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PRShots Roundup brings you the latest retail news from Wickes, Uniqlo, Wolford, Lush, Argos, Asos, Aldi, Boux Avenue, Tesco, Garage, Champion and Topologie. Plus, why connected customer experiences keep failing, how Joybuy plans to shake up the UK ecommerce market and more.
THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS
Wickes profits beat expectations
Wickes FY to Dec 2025 shows revenues up 5.9% to £1.64bn, while adjusted profit before tax rose 14.4% to £49.9m and has said it now has ambitions to grow to 300 stores.
Shop theft shows signs of decline as retailers ramp up £313m crime spend
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has reported 5.8m incidents of shop theft over the past year, down from 6.2m.
Uniqlo goes from strength to strength across UK and Europe
Uniqlo’s UK and Europe FY to end of Aug 2025 shows turnover up 34% to just under €2.267bn and profit after tax of €243.3m, up from €222.9m.
Wolford reports revenue 14% drop to €76m
Lanvin-owned Wolford reported revenue of €76m for the 2025 financial year, a 14% decline from €88m in 2024 with some decline attributed to the closing of unprofitable stores.
Lush calls out ‘racist narratives’ in new campaign with Migrants’ Rights Network
Lush has partnered with the Migrants’ Rights Network to launch a nationwide public awareness and fundraising campaign aimed at highlighting the “growing use of racist narratives”.
ASOS launches modest wear label IYAL
ASOS has launched modest wear label IYAL, to get a foothold in the global modest fashion market, which is estimated to reach £280bn by 2025.
Argos is building a new online marketplace capability to launch “within the next year” to make a significant expansion in the number of products available on the site.
Aldi ends ‘just walk out’ checkout-free store experiment
Aldi has scrapped its checkout-free trial store in London, bringing an end to its experiment with “just walk out” shopping technology.
Alcohol-free beer and houmous added to UK inflation basket as consumer habits shift
Alcohol-free beer and houmous have been added to the basket of 760 goods used to calculate the UK’s inflation rate by the Office for National Statistics.
Boux Avenue’s ‘Tunnel of Love’ collection drives sales surge
Boux Avenue delivered improved profitability for the year ending Mar 2025, with an EBITDA of £6.4m following a 6.9% growth in sales and improved margins.
TRENDS, SUSTAINABILITY, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Why connected customer experiences keep failing
Your customers keep telling you they already told you something. They filled out the form, they explained the issue to your support team, and they’ve just had to do it again.
How Joybuy plans to shake up the UK ecommerce market
The MD of Joybuy UK, a new online shopping venture from Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com, explains how they plan to disrupt the UK online market.
How to maximise your influencer budget
Hootsuite breaks down average influencer pricing across major platforms, the factors that affect rates, and the best formulas for calculating rates for your next influencer marketing campaign.
Why emotion data is changing how ads get tested
Emotion data reveals how audiences actually respond to creative, helping brands fix weak messaging before spending millions on media.
Who owns the customer after checkout?
After years of getting the customer to the checkout, retailers are now having to focus beyond the buy button.
Beauty Pop-ups: How your brand can stand out from the crowd
Whether it’s a one-off store location (that’s usually open for a limited time), an immersive experience, a brand activation or a mobile tour, pop-ups are having their moment.
How important are the Oscars for luxury fashion?
The most important thing about this year’s Oscars for fashion is the timing. Sunday evening’s ceremony falls almost two weeks later than past years, so luxury houses can focus on the awards.
Visa tests out AI agent purchases
Visa is launching a new trial testing out how AI shopping agents could make purchases on behalf of consumers, in association with leading UK banks.
Co-op upgrades in-store comms tech across UK estate
Co-op has unveiled a new five-year partnership with a retail communications specialist which will see advanced headsets deployed to more than 2,300 stores nationwide.
PEOPLE, MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Depop appoints 'Trends Spokesperson' to champion circular fashion culture
Depop has appointed Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, as Trends Spokesperson, a global role in which she will speak on emerging trends and the defining cultural role of circular fashion.
Kering creates new jewellery division
French luxury group Kering has created a new jewellery division and appointed Jean-Marc Duplaix to head it up.
BRAND NEWS
Tesco is expanding its in-store parcel locker offering
Tesco has begun installing Evri-branded lockers across a small number of Extra and Superstore locations, as part of a broader locker hub trial bringing together multiple parcel providers.
Garage reveals opening dates for first UK stores
Cult Canadian activewear, athleisure and denim brand Garage has confirmed that its flagship Oxford Street store will open 27 Mar, following the brand’s UK debut at Bluewater on 20 Mar.
Uniqlo collaborates with Biorestore for Earth Day
Uniqlo is launching its Europe-wide “Uniqlo LifeWear for a Lifetime” campaign in April, to try and encourage shoppers to wear clothes for longer, instead of buying new.
Champion opens new concept store in Manchester
Champion has opened a new concept store at the Manchester Arndale shopping centre, offering a “sportstyle heritage and a community-focused” retail space.
Topologie heads to Soho for third London store
Rock climbing-inspired accessories brand Topologie has opened its third London store at 79 Berwick Street in Soho.
M&S unveils its Spring/Summer ‘26 collection
Marks & Spencer steps boldly into the new season with the launch of the Spring/Summer 2026 collection. To download images see M&S PRShots media centre.
AND FINALLY x2
Guinness tie-up features £1,295 ‘pub carpet’ jumper
Guinness enlists JW Anderson to help brew up 17-piece range of luxury fashionwear, from ‘beer towel’ shorts to branded trousers and tops.
Trump signs order to combat fraudulent ‘Made in America’ Labels
A Trump signed executive order directs the FTC chairman to prioritise enforcement of existing laws against sellers and manufacturers who falsely claim products are made in America.
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PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES
What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending Mar 13th 2026?
1/ SS26
2/ Easter
3/ Garden
4/ Denim
5/ Outdoor
6/ Floral
7/ Orange
8/ Dress
9/ Yellow
10/ Green
PRSHOTS DIARY
PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts
Days until Eid al-Fitr - 2
Days until Easter –19
Days until Father’s Day – 96
Days until School Summer holidays (Scotland) - 107
Days until School Summer holidays (England&Wales) - 127
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;
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
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
Threadbare has new SS26 womenswear.
Scamp & Dude has new holiday outfits including dresses, shirts, swimwear and bags, a new Davina McCall collaboration plus new clothes and accessory ranges.
Oliver Bonas has new May summer fashion lines, plus April and March drops of hats, sunglasses, socks, shoes, sandals, clothing, bags, jewellery and accessories.
Very has new denim ranges, a new collaboration with Adidas, new Wuthering-Heights-inspired womenswear, new Traitors-inspired fashion, a new Transitional Very Collection, Winter footwear and a new Michelle Keegan collaboration.
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.
Lola Star has a new Elevate range of athleisure wear.
New Look has new season outfits, jewellery and accessories and drops of SS26 ranges including clothes, bags, shoes, boots and accessories.
River Island has a new Enid Blyton bag collaboration, 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.
M&S has a new Gillian Anderson collaboration, new Autograph lingerie and nightwear ranges, new menswear ranges, new SS26 accessories, jewellery, shoes and bags, underwear ranges.
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.
Bonmarché has new womenswear for the summer holidays modelled by Lisa Snowdon.
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.
Deichmann has new boots and ballet flats.
Joe Browns has its SS26 mens and womenswear collections.
Inspecs has a new Barbour range of sunglasses.
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.
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.
Regatta has a new Orla Kiely collaboration with womens clothing including t-shirts, coats and swimwear.
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.
See additional new clothing and accessories images from
Home, garden and food
Oliver Bonas has new May homeware furniture for the bedroom and living room and kitchenware, plus Father’s Day gifts and cards, April homeware and kitchenware ranges for the dining room, living room and bedroom.
Homesense has new SS26 homeware for the lounge, bathroom, kitchen and dining room and Easter gifts for the home.
Primark has new homeware for Easter including Easter decorations, vases, soft furnishings, candles, diffusers and kitchenware.
Dobbies Garden Centres has new things for garden barbecues and eating outside, from lighting to tabletop firepits to climbing frames, plus garden pots and grow your own solutions for spring, and all the tools needed for the Easter and spring planting spree.
Joe Browns has launched its SS26 home range with ideas for every room in the home including bedding, furniture, vases, candlesticks, glassware, bowls, lamps, serving bowls and trays, storage solutions and knick-knacks.
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.
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 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.
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.
See additional new home images from
Home Bargains The Gluttonous Gardener Jellycat Nest Arran Sense of Scotland
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.
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.
NEWSLETTER SECTIONS
THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS
HOW TO GET YOUR BRAND NOTICED BY THE MEDIA
NEW IMAGERY ON PRSHOTS IN FASHION/BEAUTY/HOME
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