Articles by Rachel Douglass
Rachel has been with FashionUnited since mid-2021. Descending from the UK, she moved to the Netherlands in 2014 to attend Amsterdam Fashion Institute, where she studied a BA in International Fashion and Branding with a specialisation in Journalism.
At FashionUnited, Rachel covers daily news, from store openings to acquisitions, alongside which she focuses on research-based stories, interviews and on-the-ground event reporting. Her topics of interest include digital fashion, independent retail and current trends.
Jewells to make UK retail debut with four new stores
Jewells is launching in the physical retail space with the opening of four new stores across the UK. The British jewellery brand has partnered with landlord Hammerson, which has signed the stores at four of its retail sites. The first locations will open May 30 at Westquay in Southampton and The Oracle in Reading. These will be followed by...
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Marks & Spencer confirms consumer data stolen in cyber attack
British department store Marks & Spencer has confirmed that “some personal customer information has been taken” in the wake of its recent cyber attack. The retailer’s chief executive officer, Stuart Machin, said in a statement that while there was no evidence of the stolen data being shared, customers will be asked to reset their password the...
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UK: Retail sales welcome YoY increase in April due to warm weather
Retail sales in the UK rose 7 percent year-on-year in April, according to new figures by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), as a later Easter holiday helped boost activity. This was a significant uptick on the decline of 4 percent reported in April 2024, and also above the three-month average growth of 2.9 percent, data shows. With March and...
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In Pictures: A look inside Asda’s first stand-alone ‘George’ concept store
Asda is venturing into the fashion retail space. The supermarket giant has officially opened its first stand-alone store for its George clothing brand in a launch event headlined by Spice Girl, Mel B. Located at Crown Point Retail Park in Leeds, the store, housed in what had once been an Asda Living location, intends to serve as a trial of the...
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Next requests shareholders vote against resolution calling to disclose employee wages
Next has called on its shareholders to vote against a resolution requesting for the British fashion retailer to disclose how it pays employees to address concerns over employee wages. A group of investors is hoping Next will increase its transparency and improve conditions for shop floor workers by revealing how many of its 40,000 staff are paid...
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UK: Weekly footfall declines following Bank Holiday boost, high streets hit hardest
Over the week spanning May 4 to 10, footfall across the UK saw a notable 3.3 percent decline compared to the week prior, largely driven by a significant 4.8 percent drop in high street activity. Retail parks and shopping centres also recorded declines, albeit less substantial, of 1.2 and 2.5 percent, respectively. While initially of concern, MRI...
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Australian organisations team up to develop country’s first National Manufacturing Strategy
The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) and clothing manufacturing company R.M. Williams have established a new partnership to develop what would be Australia’s first-ever National Manufacturing Strategy. The duo intend to mobilise efforts to “rebuild and future-proof” the local fashion and textile industry in the pursuit of building up a globally...
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Skims to open first UK flagship store in London
Skims is set to enter the UK retail market. Commercial business firm The Crown Estate has confirmed the signing of a one-year lease with Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand for a site on Regent Street, London, set to open summer 2026. Little is currently known about what the store will entail over its 12,000 square feet span. The site will be the...
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Debenhams mulls 125 million pound refinancing under new management
Debenhams Group, formerly Boohoo Group, has said it is considering the refinancing of a 125 million pound revolving credit facility as it continues to embark on a transformation under a new management team. A spokesperson for the fashion group told FashionUnited: “Having become Debenhams Group, we are currently at the early stages of evaluating...
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Allbirds narrows quarterly losses following shift to distributor model
Footwear brand Allbirds outlined its results for the first quarter of 2025, one reflective of its transition from a direct selling model to a distributor model across certain international markets. During the quarter ended March 31, 2025, the company posted a net revenue decrease of 18.3 percent to 32.1 million dollars, compared to the same...
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