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West End visitor traffic gets festive boost

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January 16, 2026

One key part of London’s West End saw big uplift in visitors during December with new figures from the Heart of London Business Alliance (HOLBA) saying footfall was up 19% year on year last month.

Photo: Pexels/Public domain

The area HOLBA covers includes Piccadilly, Leicester Square and Haymarket, which don’t account for the main shopping district but are just a stone’s throw from Regent Street, Bond Street and Covent Garden.

HOLBA’s figures also show that dwell time increased by 42 minutes per day compared to a year ago.

Overall, footfall was 20% above the average seem from 2022-24, and between 15 and 29 December, visits were up 35%, all of which HOLBA said underlines the area’s recovery from the pandemic.

Deputy chief executive, Mark Williams, said the figures “show that London’s West End continues to outperform national trends, with visitor numbers on the rise. This underscores its appeal as a global destination and the power of the experience economy in attracting people to the area”.

The New West End Company (NWEC), which represents businesses across the wider West End, hasn’t yet released its own figures for December. But it had earlier said that the area bucked the national trend over the Black Friday period. West End footfall was up 9% in the previous week, up 4.1% in Black Friday week itself and 6.2% the week after.

That further underlines how well the West End has bounced back after several years in which its status as one of Europe’s top tourist shopping districts was at risk. From 2020 onwards, the large number of store closures, the proliferation of so-called American candy stores and the (still-ongoing) absence of tax-free shopping for tourists meant central London was slow to recover. ‘Rival’ shopping cities such as Paris and Milan meanwhile have taken less time to get back to pre-pandemic footfall levels and London Mayor Sadiq Khan this week revealed that he’s lobbied the government to get the decision on cancelling the tax-free shopping perk reversed.

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Topshop re-enters Europe as a standalone with 23-country webstore launch

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January 16, 2026

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January 16, 2026

Topshop’s revival as an international fashion brand continues apace with the launch a dedicated European website across 23 countries EU countries.

Topshop

The site has launched in (deep breath) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Spain.

The Shopify-powered eu.topshop.com site offers product across denim, dresses, evening wear, tailored items, and footwear with the new website “designed to deliver a faster and more seamless shopping experience”, it noted.

Topshop/Topman managing director Michelle Wilson said: “Topshop is already available worldwide on ASOS.com but this site gives our community access to our full brand experience.

“Customers can get access to the latest collections, shop bestsellers, browse our curated edits, sign-up to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with fashion moments and product launches. We’ll be adding new features to the site every month to make the experience even more engaging and convenient.”

Topshop has certainly come a long way in its revival having only announced a website relaunch last spring before reintroducing Topshop.com in the summer.

Only last month, Topshop also announced its return to Australia from next month with a comeback launch in all 56 of key department store retailer Myer’s stores.

That fits in with Wilson’s ambitions to return the storied Topshop and Topman brands as “thriving” standalone names.

In September 2024, ASOS sold a majority stake (75%) in the twin brands to Danish holding company Heartland for £135 million, controlled by the Holch Polvsen family, the owner of Bestseller, creating a joint venture.

However, ASOS retains certain design and distribution rights to the brands, continuing to market and sell them online, alongside its retail partnerships.

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Dealz continues to drag down ‘resilient’ Pepco in Q1

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January 16, 2026

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January 16, 2026

Pepco’s first quarter was “solid” the pan-European value retailer said this week, despite the underperforming Dealz chain continuing to be a drag on its results.

Pepco

Q1 covered the three months to the end of December and saw group revenues up 4.3% on a constant currency basis to €1.4 billion. This reflected “solid Pepco growth partly offset by the expected temporary drag from the Pepco FMCG exit, which will reduce during the year, and a softer topline performance in Dealz”. 

The Dealz chain operates in Ireland and the Isle of Man was well as in Poland and is the equivalent of the UK Poundland chain that Pepco sold last year.

Group like-for-like (LFL) revenues (excluding FMCG) grew 3.3% during the quarter with the Pepco chain up 4.2% LFL. That number was helped by “a particularly strong result in December, despite a highly competitive and promotional seasonal period”. It saw positive Q1 LFL revenue in key markets including Poland, Iberia and Italy.

But Dealz LFL revenues declined by 7.7% in Q1. The business “experienced disruption in October and November 2025 as it re-platformed its operations following the Poundland sale, and thereafter saw a material recovery of LFL in December 2025”. The group “continues to progress with a divestment of Dealz, with an intended completion in 2026”.

Even with the Dealz problems, the group gross margin in Q1 was 360bps higher year-on-year, and in line with the final quarter of FY25 (49.4%).

CEO Stephan Borchert called it an “encouraging start to the year, with Pepco delivering a resilient performance. I’m especially pleased with our strong December trading, against intensifying promotional activity across our key territories. Western Europe, in particular, continues to perform well, achieving consistent double-digit like-for-like revenue growth (excluding FMCG) through the quarter. The group also delivered a significant year-on-year increase in gross margin, despite disciplined price investment.

“Consumer confidence in some markets remains subdued against an ongoing uncertain macroeconomic backdrop, but our focus on delivering exceptional value is resonating with customers who continue to prioritise value in their everyday shopping decisions.

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Kering CRAFT gains major momentum among Chinese designers

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January 16, 2026

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January 16, 2026

Since its November 2025 launch, ‘Kering CRAFT: Creative Residency for Artisanship, Fashion, and Technology’ has generated substantial buzz among China’s creative community. In response to high demand and frequent enquiries, a dedicated seminar was recently held at the SFDA Designer’s Home to clarify the program’s framework and application process.

Kering CRAFT: Creative Residency for Artisanship, Fashion, and Technology in partnership with Shanghai Fashion Week
Kering CRAFT: Creative Residency for Artisanship, Fashion, and Technology in partnership with Shanghai Fashion Week – SHFW

At a recent seminar, Kering’s Greater China president Cai Jinqing introduced the Kering CRAFT program, an initiative dedicated to nurturing the next wave of creative leaders. By combining creative practice with industry collaboration and sustainability, the program offers a clear roadmap for talent development. Designers in attendance received a thorough breakdown of the selection process and participation guidelines, engaging in direct dialogue about the program’s implementation.
 
Kering CRAFT represents the latest evolution of the collaboration between Kering Group and Shanghai Fashion Week. Following the momentum of the Kering Generation Award, this partnership seeks to accelerate the growth of forward-thinking Chinese talent. The goal is twofold: to provide designers with the tools to scale and to discover the future “global + local” brands that will define the Chinese fashion landscape.

Meticulously curated by Kering Group, this global program spans France, Italy, and China, connecting the fashion hubs of Milan, Florence, Paris, and Shanghai. The year-long immersive journey is anchored by a mandatory eight-week European residency, offering participants unparalleled access to and exchange with Kering’s iconic luxury houses. Complemented by domestic training in China, the program merges craftsmanship with cutting-edge innovation to spark vital dialogues on heritage and the evolving business models of the luxury sector.

The event saw strong engagement, with over 40 designers attending in person and nearly 30 participating via a live digital stream, where they engaged in a deep-dive Q&A session
The event saw strong engagement, with over 40 designers attending in person and nearly 30 participating via a live digital stream, where they engaged in a deep-dive Q&A session – SHFW

 
In her opening remarks, Madame LV, secretary general of the Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee and executive VP of SFDA, affirmed the organisation’s full support. She emphasised that they would leverage Shanghai Fashion Week’s extensive network and the SFDA’s talent platform to provide ongoing resources and professional collaboration. This partnership is designed to establish a future-oriented cultivation mechanism, elevating Chinese design capabilities and driving the industry’s creative transformation.
 
By Sissi Chu
 

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