Main Image:  PrettyLittleThing

PRShots Digest brings you the latest retail news from Farfetch, Scarlett Gasque, Sign of the Times, Watches of Switzerland, Marks Electrical, Neem, Castore, Marc Jacobs and M&S. Plus articles on which retailers will lose out to Shein, the complete guide to social selling, how storytelling can help product marketing and more.  

THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS

Deliveroo raises guidance for year

Deliveroo orders fell 6% to 145m for H1 but revenues were up 5% to £1.02bn due to its increase in the cost of payment fees and has upped its profit guidance for the year to £60-80m from £20-50m.

UK 2022 parcel deliveries fell 5%

UK parcel volumes declined for the first time in more than a decade with the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index seeing a 5% fall to 5.1bn parcels delivered in 2022 mainly due to a fall in online sales.

July online sales up over 2022

UK retailers’ online sales were up 2.04% year on year in July despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures however web revenues were down 8.42% compared to June.

Watches of Switzerland sales dip

Watches of Switzerland trading update for Q1 to July 2023 saw a 1% fall in sales to £382m but said performance remains “in line with our guidance and expectations.”

Luxury reseller Sign of the Times acquires Cudoni assets

London-based luxury resale platform Sign of the Times has acquired some assets of Cudoni, which collapsed into administration in April.

Marks Electrical makes strong start to new financial year

Marks Electrical has reported strong trading in the first four months of its new financial year with revenue growth of 30.7% to £36.2m.

M&S urges government to axe VAT on period underwear

M&S has called on ministers to scrap the 20% VAT on period underwear after the tax on feminine hygiene products was axed two years ago.

Redundancies loom at Farfetch amid company-wide restructure

Luxury etailer Farfetch is shutting down its beauty business and is making redundancies that have impacted its London-based marketing team and New York-based tech team among others.

Farfetch to shut down beauty business

Just over a year after launching its beauty business and buying Violet Grey in Jan 2022, Farfetch is exiting the category and will stop selling beauty products on 31 August.

M&S hires all-women leadership team to head up new flagship stores

M&S has hired an all-female leadership team to head up its five new flagship stores in Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and Lakeside Essex, set to open later this year.

Wilko stops home deliveries for online orders

Wilko has paused home deliveries for orders on its website while it negotiates a potential rescue deal.

TRENDS, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY

Which retailers are likely to lose out to Shein?

Retail Week and CACI look at Shein’s performance to understand who’s shopping there, how often they spend, and how this stacks up against similar retailers like Asos, Boohoo and Very.

How storytelling can help your product marketing

Storytelling helps you connect your brand with audiences but can also help you teach customers to care about what makes your product unique.

How to fact-check human and ai-generated work

Accuracy mattered before AI-generated content, and it still matters today. Use this checklist to ensure the accuracy of all your content - whether it originates from a human or an algorithm.

The complete guide to social selling

Social selling allows you to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport with potential clients, and drive social media sales.

21 common website design mistakes businesses should avoid

Is your website failing to generate the results you hoped for? Want to learn the most common website design mistakes small businesses make?

Google Ads unwraps several new features ahead of holiday season

New functions provide improved insights to help marketers gain early learnings to shape their campaigns and bidding strategies.

Half of UK consumers are bored or frustrated by “unhelpful” personalisation

Nearly three-quarters (70%) of UK consumers believe the promotions they receive from brands do not align with their interests and the use of outdated technology is to blame.

BRAND NEWS

Lingerie startup Scarlett Gasque plans to seduce the US

Luxury lingerie company specialising in corsetry Scarlett Gasque is looking to expand into more UK independents and into Canada and the US.

Neem London makes Piccadilly pop-up store permanent and gears for Spitalfields trial

Sustainable menswear brand Neem London has made its London, Piccadilly pop-up store permanent and is to trial a new store in East London’s Spitalfields in September. See Neem London  for more images.

Superdrug launches new campaign and pledges to donate 5,000 hygiene products to Beauty Banks

Superdrug has launched a ‘Back to School Give Back’ campaign to raise awareness of its ongoing partnership with charity Beauty Banks.

Castore becomes EFL’s second biggest British football kit supplier

British sportswear brand Castore is now the second most represented British kit maker in the English Football League (EFL), following Umbro.

Kim Kardashian is the new face of Marc Jacobs

Reality TV star-turned-entrepreneur Kim Kardashian who has over 343m followers on Instagram is the new face of fashion label Marc Jacobs.

AND FINALLY

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg fight to be streamed on X

Elon Musk has confirmed that the fight between him and Mark Zuckerberg - which is yet to have a date - will be streamed exclusively on X with all proceeds going to charity.

PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES

What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending August 4^th 2023?

1/ AW23

2/ Christmas

3/ Bikini

4/ Beach

5/ Swimwear

6/ Halloween

7/ Candle

8/ Red

9/ Bedroom  

10/ Bathroom

COLLABORATIONS ON PRSHOTS

Our PRShots brands are looking for media and influencers who want to work with them on collaborations. Register for free at PRShots new collabs service to find out more https://collabs.prshots.com/ 

NEW BRANDS TO PRSHOTS

Fable England produces bags, accessories and delicate hand-painted jewellery with each piece made with positivity and kindness to uplift the human spirit and to bring joy to their owners.

Neem London produces sustainable, stylish and classic menswear pieces with low emissions, and according to the Guardian is “a label to consider for your wardrobe staples.”

Rebecca Rhoades is a successful and well-acknowledged Leeds-based womenswear designer who specialises in slow fashion featuring beautiful designs that are well known across the globe with influence in the UK, UAE, AU & EU.

Amelia Scott is a new London-based accessories brand created by Jane Hebden, an award-winning watch and jewellery designer. The jewellery range celebrates individuality and embraces the wonderful world of colour.

Lola Starr ranges are designed with the environment and functionality in mind. They source only the highest quality recyclable materials designed to be recycled, recreated and remoulded again and again. They are a British brand that champions local expertise and keeps the carbon footprint to its lowest level.

Arran Sense of Scotland puts quality and fragrance first, so you can be sure that each of their Bath, Body & Home products have been expertly crafted and manufactured with the greatest care on the Island home of Arran.

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 24hours, week, or month.

BRANDS WITH NEW IMAGES

Clothing, beauty and accessories

Matalan has new jewellery ranges, back-to-school ranges, plus pink and Barbie ranges and summer accessories and a new 20 outfits for £20 or less online range.

PrettyLittleThing has a new Ami Charlize and La La Anthony edits.

Roman Originals has new autumn clothes ranges.

Joe Browns has new AW23 Autumn Elegance, Charmed Life and Day Dreamer clothing including cardigans, coats, dresses, blouses, trousers plus new footwear ranges.

Dune London has new shoes and bags for going out, and new ankle and cowboy boots, sandals, trainers, shoes and luggage.

Bonmarché  has new womenswear ranges for AW23.

Primark has a new AW23 clothes for men with the KEM range, women and kids, plus shoes and bags, as well as makeup, new Click and Collect Exclusives, Flexi Formal range plus the Edit AW23 range, monogram bag ranges, back-to-school ranges.

Oliver Bonas has new clothing and jewellery drops for November, as well as jewellery boxes, accessories, footwear and jewellery ranges.

Monsoon has new back-to-school kids clothing ranges and womenswear, including bags, scarves, dresses, kaftans, jackets and jumpers, accessories and jewellery.

Radley has new bag and shoe ranges for releases in August/September/October AW23 and a 25^th anniversary special.

Dune London Mens has new AW boots and shoe collections.

Shoe Zone has new boots and shoes for the autumn and winter.

Accessorize has new jewellery ranges.

Peacocks has new back to school ranges.

Threadbare has more summer clothing with a RHS collaboration, cool womenswear and menswear in its Urban Renaissance and Luxe ranges.

Regatta has new kids AW23 and back to school jackets - including the Beamz insulated jacket – bags, torches and new womenswear winter ranges.

Very  has new V by Very and Fig & Basil womenswear ranges for going out, staying in and for the beach plus womenswear from the Everyday range.

New Look has further July drops of womenswear, footwear, bags and jewellery.

Barbour has new dresses, coats, bags, gloves and scarves plus gift ranges for Christmas and new menswear, and womenswear for AW23, and bags, scarves and back-to-school ranges.

Cardfactory has back to school backpacks

Deichmann UK has new winter shoes and boots as well as evening wear and a Barbie collaboration of shoes and bags.

George at Asda has new George clothing, bags, boots and accessories.

Scamp & Dude has new bags, dresses and headbands.

National Trust shop has new jewellery and fashion ranges for Christmas plus summer outdoor gifts plus autumn and winter accessories.

TK Maxx has new mens, womens and kids clothing and back to school ranges for AW23

See additional new clothing and accessories images from the last few weeks at

Tu Clothing Curvy Kate From my mother’s garden Fatface Aspiga Cotton Traders River Island Lipsy Teva Daisy Park

Home, garden and food

Homesense has new Christmas decorations and gifts, plus AW23 homeware for the bedroom, lounge, kitchen and bathroom and Halloween decorations as well as gifting ranges.

Cuckooland has the Woody outdoor pizza oven, and an innovative 2-person roof-mounted tent.

Dunelm has new back to university student homeware starter packs, autumn Halloween homewares, sewing , Disney, Harry Potter and Winnie the Pooh home and gift, pets, and furniture ranges, and collaborations with Star Wars, the Natural History Museum and Christmas decorations.

Oliver Bonas has new homeware, household gifts and accessories as well as furniture for the bedroom and the lounge and decorations for the tree.

Hobbycraft has made and DIY Christmas decorations.

TK Maxx has new Christmas gift and AW23 home ranges.

B&M has new ranges for the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom plus autumn, Halloween and Christmas decorations and homeware.

Biscuiteers Baking has a Natural History museum collaboration, and new goodies for Christmas from gifts to edible decorations.

Cartwright & Butler has new Christmas hamper ranges.

Hotel Chocolat has new summer gifting chocolate collections including vegan collections and liqueurs.

Cambridge Imprint  has new envelope and paper ranges.

Cult Furniture has new Urban Loft home ranges and dining and office chairs, cushions, and new furniture and lamps.

Next has new homeware and Christmas gifts and decorations and new Natural Rustic furniture ranges plus new bedding and homeware ranges and Halloween homeware.

Cutter & Squidge has Christmas hamper and Christmas food ranges.

Dobbies Garden Centres has new Christmas wreaths, and Christmas gifts and decorations, plus house plant and outdoor living collections.

Primark Home has click and collect exclusives, new AW23 home ranges for kids and adults bedrooms, as well as the kitchen and dining room.

The Range has new Halloween decorations and gift collections.

Very has Christmas decorations.

National Trust shop has new Christmas gifts, decorations and cards plus National Trust Vango camping ranges and things for the garden and home.

Matalan has new decorations for Christmas as well as accessories for the lounge and dining room.

George Home has new things for the home for the lounge, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

See additional new home images from the last weeks from

Marks & Spencer Sofology Wilko Tweedmill Ivyline Imp & Maker Furniture Village  Daisy Park Designers Guild

Looking for inspiration?

Our trends lightboxes section has lots of ideas for features and themes but If  you can't find something or you need help then email us at support@prshots.com, and we'll see if we can help

DIARY

PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts 

Days until Halloween – 82

Days until Singles Day – 93

Days until Black Friday – 106

Days until Christmas Day – 137

Days until Valentine’s Day - 188

How to make your products attractive to the media in August    

Summer is in full-swing and hopefully the weather will improve – ie stop raining in the north and stop being so damn hot in the south. So, there are just a few weeks left to boost your summer-related images before the AW23 images fully kick in.

Plus tag anything relevant with summer/high-summer, and push anything to do with the outside; garden furniture, anything for a garden party, or a picnic or barbecue. Plus, don’t forget to add all of the other spellings BBQ, Bar-B-Que etc and other related keywords like picnics, garden party, garden parties etc and if you have them then firepits and chimineas for the colder UK evenings would be good.

It's also a good time to start uploading your AW23 images. So jumpers, scarves, coats, boots along with raincoats, hoodies, and cardigans will all start to be searched for by the media.

It's also not too early to be thinking about back-to-school items - Scottish schools start again end of August – and university students will be getting ready to sort out their wardrobes and rooms so add fresher(s) and university as keywords to anything relevant.

It’s also still time to add Halloween ideas and Christmas gifts if you have them. 

August Diary - Weeks/Months

Music festivals are still on, so add any festival wear and camping-related things you have and keyword them with festival, particularly in the weeks running up to the August bank holiday weekend with Reading/Leeds festivals 25-27^th August. 

The 24^th marks 3 months until the Black Friday/Cyber Monday (24-27^th Nov) weekend so start preparing for those sales now.

Weeks to celebrate this month include; World Breastfeeding week (1-7^th August) the Edinburgh Festival (5-28^th August)

August - Days

10^th - National Shapewear Day

11^th – National Bakewell Tart Day

12^th – International Youth Day

12^th – National Vinyl Records Day

13^th – International Lefthanders Day

13^th – National Prosecco Day

15^th – VJ (Victory over Japan) Day

16^th – National Rum Day

17^th – UK Cupcake Day

18^th – National Grooming Day

20^th – World Honey Bee Day

21^st – World Senior Citizens Day

23^rd - International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition 

24^th – 3 Months until Black Friday

24^th – National Burger Day

25^th – National Second-hand Wardrobe Day

25^th – Christmas in August (4 months until Christmas Day)

26-28^th – Notting Hill Carnival

26^th - Women's Equality Day

28^th – August Bank Holiday

28^th – National Red Wine Day

30^th - Raksha Bandhan

Do you have any news on your brand that you want us to feature, or have a new appointee or a new event that you would like us to feature? Get in touch at news@prshots.com We don't charge, so get emailing now!!!

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