27-28-29 Retail Roundup_muk.qxp_NEW LSB 2008 GRID 22/09/2020 14:20 Page 27
RETAIL ROUND-UP
Inset: RS No.9 Carnaby is a new permanent outlet.
Word on the street The summer saw a raft of activity, deals and promotions as the retail sector started to get back up and running. LSB takes a look at some of the latest news.
Inset: Sales at Primark are “reassuring and encouraging”.
The Stones hit Carnaby St The world-first Rolling Stones flagship store on London’s Carnaby Street opened in mid September to mass media coverage, with music fans being promised an exclusive mix of collections and collaborations. The new store – created in partnership with Bravado – includes exclusive new fashion label ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’. The band’s albums and single releases are at the heart of the shop’s pulse, while the store’s windows feature a world first soundwave installation. The audio of the beginning of the 1966 hit track Paint It Black is visualised as a soundwave and reinterpreted into a striking red metal sculpture. Jointly curated by the Rolling Stones and Bravado, the shopfit follows the brand colours of red and black. The glass floor features many of the band’s lyrics, and the fitting rooms are adorned with iconic album artwork. Inside, there is an exclusive and curated mix of collections and collaborations. The store also introduces ‘Stones Red,’ the official colour from Pantone. Mat Vlasic, ceo of Bravado said: “RS No. 9 Carnaby is the result of years of planning and decades of building one of the world’s most recognised brands. It creates a destination where fans can connect and immerse themselves in the music, style and spirit of one of the world’s most iconic and beloved bands.”
Primark beats sales expectations Sales at Primark since it re-opened have beaten expectations, with parent company AB Foods describing them as “reassuring and encouraging”. In a pre-closing update for the year ending September 12, AB Foods said that Primark’s cumulative sales since re-opening to the year-end are expected to be £2 billion. Its adjusted operating profit is now expected to be at least at the top end of the £300-350 million range which was previously advised. “Since reopening we have seen increasing numbers of transactions driven by footfall,” the statement from AB Foods said. “The average basket size was initially significantly higher than last year, reflecting some pentup demand, and while this outperformance has reduced in recent weeks it remains higher than a year ago.” Sales at stores in retail parks are higher than a year ago, with shopping centre and regional high street stores broadly in line with last year. However, Primark’s 16 largest destination city centre stores have suffered “significant” decline in footfall, contributing 8% of total sales since lockdown. This compares with 13% pre-COVID.
LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2020
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