Category Archives: Retail

Phat Kandi joins curated Japan-inspired line up as HMV marks 100 years with pop culture store launches

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The British alternative fashion brand, Phat Kandi, has been selected as one of the chosen few independent labels to supply HMV as it marks its 100th year in retail with the launch of ten new pop culture stores across the UK.

The initiative will see HMV launch a raft of specially curated stores offering the latest in kawaii or Japanese pop culture inspired products, all of which will be supplied by independent and up and coming brands. Product collections will range from fashion and accessories to imported Japanese foods and more.

The running theme throughout the curated collection housed within these ten new locations will be the essence of pop culture today.

Established in 2019 by its creative director, Mel Williams, Phat Kandi has been developed a brand aimed at ‘bitter sweet misfits,’ an audience she describes as ‘the dreamers, the rule breakers, and the overlooked,’ as a place where they can ‘feel at home.’ With a love of  all things Japanese, and inspired by the fashion tribes of Harajuku, Mel created a brand combining her distinctive hand writing, illustrations and her fashion design experience.

“I’m super happy to be part of HMVs exciting new pop culture concept stores. We’re a perfect fit for their customers who want something alternative to the norm. Concept stores like this are well over due for the UK high street, consumers are screaming out for freshness, new offerings and up and coming brands which is what HMV are delivering,” said Mel.

“I’m looking forward to growing with the HMV tribe, as well as adding new categories to our fashion range.”

Phat Kandi have also landed two US stockists: Hot Topic, Dolls Kill, EMP ( Europe) as well as a licensee partnership across sportswear during what Williams has described as a “very exciting time for Phat Kandi.”

“Even through a pandemic we’ve managed to survive and grow, and we’re only just warming up. My vision for Phat Kandi is to become a global brand, the go to place for alternative products, then open our own concept stores in London, Japan and LA,” she continued. “I totally believe the vision will become a reality one day.”

The first HMV store under the new initiative is now open in Solihull offering Phat Kandi limited edition fashion pieces such as tees and bucket hats. Nine more concept stores will be opening across the UK each month from September.

LEGO launches its first experiential pop-up retail and activity tour of the UK

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The LEGO Group is hitting the road with the launch of its first experiential pop-up tour of the UK this summer, hitting major cities including Southampton, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and Bristol.

Called the LEGO Pop & Play Tour, the out of store experiential activation with set up ‘shop’ within major shopping centres around the UK, each hosted by LEGO Retail stores and their store associates. The free family event will encourage kids and families to unleash their creativity through a range of play experiences.

Visitors will be able to take part in a number of activity stations, including cupcake decoration with LEGO DOTS, vehicle building with LEGO City, embarking on a scavenger hunt to spot balloons and horses with LEGO Friends, and creating their own beat with the LEGO VIDIYO studio.

After completing each station, families will receive a rosette and by simply collecting two, can head to a local LEGO store in the area to collect a free gift.

Alison Wood, retail director of UK LEGO Stores, said: “We’re looking forward to taking our first ever LEGO Pop & Play Tour around the UK. Summer 2020 was disappointing for many families, so we hope this free, family event helps make up for it and gives them the chance to unleash their creativity.

“With LEGO City, Friends, DOTS and VIDIYO, we’ve ensured there’s something for all interests, whether that be arts and crafts, vehicles or music. With a free gift up for grabs for every family, taking part is a no-brainer.”

The LEGO Pop & Play Tour includes the following locations and tickets are available at here:

Southampton 7th & 8th August, Bargate

Liverpool 14th & 15th August, Liverpool Onn

Edinburgh 28th & 29th August, St James Quarter

Birmingham 4th & 5th September, Bullring

Bristol 11th & 12th September, Cabot Circus

UK retail enjoys best quarter on record as sales surge 13.1 per cent

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Retail sales have seen a record increase over the past three months, amounting to the ‘best quarter on record’ with shoppers returning to stores in force since the easing of lockdown restrictions back in April.

According to the latest BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor, total sales in June increased 13.1 per cent against a decline of 1.3 per cent in June 2019, fuelled by stores re-opening and the continued allure of online shopping.

On a like for like basis, UK retail sales increased 17 per cent from June 2019, when they had decreased 1.6 per cent from the preceding year.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “The second quarter of 2021 saw exceptional growth as the gradual unlocking of the UK economy encouraged a release of pent-up demand built up over previous lockdowns.

“In June, while growth in food sales begun to slow, non food sales were bolstered by growing consumer confidence and the continued unleashing of consumer demand. With many people taking staycations, or cheaper UK-based holidays, many have found they have a little extra to spend at the shops, with strong growth in-store in June.”

The good news for retail hasn’t, however, come without its warning, and Dickinson has suggested that UK retail is still ‘facing strong headwinds’ with many retailers ‘still making up for ground lost during the previous lockdowns.’

Footfall in city centres remains low, while international tourism is still well below pre-pandemic levels.

“Consumer comfort with the next stage of the roadmap will be key to the ongoing success of retail. Many customers are looking forward to a return to a more normal shopping experience, while others may be discouraged by the change in face covering rules.

“The government will need to reassure the public on safety, while pushing forward with its hugely successful vaccination programme.

“The public will also need to be understanding of one another during the easing of restrictions; there has been a big rise in violence and abuse against retail workers during the pandemic and colleagues cannot be put in the firing line because of this change in policy.”

Paul Martin, UK head of retail at KPMG, added: “Retail sales growth continued in June, albeit at a slower rate as the re-opening of hospitality and leisure sectors led to a dilution in consumer spending. The fight for share of wallet is underway, as consumers unleash pent up demand for social activities as restrictions in the UK continue to unwind.

“While the high street saw continued growth in June, with sales up 10 per cent, online sales fell back by seven per cent compared to June 2020.  However, penetration rates for online sales remain much higher than their pre-pandemic levels, suggesting the shift to online is here to stay.

“Retailers are facing challenges on a number of fronts, particularly convincing consumers that it’s safe to shop in store as restrictions around mask wearing and social distancing come to an end. With travel now looking to be back on the agenda for summer and Government COVID-19 support packages slowly coming to an end, retailers will be hoping that the feel good factor from Euro 2020 and lifting of COVID-19 restrictions will give the high street the summer boost it needs.”

UK retailer Mamas & Papas eyes licensing and franchising among global growth plans

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The British nursery and children’s wear retailer, Mamas & Papas is eyeing international growth, having signed a slate of new overseas partnerships across central and eastern Europe.

The move, according to the firm, arrives amid a surge in international demand for British heritage brands like the Yorkshire-based Mamas & Papas, who has now counted the exploration of licensing partners among its wider global ambitions.

The company, who has headquarters in Huddersfield, and designs and manufactures travel systems, nursery furniture, and children’s clothing, said the new agreements were part of the retailer’s long term goal to be the ‘global nursery brand of choice.’ It added that it was exploring multiple routes to market, from “distributors and agents, to franchisees and licensing partners.”

Mamas & Papas has now signed distribution partners in ten countries, including the likes of Russia, Poland, and the Czech Republic, which have been pinpointed as key markets for the brand. It is also close to signing agreements covering five further countries.

With similar partnerships in the Far East and the Middle East now also on the radar, Mamas & Papas expects to double its overseas sales to the region next year.

Johan Meyfroidt, international general manager at Mamas & Papas, said: “There has always been strong overseas demand for British heritage brands like Mamas & Papas and our products have sold successfully in a number of markets for decades. As we step up our global ambitions, we’re exploring multiple routes to market, from distributors and agents to franchisees and licensing partners.

“What works in Poland may not work in Malaysia, so it’s important we have the agility to tailor our approach to suit local market dynamics.”

Mark Saunders, chief executive officer at Mamas & Papas, added: “Our international strategy is about scaling our presence in new and existing overseas markets at pace but also at low cost, helping us meet increasing global appetite for our design-led products, especially in those territories with increasingly affluent populations.

“Post-Brexit, it’s important that UK firms think globally about their growth and take full advantage of the enduring appeal of British brands.”

“We’re also continuing to expand our presence in our core UK market, both through our online business and our standalone stores and Next concessions.”

The company recently reported strong trading across its store portfolio and online business following the re-opening of non-essential retail in April.

Harvey Nichols to create ‘ultimate destination for mini-me brands’ with first children’s wear launch

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Harvey Nichols is readying to open its ‘ultimate destination for children’s designer clothing,’ as it launches its first kids’ range from its Leeds Victoria Quarter store next week.

The department store’s kids’ section will be located on the first floorand will stock 25 kidswear brands and over 700 different styles, creating, it has stated, a ‘custom designed space’ that ‘will bring together the best edit of mini-me brands.’

The collection will cater for newborns, babies, kids and teens and will cover both casual and occasion wear.

Harvey Nichols has been bullish in its desire to establish “the ultimate destination for children’s designer clothing in the city,” with a children’s range that will include brands such as Givenchy, Balmain, Chloe, Stella McCartney, and Zimmerman, alongside streetwear and casual brands such as Moschino and Zenzo.

The Leeds store will also stock Canada Goose and Moncler exclusively for the autumn/winter season.

“We are so excited to bring Harvey Nichols children’s wear to Leeds, showcasing enviable collections for children of all ages,” said Harvey Nichols Leeds general manager, Sally Lackey.

“The new, custom-designed space, will bring together the very best edit of mini me brands, creating the ultimate destination for children’s designer clothing in the city.

“Alongside our curated fashion and accessories collections, innovative beauty offering and stylish dining, Harvey Nichols Leeds will now be the go-to place for the whole family.”

Laura Larbalestier, group fashion buying director, added: “We are really excited to be launching children’s wear at Harvey Nichols. This is a natural evolution for us and we’re confident that the range will really resonate with our customers.”

Gap to close all 81 UK and Ireland stores and move online-only to ‘meet shoppers where they are’

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Fashion retailer, Gap is exiting the UK high street, with plans to close all 81 stores in the UK and Ireland, the American company has confirmed this week.

The decision has been struck following a review of the fashion brand’s operations across Europe and will see the company shift to online only in the markets affected. As a result, all 81 stores across the UK and Ireland will be shut ‘in a phased manner’ from the end of August through to the end of September this year.

The move is part of the firm’s strategy to ‘meet customers where they are shopping’, detailing its plans to become a ‘digital first business’ as it now begins the search for a partner to help it drive its business online.

“In the United Kingdom and Europe, we are going to maintain our Gap online business,” said the company in a statement issue this week.

“However, due to market dynamics in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, we shared with our team today that we are proposing to close all company-operated Gap Specialty and Gap Outlet stores in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in a phased manner from the end of August through the end of September 2021.

“We are thoughtfully moving through the consultation process with our European team, and we will provide support and transition assistance for our colleagues as we look to wind down stores.”

The news is seen as another blow to the UK high street which has suffered a number of losses over the last 18 months, including brands Debenhams which closed its last remaining stores on May 15th this year and was bought by Boohoo for £55m in January to operate as an online-only, and Arcadia, the group behind Topshop, Burton, and Dorothy Perkins which closed 31 stores this year after falling into administration in November 2020.

Several of its brands were bought by online retailer ASOS, including Topshop and Topman.

SILC21 | The Insights Family: “Kids are becoming leaders in sustainable consumption”

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Children’s consumption habits are changing and a new generation of consumers are looking to become leaders in shopping sustainably, is the message to emerge from day one of two of this week’s Sustainability in Licensing Conference.

An opening presentation given by The Insights Family’s chief product officer, Jonathan Watson, highlighted that today’s children will be the next leaders in sustainability, and that it was the responsibility of the kids’ entertainment industry to “empower them to do so.”

The two day Sustainability in Licensing Conference (SILC21) kicked off on Thursday, June 24th with a line up of representatives and change makers from across industries, including those from The Eden Project, Tesco, and George at Asda among others, each showcasing the latest developments in the nationwide (and global) drive for better sustainability practices within the business of consumer products.

The session was opened with a presentation from the insights and family intelligence specialist, The Insight Family who offered a deep dive into the most recent data from across the global markets on the children’s and family sector’s relationship with the topic of environmentalism and sustainability.

Key to the presentation were findings around children’s growing understanding of the sustainability conversation, highlighting that it was now a global concern for kids aged six to 12, and that this was filtering down to spending habits today.

Currently over 45 per cent of children aged six to 18 in the UK say they would spend more on something that is environmentally friendly or sustainable. At the same time, youngsters are engaging with the topic far more actively across social media platforms such as Twtich and Discord as they seek out like-minded individuals to talk about the topics.

“Far from being passive observers, kids are thinking about their purchases more than ever, and becoming leaders in sustainable consumption,” said Watson. “Many are now willing to pay an increased price, showing how building sustainability into your business can not only result in increased brand advocacy and financial growth, but can save the planet along the way.”

The discussion spanned the topics of food consumption – the environment is now a major consideration for 22 per cent of UK children’s food choices – to the removal of children’s magazines containing plastic throw-away toys from Waitrose.

“Data has shown that 32 per cent of parents who shop at Waitrose say the environment is their biggest concern. That’s twice as many as the average,” explained Watson. “They are more likely to be the parents teaching their kids about their actions and the environment.

“Likewise, we asked kids why they purchase a magazine. The number that say it’s for the free toy on the front has been reducing over the last few quarters. However, it is still the number one reason for their choice.”

This will be a conflict that many brands in the children’s magazine sector will have to negotiate over the next few years.

Watson concluded: “Making sustainability easier for kids, teens and parents to understand is imperative. It’s important to be empathetic, practical and inclusive of parents so that consumers feel like they are empowered.

“Kids want to make a change, and we need to make it easier for them to do this.”

The Sustainability in Licensing Conference will continue today with speakers from ZURU Toys and LEGO taking to the stage among others.

LEGO has revamped its ‘retail entertainment’ with New York City flagship LEGO Store

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The LEGO Group has opened the doors of an immersive new LEGO Store in New York City, setting up shop in a two-storey location on Fifth Avenue as the first flagship store to feature new retail formats.

Elements of the innovative new store will be introduced to more than 100 stores worldwide in the coming year, the toy maker has stated, as it highlights a new format designed to ‘create an immersive world of LEGO bricks’ by blending digital and physical experiences.

The New York City flagship has been developed as part of the company’s strategy to innovate its stores in line with consumer demands for more personalised and interactive retail offerings, as well as recognition of the role that brick and mortar stores play in strengthening connections with the brand, despite the surge in online shopping.

Colette Burke, chief commercial officer at The LEGO Group, said: “For a number of years we’ve seen the trend towards people visiting stores for high-quality, entertaining brand experiences. Over the past year our fans have missed personal and tactile interactions with the brand and we can’t wait to welcome them back.”

The LEGO Group spent two years developing the new retail concept and researching what shoppers and children want from a LEGO store visit. They found that people were keen for more opportunities to play with bricks, participate in brick-inspired activities, personalise their experience and have fun.

As a result, LEGO has unveiled a suite of impactful features in the New York City Store, including an experience that immerses people and their LEGO builds in a virtual world. Called Brick Lab, the in-store technology brings walls, floors, and ceiling to life with light, sound, and music for an interactive build and play experience.

Meanwhile, an interactive Tree of Discovery is made from 880,000 LEGO elements and acts as the store’s centrepiece. It stands as ‘an expression of the LEGO Group’s commitment to being inclusive and having a positive impact on society and the planet.’

An interactive Storytelling Table has been designed with adult fans of LEGO in mind, enabling them to bring the stories behind sets available in store to life. It shows early product designs and prototypes, lifts the lid on the development process and allow fans to virtually ‘meet’ the LEGO designers.

The store’s Personalisation Studio invites visitors to make a memento of their visit. In it, they can reimagine themselves in LEGO form, either as a portrait from the Mosaic Maker or a Minifigure from the LEGO Minifigure Factory.

Elsewhere, with LEGO Expression, visitors can have fun with LEGO Minifigures who mimic their facial expressions, while the new Fifth Avenue store will also include larger than life builds of icons of the city, such as a taxicab to sit in, an Empire State Buyilding and One World Trade skyscraper, the lights and billboards of Broadway and Time Square, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Thor, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, and Captain America, and the Ghostbusters Firehouse and crew.

The new store format has been designed to be flexible so that it can work in LEGO stores of all sizes, as well as in third-party retail partners’ stores. It will be introduced to over 100 LEGO stores around the world during the coming year, as well as select global partner retailers.

The LEGO Group currently has around 731  branded stores in 50 countries around the world and plans to open 120 new stores during 2021. In addition to investing in brick and mortar, the LEGO Group will continue to invest in building its e-commerce capabilities.

In 2020, the number of visitors to its LEGO.com online store doubled to a quarter of a billion and this growth has continued in 2021.

Colette said: “We’re seeing significant growth across e-commerce channels, but we also understand the distinct and important role that each of our retail channels plays in building the brand. We will continue to invest in innovating across all our channels to create compelling experiences online, in-store and with our retail partners.”

Check it out

The Brick Lab

Designed exclusively for LEGO flagship stores, the 20-minute themed experience uses innovative technology to bring walls, floors, and ceilings to life with interactive animated content, lighting, sound, and music to invite kids (and grown-ups) to play in a virtual world that plays right along with them.

Each visitor will have the opportunity to meet the characters on screen and let their imaginations run wild as they build their own creation, scan their build and then watch it become a living part of the Brick Lab in seconds so they can play both physically and virtually.

The Tree of Discovery

The tree, which took 1,900 hours to construct and is made of over 880,000 LEGO bricks, symbolises the LEGO Group’s commitment to having a positive impact on society and the planet.

A key feature is its bright rainbow trunk which houses a whole host of wonderful hidden details and secrets for shoppers to discover such as mini-scenes, kaleidoscopes and picture viewers from DUPLO, Technic and the LEGO System in Play bricks.

The Mosaic Maker

Which captures your image and creates your own personalized LEGO mosaic portrait in just a few minutes.

The LEGO Minifigure Factory

Allows you to design and create a unique LEGO Minifigure (complete with a brick with your name and a special box) – the perfect souvenir for your visit or gift for someone else.

LEGO Expressions

Ever wanted a LEGO Minifigure to copy your every move?  Well now you can with the magical LEGO Expressions.  Simply stand in front of the screen and Lady Liberty and her NYC pals will copy every facial expression you make.

Exclusive NYC inspired LEGO models

Highlights include a talking Statue of Liberty Minifigure, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes such as Thor, Spiderman, Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America who’s standing on top of an iconic yellow NYC taxi cab, a New York cityscape, a wall featuring LEGO recreations of famous Broadway show and Movie LEGO posters, the Ghostbusters Firehouse featuring the full Ghostbusters crew, Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man and Slimer.

 

Disney confirms it’s in ‘consultation with group of UK Stores’ over closures

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Disney has confirmed that it is holding consultations with an initial group of stores in the UK about their closure in its first official acknowledgement of speculation that all but its flagship London store was to shut up shop in the UK.

Rumours have been circulating that Disney has been planning to close all but one of its 34 stores in the UK, leaving its London Oxford Street store open to the public as its flagship bricks and mortar destination.

As tracked by the Snopes.com online resource, shutdowns of the Disney’s country-wide fleet of shops appear to be happening on a store-by-store basis. One of the latest to face closure is the company’s Highcross, Leicester unit.

The Disney pop-up in Highcross has, according to the Leicester Mercury, seen significant amount of success since it was welcomed back to the retail space in 2017. However, officials at Disney have since confirmed that it is now one of a number of stores part of a consultation period, with the possibility of closure.

A statement from a Disney Store spokesperson, said: “We are currently in consultation with an initial group of Stores in the UK, including our Leicester Store.”

Benzinga has been following the developments of the Disney Store in the US, reporting that in March this year, the retail operation of the global corporation detailed its efforts to pivot from brick and mortar stores to e-commerce, beginning with the closure of at least 60 of its North American stores.

“While consumer behaviour has shifted toward online shopping, the global pandemic has changed what consumers expect from a retailer,” said Stephanie Young, president of consumer products, games, and publishing.

“Over the past few years, we have been focusing on meeting consumers where they are already spending their time, such as the expansion of Disney Store shops-in-shops around the world.

“We now plan to create a more flexible, interconnected e-commerce experience that gives consumers easy access to unique, high quality products across all of our franchises.”

The strategy appears to be implemented in other European countries, including in Ireland where a single Disney Stores is expected to remain in Dublin, and in France where stores will remain operational at Disneyland Paris and on the Champs-Elysees.

Amazon waste investigation sparks UK government call for ‘more re-use and recycling of products’

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An investigation into one of Amazon’s Scottish warehouses has compelled the UK government to call for ‘more re-use and recycling of products’ after it was discovered that the online giant is destroying millions of products a year.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said the government is ‘looking at regulations to increase recycling practices’ and to ‘make sure retailers take more responsibility for things like electrical goods.’

The call follows an investigation by ITV that found items including smart TVs, laptops, drones, hairdryers, and thousands of sealed face masks had been sorted into boxes marked ‘destroy’ at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Dunfermline, Fife.

Speaking anonymously, an ex-employee at the site revealed that their target was to destroy 130,000 items a week.

“I used to gasp. There’s no rhyme or reason to what gets destroyed,” they said. “Dyson fans, Hoovers, the occasional MacBook and iPad; the other day, 20,000 Covid facemasks still in their wrappers. Overall 50 per cent of all items are unopened and still in their shrink wrap. The other half are returns and in good condition.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson said that the business secretary has already been in conversation with Amazon on the issue, adding that “we absolutely want to see more re-use and recycling of products.

ITV also found a leaked document from Amazon that showed more than 124,000 items were marked ‘destroy’ during one week of April, compared to 28,000 items in the same period labelled ‘donate’.

Amazon has however, denied the claims, telling the PA news agency that no items are sent to landfill in the UK, but that, at last resort, it will send items to energy recovery; a means of stripping recyclable materials from products before the rest is reconverted into energy.

A statement from Amazon published in The Independent, said: “We are working towards a goal of zero product disposal and our priority is to resell, donate to charitable organisations, or recycle any unsold products.

“No items are sent to landfill in the UK. As a last resort, we will send items to energy recovery, but we’re working hard to drive the number of times this happens down to zero.

“We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and building a circular economy programme with the aim of reducing returns, reusing and reselling products, and reducing disposals.”

The Amazon spokesperson also denied that it was cheaper to dispose of the items instead of returning them to the domestic sellers.