As July draws to a close, TheIndustry.fashion reflects on a month marked by sustained store investment and exciting new openings, as well as inflation and stronger online demand.
The British high street has seen some great additions this month, from SKIMS opening its first standalone UK flagship, to Frasers Group introducing its combined Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+ format outside the UK for the first time.
Retailers have also invested in refurbishments with Marks & Spencer unveiling its Oxford Street Pantheon transformation.
Across the sector, warm weather produced mixed results. While retail sales and clothing spending improved, supported by summer promotions, record temperatures reduced store visits and pushed a greater share of non-food purchases online.
We have also seen a lot of interesting data stories this month, from the World Cup and summer racing calendar generating increased demand for football products and occasionwear.Â
Meanwhile a host of events, from the Scoop fashion show trade show to Paris Haute Couture Week gave us the best of fashion this month. We also heard from top industry voices including FitFlop CEO Gianni Georgiades, and Harvey Nichols’ Chief Merchant Kate Benson.Â
New Openings
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Cubitts opens first Manchester store in Northern Quarter
British spectacle maker Cubitts has opened its first Manchester store, marking the brand’s long-awaited arrival in the city after almost a decade of searching for the right location.
Oliver Bonas to open first retail park stores in Glasgow and Teesside
Oliver Bonas is set to open stores in retail parks for the first time, with new locations at Glasgow Fort in September and Teesside Park later this year. Â Â
Tod’s launches Harrods pop-up for Red Dot sneakers
Tod’s, the Italian luxury footwear brand, has opened a dedicated pop-up at Harrods centred on its Red Dot men’s sneaker collection. The temporary retail space features a selection of Red Dot sneaker styles for men, combining the brand’s traditional hand craftsmanship with its focus on product innovation.
Meadowhall strengthens fashion line-up with Mint Velvet, Belstaff and Michael Kors deals
Meadowhall has added new stores from Mint Velvet and Belstaff, as well as a major refurbishment of Michael Kors’ existing flagship. The three deals are part of the shopping centre’s push to grow The Avenue with aspirational fashion brands and upgraded retail concepts.
Frasers Group opens ‘landmark’ Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+ flagship in Dublin
Frasers Group opened an 85,000 sq ft Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+ flagship at the former Debenhams site on Dublin’s Henry Street. The four-storey location represents an €80 million city-centre investment, created 75 roles and introduced HOKA to Sports Direct stores.
SKIMS opens first UK flagship on London’s Regent Street
SKIMS has launched its first standalone UK flagship at 245-247 Regent Street, as the shapewear and lifestyle brand expands internationally. The 12,000 sq ft store is based in the former Ted Baker site and follows the 10-year lease agreed with The Crown Estate.
Zara’s sister brand Lefties confirms late August opening for first UK store
Inditex’s budget fashion and lifestyle label Lefties has confirmed that its first UK store will open in Liverpool ONE in late August. The rollout will then move on to Lakeside in early October and Gateshead’s Metrocentre in November.
Nobody’s Child continues UK retail expansion with new store in Cambridge
Nobody’s Child prepared to open a 1,000 sq ft store at 3 Grand Arcade in Cambridge, taking its standalone UK estate to 10 boutiques. The Cambridge opening is its third of 2026, following launches at Bluewater Shopping Centre and in Harrogate.
M&S relocates Weymouth store with fashion at the fore
Marks & Spencer relocated its Weymouth store to Gateway Retail Park, creating more than 70 jobs and giving fashion a prominent role. The new location carries Per Una, Goodmove and Rosie Lingerie, alongside expanded denim and specialist bra selections.
Sprayground lands in London with 10-day pop-up
New York bag and luggage label Sprayground has opened a 10-day pop-up at the Future Stores space at 95 Oxford Street. Called Sprayground’s Soho Playground, the residency ran until 26 July and featured an appearance from founder David Ben-David.
Lululemon brings padel pop-up to Manchester’s Trafford Centre
As part of the expanded store opening, Lululemon put on a two-week padel pop-up at Manchester’s Trafford Centre. The bookable court was open until 23 July and reflected the sport’s rising popularity.
Wax London expands Fenwick partnership with new Kingston concession
Wax London expanded its Fenwick partnership with a 500 sq ft concession in the department store’s Kingston upon Thames branch. The new space followed its Newcastle concession and features custom rails, tinted acrylic surfaces and a vintage oak haberdashery counter.
Marks & Spencer completes Pantheon flagship transformation and begins format test
Marks & Spencer completed the renewal of its nearly 100,000 sq ft Pantheon flagship at 173 Oxford Street. The four-floor store brings Food, Fashion, Home and Beauty together and will test merchandising and customer-service approaches before successful features are rolled out elsewhere.
Belstaff gears to open store at Caledonia Park
British heritage brand Belstaff has signed for a 2,500 sq ft store at Caledonia Park Designer Outlet in Gretna, Scotland. The planned location will sit beside Crew Clothing and Moss and stock menswear and womenswear spanning outerwear, essentials and accessories.
NEXT’s 132,000 sq ft Bluewater anchor store to open this month
NEXT is due to open a 132,000 sq ft anchor at Bluewater on 30 July, tripling its presence at the Kent shopping centre. The former House of Fraser unit will give Bluewater its first new anchor store since the destination launched in 1999.
Damson Madder opens first permanent retail space at Selfridges
London fashion label Damson Madder has opened its first permanent retail space at Selfridges’ Oxford Street flagship on 6 July. Set within the Contemporary Studio on the third floor, it is the brand’s largest physical presence and follows its Selfridges launch in 2024.
New Look’s largest concept store to open at Metrocentre
New Look has opened its largest concept store at Metrocentre on 9 July, taking 11,000 sq ft in the destination’s Red Mall. The digitally enhanced format brings Click & Collect, self-service returns, digital browsing, refreshed fitting rooms and expanded product ranges.
’47 heads back to London’s Soho for new pop-up
US cap brand ’47 opened a three-month pop-up at 13 Newburgh Street, returning to physical retail in London’s Soho. The temporary store followed its 2023 Air Street unit and coincided with the launch of dedicated UK and EU e-commerce platforms.
Garage continues UK retail expansion with new store at Lakeside
Canadian activewear, athleisure and denim brand Garage has signed for a 4,221 sq ft store at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex. The latest UK location comes after openings on London’s Oxford Street and at Bluewater, extending a business with 231 North American stores.
Brook Taverner’s retail expansion gathers pace with new Guildford store
British menswear retailer Brook Taverner opened its 17th UK store at 76 High Street in Guildford, Surrey. The retail expansion will continue with Ambleside and St Andrews locations, as the company targets an estate of up to 30 stores within five years.
Clarks plans up to 20 new European stores as expansion gathers pace
Clarks has opened at Santangelo Outlet Village in Italy as it plans between 15 and 20 new European stores this year. The continental expansion follows recent openings across Italy and Spain, with further locations planned in France, Belgium and the UK.
Byan set to open first flagship store in London
Spanish womenswear brand Byan prepared to open its first London flagship on Chelsea’s King’s Road in October. The permanent store follows the brand’s three-month Covent Garden pop-up, which opened in November 2025 and was its first physical presence in the capital.
In Pictures: Selfridges unveils FIFA 1904 World Cup pop-up featuring first-ever licensed fashion collection
Selfridges opened a pop-up presenting the first official FIFA-licensed fashion collection, designed by Maison Kitsuné Creative Director Marcus Clayton. The FIFA 1904 collection was developed with VFILES and takes its name from the year in which football’s international governing body was established.
Data insights
July’s indicators pointed to softer price growth and improved spending, although physical footfall remained under pressure as hot weather moved more purchases online.
UK retailers keep prices low as shop price inflation eases
According to the British Retail Consortium, UK shop price inflation eased to 0.9% in July from 1.2% in June. The Shop Price Monitor found non-food inflation slipping to 0.2% as retailers stepped up promotional activity across clothing, footwear and food.
Clothing prices fall 0.5% in June as retail competition holds down prices
The Office for National Statistics said clothing and footwear prices dropped 0.5% in June after rising 0.2% in May. The latest inflation figures showed the Consumer Prices Index at 2.6%, while retailers still faced employment, packaging and energy costs.
Heatwave and online shopping rebound delivers boost to June retail spending
UK retail sales rose in June as hot weather supported demand for clothing and air-conditioning products, while summer discounting encouraged spending. Office for National Statistics figures also showed online shopping rebounding to its highest level in five years.
This was reinforced by Barclays’ Consumer Spend report which saw UK consumer card spending rose 1.9% year on year in June, improving on May’s 0.8% growth but still below CPIH inflation.Â
UK retail footfall falls 3.4% in June as heatwave keeps shoppers inside
According to BRC and Sensormatic data, UK retail footfall dropped 3.4% year on year in June as record temperatures kept shoppers away from stores. The five-week figures put high streets down 6.2%, shopping centres down 2.5% and retail parks down 0.3%.
Holiday demand set to drive summer retail spending
KPMG UK found that 63% of consumers had booked or intended to book a summer holiday, with 75% of travellers planning purchases before departure. The Consumer Pulse survey showed 42% expected to buy clothing and 25% planned to purchase footwear.
Consumer confidence sees six-point ‘Burnham bounce’
Consumer confidence increased by six points in July, its largest monthly improvement since November 2023, according to GfK. The headline confidence measure nevertheless remained negative at minus 17, despite heatwaves, football success and a change of Prime Minister supporting sentiment.
Price beats ethics at the checkout for majority of Brits
Although 68% of British consumers said ethical production mattered, the most common behaviour during their latest purchase was choosing according to price or quality alone. Research from Zero100 tested willingness to pay more for ethical options across clothing and other consumer categories.
Summer racing events drive occasionwear demand, new data shows
Data from Debenhams Group shows Britain’s summer racing calendar boosted searches and sales in race-day fashion categories. The occasionwear findings covered Debenhams, Karen Millen and PrettyLittleThing, with demand spanning dresses, fascinators and statement accessories around major racing events.
TikTok drives £10 billion boost to UK economy as fashion brands benefit
TikTok-driven economic activity generated at least £10 billion in gross value added for the UK economy in 2025 and supported an estimated 153,000 jobs. The TikTok-commissioned research looked at the platform’s influence on consumer spending, employment and business growth, including fashion brands.
Debenhams Group sees demand in ‘football fashion’ surge as World Cup fever strikes
Boohoo saw football-related product sales jump 1,827% between May and June, while searches rose 600% during the World Cup. The Debenhams Group data also recorded a 481% increase in official football shirt sales at Debenhams over the same period.
Premier League shirt prices soar as fans hit by fresh cost hikes
Eight Premier League clubs increased replica shirt prices, leaving supporters facing adult prices of up to £90. The club pricing review found Tottenham’s adult first-team shirt had risen by £5 to £90, while a shirt for a young child cost £70.
Features and comments
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Primark’s price cuts expose the cost of competing with Shein
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Secret Shopper: Reformation brings a digital-first approach to the high street
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The Interview: FitFlop CEO Gianni Georgiades on science, stores and scaling a trailblazing brand
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How I started in fashion: Harvey Nichols Chief Merchant Kate Benson
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Stronger protections for buy now pay later customers come into force
Scoop
Paris Haute Couture Week