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PRShots Roundup brings you the latest retail news from Poundland, Matalan, The Original Factory Shop, Asda, Aldi, Castore, Harvey Nichols, Topshop and M&S. Plus, the future of sustainable fashion, the innovations powering the best online retailers and more.  

THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS

Easter boosts footfall

MRI Software footfall figures show the number of shoppers visiting the high street was up 15.7%  year on year thanks to the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Bensons for Beds owner mulls bid for Poundland

Alteri, the owner of Bensons for Beds, has emerged as one of several potential contenders to take over discounter Poundland.

DHL suspends high-value US deliveries over tariffs

DHL Express has suspended deliveries to the US worth more than $800 (£603), blaming the “significant increase” in red tape at customs due to Trump’s tariffs.

Matalan secures £25m to fuel store upgrades and digital transformation

Matalan has secured £25m in additional funding from its anchor investors to support its ongoing business transformation.

The Original Factory Shop stores at risk as it prepares for CVA

The Original Factory Shop’s new owner, Modella Capital is preparing to impose steep rent cuts for the discount chain’s store landlords.

Asda turns to convenience stores for growth with 25 new openings this year

Asda is set to ramp up its expansion of convenience stores this year, with plans to open 25 new locations between June and December.

InPost snaps up Yodel to become UK’s third biggest courier

InPost has snapped up delivery courier Yodel, making it the third-largest logistics player in the country.

TRENDS, SUSTAINABILITY, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY

The future of sustainable fashion

With increasing consumer demand for ethical sourcing, new supply chain regulations, and rising expectations around transparency and circularity, brands must adapt or risk being left behind.

The innovations powering digital shopping in 2025

Retail Week explores the new tech and tools designed to engage shoppers, boost basket spend and drive loyalty used by the World’s best online retailers.

Aldi at 35: How the German discounter has disrupted the UK grocery sector

German discounter Aldi is marking its 35th anniversary in the UK this year after it opened its first store in Stechford, Birmingham back in 1990.

How Castore boss convinced Andy Murray to back the brand

CityAM finds out how Tom Beahon co-founder of Castore and his brother Phil managed to convince Sir Andy Murray to invest in their company.

Retail workers say better pay and benefits are key to staff retention

A new survey shows a disconnect with retail staff and managers as a quarter of managers agree  frontline retail staff are not paid fairly but 42% of workers are dissatisfied with their pay rates.

Is there an opportunity for UK retailers in Trump’s tariffs uncertainty?

While the news been dominated by economic doom and gloom due to US president Donald Trump’s erratic tariffs regime, could there be some opportunity in the uncertainty for UK retail?

How to create engaging LinkedIn posts for better reach

LinkedIn carousels are still around and well. Here’s how Hootsuite helps you to max out engagement with document carousel posts.

PEOPLE, MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Asda CIO and tech VP to exit

Asda’s chief information officer (CIO) Carl Dawson and VP of digital and technology Rob Barnes are set to exit the supermarket business as £1bn IT overhaul "nears completion".

BRAND NEWS

M&S unveils £90m investment to transform London food halls

M&S is investing £90m in new and upgraded food halls across London, creating 450 new jobs in the capital and plans to open six new food halls in the capital.

Harvey Nichols summer campaign continues virtual catwalk theme

Harvey Nichols has unveiled its summer campaign “staying in step” and referencing its earlier iteration this spring that used eye-catching illustrations to create a virtual catwalk.

Shein and Temu flag higher US prices as tariffs hit

Online retail powerhouses Shein and Temu have told customers in the US to expect higher prices from next week following the imposition of tariffs on China.

Primark’s click and collect hits 158 stores

Primark’s click and collect service is now live in 158 stores across the UK, and plans to extend it to all 185 stores by the summer.

AllSaints expands UK presence with two new store openings

AllSaints has opened two new stores in the UK, expanding its presence with locations at London’s St Pancras station and the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield.

FatFace continues expansion with new store on the Isle of Man

British lifestyle brand FatFace, which was acquired by high street giant Next in October 2023 for £115 million, has opened a new 1,697 sq ft store on the Isle of Man.

AND FINALLY

Topshop hints at summer return to UK high street

Topshop has dropped its biggest hint yet that a return to physical retail is on the cards, suggesting on Instagram of a potential launch in August.

JOIN THE GREEN GRADS

Green Grads are looking for new recruits and sponsors

Green Grads is a platform for recent UK graduates with ideas to heal the planet and it’s now recruiting for its fifth cohort, with over 200 current grads listed on the website. It’s also a great chance for a brand to show commitment to the environment and sustainability by joining Green Grads expanding cooperative of outward-looking forward-facing stellar British brands by becoming a sponsor. Sponsorship opportunities start with the comparatively modest sum of £500 and current sponsors include such well-known names as Heal's, Anglepoise, Ercol, the Futon Company, Camira and many more. To find out more see http://www.greengrads.co.uk

PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES

What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending April 11^th 2025?

1/ SS25

2/ Easter

3/ Sunglasses

4/ Garden

5/ Dress

6/ Bedroom

7/ Outdoor

8/ Sandals

9/ Coastal  

10/ Shoes

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 24 hours, week, or month.

NEW BRANDS TO PRSHOTS

Cave Cove was born from the rhythm of the tides and the wonder of the wild. Founded by three women, the brand is at its heart a female-led business created for the benefit of the many, not the few. Every embroidered detail, every flowing pattern, and every delicate texture on its clothing ranges is a reminder to embrace the elements and live with gentle joy.

Ruggable all started at the kitchen table. That's where Jeneva Bell first conceived of a rug you could put in your washing machine. After years of development, they launched the original Ruggable machine-washable rug and the brand has gone on to be hugely successful ever since.

Plia Parasols makes wooden garden parasols, upholstered with luxury outdoor fabrics. Sewn in Cornwall, customers can either plump for one of the in-house designs, or go bespoke and supply their own fabric for a totally unique parasol.

Oriana B.  was launched in 2019 by Dublin-based Londoner Katharine Deas sourcing and selling unique furniture online, having pivoted from a 25-year international corporate career to pursue her love of design. Oriana B products include furniture, lampshades, lights, lamps, and mirrors.

BRANDS WITH NEW IMAGES

Clothing, beauty and accessories

Roman Originals has new Petite, Dusk and Curve ranges for the summer, plus big pattern and denim SS25 womenswear imagery.

Primark has new Krispy Kreme and Hello Kitty collaborations, beachwear with swimsuits, wraps, bikinis and shorts, a new butter yellow trending range, plus linen, leopard and straw accessories, including handbags, bags and sandals, a new clothing collaboration with Guinness, linen kidswear and menswear and accessories.

Accessorize has new beachwear including shirts, shorts, bikinis and dresses, plus accessories including makeup sandals, bags, card holders and jewellery.

M&S has a new suede-themed range of clothing, a Collection range of women's clothes, shoes, bags, jewellery, and accessories, new Per Una clothing ranges, as well as new perfume ranges and casual and formal men’s wear ranges.

Matalan has a new Et Vous and Taylor & Wright collaborations, Father’s Day kidswear clothing, Holiday Shop collections for all the family, men’s and women’s summer ranges with clothes for the beach.

TK Maxx has new womens, mens and kids clothing and accessories for the spring and summer, as well as haircare products and makeup.

Lipsy has a new Love & Roses V&A museum collaboration of womenswear.

Curvy Kate has its range of swimwear for the spring and summer, including swimming costumes and bikinis. 

River Island has Cool Casual menswear ranges, a new women’s wear collaboration with Latin-Australian brand Del Maar including dresses, sarongs, sandles, bikinis and swimsuits, plus new linen outfits, jewellery, men’s suits, a new pink-themed range.

Threadbare has a new Spring Romance and Another Sunday ranges of clothing and new summer footwear and beachwear, plus a Spring Romance womenswear range, plus new SS25 womenswear and menswear ranges.

Fable England has new bag charms and jewellery based on the Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit characters, new Alice’s Garden, Running Bunny and Bunny Blues jewellery and bags, Wonderland ranges of bags and scarves, plus new accessories and core jewellery ranges.

Celtic & Co has new smart cool summer midi dresses and sandals for the holidays and the beach.

F&F has new F&F Active sportswear and athleisure collaboration with Kate Ferdinand, new summer beachwear campaign imagery and has Abbey Clancy top picks for the spring.

Bonmarché has a new Dash collaboration of summer outfits with Lisa Snowdon.

Barbour has new mens summer outfits including a range of festival wellies, plus a new Crocs collaboration, a Very British Summer collaboration of clothes and accessories with Lucy Williams, and a new shoe collaboration with Wild Bunch, rainwear ranges.

Oliver Bonas has new April, May and June 2025 uploads of jewellery, women’s clothing, bags, hats, shoes, sunglasses and accessories as well as new ranges for SS25.

Peacocks has a new Louise Redknapp Linen Edit for summer, a SS25 Edit range, new menswear range, plus new womenswear SS25 clothing ranges including skirts and jumpers.

Joe Browns has new SS25 menswear, polo tops, t-shirts, shorts, shoes, hats and accessories plus womenswear including dresses, shorts, skirts, beachwear, shoes, jewellery, towels, sarongs, scarves, purses, handbags, shopping bags and beach bags for the summer.

Scamp & Dude has clothes and accessories, new SS25 athleisure wear, dresses, shorts, jackets, hoodies, coats, bags and scarves, plus new collaborations with Nicky Newman and Sabrina Elba.

John Lewis has new Anyday, John Lewis and Kin men’s ranges and a Goodie Works t-shirt collaboration, plus new women’s clothing, shoes and accessory ranges for the spring and summer. Plus a range of women’s bags and jewellery.

Very has a new Michelle Keegan collaboration, plus drops SS25 lookbook imagery, a new V by Very and V by Very Curve ranges of dresses, jumpers, jackets, coats jumpsuits, swimwear, jeans, trousers and shoes.

Iolla has new sunglasses and glasses for the summer with the option of multi-coloured lenses, plus ranges of frames and glasses based on nostalgia for a Scottish coastal summer.

Monsoon has new SS25 ranges for the beach and holidays, plus women’s and kids clothing for the summer, new sandals for the beach, plus new jewellery and bags for women and kids, new wedding outfit shoes and dresses.

Dune London has new bags, sandals and shoes for him and her for the summer, bag charms, clutch bags, handbags and belts, bridal shoe ranges for casual to posh weddings.

See additional new clothing and accessories images from

New Look Cotton Traders George at Asda Joma Jewellery Katie Loxton Crew Clothing Tu Clothing Celtic &Co

Home, garden and food

TK Maxx Has new kitchenware ranges and things for the garden.

Jellycat has a new Amuseables range of animals, flowers and food, plus books and the cuddliest soft toys and bags for SS25.

Matalan has new tableware and kitcheware.

Primark has new Krispy Kreme and Hello Kitty collaborations for packed lunches, new paisley pattern soft furnishings and bedding, plus homeware including diffusers, candles, vases and jugs for the home.

Homesense has new AW25 homeware and kitchenware including dishes, chairs, art, rugs, jugs plus Christmas 2025 crackers, wreaths and decorations.

Dobbies Garden Centres has new garden furniture, sheds and outside storage solutions, home houseplants including orchids, garden tool ranges, homeware, pet ranges, kids garden toys.

M&S has new homeware including furniture, lighting, bedding and tableware, new wash bags beauty and wellness ranges, Ultimate bedding sets, makeup ranges, SS25 Boho, Classic and Exquisite Earth furniture and homeware ranges.

Jan Constantine has new cushion ranges.

B&M has new DIY tools and electricals ranges, new baby and food events as well as new Lego kits, Garden solar lighting, spring electrical ranges, garden decorations, cookware and dining decorations.

Cambridge Imprint has new, labels, tea towels, box files, envelopes, postcard boxes, postcards, tea trays, lined exercise and hardback books, stamps, ribbons, and albums.

Nest has new living room furniture including lounge chairs, plus Ferm Living, Tom Dixon and Hay garden furniture, including tables, chairs and loungers.

Home Bargains has new Wickford & Co candle jars and diffusers, plus luxury candles, diffusers and room sprays from The Vault.

Quorn Stone has new Chalfont and Metro tiles, new decorative tiles, Orotelli stone for the floors and Luella Powder for the bathroom, Frome white stone, Orwell Natural Porcelain Stone, and Chastleton Ivory Stone.

Designers Guild has new Christian Lacroix Maison SS25 ranges, new SS25 outdoor ranges including rugs and cushions.

Sofology has new SS25 furniture ranges, including sofas, chairs and stools plus furniture for the lounge in bright spring colours.

Oliver Bonas has new Father’s Day gifts, new May/June/July drops of homeware ranges for the kitchen, dining room and lounge, plus furniture and home accessories including mirrors, lighting and tableware for SS25.

George Home has new outdoor furniture and tableware for the garden and picnics, new Stacey Solomon  home collaborations on cookware, bedding, dining, and homeware. And new home gifts and furniture.

See additional new home images from

Hobbycraft John Lewis Online Home Shop Fritz Fryer Dunelm Treats by Mars

DIARY

PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts

Days until Father’s Day – 54

Days until School holidays start (23rd July) – 92

Days until Halloween - 192

Days until Christmas Day – 247
 

How to get your brand in the media in April

We’re now definitely in Spring, and people are thinking about the approaching summer holidays, so add any spring-summer-related images you have and add in keywords relating to summer outfits and summer events, e.g. festivals, Glastonbury, Coachella this month in the US, beachwear, swimwear, the garden, garden parties, outdoor living, things for the patio, and of course Barbecues. Don’t forget to add all the other spellings BBQ, Bar-B-Que, etc and other related keywords like picnic, garden party, get-togethers, parties, socials, gatherings and for the young ‘gaths’. 

While some people are looking to holidays abroad, some are considering destinations closer to home, so add in keywords and phrases like “staycation”, “holistay”, “holiday at home” to your keywords and why not suggest clothing like cardigans for the colder UK evenings.

It’s also Easter and the first big break of the year. It’s traditionally when people start to look at brightening up their gardens/patios/windowsills, so include any planting/gardening imagery and keywords as well as any of the standard Easter-related items, decorations, presents, bunnies and, of course, eggs and chocolate.  

If you’re a PRShots brand user and you need more ideas, then take a look at the keywords that media are searching for on PRShots and try and add those in.

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

April Diary - Weeks/Months

There are lots of other big events in April. April is World Stress Awareness Month and National Pet Month in the UK, so if you have anything to relieve stress (massage products, recliners, diffusers, pillows, garden swings, etc) and anything for pets (dog coats, cat collars, dog beds will also be looked for etc) then add them and get all the relevant keywords added.  It’s also National Garden Month (so anything gardening-related should be tagged with National Garden Month), National Poetry Month and Celebrate Diversity Month.

Other events include;

International Dark-Sky Week (21^st – 28^th)

Allergy Awareness Week (24^th – 28^th)

MS Awareness Week (22^nd – 28^th)

April - Days

22^nd – Earth Day

23^rd  – St George’s Day

23^rd – Start of the Asparagus season

23^rd – Shakespeare Day

24^th - National Skipping Day

24^th – Gardening searches peak

24^th – Fashion Revolution Day

25^th – Staycation searches peak

25^th – World Malaria Day

25^th – National Lingerie Day

27^th – London Marathon

29^th - International Dance Day

30^th – Stop Food Waste Day

NB - All dates have been checked, but some events may change due to unforeseen circumstances or have not been fully confirmed for 2025 by the authorities controlling the event(s).