Main Image: George at Asda

PRShots Roundup brings you the latest retail news from DFS, Gap, H&M, Currys, Saint + Sofia, Newbie, Adidas and John Lewis. Plus, the recipe for going viral in 2025, how can conversational assistants help brands and more.  

THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS

UK retail sales fall in October

The Office for National Statistics said that retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 0.7% in October compared to September.

DFS sees improved trading

DFS Q4 results show a strong trading performance, and order intake has remained in growth over the first 20 weeks of its current financial year, in line with expectations.

Consumer confidence rises

The overall Consumer confidence index score rose three points to -18, and all measures were up month-on-month according to the latest GfK consumer confidence survey.

John Lewis boss slams Budget as ‘two-handed grab’

John Lewis CEO Nish Kankiwala has criticised the government for making a “two-handed grab” for its increase in employers’ national insurance contributions and delaying the business rates reform.

Gap registers positive Q3

Gap’s Q3 sales were up 2% to $3.8bn, and the company is raising its full-year outlook for net sales, gross margin and operating income growth compared to prior expectations.

H&M Group to close Monki stores

H&M Group is preparing to close its 56 Monki brand stores and online sites, and will bring the brand under its Weekday brand, with a “limited number” of Monki stores rebranding as Weekday.

TRENDS, SUSTAINABILITY, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY

The recipe for going viral in 2025

Hootsuite looks at whether viral marketing will still be relevant in 2025, and how to tackle the “make it go viral” request from your boss.

How can conversational assistants help brands?

Conversational assistants powered by generative AI are increasingly prevalent. How should brands approach the opportunities and challenges they present?

Environmentally friendly packaging just as important as next-day delivery

The newly published Global Sustainability 2024 report highlights that green packaging and delivery options concern consumers, retailers and the carrier industry alike.

Nearly 15 million online shoppers faced parcel delivery problem in last month

More than a third of online shoppers – almost 15 million people – experienced a problem with a parcel delivery in the last month, according to an annual Citizens Advice study.

Google uses AI to enhance its Shopping service in-store and online

Google has unveiled a raft of new Google Shopping enhancements that are US-only (for now). It follows last month’s relaunch of the service that has been rebuilt using AI.

Currys is making tech upgrades and store improvements ahead of Christmas

Currys is making enhancements to its omnichannel offering through tech upgrades and in-store improvements ahead of the busy festive season.

BRAND NEWS

Saint + Sofia chooses Covent Garden for first physical store

The Saint + Sofia contemporary womenswear brand has chosen London’s Covent Garden for the opening of its first physical store.

Newbie expands further in UK

​Swedish childrenswear brand Newbie has chosen Guildford for its seventh and latest UK store as it continues its store opening programme in the British market.

Iceland boss ‘happy’ to use facial recognition to curb shoplifting

Iceland boss Richard Walker has said he would “happily” trial facial recognition technology in stores to tackle the rise in retail crime and protect shop workers.

Adidas and Stormzy renews #Merky FC collab

Adidas and Stormzy have announced the next phase of their #Merky Football Careers partnership to support young people in the community.

AND FINALLY

Lookfantastic reveals London is one of the UK cities with the worst skin

Did you know Londoners have some of the worst skin in the UK? A new study, conducted by Lookfantastic, has revealed the UK cities that are the worst for the skin.

PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES

What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending November 15^th 2024?

1/ Christmas

2/ AW24

3/ Leopard

4/ Bedroom

5/ SS25

6/ Jumper

7/ Sequin

8/ Home

9/ Gold  

10/ Throw

NEW BRANDS TO PRSHOTS

Frangipani was established in 2010, and produces men’s shirts and accessories crafted from high-quality materials and featuring bold prints or subtle contrasts. With each shirt embodying a perfect balance of comfort and elegance.

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.

Saywood was created in 2020 by Harriet Saywood-Bellisario, who graduated from the London College of Fashion before working at Paul Smith, Richard Nicoll and Label/Mix. The brand specialises in beautiful edits of wardrobe essentials and classics contemporised with unexpected details made to be worn and re-worn.

Jellycat is the brand of the moment and has been around for a quarter of a century. Over this time, their unmistakable characters have gained the affection of millions across 77 countries.

Priestleys was founded by husband and wife team James and Karen and specialises in producing little luxuries in their Lincolnshire workshop.  Their leather bags, belts, wallets and accessories are handcrafted using responsibly sourced leathers from gold and silver-rated tanneries in Europe and are supplemented with ranges of scarves and jewellery.

Sims Wear was founded by Billy Sims-Hilditch with the idea of creating British made menswear, using best-in-class natural fibres. The range is all home produced in Aberdeenshire from fibre carding and spinning, through to knitting, weaving, cutting and sewing.

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.

BRANDS WITH NEW IMAGES

Clothing, beauty and accessories

Roman Originals has more AW24 imagery, new Petite, Curve and Dusk campaign ranges of womenswear for cosy evenings and big events, new nightwear ranges with pyjamas and cosy dressing gowns.

M&S has new menswear and womenswear from its Christmas adverts, a Bella Freud bag collaboration, the Christmas beauty advent calendar, party outfits for all the family, Christmas clothing, accessories and lingerie sets as well as post-surgery bras, the Dress the Nation range with Vernon Kay and AJ Odudu.

Primark has new accessories, a new ski range, a new Rita Ora collaboration of clothing, shoes, bags, jewellery and accessories, and new tie-ups with Wicked, The Grinch, Sonic the Movie and Ashleigh Huish.

New Look has more new November outfits, winter and occasion wear outfits for women, plus ranges of womenswear including coats, jumpers, skirts and tops.

Monsoon has new designer ranges, plus clothes, shoes, boots, bags and accessories for Christmas, new edits for women and kids, bags, shoes, jewellery and accessories.

Matalan has a new Taylor & Wright collaboration of menswear, a menopause lingerie range plus a new collaboration with The Lion King, Marvel, Paddington and Alder Hey hospital, Christmas women’s eveningwear, outdoor clothing, footwear, Christmas and Winter outfits for the whole family.

TK Maxx has SS25 clothing and accessory ranges including crochet outfits, Christmas gift-guides for men, women, kids and pets, plus new menswear and womenswear ranges including coats, jackets and hoodies.

River Island has a Christmas Gift Guide and Christmas jumpers, plus new Premium and Winter Reds collections, along with party outfits and accessories for the Christmas season for men, women and children.

Very has new V by very ranges of clothes and footwear including metallics, sequins and faux fur, a new Michelle Keegan collaboration, new Grinch-themed pyjamas for all the family, stocking filler accessories, partywear ranges.

George at Asda has a Children in Need range, women’s and menswear for Christmas occasions and parties, Children in Need Christmas outfits, a new Roksanda and Tickled Pink collaboration clothing ranges.

Peacocks has new Christmas jumpers and fashion, Caprice Christmas pyjama collections, new womenswear, a new Louise Redknapp AW and Christmas Edit, a Michael Owen collaboration and new AW24 womenswear and jewellery.

Fatface has a new Copper & Black range of womenswear, new menswear, and kids clothing, plus Christmas clothing, accessories and jewellery for all the family plus gifts for under £50, plus more AW24 Edit ranges of womenswear. 

Cotton Traders has new Christmas jumpers, cosy womenswear and menswear for AW24 including jumpers, cardigans and coats.

Celtic &Co has new Christmas accessories, jumpers and cosy outfits from the winter.

Oliver Bonas has new women’s clothing, bags, shoes, accessories and jewellery for the New Year and SS25.

Bonmarché has new Christmas jumpers and partywear, lingerie ranges, new jewellery and accessory ranges for Christmas and the winter and AW24 clothing ranges.

Scamp & Dude has Christmas party outfits and new AW24 womenswear ranges.

Peachaus has new sleepwear and lingerie for AW24 and SS25.

Dune London has new shoes, boots and bags.

Accessorize has some new Valentine’s day and SS25 collections of clothes, bags and shoes, a new bridal collection, new Christmas 2024 ranges of pyjamas, jumpers, bags, jewellery and accessories.

Fable England has new small accessory ranges, a Core collection of bags and accessories, a Wolf Garden range of clothes, jewellery and bags, a new AW24 collaboration with the National History Museum, plus new jewellery ranges.

Barbour has new collaborations with Noah, Ganni and Baracuta and has new outdoor ranges, a gifts under £50 range, a Alexa Natalie range, plus a Flower Mountain collaboration of trainers and clothes.

See additional new clothing and accessories images from

London Grace Deichmann Shoe Zone Online Home Shop F&F Threadbare

Home, garden and food

Quorn Stone has new natural stone and tumbled herringbone cobbles outdoor ranges, marble ranges for the bathroom and kitchen and Limestone cobbles for outside.

Designers Guild has new Studio Stripes patterns for SS25.

Jan Constantine has new cushions for SS25 and Valentine’s day.

TK Maxx new gifting ranges, a wellness range for the New Year, Christmas gift-guides for the home, plus Beetlejuice-themed things for the home.

Fritz Fryer has new antique lighting ranges, kitchen lighting ranges, as well as lamps and lights for every room in the home.

Online Home Shop has new bedding, foot warmers, hot water bottles, heated pads, body wraps, plus bar stools and furniture, mirrors, cuddle cushions, shaped pillows and bolsters.

M&S has a new Nordic notes Christmas decoration ranges, National Gallery collaboration, stocking filler Christmas images and new Fearne Cotton Happy Place range, Christmas homeware including tableware, soft furnishings, candles and diffusers, Christmas decorations, homeware and bedding ranges.

Ivyline has new planters, pots for its indoor living ranges.

Cult Furniture has a new collaboration with Daniela Tasca.

Oliver Bonas has new furniture and home accessories including mirrors, lighting and tableware for the New Year and SS25.

Fatface has a collaboration with homeless charity Shelter, Christmas decorations for the Christmas tree and homeware gifts.

George Home has a new Christmas decorations for the tree, tableware, soft furnishings and trees, Stacey Solomon Christmas and Autumn collaborations on cookware, bedding, dining, and homeware.

Primark has new Wicked and Grinch themed gifts for kids and pets, furniture, Christmas decorations and homeware gifts, AW24 furniture, homeware, bedding, diffusers and candles.

Matalan has SS25 homeware images for the dining room, bedroom, bathroom and garden, plus Christmas gifts and decorations, a new Connie the Cockapoo range, AW24 soft furnishings and gifts, a new AW Cosy Shop range of bedding and soft furnishings, Christmas bedding ranges and presents for pets.

Treats by Mars has new Galaxy ranges of hot chocolate. 

Cutter & Squidge has a new boxed cookie range.

Sofology has new SS25 Premiere and Westwood ranges of sofas, chairs and recliners.

Homesense has new Christmas gift ideas for family and pets as well as new Christmas decorations.

Hobbycraft has new ideas for Christmas decorations.

The Gluttonous Gardener has Christmas gifts for keen cooks and budding chefs.

Arran Sense of Scotland has Christmas gifting ranges for men and Christmas scented diffusers and handwashes.

See additional new home images from

Monsoon Habitat Home Bargains Very B&M Rebel Walls Dobbies Garden Centres Cambridge Imprint DFS Joe Browns Nest

DIARY

PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts

Days until Black Friday – 7

Days until Christmas – 33

Days until Valentine’s Day – 84

Days until Easter - 149
 

How to get your brand on the November media calendars

We are well into autumn and the Christmas season, and the media are looking for images that help them fill all those “what to buy on Black Friday” features, the endless Christmas gift guides, and all those “What to wear for the Christmas party season” articles.  

You should be uploading Black Friday and Christmas images for most media, but long lead-time magazines will be looking at January issues, so anything that helps illustrate the inevitable “New you for 2025” issues will also be welcomed. So, any athleisure, outdoor, healthy, sporty images will all be useful. 

As always, don’t forget to add keywords – Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving, Gifts, Christmas, Xmas, Winter, plus all those words beloved of home and women’s magazines like cosy, cosiness, hygge and wellbeing.

Clothing-wise the media are looking for party wear, party dresses, nightwear, going-out outfits, Christmas Jumpers, jumpers, scarves, bobble hats, beanies, cardigans, coatigans, jackets, and coats. So, make sure you have plenty of images in those categories uploaded and labelled with as many of those words as you can.    

Also, make sure that if your clothing is made from a fabric associated with winter that it’s flagged up somewhere in the title/keyword or in more information. Wool (woolovers are a thing), cashmere, fur (faux obviously), velvet, plus the year’s big trends of sequins, metallics, red and gold.     

If you’re aiming at being included in Christmas Guides, then make sure you have added prices. Guides are normally price-led eg “Presents under £50”, “Party dresses for less than £150” and without prices, your items won’t be included.     

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.

November Diary - Weeks/Months

Events to add to your marketing diary for November include.

Movember which centres around men’s health issues and moustaches, so beard and shaving-related things might be useful. It’s also World Pancreatic Cancer Month, World Vegan Month, Men’s Health Awareness Month, and in the US, it’s also National Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month, Sweet Potato Month and Candy Month.

Weeks to celebrate in November include;

Transgender Awareness Week (13^th-19^th)

November - Days

25^th – 1 month until Christmas Day

28^th – Thanksgiving (US) 

29^th – Black Friday 

30^th – US Small Business Saturday 

30^th – St Andrew’s Day (Bank Holiday Scotland)

NB - All dates have been checked, but some events may change due to unforeseen circumstances or have not been fully confirmed for 2024 by the authorities controlling the event(s). 

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