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PRShots Roundup brings you the latest retail news from Rituals, Castore, Primark, Mori, Kidly, THG, Hobbycraft, Morrisons, New Balance, Gymshark, Represent, The Kooples, French Connection, Lacoste, Daise Beauty, Burberry and M&S. Plus, how to turn social listening into business value, 3 high-impact tactics to drive email engagement and more.
THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS
Rituals sees record 2024 performance
Rituals has posted a “record” year in 2024, with sales up 21% to £1.79bn with a 24% increase in store turnover and a 17% rise in ecommerce, which now makes up 15% of total sales.
Castore could snub London and float overseas
Castore co-founder Tom Beahon said the brand could choose to IPO abroad but that it would be “shame” if the brand didn’t end up choosing London.
Primark and Fortnum & Mason profits drive £32m payday for Weston family
Wittington Investments, the parent company behind Primark and Fortnum & Mason, paid out £154m in dividends in the year to 14 Sept 2024, up from £128m the year before.
Mori acquires Kidly in move to accelerate growth
Baby and children’s clothing brand Mori, has acquired the Kidly childrenswear retailer for an undisclosed sum.
THG rejects ‘undervalued’ takeover proposal for Myprotein
THG has rejected a takeover proposal from Selkirk to acquire its Myprotein brand as it “fundamentally undervalued” the brand and its future prospects.
Hobbycraft prepares to close stores and slash jobs
Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital is planning a significant restructuring that could see the closure of several stores and the loss of up to 250 jobs.
Gymshark boss Ben Francis quits the Members Agency
Ben Francis, the founder of Gymshark, has quit the sports talent sponsorships deals business “The Members Agency” he co-founded in 2018.
MF Brands Group finalises sale of The Kooples
Swiss group MF Brands which owns Lacoste and Gant, has sold The Kooples clothing brand to French industrial group Verdoso for an undisclosed amount.
Consumer spending on clothing declines over six months
A new survey by consumer research firm Attest has found a decline in spending on clothing, shoes and accessories among UK consumers over the most recent six months.
M&S responds to cyber incident
Marks & Spencer has been managing a cyber incident and has made temporary changes to its store operations to tackle the issue.
TRENDS, SUSTAINABILITY, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY
How to turn social listening insights into business value
Hootsuite helps you find out how to use social listening to monitor social media channels for mentions of your brand and competitors and put those insights to work.
3 high-impact tactics to drive email engagement
With privacy updates, smarter audiences and stricter inbox rules, here’s how to modernise your email strategy from Martech.
How to track ChatGPT traffic in GA4
Traffic from ChatGPT is low volume but often the most engaging referral source, even more than organic search.
Five lessons learned after six decades of merchandising
Over the past 60 years, merchandising has evolved from a simple brand visibility tool into a powerful instrument of consumer engagement, sustainability, and long-term brand loyalty.
Google Chrome will now continue to use third-party cookies
Google won’t now roll out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies in Chrome, meaning ad tech companies can still use the targeting technology in the world’s most popular web browser.
Otrium opens AI-powered robotics warehouse
Online designer outlet Otrium has opened a state-of-the-art automated warehouse in Almelo, in the Netherlands, known as the O-Mega Robot.
PEOPLE, MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Poundland retail and digital bosses exit in leadership reshuffle
Poundland has restructured its leadership team under new boss Barry Williams as part of his efforts to turnaround the struggling retailer.
Represent appoints former Dr Martens boss as new chair
Luxury streetwear retailer Represent has named the former chief executive of Dr Martens as its new chair and non-executive director.
Morrisons strengthens leadership team with internal shake-up
Morrisons has appointed current group people and corporate services director Clare Grainger to its group board, and Jodie Keating has been promoted to the role of group people director.
BRAND NEWS
New Balance reopens Oxford Street flagship
London’s Oxford Street can't stay out of the limelight for long, with sportswear giant New Balance reopening its flagship store there ahead of Sunday’s 2025 TCS London Marathon.
French Connection opens new outlet store
French Connection is continuing its retail expansion with the opening of a new outlet store at Caledonia Park in Scotland, furthering the brand’s strategic return to the outlet market.
Lacoste re-enters Scotland with bigger and better outlet store
French sportswear brand Lacoste has reopened the doors to its only standalone store in Scotland, unveiling a newly refitted space at Livingston Designer Outlet.
Daise Beauty continues rapid expansion with launch at Boots
Daise Beauty, the bodycare brand launched by Monday Haircare founder Jaimee Lupton, is continuing its rapid expansion through a new retail partnership with Boots.
Burberry signs up Jerry Hall and daughters for latest campaign
Burberry has been signing a succession of big names for its campaigns in recent periods and its latest example is a new one starring Jerry Hall and her daughters Lizzy and Georgia May Jagger.
AND FINALLY x2
Inmates go to Iceland as supermarket opens UK’s first ‘in-prison’ store
Iceland has opened the UK’s first in-prison convenience store at HMP Oakwood, offering inmates the opportunity to gain work experience while aiding their rehabilitation.
Vinted teams up with Alexa Chung to sell her designer wardrobe
Second-hand fashion platform Vinted has teamed up with fashion icon Alexa Chung to sell a curated selection of luxury items from her personal wardrobe.
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 18th 2025?
1/ SS25
2/ Dress
3/ Easter
4/ Garden
5/ Sunglasses
6/ Yellow
7/ Outdoor
8/ Bag
9/ Red
10/ Shorts
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
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.
George at Asda has new athleisure outfits and accessories.
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.
Threadbare has a new menswear, 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.
Roman Originals has new Crochet and embroidery ranges, plus Petite, Dusk and Curve ranges for the summer, plus big pattern and denim SS25 womenswear imagery.
Primark has new Tanlines makeup and skincare, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Joma Jewellery Katie Loxton Crew Clothing Tu Clothing Celtic &Co
Home, garden and food
Sofology has new SS25 furniture ranges, including power recliners, sofas, chairs and stools plus furniture for the lounge in bright spring colours.
Treats by Mars reveals a new Galaxy honeycomb snack.
Nest has new Vitra office furniture, living room furniture including lounge chairs, plus Ferm Living, Tom Dixon and Hay garden furniture, including tables, chairs and loungers.
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.
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.
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
DIARY
PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts
Days until Father’s Day – 53
Days until School holidays start (23rd July) – 91
Days until Halloween - 191
Days until Christmas Day – 246
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 (21st – 28th)
Allergy Awareness Week (24th – 28th)
MS Awareness Week (22nd – 28th)
April - Days
23rd – St George’s Day
23rd – Start of the Asparagus season
23rd – Shakespeare Day
24th - National Skipping Day
24th – Gardening searches peak
24th – Fashion Revolution Day
25th – Staycation searches peak
25th – World Malaria Day
25th – National Lingerie Day
27th – London Marathon
29th - International Dance Day
30th – 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).
How to get your brand in the media in May
We’re now well into Spring, and there are two long bank holiday weekends to enjoy this month, and with a bit of luck, we’ll have great weather for at least one of them.
To get the best chance for a download, add images that are related to the summer, and make sure they’re accompanied by any keywords relating to being out of the house and into the garden and the great outdoors, including garden, garden parties, barbecues (don’t forget to add all of the other spellings BBQ, Bar-B-Que, etc.) picnics, outdoors.
Summer holidays are on the horizon, so campaign images that include the beach or the outside world will be used. Upload any images you have of summer outfits, holiday clothes, festival clothes, sandals, beachwear, swimsuits, bikinis, linen, and sandals.
Not everyone will be going abroad so still keep keywords and phrases like “staycation”, “holistay”, “holiday at home”, to your keywords, also think about uploading images more appropriate to a UK holiday, like cardigans and hoodies for the colder UK evenings.
May is also the start of wedding season, so if you have any wedding-related items, then get ready to promote them along with any wedding keywords, bridal, bride, groom, hen party, stag do, etc.
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.
May Diary - Weeks/Months
May is National Walking Month, National Smile Month (12th May – 12th Jun), and Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
It’s also:
Small Business Week – (May 4th - 10th)
Dementia UK Time for a Cuppa Week (1st-8th)
National Doughnut Week (10th – 18th)
National Stationery Week (12th –18th)
Cannes Film Festival (13th – 24th)
Sandwich Week (19th – 25th)
RHS Chelsea Flower Show (20th – 24th)
National Barbeque Week (May 26th – Jun 1st )
May - Days
(30th-1st) -Yom Haatzmaut
1st – World Password Day
3rd – World Press Freedom Day
4th – Star Wars Day
4th – Firefighters Memorial Day
5th –Cinco de Mayo (US Holiday)
5th – May Day
8th – VE day
9th – Europe Day
9th – Whit Monday / Pentecost
10th – Searches of Prom dresses peak
11th- World Fairtrade Day
11th – Mother’s Day (US and Australia)
12th – International Nurses Day
13th – World Cocktail Day
15th – International Day of Families
15th - Father’s Day gift searches rise / BBQ searches rise
15-16th – Lag BaOmer
17th – Eurovision Final in Basel Switzerland
17th – World Whisky Day
17th - Men’s FA Cup Final
18th – Women’s FA Cup Final
20th – World Bee Day
21st – International Tea Day
22nd – World Goth Day
22nd – Craft Distillery Day (US)
25th - Geek Pride Day
25th – National Wine Day (US)
25th – Camping-related searches rise
26th – Spring Bank Holiday
26th – Memorial Day
29th – National Biscuit Day
29th – Ascension Day
30th – BBQ searches peak
31st - UEFA Champions League Final
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).
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