With September nearing its end, TheIndustry.fashion looks back on a month marked by store investment despite uneven trading and rising costs.
This month, we have seen a number of brands continue their retail expansions, from Mango to Uniqlo, with both opening new locations across the UK.
Uniqlo launched its first Cambridge location and agreed a lease for a Bath store, due to open next spring, while Mango added a second store in Chester as it worked towards 15 UK openings this year. Hush, meanwhile, announced plans to open its first three standalone full-price stores in October and November.
Several brands also extended their reach beyond their home markets. Luxury womenswear brand Ulla Johnson opened its first international flagship in Chelsea, while Loeffler Randall launched its first location outside the US in London, and Margaret Howell began a phased rollout in South Korea with a store in Seoul.
It wouldn’t be September, of course, without Fashion Week, and our comprehensive coverage has made sure you haven’t missed any of the highlights – from Alexander McQueen returning to the capital and Marks & Spencer making it onto the official runway schedule, to Burberry’s reinvention and H&M’s ‘stoppable’ runway.
New Openings
River Island debuts new store format at Centre:mk ahead of wider rollout
River Island unveiled a new store format at its 12,800 sq ft store at Centre:mk in Milton Keynes, with plans to roll out the concept more widely. The two-floor store has undergone a major redesign aimed at creating “a more elevated, engaging and customer-centric shopping experience”.
Primark opens 500th store as physical expansion drives global growth
Primark opened its 500th store in Naples, taking its global estate to 20 million sq ft. The Italian opening came as the value retailer lined up further locations across Europe and the US.
Uniqlo opens first Cambridge store with university collaboration
Uniqlo opened its first Cambridge store at Grand Arcade on 24 September, occupying 9,472 sq ft across two floors in the former Ted Baker unit. The new location carries LifeWear for women and men, alongside products exclusive to the University of Cambridge and creations by local illustrator Lele Saa.
JD Sports targets 140 shops in Mexico through franchise deal
JD Sports Fashion unveiled plans to open more than 140 shops in Mexico through a new franchise deal that will take the brand to the country. The Lancashire-based retail chain, which has its shares listed in London, said it wanted to tap into the fast-growing activewear market.
Uniqlo signs for 8,000 sq ft Bath store as South West expansion continues
Uniqlo agreed to lease a store measuring approximately 8,000 sq ft at SouthGate shopping centre in Bath, which is owned by British Land; it is due to open in spring 2027. The two-floor space will be its second location in south-west England after Bristol, extending the retailer’s regional rollout.
Hush plans three full-price stores as it moves into bricks-and-mortar retail
Hush announced its first standalone full-price stores. The autumn openings begin at Bluewater on 9 October and Guildford on 16 October; the Marlow store follows on 5 November.
ARNE to open third permanent UK store at Victoria Leeds
Its 3,658 sq ft Victoria Quarter store will be its third permanent UK location, carrying clothing for men and women alongside footwear.
Mango appoints global retail chief as UK expansion reaches Chester
Mango opened a second Chester store, adding 6,200 sq ft to its UK footprint as it works towards 15 UK openings in 2026. The retail expansion coincided with the appointment of Katarzyna Niemirowicz Majtas as Chief Retail Officer, with responsibility for more than 2,960 points of sale worldwide.
TALA heads to Edinburgh for first store outside of London
TALA announced plans to open at Westfield St James Quarter in Edinburgh in November 2026. The Scottish opening will add to its Carnaby Street and Westfield White City locations, both of which opened in 2025.
Superdry & Co continues investment in UK retail with new store in Derby
Superdry & Co signed a 10-year lease for a store at Derby’s Derbion Shopping Centre, extending its investment in UK physical retail. The planned opening follows the brand’s first UK outlet at Scotland’s Caledonia Park, which opened in late June 2026.
Vanilla signs for new Peterborough store as shopping centre’s investment continues
Vanilla is preparing a 3,622 sq ft store at Queensgate Shopping Centre in Peterborough this autumn, bringing its two womenswear propositions together under one roof. The new shop will carry Blue Vanilla’s broad-appeal range and Pink Vanilla’s trend-led offer, aimed at customers aged 12 to 24.
Loeffler Randall opens first international store in London
Loeffler Randall launched its first location beyond the US at 44 Chiltern Street in London’s Marylebone, marking its fifth location worldwide. The London store joins its four US stores.
Ulla Johnson leads UK-first fashion openings in Chelsea this autumn
New York-based Ulla Johnson opened its first international flagship at 150 Sloane Street in Chelsea, taking a corner site near Sloane Square. The London debut is one of several UK-first fashion openings planned for the area this autumn.
Wiggy Kit opens first flagship store in London’s Belgravia
At 48 Elizabeth Street in London’s Belgravia, luxury womenswear brand Wiggy Kit launched its first flagship, following a series of pop-ups. Founded by Wiggy Hindmarch in 2015, the label has built a customer base through temporary spaces.
K-Way expands UK retail footprint with new Covent Garden store
French outerwear label K-Way plans to open a 1,200 sq ft store at 19 Earlham Street in Covent Garden’s Seven Dials in October. The new location will be its third UK store, selling outerwear, fleeces and other clothing for adults and children.
Gieves & Hawkes reopens historic Savile Row flagship following major refurb
Gieves & Hawkes reopened its historic flagship at No. 1 Savile Row following a refurbishment of the Grade II-listed property. The 7,000 sq ft store has been redesigned to preserve the building’s character while giving the Frasers Group-owned tailoring brand a more contemporary space for clients.
Liberty opens second jewellery space amid soaring demand
A second jewellery area launched at Liberty’s Regent Street flagship as category sales rose 20% year-on-year. The first-floor Fashion Jewellery Gallery opened on 14 September, bringing together 37 brands, eight of them new to the retailer, alongside 11 retailer exclusives.
Margaret Howell begins South Korea expansion with Seoul store
Margaret Howell opened a shop at Shinsegae Main in Seoul on 22 September, starting a phased rollout in South Korea. The department-store opening followed the appointment of Samsung C&T as exclusive local distributor, with two more Seoul shops planned by the end of 2026.
Clarks opens second Paris store as expansion plans advance
Clarks opened a second Paris store at 11 Boulevard de la Madeleine, adding to its existing presence in the French capital. The new retail location, close to Place de la Madeleine, forms part of the British footwear brand’s wider expansion plans across France and Europe.
Data insights
UK inflation rises to 3.1% as BRC calls for business rates freeze
UK inflation rose to 3.1% in August from 2.9% in July, the latest Office for National Statistics figures showed. The increase in the Consumer Price Index came as the British Retail Consortium urged the Chancellor to freeze business rates at the Autumn Budget.
UK retail jobs fall to record low as employment costs rise
ONS figures put UK retail employment at 2.78 million in the year to the second quarter of 2026, its lowest level on record, as the sector faced rising employment costs. The ONS four-quarter average was down 62,000 jobs year-on-year and 410,000 compared with a decade earlier.
Retail footfall down despite return of shoppers after heatwave
UK retail footfall fell 1.7% year-on-year in August, even as cooler weather drew shoppers back after July’s heatwave. The BRC-Sensormatic monitor, covering 2 to 29 August, showed an improvement on July’s 2.1% decline and June’s 3.4% drop.
Card spending up in August as consumers look to autumn clothing
Consumer card spending on both essential and non-essential purchases rose 2.1% year-on-year in August, helped by stronger hospitality and leisure spending. The Barclays Consumer Spend report also found that 41% of consumers wanted summer to be over, following the UK’s hottest summer on record.
Gen Z goes the distance for viral independent retail finds
Four in five Gen Z consumers surveyed by American Express had travelled to an independent retailer after discovering it on social media, with journeys averaging 95 minutes. The research on viral retail finds shows how online discovery brought shoppers to smaller stores beyond their immediate area.
Features and comments
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Fashion month and Autumn Fair
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