Holiday Season news and archive

Why Britain’s busy Christmas shopping season hides a more cautious consumer

Visit any high street in the run-up to Christmas and you’d be forgiven for thinking the downturn never arrived. Shops are packed, tills are ringing and there is a genuine sense of seasonal joy in the air. But beneath the bustle, UK consumers are making far more calculated decisions than the crowds might suggest. According to new Deloitte...

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Retail

Snapchat launches festive AR retail experience

Social media platform Snapchat, which has more than 900 million monthly active users, has unveiled a festive retail experience in augmented reality (AR), designed to bring holiday shopping to life through immersive and interactive digital boutiques. The inaugural Snapchat Winter Village launches in collaboration with luxury fashion brand Boss,...

Retail

Up to 10 billion pounds in festive sales at risk as consumer confidence dips

New analysis from Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) suggests UK retailers could see between six and 10 billion pounds in potential lost sales this festive season, as consumer confidence weakens and uncertainty around the Autumn Budget weighs on spending. The findings indicate that retail sales have fallen steadily throughout 2025, declining 2 percent...

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Fashion

Fortnum’s leads the business of holiday windows in London

In the context of tight consumer sentiment and considerable cost pressure in fashion and luxury retail this year, one category of investment that continues to command attention is the annual Christmas window display. For those of us operating in the design-driven intersection of fashion, lifestyle and retail activation, London’s flagship stores...

Retail

Selfridges to host the “most magical Christmas” with Disney

British luxury department store Selfridges is teaming up with Disney to celebrate the festive season across its London, Manchester, and Birmingham stores, as well as online. Billed as the “most magical Christmas,” the festive collaboration will see Selfridges stores transformed to excite and enchant visitors with “festive wonderlands filled with...

Retail

UK retail footfall ends 2024 on subdued note

Retail footfall in the UK continued its downward trajectory in December, marking the second consecutive year of decline for brick-and-mortar retail traffic. Total footfall fell 2.2 percent year-on-year in December, though this represented an improvement from November's 4.5 percent decline, partly due to the shifted timing of Black Friday between...

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Business

US retail sales up 3.8% this holiday season according to Mastercard SpendingPulse

This Christmas season proved to be a merry one for US retailers, with retail sales increasing 3.8 percent year on year from November 1 to December 24, according to insights from Mastercard SpendingPulse. "The holiday shopping season revealed a consumer who is willing and able to spend but driven by a search for value as can be seen by...

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Fashion |In Pictures

Christmas displays from around the world

With Christmas fast approaching, FashionUnited has rounded up the best of this year’s festive displays, from Sir Paul Smith’s takeover at Claridge’s in London to Selfridges maximalist take on the holiday season, Saks Fifth Avenue’s dazzling 100th-anniversary showcase in New York, Fenwick’s 12 Days of Christmas in Newcastle, Dior’s showstopping...

Retail

UK retailers feed off public affection for festive ads

They come with big budgets, are wrapped in sentimentality and boost company revenues -- Britain's latest instalment of eagerly awaited Christmas television advertisements has a nation tuned in. Known for talking about the weather 12 months a year, Britons will begin sharing thoughts on the latest festive commercials as soon as they hit screens,...

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Retail|Interview

SoHo Pink Dreams: A look inside Nana Jacqueline's debut NYC pop-up store

Walking down West Broadway in SoHo, New York City, is always a feast for all senses - especially this time of year, when all the stores have their holiday lights and displays out in full force. With many retailers vying for the attention of tourists and locals, one storefront in particular succeeds in catching your eye immediately. The debut New...

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Retail

Half of Brits prefer post-Christmas shopping to Black Friday

New research suggests that ‘Chrimbo Limbo,’ the period between Christmas and New Year, is more popular for Brits to go shopping than Black Friday. The nationwide survey of 2,001 UK consumers conducted by Censuswide for Snapchat reveals that 48 percent of Brits are more likely to shop between Christmas and New Year than Black Friday and other...

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Fashion |Beauty

NYX Professional Makeup launches ‘Home Alone’ collection

NYX Professional Makeup has teamed up with Disney and 20th Century Studios to release a special-edition make-up collection inspired by the Christmas movie, 'Home Alone’. Tapping into pop culture nostalgia, NYX Professional Makeup has created a 24-piece advent calendar inspired by iconic elements of the ‘Home Alone’ movie, housed within a replica...