Inditex-owned fashion brand Stradivarius has signed to open at Newcastle’s Metrocentre, marking the brand’s first location in the North East. And for the centre’s operator, Sovereign Centros/CBRE, its impending arrival further underscores the destination’s “regional dominance in attracting the latest and most sought-after fashion brands”.
Stradivarius will open a near-10,000 sq ft space on its lower Red Mall this summer, just along from sister brand Zara while complementing the area’s already strong line-up of fashion retailers, including Reiss, Mango and the newly refurbished River Island.
The centre’s operator said Metrocentre welcomed 15.8 million visitors in 2024, a 10% increase compared to the previous year. Nearly 300,000 sq ft of deals were also completed in the last 12 months, driving a 9.2% year-on-year footfall uplift so far this year.
The strong growth in visits “reflects the centre’s ongoing success in attracting new brands while supporting the expansion of existing tenants, cementing its dominant position within the North East and contribution to the national retail landscape”, it noted.
Ben Cox, director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, Asset Manager of the Metrocentre, added: “Stradivarius signing for this regional debut is a huge statement for Metrocentre, confirming its appeal as the premier retail destination in the North East. Inditex’s decision to bring another of its leading brands to Red Mall showcases our ability to deliver the best in fashion experiences to our growing and increasingly loyal customer base.”
Skechers announced on Thursday the signing of Spanish football star Isco Alarcón, currently playing for Real Betis Balompié.
Skechers taps footballer Isco Alarcón as brand ambassador. – Skechers
In this role, Alarcón joins team Skechers and is already competing in the Skechers Razor 1.5 Elite boots. He will also play a key role in Skechers football’s marketing campaigns, further expanding the brand’s reach in Spain and beyond.
“Isco Alarcón is a great football player with a significant track record at the national level. He’s returning from an injury to his elite-level play, which is the perfect time to officially bring him onto Team Skechers,” said Txerra Díaz, country manager of Skechers Iberia.
“We believe he fully aligns with the brand’s profile and will help players across Spain and Portugal discover Skechers Football and the signature Comfort That Performs offered by our boots.”
Alarcón has established himself as one of the top midfielders of his generation. His career includes stints with Valencia CF, Málaga CF, and a highly successful period at Real Madrid, where he won five UEFA Champions League titles.
Since launching its football division at the start of the 2023/24 season with the signing of Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, Skechers has rapidly expanded its presence in the sport. The Skechers Football range spans three Elite styles for men and women, as well as a line of Academy boots perfect for all levels of play.
Alarcón joins an elite group of footballers in Spain competing in Skechers football boots, including Iker Losada from Celta, Antonio Sánchez from Real Mallorca, and Pere Milla from Espanyol.
Other top-tier athletes wearing Skechers Football boots include Turkish international Baris Alper Yilmaz, West Ham United and Ghana National Team winger Mohammed Kudus, Arsenal and Ukrainian National Team defender Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Nottingham Forest and Swedish National Team forward Anthony Elanga.
“Football and life are played better when you feel comfortable at every step,” said Alarcón. “I’m very excited to be part of the Skechers family in this next chapter in my career.”
Italian luxury group Prada has been given access, ahead of any other potential suitors, to the financial data of smaller rival Versace which owner Capri Holdings has put up for sale, a source close to the matter said on Wednesday.
Prada has four weeks to conduct its assessment, the source said, as it weighs an acquisition that would mark a significant shift in strategy. No decision on whether to actually pursue the deal has yet been taken at this stage, the source added.
Capri Holdingss is working with Barclays to explore a sale of its Versace and Jimmy Choo brands, sources told Reuters this year. Prada and Barclays declined to comment. Capri Holdings was not immediately available for a comment.
Prada last completed acquisitions of other brands in the late 1990s and has been focusing on internal growth since then, defying expectations it could aspire to create a larger Italian fashion hub.
The acquisition of Versace would allow Prada to target a different customer group, with tastes far from Prada’s trademark minimalism. But the Hong-Kong listed group would also have to deal with a challenging turnaround of the Medusa-logo brand, industry sources said. Versace reported a 15% decline in revenues in the third quarter ending on December 28 and the operating loss increased to $21 million in the period, from $14 million a year earlier.
Capri Holdings expects Versace’s revenues to drop to $810 million in the 2025 fiscal year and the operating margin to break even in the following fiscal year, according to long term financial targets published on Wednesday.
The brand’s performance and the sector’s bleak outlook could make it hard to set a price, complicating negotiations, according to industry sources, who said a turnaround would require investment.
Capri Holdings, formerly known as Michael Kors, bought Italian luxury brand Versace in 2018, for 1.83 billion euros including debt. The four week exclusivity deal was first reported on Thursday by Italian daily Il Sole 24.
The European Commission will propose at least five sets of legislation this year to spur investment and simplify regulation on companies, including in the field of artificial intelligence, the European Union’s digital chief said on Thursday.
European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen – Reuters
The executive Commission is under pressure from EU member countries such as France to ease regulations, and also faces challenges from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
A draft European Commission paper reported by Reuters last month showed AI, biotech and affordable clean energy were areas of focus as EU policymakers seek to make the bloc globally competitive.
“I personally think that we have too much of a heavy administrative burden and bureaucracy,” European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen said on Thursday. “That is why the Commission will this year present at least five legislative simplification packages, which will cut down on the extra bureaucracy, above all in order to promote investment and innovation in Europe,” she told reporters in Helsinki.
Virkkunen last month said the European Union continues to enforce its big tech regulation despite some U.S. companies calling on Trump to stop the bloc from fining them.
One of the five packages, expected to be introduced late this year, would address overlap between the EU’s artificial intelligence act, the digital services act, the digital marketing act and the union’s general data protection regulation, Virkkunen said.
“But that does not mean that the goals of these legislations would not be enforced,” she said.
She added the aim was to streamline legislation to make operating easier for companies because often the same companies have to make sure they comply with several different acts.
Other packages would be designed to ease regulation covering sustainability, small companies and agriculture, Virkkunen said.