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PRShots Roundup brings you the latest retail news from Asos, Debenhams, PLT, Gap, Hackett, Asda, Bebe and M&S. Plus, A practical guide to using social media for business, why AI personalisation should come with strict limits and more.
THE LATEST RETAIL INDUSTRY NEWS
ASOS posts near 50% profit jump
ASOS has reported an almost 50% increase in first-half underlying profitability as its turnaround strategy continued to gain traction across key markets.
The UK inflation rate held steady at 3% in Feb, the same level as the previous month, and in line with economists’ expectations but still above the government’s 2% target.
KPMG finds nearly two-thirds (62%) of UK consumers now believe the economy is worsening, up from 58% in the previous quarter, while only 10% think conditions are improving.
Debenhams and PLT see contrasting performances
Debenhams - DBZ Marketplace Online - sales revenue to Feb 2025 increased to £73.3m from £39.7m and its EBITDA doubled year on year to reach £20.15m.
UK retail sales fall by most since March 2020
UK retail sales in the month of March tumbled by the most since April 2020, and the closure of the majority of non-food shops during the first weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic.
AliExpress pledges tighter controls as EU scrutiny intensifies
AliExpress has told European Union lawmakers it is strengthening controls to comply with digital regulations following mounting scrutiny over the sale of unsafe and counterfeit goods.
Government backs small businesses with crackdown on late payments
The government announced new legislation in a bid to protect small businesses via "new, stronger measures" to tackle late payments.
ChatGPT rolls back instant checkout and launches visual shopping upgrades
OpenAi has rolled out a major upgrade to the shopping experience in ChatGPT, including a more visual way for users to find and compare products.
Which? announces its Best Value Brand of the Year shortlist
Which? has revealed the shortlist for its prestigious annual Which? Awards, with the Best Value Brand of the Year recognising brands offering impressive performance at a budget-friendly price.
TRENDS, SUSTAINABILITY, STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY
A practical guide to using social media for business
Social media for business is no longer optional. It’s an essential way to reach your customers, gain valuable insights, and grow your brand. Hootsuite shows you how to be more social.
Why AI personalisation should come with strict limits
Consumers are more willing to trade data for better recommendations, but they are very clear about what the red lines are.
From prompt engineering to data quality, SEO still depends on human input even with AI's expanding capabilities says MarTech.
Impact of weight-loss drugs on food industry overblown
The Food Institute estimates that many households will try a GLP-1 over a year, but the core user base sits in a single-digit percentage range, a pattern that should temper industry overreactions.
What Amazon Spring Deal Days signal for the future of retail media
Amazon’s Spring Deal Days on 10th-16th Mar show advertiser spend surged by nearly 160% y-o-y, with even the lowest-spending day in 2026 outperformed the peak day of 2025 by over 118%.
UK shoppers embrace ‘investment wardrobes’ as flexible payments drive long-term value
UK shoppers are adopting a more measured approach to clothing, weighing durability and long-term value, with around seven in 10 adults now take “cost-per-wear” into account when shopping.
Supermarket pay 2026: Who’s top of the league?
Retail Gazette has rounded up and compared the hourly rates at the UK’s top supermarkets to find which retailer has the best pay.
Gap introduces conversational AI-driven experiences to online shopping
Gap is introducing two new AI-based technologies to its online shopping experience, each designed to “transform how customers shop”.
PEOPLE, MOVERS AND SHAKERS
AWWG, which owns fashion brands including Pepe Jeans London, Hackett London and Façonnable, has promoted CFO Laura Fernandez Plaza to the role of CEO.
N Brown Group appoints CEO and chair
N Brown Group has appointed Dan Joy to the role of CEO and Malcolm Le May as chair of the board, effective immediately.
BRAND NEWS
Asda to increase hourly pay to £13.10 for store staff
Asda is to increase pay rates for retail staff to £13.10 per hour from 5 July, a 4% above‑inflation pay rise in two stages. Rates will increase to £12.71 in April and £13.10 in July.
M&S transforms cereals range to meet demand for natural ingredients
M&S has transformed its cereals range with new muesli, granolas and oats that contain natural ingredients instead of flavourings for sweetness.
Asos becomes exclusive UK wholesale partner for Australian brand Bronze Snake
The UK online retailer Asos has launched the Australian fashion brand Bronze Snake, securing its position as the exclusive UK wholesale partner for the label.
Bebe launches debut collection with Betty Boop
Fashion brand Bebe has launched its debut collaborative collection with the iconic cartoon character Betty Boop.
Pinterest debuts shoppable TV series
Pinterest has launched its first shoppable TV series, testing out a new format for a more enhanced shopping experience.
Matalan launches spring campaign to strengthen womenswear offering
Matalan aims to strengthen its womenswear offering with its new ‘Style for Every Moment‘ campaign for its Spring/Summer collection. See Matalan for images to download.
AND FINALLYx2
The ‘chocolate-drenched’ Amsterdam hotel suite created by Tony’s Chocolonely
Amsterdam Hotel The Social Hub has a one-off chocolate-themed hotel suite created with Tony’s Chocolonely, featuring more than 2,000 chocolate bars, themed cocktails and ice cream sundaes.
McCain launches ‘Mr Chippy’ van serving ice cream covered chips
McCain has launched a limited-edition ice cream van serving french fries dipped in soft serve ice cream. The van will be on the beachfronts of Brighton and Newquay for the next two weeks.
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PRSHOTS TOP 10 SEARCHES
What were our users searching for on PRShots Week ending Mar 20th 2026?
1/ SS26
2/ Easter
3/ Bag
4/ Dress
5/ Garden
6/ Denim
7/ Floral
8/ Shoes
9/ Gardening
10/ Stripe
PRSHOTS DIARY
PRShots Retail Calendar Alerts
Days until Easter –11
Days until Father’s Day – 88
Days until School Summer holidays (Scotland) - 99
Days until School Summer holidays (England&Wales) - 119
March Diary
How to get your brand on the March Editorial Calendars, search engines and social media
Our March PR toolkit and content calculator is here to help PRs and marketers forward-plan campaigns and pitches armed with some timely and topical angles, plus it’s a checklist for potential campaign hooks.
March is mostly about preparing for the big Easter holidays next month, so make sure you are starting to include relevant Easter keywords. It’s also the time people make their first big getaway abroad, so any keywords and clothes for warmer climes, loungewear, going out wear, swimsuits, bikinis, etc, should be added.
In the middle of the month, there’s Mother’s Day, so try to get Mother, gifts, or Mother’s Day into your keywords for anything that seems appropriate. Also, if you have anything green, add the Keyword St Patrick's Day.
Plus, as we’re now definitely in Spring, carry on adding those spring and summer-related images and adding keywords relating to the summer, like swimwear, outdoor living, garden, garden parties and Barbecues (don’t forget to add all of the other spellings BBQ, Bar-B-Que etc) and for home it’s all about Spring cleaning and updating for Spring.
We’re also starting to get ready for the bridal season – the peak is May to October – so If you have bridal wear or anything appropriate to weddings, then start to upload it and label it with the keyword wedding.
The Olympics aren't over yet as this month sees the week-long Paralympic Games, which start on the 6th March and finish on the 15th March. So ski wear and sports wear should be pushed.
Lastly, it’s Oscar month, so why not upload some smart suits and dresses and create an Oscar section for an evening watching the Oscars?
If you’re a PRShots brand user and you need more ideas, then take a look at the keywords that media are searching for on PRShots and try and add those in.
If you’re looking for more hooks to help promote your brand and products, then see the list of days, weeks and fortnights below.
March Diary - Weeks/Months
In the UK, it’s National Bed Month. Introduced by The Sleep Council and The National Bed Federation, it aims to raise awareness of the importance of sleep, so push anything sleep-related. It’s also Dechox month, which encourages people to give up chocolate – cakes and biscuits - for the month! So, any chocolate, biscuit or cake alternatives should be pushed. It’s also Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Walk All Over Cancer Month, Endometriosis Awareness Month, Brain Tumour Awareness Month, Women’s History Month.
Interesting Stat: National No-Smoking Day was originally on Ash Wednesday when it was started in 1984. It was moved to the second Wednesday in March as, while it’s less easy to remember, the date doesn’t move around the calendar quite so much as Ash Wednesday does.
Other events include;
Bridal Fashion Week London (22nd-24th)
The Big Walk and Wheel (26th – 27h)
March - Days
25th – National Bridesmaids Day
26th – Six years since the first lockdown started in the UK in 2020
27th – Wear a Hat Day (Brain Tumour Research)
29th – British Summertime Begins
How to get your brand on the April Editorial Calendars, search engines and social media
Our April PR toolkit and content calculator is here to help PRs and marketers forward-plan campaigns and pitches armed with some timely and topical angles, plus it’s a checklist for potential campaign hooks.
We’re now definitely in Spring, and people are thinking about the approaching summer holidays, so add any spring-summer-related images you have and add in keywords relating to summer outfits and summer events, e.g. festival outfits for Reading, Leeds, Wireless, Download, Isle Of Wight, Womad, Green Man, Coachella this month in the US, beachwear, swimwear, the garden, garden parties, outdoor living, things for the patio, and of course Barbecues. Don’t forget to add all the other spellings BBQ, Bar-B-Que, etc and other related keywords like picnic, garden party, get-togethers, parties, socials, gatherings and for the young ‘gaths’.
While some people are looking to holidays abroad, some are considering destinations closer to home, so add in keywords and phrases like “staycation”, “holistay”, “holiday at home” to your keywords and why not suggest clothing like throws, fleeces and cardigans plus from homeware blankets and rugs, for the colder UK evenings.
If you’re a PRShots brand user and you need more ideas, then take a look at the keywords that media are searching for on PRShots and try and add those in.
If you’re looking for more hooks to help promote your brand and products, then see the list of days, weeks and fortnights below.
April Diary - Weeks/Months
There are lots of other big events in April. April is World Stress Awareness Month and National Pet Month in the UK, so if you have anything to relieve stress (massage products, recliners, diffusers, pillows, garden swings, etc) and anything for pets (dog coats, cat collars, dog beds will also be looked for etc) then add them and get all the relevant keywords added. It’s also World Autism Acceptance Month, National Garden Month in the US (in the UK it’s just a week so anything gardening-related should be tagged with National Garden Week), it’s also National Poetry Month in the US and the US also has April as its Celebrate Diversity Month.
Other events include;
Community Garden Week (1st – 7th)
Discover National Parks Fortnight (3rd – 17th)
Ideal Home Show (10th – 19th)
International Dark-Sky Week (13th – 20th)
Allergy Awareness Week (20th – 27th)
MS Awareness Week (20th – 26th)
Fashion Revolution Week (Commemorates the Rana Plaza, Savar Upazila, Bangladesh disaster on the 24th April 2013 which killed 1,134 workers see https://www.fashionrevolution.org/ for event details)
RHS National Gardening Week (28th – 4th May)
April - Days
1st – April Fool’s Day
1st – Passover Begins
2nd – Maundy Thursday
4th – Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
5th – Easter Sunday
6th – Easter Monday
7th – World Health Day
7th – National Beer Day (US)
8th – Gym and fitness searches peak
9th – Grand National Weekend starts
9th – Passover Ends
11th – Grand National Race
10th-12th – Coachella Weekend One
12th - Olivier Theatre Awards
14th – Vaisakhi (Sikh New Year)
17th- 19th – Coachella Weekend Two
21st - National Tea Day
21st-22nd -Yom Haatzmaut (Jewish Holiday)
22nd – Earth Day
23rd – St George’s Day
23rd – Start of the Asparagus season
23rd – Shakespeare Day
24th - National Skipping Day
24th – Gardening searches peak
24th – Fashion Revolution Day
24th - Arbor Day
25th – Running searches peak ahead of the London Marathon
25th – Staycation searches peak
25th – World Malaria Day
25th – National Lingerie Day
26th – National Mending in Public Day
26th – London Marathon
29th - International Dance Day
30th – Stop Food Waste Day
For more diary dates for this year see the Marketing Retail Diary
NB - All dates have been checked, but some events may change due to unforeseen circumstances or have not been fully confirmed for 2026 by the authorities controlling the event(s).
WANT TO GET YOUR IMAGERY IN FRONT OF OVER 20,000 MEDIA?
If you’re a brand looking to get your imagery on PRShots then get in touch with our sales team at sales@prshots.com We have solutions and pricing for all sizes and types of business from small startups to large multi-nationals.
NEW BRANDS ON PRSHOTS
Industrious Decor is more than furniture. It’s a world of intentional design — where form meets feeling, and materials tell a story. Each collection — ID Country, ID Loft, ID Earth craft, ID Gentleman’s Club, and ID Expression — embodies a distinct aesthetic, yet all share the same foundation: timeless design, refined detailing, and an appreciation for craftsmanship.
BRANDS WITH NEW IMAGES
Clothing, beauty and accessories
Monsoon has new linen and denim womenswear ranges and an accessory range, plus new ranges of shoes, bags, scarves, jewellery and sunglasses.
Primark has a new Knit and Jersey ranges, new clothes for the beach, new bridal outfits, a new Coleen Rooney collaboration, athleisure and swimwear wear ranges, Major Find range, Edit range, F1 Alpine and Ford Goodyear collaborations, a Scene youth range, new makeup ranges, and men’s linen ranges.
Accessorize has new women’s and kids summer holiday wear including dresses, bikinis, shirts, jewellery, shoes, hats and bags.
Regatta has a new Orla Kiely collaboration of jackets, dresses and coats.
Very has new womenswear and menswear ranges for the summer holidays, new denim ranges, a new collaboration with Adidas, and new Wuthering-Heights-inspired womenswear.
National Trust has new collaborations with clothing and accessory ranges for the outdoors for men and women from Craghoppers.
New Look has new season outfits, jewellery and accessories and drops of SS26 ranges including clothes, bags, shoes, boots and accessories.
Matalan has a new Riveria range of menswear, a new Prairie range of womenswear and accessories for SS26, a new floral range of clothes and accessories, new Clubhouse range of womenswear.
Scamp & Dude has a new Super Scarf collaboration with Alison Hammond, new holiday outfits including dresses, shirts, swimwear and bags, a new Davina McCall collaboration plus new clothes and accessory ranges.
Cotton Traders has new SS26 menswear collaboration with actor Will Mellor and a womenswear collaboration with Alex Jones and new summer holiday wear, including dresses to tankinis.
Joe Browns has its SS26 mens and womenswear collections from jackets and t-shirts for men, to big print maxi-dresses to floral patterned tunic dresses for women.
Threadbare has new SS26 womenswear.
Oliver Bonas has new May summer fashion lines, plus April and March drops of hats, sunglasses, socks, shoes, sandals, clothing, bags, jewellery and accessories.
Barbour has a new Icons range, a Paul Smith Collaboration, a Heritage+ range plus a collaboration with Feng Chen Wang, new jumpers and bags and new collaborations with Ganni, Baracuta, Sorel, Levi’s, Arket and Farm Rio.
Lola Star has a new Elevate range of athleisure wear.
River Island has a new Enid Blyton bag collaboration, Olivia Denim collaboration with Olivia Attwood, a new Off to the Races ranges, new collaborations with Year Zero on clothes, accessories and bags, a new Love is in the Air range, a To Have and Hold wedding range of womenswear and accessories.
M&S has a new Gillian Anderson collaboration, new Autograph lingerie and nightwear ranges, new menswear ranges, new SS26 accessories, jewellery, shoes and bags, underwear ranges.
Roman Originals has new floral ranges, Petite ranges for SS26, Spring dresses, tops, trousers, skirts, jumpers and cardigans, new Dusk and Curve ranges including coats, jackets, dresses and trousers.
Bonmarché has new womenswear for the summer holidays modelled by Lisa Snowdon.
Deichmann has new boots and ballet flats.
Inspecs has a new Barbour range of sunglasses.
Peacocks has new Dani Dyer SS26 ranges, Lousie Redknapp denim ranges, SS26 shoes, bags, belts, jewellery, accessories, sleepwear and lingerie, plus leisure wear and ranges for men and women.
See additional new clothing and accessories images from
Home Bargains Busby & Fox F&F Curvy Kate Fatface
Home, garden and food
Primark has new Island Heat ranges of homeware, new homeware for Easter including Easter decorations, vases, soft furnishings, candles, diffusers and kitchenware.
The Orchard has garden structures, new lounge, dining room and bedroom interior ranges including beds, sideboards, dressers, sofas, lighting, shelving, benches and more.
Home Bargains has new picnic and garden ranges of kitchenware.
Very has new Very Collection of soft furnishings and ranges of outdoor furniture, a new Revive outdoor furniture and soft furnishings collection, plus a new Very collection of furniture, wall art and storage solutions.
Jellycat has new ranges of amuseables for 2026 including Bartholomew Bear Junior.
Cambridge Imprint has new kitchen trays, exercise and hardback books, notebooks, new Clamshell and Dandelion patterned paper, Charleston themed ranges of patterned paper, new Easter decorations, new notecards, envelopes, albums, notebooks, and cards for SS26.
B&M has a Great Outdoors range including camping gear and everything for the garden from solar lights to cushions, new limited edition Isle Life range of homeware, Easter-themed homeware and decorations, candles and diffusers, plus coffee and cocktail homeware for the lounge.
Oliver Bonas has new May homeware furniture for the bedroom and living room and kitchenware, plus Father’s Day gifts and cards, April homeware and kitchenware ranges for the dining room, living room and bedroom.
Homesense has new SS26 homeware for the lounge, bathroom, kitchen and dining room and Easter gifts for the home.
Dobbies Garden Centres has new things for garden barbecues and eating outside, from lighting to tabletop firepits to climbing frames, plus garden pots and grow your own solutions for spring, and all the tools needed for the Easter and spring planting spree.
Joe Browns has launched its SS26 home range with ideas for every room in the home including bedding, furniture, vases, candlesticks, glassware, bowls, lamps, serving bowls and trays, storage solutions and knick-knacks.
Quorn Stone has new Marisol ranges of decorative tiles, natural stone, and marble and stone effect ranges, new terracotta decorative tiles, natural stone range, marble and decorative effect tiles.
M&S has a new Kelly Hoppen collaboration and furniture and homeware collections, and new homeware ranges for the spring and summer.
Matalan has a new Sorrento range of tableware, bed linen, cushions and furnishings for the garden.
National Trust has new food and gardening ranges, Easter decorations, new homeware, new shed ranges, new garden furniture with new Oxleys and Sitting Spiritually collaborations, new glasshouses, and new kitchen furniture ranges based on their country houses, including walled units, islands and kitchen dressers.
See additional new home images from
Ruggable Sofology Home Bargains The Gluttonous Gardener Nest Arran Sense of Scotland
WANT TO GET YOUR IMAGERY IN FRONT OF OVER 20,000 MEDIA?
If you’re a brand looking to get your imagery on PRShots then get in touch with our sales team at sales@prshots.com We have solutions and pricing for all sizes and types of business from small startups to large multi-nationals, with prices starting at just £50 a month.
GET PRSHOTS PULSE SOCIAL LISTENING SOLUTION
The new Pulse Social listening tool from our sister brand PressArea allows you to track and trace mentions of your brand and competitors and put those insights to work to gain real benefits.
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