Following months of consistent negative growth against a backdrop of continued challenges, including the cost-of-living crisis and postal strikes, Black Friday “brought retailers a small sigh of relief”.

According the IMRG Capgemini Sales Index, retailers collectively defied the odds and achieved +0.7% year-on-year growth in November. While that figure is low and suggests some customer hesitancy, it marks the first moment of positive-territory growth in the index since April 2021.

Traffic to online retail sites peaked at +2.7% year-on-year in the week commencing 13 November 2022, predominantly owed to early Black Friday activations, which were particularly strong across beauty, home and electrical products. However, there was a decline in traffic in the week commencing 20 November, at -6.1% year-on-year, signalling customers’ response to early campaigning.

As predicted, the number of retailers launching Black Friday campaigns was higher this year. However, the early activations did not deliver increased revenue. When comparing

Read More

JD Sports has offloaded a raft of “non-core” premium fashion brands, including Giulio, Cricket, Pretty Green and Tessuti, to fellow listed fashion group Frasers.

The move comes after a strategic review of JD Sports by its new CEO Régis Shultz who joined the business from Al-Futtaim Group in August of this year.

Some 15 brands form part of the deal which were sold to Frasers for an aggregate cash consideration of up to £47.5m. Completion on the acquisition of shares in eight of the divested businesses and on the acquisition of all of the debt owing to JD by the divested businesses took place immediately on exchange with completion on the acquisition of shares in the remaining seven businesses expected in early 2023. 

JD Sports said the move would allow the business to focus on opportunities elsewhere in its group, such as in particular the international and digital expansion

Read More

We’re officially in the holiday shopping season! Now more than ever, Americans will be seeking out retailers with the best possible gift deals and looking for ways to save extra money on everything from making a holiday feast to booking travel. Follow our ultimate guide to 2022 holiday shopping and saving.

Explore: GOBankingRates’ Best Credit Cards for 2023
Also: 3 Easy Tips To Turn Your Credit Woes Into Wows

Plan Ahead and Budget

Take the stress out of holiday spending, whether you shop in-person or online, by planning ahead using some of these smart spending strategies from experts.

  • Make a list. Lindsey Bell, chief markets and money strategist at Ally, recommends making a list before you head out to go shopping.
  • Set a holiday budget. Setting a holiday budget allows you to create itemized expenses, said Matthew Paxton, founder of Hypernia. Earmark a budget amount for each person on
Read More

ZANESVILLE, Oh – Holiday shopping is in full swing, with many heading out to find those perfect gifts for everyone on their lists.

And the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office wants to ensure you tay safe as you head out to find all the jolly good deals,

Sheriff Matt Lutz says it all starts on the road, advising you to be patient, take your time, and expect delays on your trip to the store, especially with the added challenge of ongoing construction throughout the area.

Although he recommends shopping during the day, Sheriff Lutz knows that’s not always possible and recommends having a plan before you head out after dark and always parking in well lit areas, also adding you should manually lock your car instead of using the key fob.

“You know, just trying to be cognizant of what’s going on around you, familiar with your surroundings, and again just

Read More

Marks & Spencer has appointed former Boohoo Group and Topman managing director Mitch Hughes to the role of director of menswear as current director of menswear and kidswear Wes Taylor retires from a full-time executive career.

Hughes has most recently been managing director at Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton since their acquisition by Boohoo Group from the former Arcadia fashion empire in April 2021. Prior to that he was managing director at the then Arcadia-owned Topman and has held senior roles at Burton and Matalan; he also spent more than eight years as a buyer for Marks & Spencer from 1997 to 2005.

While at Boohoo Group, Hughes structured and reset all three of the former Arcadia brands to be online-only entities but also has extensive physical retail experience from his time at Arcadia, Matalan and his first stint at M&S.

“I’m hugely excited to be re-joining the business after

Read More

Shop Suncrest

When you want to know where to shop for the best selection and prices, you ask someone you trust, right? This year, we asked some of our favorite sources for you—then we sprinkled our own advice in, too. With our 2022 holiday shopping guide, you can make everyone on your list happy right here in town.

Michele Krucoff doesn’t just love Suncrest Towne Center because she works there—as a nearby resident, she finds it a convenient hub for everyday needs and for gifts.

when Suncrest Towne Centre opened in 2009, it quickly became a destination for wellness, dining—and, of course, shopping. Morgantown native Michele Krucoff joined the team there early on. After decades working with high-end retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City and Gucci in the Washington, DC, area, she set her sights on a move back home and started at STC in 2011. She

Read More

2022 has posed its fair share of challenges (constraints in the supply chain, weakened consumer confidence, high profile designer exits, and an impending recession set to last for at least a year).

However, the upside to this constant stream of challenges, which come hot on the heels of a global pandemic no less, is that fashion brands have gained new-found coping skills, agility, and resilience that will help them to face whatever the market chooses to throw at them next.

Indeed, while it might be expected that brands would be in a gloomy mood, many are finding cause to be optimistic, particularly among NuORDER by Lightspeed’s growing network of more than 3,000 brands.

We asked some of Europe’s most innovative wholesale players to share the key market trends they will be working on to stay ahead of the B2B landscape in the coming 12 months and which strategies they

Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Franklin Police Department is reporting an “alarming” number of cases where purses are being snatched.

Police across Middle Tennessee are warning shoppers to secure their bags and purses while out, especially during the holiday season

Ron Paisley — a security guard with decades of experience — said he thinks shoppers make the mistake of having a particular stereotype in their head about a criminal when it could be someone dressed in the best outfit.

“There could be a couple of guys in tennis shoes or someone well dressed. One person will act as a distraction and come up asking for a good place to eat dinner, while the other people are picking pockets or taking purses off shopping carts,” Paisley said.

Paisley suggests shoppers be aware of their surroundings the same way they drive.

“Even the smallest lady who is aware, she’s got her head

Read More

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers

This article was featured in One Great Story, New York‘s reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly.

Community favorites include Zojirushi‘s rice cooker and Canadian West boots. —Erin Schwartz

Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Rice Cooker
Spur Jewelry Custom Renovation

The concierge service Spur Jewelry will, for instance, turn an heirloom like a brooch into a chic necklace. —Jenna Miller-Waddell

Costco 18kt Yellow Gold Round Hoop Earrings
Mason Pearson Handy Bristle & Nylon Brush BN3
Diptyque Figuier Scented Oval

It’s surprisingly a luxurious thing to own. —Margaret Rhodes

Hellsher House 8

During colonial times, it was tradition to light one to ensure a prosperous year. (There’s even a poem about this: “A bayberry candle burnt to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket.”) —Caroline Weaver

Turn on notifications and grab one for the purse snob in your life. —JMW

i like Rose Theodora, Janelle Belgraveand Lisa Stardust. Everyone loves an opportunity to talk about themselves. —DP

InBloom Clean Green Protein Single-Serve Box Set

Its main ingredients include reishi mushroom (of course),

Read More

This December, Lone Design Club, in partnership with The Crown Estate, is bringing the Season Of Wonder to London’s Jermyn Street.

Guests to the LDC X The Crown Estate pop-up store are greeted by an array of products from independent and sustainability-conscious brands. With a focus on quality, handmade craftsmanship across lifestyle and homeware items, unique personalised accessories and cosy winter knits for all, and the launch of LDC’s debut men’s department is a respectable example of cutting-edge menswear trends and design.

TheIndustry.fashion speaks to Lone Design Club’s CEO and Founder, Rebecca Morter, about the new pop-up location and why the company is venturing into menswear.

Tell me about Lone Design Club’s new pop-up location

This holiday season, we are delighted to hold our first pop-up store in London’s renowned Jermyn Street. The prolific menswear destination is known for more traditional styles; however, with the high street changes and evolving

Read More