Main Image: Oliver Bonas

PRShots Digest brings you the latest retail news from John Lewis, Home Bargains, Revlon, Land’s End, Sweaty Betty, TKMaxx, Asda, Revolve and M&S. Plus articles on 3 ways to use AI to drive growth in your business, is D2C a flash in the pan, a guide to the Metaverse and Web 3 and more.

THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS

John Lewis explores change to staff ownership model

The John Lewis Partnership is considering diluting its employee ownership structure as it looks to inject new capital into its department store and supermarket chains.

Home Bargains boss picked up over £20m in dividends last year

Home Bargains saw profits of £290m for 2022 – down 26% on 2021 - from revenues of £3.42b and will be bringing its recently purchased Quality Save stores into Home Bargains.

M&S to add more high-street brands online

Marks & Spencer is set to launch a major push to sell more high-street brands alongside its own clothes adding an additional 40 brands to the 60 it already sells online.

Mike Ashley completes Luton Mall purchase

Mike Ashley’s Fraser Group has completed a £58m purchase of the Mall in Luton from Capital & Regional who bought it in 2006. The mall contains 15 retailers including H&M, Primark and TK Maxx

Revlon to emerge from bankruptcy in April

Revlon is to pull out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April but revealed net sales for 2022 dropped 4.7% to under $2.98bn, closing the year with Q4 sales down 4.1% to $589.8m and a net loss of $178.5m.

Profits down at Land’s End as online sales drop

Land's End reported a 4.6%% drop in Q4 sales to $529.6m and a 5% drop in revenues to $1.56bn for the year to 27 Jan, driven by a 10.1% fall in online sales to $1.1bn.

A third of consumers care more about quality than a year ago

Nearly a third (31%) of shoppers say that quality of products and services is more important now than a year ago, rising to 54% for Gen Z (18-24 year olds), and 43% for Millennials (25-34-year-olds).

TRENDS, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY

Will the D2C brand revolution flourish or fizzle?

Is the D2C market an evolution that will continue to evolve, one that more established brands will be able to incorporate in the long-run, or a flash in the pan?

3 Ways small businesses can use AI to drive growth

AI has the potential to revolutionize the way small businesses operate, providing a competitive advantage and enabling them to scale and grow in new ways.

What marketers need to know about Metaverse, Web 3.0 and NFTs

While often bundled together, NFTs, the metaverse and Web 3.0 aren't the same things. Here's how to view them from a marketing lens.

What do your B2B customers really want?

B2B sellers often think of customers as rational decision-makers who seek to maximize value, reduce costs, and save time.

John Lewis will invest in RFID tech to improve stock loss

John Lewis Partnership is planning to roll out Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to get better visibility of its stock as part of the company’s turnaround strategy.

Inpost reaches 5,000 UK parcel locker units

InPost has deployed its 5,000th locker unit in the UK with its Q3 volumes up by 227%over 2021 with 290,000 locker compartments available in the UK.

PEOPLE, MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Sweaty Betty CEO and COO to exit this summer

Sweaty Betty chief executive Julia Straus and chief operating officer Mark Smith will be stepping down from the business this summer

BRAND NEWS

TK Maxx to occupy former Debenhams store at Westfield London

TK Maxx is launching four branches in the UK this year including one in the 30,000sq ft former Debenhams space in Westfield London.

George at Asda are on a mission to make lingerie shopping as a form of self-care

Asda is encouraging women to consider well-fitting and supportive lingerie as a form of self-care, after a survey reveals 89% admitted to never getting a professional bra fitting.

Revolve signs Jennifer Lopez for footwear collaboration

JLO Jennifer Lopez, the brand created by global star Jennifer Lopez, has partnered with premium lifestyle brand Revolve to launch an exclusive line of footwear.

AND FINALLY

Toilet roll shortages likely as industry ‘unprepared’ for EU deforestation rules

Toilet roll shortages are looming as the tissue industry is unprepared for new EU rules which look to ban products linked to deforestation.

PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES

What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending March 17^th 2023?

1/ Easter

2/ Mother’s Day

3/ Garden

4/ Bathroom

5/ Pink

6/ Kitchen

7/ Earrings

8/ Bag

9/ Cushion  

10/ Bedroom

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

Studio started back in 1962 and delivers everything from homewares through to clothing and footwear from top brand names as well as its own branded clothing.

Mission C founder Qes discovered that CBD oil helped his Grandad - who was living with dementia - feel calm and contented, he knew it could help others too. So he created a natural and accessible remedy for people looking to improve their quality of life.

Lavender Hill creates luxurious staples, using natural sources, with extra emphasis placed on how the clothes feel,  giving every item the softest touch imaginable and that every piece feels soft and comforting next to your skin.

Jessica Russell Flint is British designer who creates vibrant, entirely unique hand-illustrated prints, with luxury products ranging across accessories, clothing, sleepwear and homeware.

&Sons is all about vintage-inspired clothing for the modern-day Pioneer. Timeless garments for the modern man, designed by and for craftspeople, artisan makers and creative pioneers in their chosen fields of endeavour.

Damsons aim is to cater to real women who face the challenges of life with open arms. Their latest collection is influenced by vintage workwear and iconic styles, delicately transformed into contemporary feminine silhouettes.

Tweedmill is a family run business established in 1971 that creates beautiful British made blankets, picnic rugs, home accessories and more and are stocked in more than 4000 retailers UK wide.

Curvy Kate lingerie and swimwear is designed to make women feel fabulous about their curves. With sizes from D to K cups Curvy Kate lingerie and swimwear ethos is to “Fit, lift, shape and comfort.”

Imp & Maker founded by entrepreneur Sarah Louise Fairburn to bring together food, drinks & gifts from established, emerging and exciting new names in the food & drink world for both home and corporate gifting.

Scamp & Dude was created by Jo Tutchener-Sharp, founder and previous MD of Beauty Seen PR and is famous for their signature leopard and lightning bolt print and vibrant designs, which features in their mens, womens, kids and baby ranges.

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

Roman Originals has new spring and summer ranges in all sizes

National Trust Shop has new scarves, hats, bags and accessories

Primark has new EDIT range and new shoes, beachwear, plus new women and mens summer clothing, makeup and kids clothing and accessories

Matalan has new bags, hats and sandals

New Look has new swimwear and summer clothing drops

Threadbare has new mens and womens ranges

Very has new V by Very and Very Curve ranges plus Michelle Keegan collaborations

Peacocks has new womenswear ranges

PrettyLittleThing  has PrettyLittleThing and Teyana Taylor Designer of the Year and new ranges and collabs

Fatface has new mens, womens and kids ranges

Barbour has new Modern Heritage mens, womens and kids ranges

Monsoon has a new SS23 childrenswear,  womenswear, shoes, bags, jewellery, and accessories

Cotton Traders has new summer wear imagery

Dune London has new bags and kids shoe ranges for the summer

Oliver Bonas has new dresses, bags, jewellery, shoes and accessories

River Island has new swimwear and accessories, spring and summer clothing, plus wedding outfits for him and her

The Morphbag by JSK has new PETA certified vegan bag ranges

Dune London Men’s has new SS23 shoes and accessories ranges

Marks & Spencer has new M&S Collection bags, sunglasses, shoes and hats for the summer,  a new denim collection, and lingerie from its “Love your Boobs” campaign

Radley has new ranges but check the embargo

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

NoLoGo  Dancing Leopard Crew Clothing Very Bryony Bel  Lipsy Tu Clothing Regatta Teva Office TU Clothing Cath Kidston Joe Browns Aspiga From my mother’s garden TK Maxx  Night Store John Lewis

Home and food

Ivyline has a new grow your own range of garden pots, planters, hanging baskets, firepits and mirrors and more  

Homesense has new gift ranges for pets, party ranges, home furniture and things for outdoor dining

The Range has Easter homeware and decorations, plus kitchen and homeware to keep you organised in 2023

Cuckooland has new outdoor furniture

Biscuiteers Baking has new coronation goodies as well as Smiley 50th birthday ranges plus Easter and Father’s Day

Nologo has new tableware

Dobbies Garden Centres has new terrariums, plants, pet ranges, things for the home, and patio furniture.

National Trust shop has new plant collections, Easter gifts and summer items for outdoor living

B&M has new animal gifts

Oliver Bonas has new home ranges

Sofology has a new Sapporo, Hetty and Fellini ranges and a new corner sofa bed

Dunelm has new camping and outdoor ranges homeware and Easter gifts and decorations

Wilko has new gifts and home items

Cult Furniture  has new interiors items as well as tables and chairs

Fritz Fryer has new lighting solutions

Next launches outdoor dining ranges, Easter collections as well as a new Tahiti, Stockholm, Arches, Valencia and Medley interiors collections

Branch Jewellery has new ranges

Primark has new bright homeware for the kitchen and bathroom and for Easter events

GettingPersonal has new unique personalised gifts

Nest  Has outdoor living furniture and interior ideas 

See additional new home images from the last weeks from

Furniture Village Cardfactory Cartwright & Butler Cutter & Squidge Fatface George Home Daisy Park  Very Primark Home Cath Kidston TK Maxx Hotel Chocolat John Lewis Marks & Spencer Cambridge Imprint

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 Alert

Days until Easter – 20

Days until Eid al-Fitr – 32

Days until The Coronation - 47

Days until Halloween – 225

Days until Singles Day - 236

Days until Black Friday – 249

Days until Christmas Day – 280

How to get your brand on the March Editorial Calendars, search engines and social media 

March is mostly about preparing for the big Easter holidays in April so make sure you are starting to include relevant Easter keywords, plus it’s also the time people make their first big getaway abroad so any keywords and clothes for warmer climes, loungewear, going out wear, swimsuits, bikinis etc should be added.

Plus, as we’re now definitely in Spring, carry on adding those spring and summer-related images and adding keywords relating to the summer like swimwear, outdoor living, garden, garden parties and Barbecues (don’t forget to add all of the other spellings BBQ, Bar-B-Que etc).   

We’re also starting to get ready for the bridal season – the peak is May to October – so If you have bridal wear or anything appropriate to weddings then start to upload it, and label it with the keyword wedding.

Lastly, it’s Oscar month so why not upload some smart suits and dresses and create an Oscar section for an evening watching the Oscars.  

If you’re looking for more hooks to help promote your brand and products then see the list of days, weeks and fortnights below.

March Diary - Weeks/Months

In the UK it’s National Bed Month - Introduced by The Sleep Council and The National Bed Federation, it aims to raise awareness of the importance of sleep so push anything sleep-related. it’s also the British Heart Foundation Dechox month which encourages people to give up chocolate – cakes and biscuits - for the month! So, any chocolate, biscuit or cake alternatives should be pushed.   

Interesting Stat: National No-Smoking day was originally on Ash Wednesday when it was started in 1984. It was moved to the second Wednesday in March as, while it’s less easy to remember, the date doesn’t move around the calendar quite so much as Ash Wednesday does.  

Other events include;

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

World Autism Awareness Week (Mar 27^th – Apr 2^nd)

Ideal Home Show (Mar 17^th – Apr 2^nd)

London Bridal Fashion Week (19^th-21^st)

National Fragrance Week (20^th-26^th)

March - Days

20^th – First Day of Spring 

21^st – International Day of Forests

21^st – World Poetry Day

22^nd – World Water Day

22^nd - Start of Ramadan

25^th – National Bridesmaids Day

26^th – British Summertime Begins 

26^th – Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

31^st – Wear a Hat Day (Brain Tumour Research)  

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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