Retail news and archive

AI shopping assistants gain traction, but early missteps risk losing customers

AI is fast becoming part of the online shopping journey, but fashion retailers face a narrow margin for error. According to a new survey of 2,000 consumers in the US and UK, 66 percent of shoppers have already tried, or are open to using, an AI assistant such as ChatGPT or a retailer’s own tool when shopping online. Yet the same research...

Retail

Fashion retailers in France lose 20 percent of stores since 2019

The number of stores from major fashion retailers has dropped by nearly 20 percent in France between 2019 and the end of 2025, according to the Alliance du Commerce (AdC). The organisation issued a warning on Tuesday about the “de-commercialisation” of town centres ahead of the municipal elections. The decline is particularly severe for town...

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Retail

Redefining retail: the strategic shift from linear mall toward circular shopping complex

Can shopping centres become centres for a circular society? And if yes, how can they evolve from linear consumption centres into vibrant, circular hubs that drive economic resilience and cultural relevance? The whitepaper “Don’t Call It Circular Society Mall”, presented today at Berlin Fashion Week, explores these questions. It was developed by...

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Business

LK Bennett stores at risk of closure following acquisition out of administration by Gordon Brothers

The long-term outlook for LK Bennett’s store portfolio remains uncertain, following the premium womenswear acquisition out of administration by US investment firm Gordon Brothers on Wednesday, January 28. The new owners, who own Laura Ashley and Poundland, acquired the LK Bennett brand and its intellectual property (IP) assets just a day after...

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Retail|In Pictures

In Pictures: Guess Jeans to open new 'homecoming' concept store in Los Angeles

Guess Jeans is set to open a new, two-story concept flagship store in Los Angeles as the brand celebrates its return to its Californian roots. Located at the intersection of Melrose and San Vicente in West Hollywood, the opening also marks a new chapter in Guess Jeans global retail expansion strategy. Officially opening its doors on January 31,...

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Business

Retail insolvencies signal a sector still on shaky ground

The fashion industry is no stranger to disruption, but the latest insolvency figures underline a worrying truth: retailers are still operating on borrowed time. While the month-on-month drop in retail insolvencies from 177 in October 2025 to 158 in November 2025 may offer a momentary sigh of relief, the broader trend is far less comforting....

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Retail

Becoming entertainment: the future of fashion retail branding

We live in a time of overwhelming brand messaging, where even individuals carefully curate their own brands, and traditional communication finds it hard to cut through. This noise has awakened an exciting shift: brands are moving away from traditional advertising and embracing a new brand-entertainment hybrid that is delivering clear stand out....

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Retail

Why high street fashion must stop competing on convenience and start creating meaning

Luxury fashion brands have long understood that shopping is more than a transaction. They excel at blending global prestige with local nuance, creating bespoke environments that reflect local values and aesthetics. These stores feel rooted in place, with a distinctiveness of place that makes them desirable. Written by Luke Bell, strategy...

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Business|ANALYSIS

Has the post-fast fashion era already begun? Five models reinventing profitability in textiles

The wave of insolvencies sweeping through French textile retail marks the end of an economic model based primarily on volume. This is characterised by mass store closures, with nearly 3,000 mid-market shops shutting in five years, and a cumulative increase in raw material costs estimated at over 70 percent. The model also relied on customer...

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Fashion|Opinion

Fashion prediction 2026: Between caution and course correction

If 2025 was the year fashion learned to live with uncertainty, 2026 is shaping up to be the year it decides what to do with it. Many of the pressures that defined the past 18 months will not magically disappear on January 1st. Tariff uncertainty remains a structural concern, particularly as trade tensions between major economic blocs continue to...

Retail

Asos opens 'Winter Wonderland' pop-up in SoHo, NYC

Global online retailer Asos is hosting a special winter pop-up in New York City to promote a curated edit of its festive collection. Running from December 5 to December 21, the ‘Winter Wonderland’ pop-up at 182 Spring Street in SoHo includes pieces from the Asos Design, Arrange, Asos Collective, and the relaunched Topshop and Topman brands. Asos...

Retail|In Pictures

Calvin Klein opens new flagship store in SoHo, New York City

American fashion brand Calvin Klein, a subsidiary of PVH Corp., has opened its latest global flagship store in SoHo, New York City. Officially opening its doors on December 9, the flagship sees the brand return to its roots and expand its presence in one of the US’s main fashion hubs, as Calvin Klein continues to roll out its retail expansion...