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PRShots Roundup brings you the latest retail news from John Lewis, Beauty Bay, B&Q, Net-a-Porter, Currys, N Brown, Muji, Hobbs, Phase Eight, Whistles and Matalan. Plus, how fandom strategies can drive youth loyalty, why AI may be a bigger influence than you think and more.
THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS
John Lewis bets on AI-powered shopping and TikTok Shop
John Lewis today announced that it is accelerating its digital transformation with an £800m investment in AI-powered shopping and social commerce.
BCC warns ending low-value import tax break could push up prices
Ending the UK’s tariff exemption on low-value imports could drive up prices for consumers and create new pressures for small businesses, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned.
Beauty Bay sold to French-owned investment group
Manchester-based Beauty Bay has been sold to a French-owned investment group after it lined up administrators last month.
B&Q bumps up pay for shopfloor staff
B&Q is bumping its staff pay rates from April, maintaining its position among the best-paying retailers for shopfloor workers.
Matalan secures £25m investment to fuel growth
Value fashion giant Matalan has secured a further £25m funding boost from investors to support its ongoing transformation.
Net-a-Porter workers ballot for strike action over London Living Wage dispute
Workers at luxury fashion retailer Net-a-Porter are set to vote on potential strike action after the company was accused of breaking a pledge to pay the London Living Wage.
Lakeside Shopping Centre delivers strong trading performance in 2025
Lakeside Shopping Centre has delivered a strong trading performance in 2025 with year-on-year footfall and sales increasing 3.2% and 4.4% respectively.
Currys marks 37% pay increase since 2022
Currys has announced a £5.5m investment in store colleague pay, taking the company’s cumulative increase in hourly pay to 37% since 2022.
British Garden Centres makes further acquisition
British Garden Centres has acquired Alton Garden Centre in Wickford as it looks to expand its presence in the South East.
UK online sales hit £9.25bn in February
UK consumers spent £9.25bn online in Feb, up 3.3% year-over-year, as wet weather and low levels of consumer confidence saw shoppers head online.
Greenpeace says Shein is still selling contaminated clothing despite warnings
Greenpeace has claimed the Chinese fashion retailer Shein is continuing to sell harmful products in the EU despite prior warnings.
Average UK office attendance ‘settling’ at highest level since before Covid
Average UK office attendances are above 40% every week since early January as a new report says situation ‘no longer in freefall nor in recovery’.
TRENDS, SUSTAINABILITY, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY
How fandom strategies can drive youth loyalty
As Tesco opens up Clubcard access to under-18s, Nick Rudd, director of strategy and consulting at MSQ DX, examines how loyalty programmes are targeting younger audiences.
Why AI maybe a bigger influence than you think
Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape how shoppers discover products. The shift could create a new attribution blind spot for merchants.
Why choice and convenience are key for UK consumers
New research from Adobe finds shopping is no longer defined by a single channel. Shoppers are mixing physical, digital, and social experiences depending on convenience, price, and trust.
AI is rewriting reputation but what happens when it gets it wrong?
AI’s vagaries mean companies can now lose their reputations in an instant, with brands now being defined by systems they neither control nor fully understand.
UK shoppers warm to AI agents but trust concerns grow
AI agents are moving into mainstream shopping in the UK, with more than a third of customer interactions expected to involve the technology by the end of 2026.
UK small business owners turn to AI for advice
New research reveals a growing shift in how UK small business owners seek advice and insight, with many now turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in place of traditional peer networks.
New Burbank tech allows users to pay online by tapping their card on their smartphone
Burbank’s Card-Present over Internet (CPoI) technology lets consumers turn their mobile device into a card machine, so they don’t have to store any of their payment credentials.
BRAND NEWS
N Brown adds six brands to its platforms with North Face the key highlight
N Brown Group has added six new brands to its platform including The North Face, Only & Sons on Jacamo and Little Mistress platform, and Pretty Lavish, Object and JDY on JD Williams.
Mango plans 15 UK store launches
Mango vice chair and chief expansion and franchise officer Daniel López has said it is targeting 15 UK shop openings this year.
Joint Hobbs, Phase Eight and Whistles outlet store to open in Northern Ireland
TFG London, owner of Hobbs, Phase Eight and Whistles, is bringing them all together under one roof with a "first-to-market" store concept at The Boulevard outlet destination in Northern Ireland.
Muji Is turning skincare into its next growth engine
The Japanese retailer Muji is betting on its fast-growing, value-for-money skincare products to drive growth at home and abroad.
AND FINALLYx2
John Lewis launches “hilarious” Mother’s Day campaign
John Lewis has unveiled a “hilarious” advertising campaign starring actress and writer Daisy May Cooper, ahead of Mother’s Day 2026.
BrewDog co-founder hits out at PR advisors
BrewDog co-founder James Watt, who has been embroiled in controversy in recent years, says he should have owned the response to crises rather than relying on “PR advisors”.
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GET PRSHOTS PULSE SOCIAL LISTENING SOLUTION
The new Pulse Social listening tool from our sister brand PressArea allows you to track and trace mentions of your brand and competitors and put those insights to work to gain real benefits.
PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES
What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending Feb 27th 2026?
1/ SS26
2/ Easter
3/ Denim
4/ Yellow
5/ Floral
6/ Garden
7/ Green
8/ Lemon
9/ Vase
10/ Spring
PRSHOTS DIARY
PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts
Days until Mother’s Day – 6
Days until Eid al-Fitr - 10
Days until Easter – 27
Days until Father’s Day – 104
Days until School Summer holidays (Scotland) - 115
Days until School Summer holidays (England&Wales) - 135
March Diary
How to get your brand on the March Editorial Calendars, search engines and social media
Our March PR toolkit and content calculator is here to help PRs and marketers forward-plan campaigns and pitches armed with some timely and topical angles, plus it’s a checklist for potential campaign hooks.
March is mostly about preparing for the big Easter holidays next month, so make sure you are starting to include relevant Easter keywords. 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.
In the middle of the month, there’s Mother’s Day, so try to get Mother, gifts, or Mother’s Day into your keywords for anything that seems appropriate. Also, if you have anything green, add the Keyword St Patrick's Day.
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) and for home it’s all about Spring cleaning and updating for Spring.
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.
The Olympics aren't over yet as this month sees the week-long Paralympic Games, which start on the 6th March and finish on the 15th March. So ski wear and sports wear should be pushed.
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 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.
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 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. It’s also Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Walk All Over Cancer Month, Endometriosis Awareness Month, Brain Tumour Awareness Month, Women’s History Month.
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;
Paris Fashion Week (2nd – 10th)
British Science Week (6th-15th)
Butchers Week (9th-15th)
English Tourism Week (13th – 22nd)
National Fragrance Week (17th-23rd)
Bridal Fashion Week London (22nd-24th)
The Big Walk and Wheel (26th – 27h)
March - Days
9th – Made in UK Day
9th – Commonwealth Day
11th – No Smoking Day
13th – World Sleep Day
15th – The Oscars
15th - Mother’s Day UK
15th - Winter Paralympics Closing Ceremony
17th – St Patrick’s Day
18th – Global Recycling Day
19th – Eid al-Fitr / End of Ramadan
20th – First Day of Spring (Spring ends 20th June)
20th - Red Nose Day for Comic Relief
21st – International Day of Forests
21st – World Poetry Day
22nd – Quadragesima
22nd – World Water Day
22nd – Easter egg searches rise
23rd – Gardening searches rise
24th – Possible date for the UK Spring Budget
25th – National Bridesmaids Day
26th – Six years since the first lockdown started in the UK in 2020
27th – Wear a Hat Day (Brain Tumour Research)
29th – British Summertime Begins
For more diary dates for this year see the Marketing Retail Diary
NB - All dates have been checked, but some events may change due to unforeseen circumstances or have not been fully confirmed for 2026 by the authorities controlling the event(s).
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NEW BRANDS ON PRSHOTS
Industrious Decor is more than furniture. It’s a world of intentional design — where form meets feeling, and materials tell a story. Each collection — ID Country, ID Loft, ID Earth craft, ID Gentleman’s Club, and ID Expression — embodies a distinct aesthetic, yet all share the same foundation: timeless design, refined detailing, and an appreciation for craftsmanship.
BRANDS WITH NEW IMAGES
Clothing, beauty and accessories
Scamp & Dude has new holiday outfits including dresses, shirts, swimwear and bags, a new Davina McCall collaboration plus new clothes and accessory ranges.
Primark has a new Coleen Rooney collaboration, athleisure and swimwear wear ranges, Major Find range, Edit range, F1 Alpine and Ford Goodyear collaborations, a Scene youth range, new makeup ranges, men’s linen ranges, a Stacey Solomon collaboration of kids clothes, a Nightwear Edit, and new band t-shirts.
Roman Originals has new floral ranges, Petite ranges for SS26, Spring dresses, tops, trousers, skirts, jumpers and cardigans, new Dusk and Curve ranges including coats, jackets, dresses and trousers.
River Island has a new Olivia Denim collaboration with Olivia Attwood, a new Off to the Races ranges, new collaborations with Year Zero on clothes, accessories and bags, a new Love is in the Air range, a To Have and Hold wedding range of womenswear and accessories.
Deichmann has new boots and ballet flats.
Joe Browns has its SS26 mens and womenswear collections.
Inspecs has a new Barbour range of sunglasses.
Bonmarché has new womenswear for the summer holidays modelled by Lisa Snowdon.
New Look has new season outfits, jewellery and accessories and drops of SS26 ranges including clothes, bags, shoes, boots and accessories.
Matalan has a new Riveria range of menswear, a new Prairie range of womenswear and accessories for SS26, a new floral range of clothes and accessories, new Clubhouse range of womenswear.
Accessorize has new jewellery, and new womenswear and accessories including shoes, hats and bags.
Oliver Bonas has new April and March drops of hats, sunglasses, socks, shoes, sandals, clothing, bags, jewellery and accessories.
Peacocks has new Dani Dyer SS26 ranges, Lousie Redknapp denim ranges, SS26 shoes, bags, belts, jewellery, accessories, sleepwear and lingerie, plus leisure wear and ranges for men and women.
Barbour has a new Icons range, a Paul Smith Collaboration, a Heritage+ range plus a collaboration with Feng Chen Wang, new jumpers and bags and new collaborations with Ganni, Baracuta, Sorel, Levi’s, Arket and Farm Rio.
Regatta has a new Orla Kiely collaboration with womens clothing including t-shirts, coats and swimwear.
M&S has new underwear ranges, plus new clothing ranges for Mother’s Day.
Threadbare has new SS26 womenswear.
Monsoon has new March accessory ranges including shoes, bags and scarves, plus March drops of womenswear for spring 2026 ranges including clothes, shoes, jewellery, sunglasses and accessories, plus new bridal ranges.
Cotton Traders has a new summer holiday wear including dresses to tankinis, a new Sea Glass collection, new SS26 women’s and menswear, including a new SS26 menswear collaboration with actor Will Mellor and a womenswear collaboration with Alex Jones.
Home Bargains has new Hinch Farm ranges of baby clothing.
Busby & Fox has new campaign images for its SS26 womenswear ranges.
Very has new Wuthering-Heights-inspired womenswear, new Traitors-inspired fashion, a new Transitional Very Collection, Winter footwear and a new Michelle Keegan collaboration.
See additional new clothing and accessories images from
Home, garden and food
Cambridge Imprint has new kitchen trays, exercise and hardback books, notebooks, new Clamshell and Dandelion patterned paper, Charleston themed ranges of patterned paper, new Easter decorations, new notecards, envelopes, albums, notebooks, and cards for SS26.
M&S has a new Kelly Hoppen collaboration, new gifts for Mother’s Day, and furniture and homeware collections, and new homeware ranges for the spring and summer.
Matalan has a new Sorrento range of tableware, bed linen, cushions and furnishings for the garden.
National Trust has new food and gardening ranges, Easter decorations, new homeware, new shed ranges, new garden furniture with new Oxleys and Sitting Spiritually collaborations, new glasshouses, and new kitchen furniture ranges based on their country houses, including walled units, islands and kitchen dressers.
The Orchard has new lounge, dining room and bedroom interior ranges including beds, sideboards, dressers, sofas, lighting, shelving, benches and more, new Lahinch and Kilmore corner sofas.
Very has new Very Collection ranges of outdoor furniture, a new Revive outdoor furniture and soft furnishings collection, a new Very collection of furniture, wall art and storage solutions, new beauty and wellness tech.
Oliver Bonas has new Father’s Day gifts and cards, April homeware and kitchenware ranges for the dining room, living room and bedroom.
Quorn Stone has new Marisol ranges of decorative tiles, natural stone, and marble and stone effect ranges, new terracotta decorative tiles, natural stone range, marble and decorative effect tiles.
Dobbies Garden Centres have new garden pots and grow your own solutions for spring, plus everything for the garden barbecue and eating outside, from lighting to tabletop firepits. Plus all the tools needed for the Easter and spring planting spree.
B&M has a Great Outdoors range including camping gear and everything for the garden from solar lights to cushions, new limited edition Isle Life range of homeware, Easter-themed homeware and decorations, candles and diffusers, plus coffee and cocktail homeware for the lounge.
Ruggable has a new Antropologie collaboration of rugs, new ranges of animal-patterned rugs for every room, from kids bedrooms to the lounge, plus all sizes of rugs for inside and out for SS26.
Sofology has new ranges of sofas for SS26 including Fitzrovia, Oscar, Westwood, Adler and Georgio ranges of sofas.
Homesense has new SS26 homeware for the lounge, bathroom, kitchen and dining room and Easter gifts for the home.
Home Bargains has new Hinch Farm ranges of soft furnishings, storage and accessories.
The Gluttonous Gardener has new Bridgerton-inspired Georgian flower growbars, plus seed kits for Mother’s Day.
Jellycat has a new 2026 Harrods amuseable, plus a new range of Jellycat cuddly vegetables and farmyard animals for 2026.
See additional new home images from
Nest Arran Sense of Scotland TK Maxx Habitat
WANT TO GET YOUR IMAGERY IN FRONT OF OVER 20,000 MEDIA?
If you’re a brand looking to get your imagery on PRShots then get in touch with our sales team at sales@prshots.com We have solutions and pricing for all sizes and types of business from small startups to large multi-nationals, with prices starting at just £50 a month.
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