The store upgrades for M&S continues apace with the retail giant’s Aberdeen Union Square reopening as part of a 97,300 sq ft redevelopment.

And key to its new look, alongside a doubling of its foothill, is a new modern menswear department within reconfigured Clothing and Home departments.

The transformed store, which is expected to fully operational in the summer, features a 48,000 sq ft Clothing, Home & Beauty department, showcasing popular M&S brands like GoodMove, Per Una, Autograph, and Apothecary.

“Customers will be able to find the latest fashions and beauty must-haves all under one roof, with the Beauty department set to triple in size to offer a greater selection of branded beauty products”, the retailer said.

The expansion replaces the existing 9,000 sq ft Union Square foodhall and the St Nicholas Street store, the latter which is due to close this summer.

The new space, which representing a £15 million investment in Aberdeen City Centre, is part of a £30 million investment by M&S in its Scottish stores.  

Rachel Rankine, Regional Manager for M&S in North Scotland said: “This… is just the beginning of the unveiling of a new modern M&S in Aberdeen. This flagship store represents a significant investment, and we’re building excitement for the full summer reveal, when we’ll launch the complete Clothing and Home departments.”

One month, two contrasting views on how retail footfall performed in March compared to both February and 12 months ago.

And prepare for more confusion for April with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) telling us to expect the later shift in the timing of this Easter holiday (18-21 April) distorting year-on-year comparisons for retail footfall in both April and March. It will lead to an artificially higher April reading, but lower March figures, the BRC said.

So what happened in March (02 March-05 April) footfall on a year-on-year (YoY) comparable basis? The BRC-Sensormatic data shows total UK footfall fell by 5.4% compared to a year ago.

High Street footfall dipped 4% YoY last month but shopping centres suffered the most, dipping 5.8%, while retail park footfall fared slightly better, down just 1.2% in March.

Looking at the regional performances, footfall fell YoY across all nations, down 4.9% in England, 6.6% in Scotland, 8.3% in Wales, and the largest decrease of 9% in Northern Ireland.

Over at MRI Software, it says YoY footfall in March actually rose by 2.6% in all UK retail destinations “which is encouraging given the shift in Easter holiday timings this year”, it noted.

It said strong activity was recorded in high streets (+3.2%), retail parks (+2.6%), and shopping centres (+1.1%). This was mainly driven by the final week of the month where footfall was 7% higher in all UK retail destinations. But it added: “This is in comparison to Easter weekend last year and will be abnormally higher due to retail stores and destinations remaining closed on Easter Sunday”.

It also says weekday and weekend footfall in March rose YoY by 5.5% and 2.4% respectively. Compared to 2019 levels, weekend footfall remains only 5.5% lower and the gap has narrowed significantly for weekday footfall (-10.8%) indicating that the return to office is becoming more of a normality.

Even the two sets of reports failed to agree on month-on-month (MoM) data.

BRC said March sales were down 0.2% compared to February, also falling on high streets and shopping centres by 0.1% while retail parks dipped 2%.

For MRI Software, “retail footfall remained upbeat in March as overall visitor activity rose by 4.6% from the month before”. 

This uplift was predominantly driven by a 7% rise in high streets followed by a 4.3% increase in retail parks with “both trends… influenced by the fourth week of the month which coincided with payday and Mother’s Day”. Shopping centre activity, however, fell marginally by -0.1% from the month prior.

Helen Dickinson, BRC CEO said of its report: “With Easter falling in April this year, footfall in March could not compare to last year when families were already enjoying their Easter holidays. [But] London saw only a minor dip in footfall compared to other parts of the country.
 
 “Global uncertainties resulting from tariffs and a potential economic slowdown could reduce the appetite for shopping trips in the coming months.”

And Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, added: “After a bumpy few months, March made for disappointing footfall. With Easter this year landing in April, some of the downturn in store visits in March could have been from consumers withholding Easter spend.  Retailers will now be hoping that strong Easter trading can help balance out a slow start to spring.
 
“It’s worth noting, however, that there were some brighter moments for shopper counts in March – although, sadly, not enough of them to have had a material impact on the overall figures.  Mother’s Day in particular delivered a standout performance, driving a +13.4% uplift in High Street footfall compared to last year.”
 

Bags label Mi Bolsa London is to open a flagship store at Westfield London in June, marking a “significant milestone” for the Spanish/British-influenced luxury leather brand.

Mi Bolsa (which translates to ‘my bag’) was established in London in 2020 “inspired by the vibrant Spanish style, timeless London elegance, and enhanced by extraordinary craftsmanship… offering high quality handbags at an accessible price point”.

The flagship store aims to provide “an immersive shopping experience, allowing customers to explore its full range of stylish and versatile designs firsthand”.

Beyond being a retail space, the brand’s philosophy (‘be real, be creative, and be unique’) is achieved by integrating art and culture into the shopping experience.

Each season, the store will feature a unique artistic theme, “celebrating the fusion of creativity and craftsmanship”. 

The inaugural theme – ‘The Perfect and Imperfect Ones’ – will be showcased through a curated window display “featuring an imperfect display table as part of a larger artistic installation”. 

Future themes will include ‘East and West’, a collaborative exhibition between the sibling co–founder’s artist father and a local British artist.

In addition to its signature collection of handbags, including top-handle bags, totes, crossbody bags, and shoulder bags, the new store will also introduce an exclusive bespoke service.

Transforming the retail space into an “immersive atelier”, customers will have the opportunity to engage in the creative process, “designing and personalising unique pieces that reflect their individual style”. 

Initially catering to the UK market, Mi Bolsa London “has rapidly expanded internationally”  in the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, and Malaysia and is about to launching in China in May at Matro Suzhou, within the British Pavilion. 

Domestically, the flagship at Westfield London “marks the beginning of a new chapter, with plans to open additional locations across London in the coming year”, it added.