Main Image:  Matalan

PRShots Digest brings you the latest retail news from Next, ScS, Hugo Boss, Freemans, John Lewis, JD Sports, JW Anderson, Zalando, Adidas, and Etsy. Plus articles on the social media metrics you need to track, Twitter tools for marketing pros, are influencers still influential in retail and more.  

THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS

Retail footfall drops as rail strikes and rain drive decline

MRI Springboard footfall figures fell 0.3% from June to July, the first July since MRI Springboard started publishing its data in 2009 that footfall was lower than in June.

Etsy to ‘substantially’ reduce sellers’ money held in reserve

Etsy will be “substantially decreasing” the amount of sellers’ funds held in its reserve globally after UK vendors began boycotting the marketplace over a hold-up in payments.

Next increases full-year profit guidance as sales jump

Next posted a 6.9% jump in full-price sales in the second quarter – 0.5% ahead of guidance and expects pre-tax profit to be £10m higher than anticipated raising its guidance to £845m.

ScS confident in full-year profit guidance

ScS trading update for the year to July 29, 2023, reported like-for-like order growth from weeks 34 to 52 of 6% and expects to report full-year profit guidance in line with expectations.

Hugo Boss upgrades its sales guidance

Hugo Boss now expects full-year sales to be €4.1bn to €4.2bn, up from a previous forecast of €4bn and operating profit is expected to grow by 20-25% up from an earlier outlook of 10 -20%.

Zalando nearly doubles adjusted EBIT in Q2

Zalando’s Q2  gross merchandise volume fell by 1.8% to €3.7bn and revenues were down 2.5% to €2.6bn however adjusted EBIT almost doubled with an uplift of 87% to €144.8m year-on-year.

Shaftesbury Capital hails London West End boom

West End landlord Shaftesbury Capital saw sales up 15% above 2019, helped by high footfall across the West End from increasing international visitor numbers.

Adidas expects sale of Yeezy inventory to further drive results

Adidas Q2 sales fell 5% to €5.343bn with H1 down 3% to €10.617bn and profits down to €236m from €828m, however it expects sales of the last Yeezy Kanye West inventory to improve Q3 results.

Etsy has tougher quarter in US

Etsy's Q2 gross merchandise sales were below market expectations falling 0.6% to $3.01bn however revenues hit $628.9m beating expectations of $619.1m.

Freemans launches Brand Studio to expand third-party offering

Online clothing retailer Freemans has launched its Brand Studio, which features a collection of third-party brands across fashion, home and beauty including Bench, Quiz, Fitflop and Hobbs.

London retailers to see a £674m tourist bonus

London retailers can expect an additional two million foreign tourists this year, bringing in an additional £674m to the capital.

TRENDS, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY

17 social media metrics you need to track

Pin down the social media metrics that really matter and learn how to track them to build a winning social media presence.

30+ Twitter tools for marketing pros

With the right Twitter (X) tools on hand, you'll get the most out of your social media marketing strategy.

The 5 best AI-based content curation tools

AI-driven platforms can locate, analyse, summarise, and repurpose content. Here are five handy tools to get started.

Are influencers still influential in retail?

Influencer marketing has become a dominant force in retail with more brands including Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing and In The Style all naming social media influencers as brand ambassadors

How call analytics can help improve marketing and sales

Call analytics systems can improve marketing ROI, sales performance and even customer experience.

Consumers are confused by environmental claims of brands says research

FleishmanHillard’s “Sustainability, Communications and Climate Confusion” report reveals 31% of shoppers will make a purchase based on the sustainability claims on a brands packaging.

BRAND NEWS

John Lewis locks prices on school uniform range

John Lewis is locking prices across its entire school uniform range as it looks to support families by keeping prices flat on last year during the cost-of-living squeeze.

Snoop Dogg drops first collection with Skechers

American rapper Snoop Dogg has unveiled his debut collaboration with footwear brand Skechers as part of a multi-year partnership.

JW Anderson teams up with tennis star Roger Federer on Uniqlo collection

Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson is collaborating with tennis legend Roger Federer on a new collection for Uniqlo.

JD Sports opens 400th UK store

Sports retailer JD Sports has opened its 400^th new store with a new 7,151 sq ft store at Derby’s Kingsway Retail Park.

AND FINALLY

Premier League football team Crystal Palace hires creative director

Crystal Palace has become the first club in the Premier League to hire a creative lead – Mailrooms Kenny Annan-Jonathan - to oversee its clothing collections and its fashion partnerships.

PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES

What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending July 28^th 2023?

1/ AW23

2/ Christmas

3/ Beach

4/ Swimwear

5/ Bikini

6/ Halloween

7/ Cushion

8/ Barbie

9/ Sofa  

10/ Bags

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

PrettyLittleThing has a new La La Anthony edit.

Dune London Mens has new AW boots and shoe collections.

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

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

Accessorize has new jewellery ranges.

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

Peacocks has new back to school ranges.

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

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.

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.

Bonmarché  has new Autonomy womenswear ranges for AW23.

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.

Oliver Bonas has jewellery boxes, clothing, accessories, footwear and jewellery ranges.

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

Radley has new bag and shoe ranges for releases in August/September/October AW23.

Tu Clothing has new AW23 womenswear clothing, coats, shoes, boots, bags and accessories.

Curvy Kate has new Balcony, Heart, Plunge, Non-Stop, Key to the Peep Show, Elementary, Frill Me, Amaze, Centrepiece, Authority, Retro Wave, High Waist, Happy Boobs ranges.

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

Roman Originals From my mother’s garden Fatface Joe Browns Aspiga Cotton Traders River Island Lipsy Teva Daisy Park

Home, garden and food

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 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.

Dunelm has new 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.

Cutter & Squidge has Christmas hamper and Christmas food ranges.

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

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.

Biscuiteers Baking has new goodies for Christmas from gifts to edible decorations.

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.

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

Cuckooland  has an innovative 2-person roof-mounted tent.

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

See additional new home images from the last weeks from

Marks & Spencer Sofology Cartwright & Butler Wilko Hobbycraft 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 - 89

Days until Singles Day – 100

Days until Black Friday – 113

Days until Christmas Day – 144

Days until Valentine’s Day - 195

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

4^th – International Beer Day

5^th-6^th – Brighton Pride

7^th – Summer bank holiday Scotland

8^th – International Cat Day

9^th – Book Lovers Day

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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