expand its global presence and enhance its luxury offering.
Hannah Lewis joined forces with new basics brand on ‘perfect summer capsule’
KLAYD, the British-founded elevated basics brand, joined forces with fashion director, stylist and content creator, Hannah Lewis, on a collection that confirms you can never have too many basics.
Everything you need to know about Jigsaw and Roksanda’s second drop
After the sell-out success of the first Jigsaw x Roksanda collection, which launched back in October 2023, the British womenswear brands re-joined forces to create a 12-piece capsule collection for Spring/Summer 2024.
Pull&Bear was announced as the new Principal Partner of BFC NEWGEN
The British Fashion Council (BFC) announced that Inditex-owned brand Pull&Bear is the new Principal Partner for BFC NEWGEN, its initiative which supports the best-emerging design talent.