Data news and archive

Easter chill for UK Fashion as online sales plunge

UK fashion retail suffered a sharp decline in the week ending 5 April 2026, with total like-for-like sales contracting by -14.09%, according to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker. The drop comes off a positive base of +3.51% for the same week last year, which included the Easter break. The most striking feature of the data is the gulf...

Retail

March UK retail footfall sees boost from Mother's Day and Easter trading

UK retail footfall saw a notable uplift in March, rising 5.7 percent month-on-month, as seasonal events and improving weather encouraged consumers back into stores, according to MRI Software. Despite this, overall footfall remained 0.2 percent lower than the same period last year, highlighting continued caution among shoppers. The increase was...

Retail

Easter boosts weekend footfall, high streets emerge as ‘big winner’

New data from MRI Software has shown Easter weekend boosting footfall performance in the UK, as warmer weather and local events motivated visits to towns and cities. According to the analytics platform, for the period April 3 to 6, overall footfall rose 3.4 percent year-on-year, with high streets welcoming a notable 4.1 percent uptick followed...

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Business

Premium over mass: how the ski market is reinventing itself

As tulips begin to bloom in the valleys and trees start to bud, the winter high season returns to the mountains. At Easter, snow enthusiasts travel to the mountains one last time to enjoy the final runs of the season. What is the current state of the ski and snowboard market? For decades, the health of the industry could be reliably gauged at...

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Business

Fashion’s winning sales streak ends as arctic chill hits high street

The UK retail sector faced a harsh reality check this week as total like-for-like (LFL) sales plunged by -7.74%. This represents the sharpest decline since the beginning of 2025 and stands in stark contrast to the robust +10.74% growth recorded during the same period last year. A sudden and dramatic shift in weather—from mild, settled spring...

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Business

Fashion's March financial summary: Geopolitical shocks, margin discipline and a resale revolution

The global fashion industry entered March 2026 under mounting pressure from the Middle East conflict, yet delivered resilient earnings, strategic repositioning and landmark corporate transactions. Sentiment remained cautiously optimistic, with profitability gains offsetting topline softness while geopolitical disruption injected fresh...

Fashion

Study: design choices can significantly reduce fibre shedding from jeans during washing

The way jeans are processed in the factory largely determines their environmental impact when washed by the consumer. New research, shared by The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) on LinkedIn, shows that combining mercerised yarn (treated cotton) with specific washes can reduce fibre shedding by 77 to 93 percent per wash cycle. The processes for two...

Fashion

Wearable luxury dominates: Farfetch Index on 2026 fashion trends

Farfetch has released its latest index, utilising internal sales data and global search volumes from 2025 to identify the products redefining luxury wardrobes in 2026. The findings highlight a significant market shift toward “wearable luxury”, a reference to items that balance cultural prestige and everyday utility. In footwear, the Adidas Samba...

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Business

In-Store Fashion defies downward trend as UK retail streak ends

The UK retail sector saw its seven-week growth streak come to an abrupt halt this week, with total like-for-like (LFL) sales falling by -3.04%. This dip follows a period of sustained momentum and was measured against an exceptionally strong +10% base from the same period last year. While the headline figures entered the red, the fashion sector...

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Top 300 most popular French fashion brands on Instagram

The French edition of the “FashionUnited Top 300 Instagram Index” highlights the enormous digital reach of the country's fashion industry. Brands that perform well with multi-brand retailers also dominate online. This ranking shows that French business-to-business (B2B) labels, from denim to high-end streetwear, have a considerable social media...

Retail

ONS data reveals uneven UK retail sales performance in February

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown a modest, yet uneven performance in retail sales volumes for February 2026, as gains earlier in the year were partially offset by a monthly decline. Over the month, sales volumes fell 0.4 percent, following a stronger rise of 2.0 percent in January and a 0.1 percent increase in...

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Top 500 German fashion brands on Instagram

The German edition of the FashionUnited Top 500 Instagram Index highlights the vast digital reach of the German fashion industry. German wholesale brands that excel with multi-brand retailers also dominate online. The index shows that German business-to-business labels, from denim to high-end streetwear, punch well above their weight on social...