Meadowhall has announced the signing of a regional debut for popular designer toy store, Pop Mart, in tandem with standout openings for LEGO and Crew Clothing. The addition of this trio of household names reinforces Meadowhall’s position as the most dominant super regional mall in the UK.

Chinese-born toy retailer Pop Mart has signed for a 2,618 sq ft unit on Meadowhall’s High Street upper level, marking its debut in South Yorkshire. The highly anticipated addition showcases the centre’s commitment to attracting the most relevant, on-trend brands for its expanding Gen Z and Millennial audiences. Pop Mart will use this regional flagship to sell their expansive collection of collectable toys, such as Labubu’s, Hello Kitty, and Disney, and joins fellow East Asian-inspired brands in Miniso and Kenji.

International retailer, LEGO, has relocated into an upsized store on Meadowhall’s lower mall High Street, following a successful 15 years at the scheme. The 4,561 sq ft unit serves as a vibrant hub for the building community, hosting product launches, interactive experiences, and special events. LEGO now sits among the recently launched spaces for Pull&Bear and Stradivarius, creating a vibrant heart to the centre with best-in-class fit-outs.

Adding to the centre’s cohort of premium British-born retailers, Meadowhall has recently welcomed aspirational clothing brand, Crew Clothing. Now open on The Avenue’s lower level, the 2,000 sq ft unit showcases signature coastal-inspired collections across womenswear, menswear, and childrenswear. Having joined an impressive group of premium brands on The Avenue, such as Whittards, The White Company, and L’Occitaneon the lower level and Molton Brown and Frasers on the upper level, the launch reflects the ‘accessible luxury’ this part of the scheme has been designed to offer.

Richard Crowther, Retail Leasing Director at British Land, said: “The addition of three powerhouse retailers to Meadowhall’s retail mix, including a regional debut for Pop Mart and a significant upsize for LEGO, is indicative of sustained leasing demand here, and its reputation amongst the best brands as the region’s prime retail destination. Having Crew Clothing on The Avenue is also a sign of the role we play in shaping the destination, putting the right brands in the right places, as this part of the mall takes shape as a more premium shopping experience.”

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The new openings will strengthen JENKI’s presence in some of London’s most sought after business, retail, and lifestyle destinations, with bars set to open in Soho, Liverpool Street, St Paul’s, Fitzrovia, and Marylebone between August and the end of 2026.

As matcha becomes an increasingly important part of consumers’ daily routines, JENKI has established itself at the centre of London’s growing matcha culture. The new openings will allow the brand to serve more customers in neighbourhoods where demand already exists, while creating spaces tailored to the character of each location.

JENKI works with a data modelling partner to identify new sites for its bars, combining customer demand, footfall patterns and local market data, to pinpoint locations across some of London’s busiest and most in-demand areas.

Otto Boyer, co-founder of JENKI, adds: “We’re opening where our customers are already telling us they want JENKI to be. Matcha has become part of everyday life for more people across the UK, and we’re seeing that reflected in demand across London. These new openings allow us to bring JENKI to more communities while continuing to invest in the quality, craft and customer experience that has defined us from the beginning.”

Founded in 2020 by Claudia and Otto Boyer, JENKI has grown from market stalls and pop-ups into London’s leading premium matcha brand, with locations across Selfridges, Spitalfields, Covent Garden, Borough Market, Canary Wharf and Battersea Power Station.

Each JENKI bar is designed around the ritual of matcha preparation, with drinks freshly whisked to order using first harvest matcha sourced directly from Uji, Kyoto, in Japan. Each location will have a bespoke design that reflects the space and its local neighbourhood, creating a premium in-bar experience that positions the matcha whisking ritual at the centre.

As demand for premium matcha continues to grow across the UK, JENKI’s latest expansion reinforces its position at the forefront of the category. With 11 locations planned by the end of 2026, the brand is set to become Europe’s largest dedicated matcha bar operator.

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centre:mk has announced that leading F&B brands Fluffy Fluffy and Chopstix have signed to join the scheme, marking two regional debuts.

Fluffy Fluffy will be positioned in a 1,548 sq ft space on Silbury Boulevard. With its award-winning extra fluffy soufflé pancakes, made fresh to order using authentic Japanese techniques, Fluffy Fluffy brings a new dessert experience to centre:mk. The space will feature a thoughtfully designed interior with an open-kitchen concept, where guests can watch their food come to life, creating an engaging dining experience. Guests will also be able to choose from a selection of handcrafted croffles, sandos, and a savoury brunch menu, well-suited for casual all-day dining, a midweek lunch or on-the-go trade.

The Chinese-inspired brand, Chopstix, will occupy a 3,323 sq ft unit, bringing its quick-service-style comfort food to the heart of Milton Keynes. With its faster, fresher, tastier philosophy, Chopstix will enhance the centre’s quick service and family-dining lineup, offering a new option aligned with centre:mk’s seven-day footfall. Chopstix will be situated on Silbury Arcade next to TK Maxx, joining a mix of other Asian-inspired F&B brands, such as Pho and Wagamama.

Kevin Duffy, centre:mk’s Centre Director, commented: “Both Chopstix and Fluffy Fluffy are strong additions to our F&B lineup, delivering quick service and dine-in concepts that will resonate strongly with our expansive catchment. Both brands offer high-quality yet affordable dishes, perfect for local workers, residents and visitors to the area. These signings reinforce our commitment to delivering a dynamic and well-rounded offer, with operators that complement the centre’s growing retail proposition.”

Maria Zhang, Chief Operating Officer at Fluffy Fluffy, said: “The new centre:mk location feels like a natural next step in our expansion plans, which focuses on targeting high footfall locations across the UK. The region has a diverse and engaged audience, which we feel aligns perfectly with our unique concept. Our dynamic menu offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, making it the ultimate all-day dining spot.”

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Disney Store has announced the opening of two new retail destinations inside Selfridges Birmingham and Selfridges Manchester Trafford stores, marking the latest expansion of Disney Store’s growing physical retail footprint in the UK.

Planned to open in mid-July, the new concession spaces will give fans and families across the Midlands and North West greater access to Disney Store products and experiences closer to home, building on the success of the existing Disney Store presence within Selfridges London and the flagship Disney Store on Oxford Street.

The openings form part of Disney Store’s continued investment in creating meaningful in-person retail experiences for fans, offering guests the opportunity to discover curated collections inspired by Disney, Pixar, MARVEL and Star Wars™ within a premium department store environment.

Designed with Disney fans, families and collectors in mind, both locations will feature a carefully curated selection of apparel, accessories, stationery, limited plush, collectibles and roleplay-inspired collections. The stores will also include fitting rooms, helping bring costume and dress-up ranges to life through a more enhanced shopping experience.

Patrick Segar, Global General Manager of The Disney Store and VP, Retail Marketing of Disney Store, said: “We are excited to continue expanding Disney Store’s physical retail presence in the UK through our collaboration with Selfridges. These new locations allow us to bring Disney Store closer to even more fans and families across the country, creating new opportunities for guests to connect with some of the stories, characters and products they love.”

Disney Store is more than just a place to shop – it is a destination where fans can celebrate their love for Disney and immerse themselves in the wonder of storytelling through curated products, immersive retail environments and memorable experiences.”

The openings continue Disney Store’s evolving approach to physical retail following the strong response to its recent festive retail activations within Selfridges Birmingham and Manchester, alongside the ongoing success of its flagship Oxford Street store and Dublin location, reflecting growing consumer demand for more in-person Disney shopping experiences across the UK.

Guests visiting the new locations will be able to shop products inspired by some of Disney’s most-loved stories and franchises, alongside seasonal launches, selected collectible ranges and opening promotions.

Further details surrounding official opening dates, launch activity and guest experiences will be announced closer to opening.

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Supermarket clothing is emerging as one of the biggest winners of the cost-of-living era, with new research revealing that consumers trust grocery retailers more than traditional clothing brands when it comes to ethics, sustainability and value.

38 percent of UK shoppers are buying more clothing from supermarkets than they were two years ago, compared with just 18 percent who are buying less. A huge 81 percent said that they think supermarket brands are more acceptable and stylish and almost two thirds (63 percent) have a more positive perception of supermarket ranges than they used to.

The new consumer research from product intelligence business, Vypr, is timely as summer is the most popular supermarket clothing season with shoppers. 59 percent said supermarkets offer their best clothing collections then. More than half (56 percent) buy the most for summer holidays, compared with 25 percent who buy most at Christmas.

Despite its low prices, supermarket clothing appears to have avoided the fast-fashion stigma associated with many clothing retailers.

While 38 percent of consumers have actively avoided a retailer due to ethical worries, only 8 percent express strong ethical concerns about supermarket clothing specifically

More than a third (35 percent) of consumers have stopped shopping with retailers due to sustainability issues, compared with just 6 percent who have strong concerns about supermarket fashion ranges.

Ben Davies, founder of Vypr, said: “Despite high profile scrutiny of fashion supply chains, supermarket clothing appears to benefit from long-standing brand trust, with shoppers viewing it as a practical, good-value alternative rather than part of the disposable fashion problem.

Quality perceptions have also shifted with 63 percent having improved opinions. Of those, 33 percent say supermarket clothing has improved in quality, while 19 percent say it has become more stylish. As a result, stigma around supermarket fashion has all but disappeared as 41 percent of shoppers say they are proud of their purchases, and a further 40 percent would openly say their outfit came from a supermarket.”

Value remains the dominant driver. 80 percent of shoppers say price matters more than brand, with more than a third (36 percent) saying it matters much more. Convenience is also a major factor, with 76 percent prioritising ease over brand name.

This combination has helped supermarkets grow share: 45 percent of shoppers now buy the same amount of supermarket clothing as two years ago, 38 percent buy more, and only 9 percent buy less, showing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on clothing.

Sainsbury’s leads the category, with 34 percent naming Tu as their favourite supermarket fashion range, followed by F&F (32 percent) and George (25 percent). Sainsbury’s is also the retailer shoppers trust most to launch a designer collaboration, with 42 percent selecting it, ahead of Tesco (31 percent) and Asda (19 percent).

Image courtesy of Unsplash. Photo credit: charlesdeluvio.

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Located at Băneasa Shopping City, one of Bucharest’s leading retail and lifestyle destinations, the new store in Romania introduces local guests to the brand’s innovative athletic and lifestyle products. Opening day on 5th June featured a high-energy in-store experience, including a live DJ, gifting activations, and local brand partnerships. Beyond opening day, lululemon will further build community engagement through studio partnerships and Ambassador-led experiences across Bucharest.

By mid-June 2026, there will be eight new lululemon store openings across EMEA in a six-week period. This includes two stores in Istanbul, in addition to the recently added pop-up store in The Bodrum EDITION with another store to open later this month in the prestigious Yalikavak Marina, all through the company’s franchise partner Fiba Retail. Additionally, a second lululemon store will soon open in Athens, Greece in partnership with Arion Retail Group, and last month, a new company-owned store in Birmingham, UK opened, becoming the brand’s 24th location in the country since launching in London in 2014.

Sarah Clark, Senior Vice President, EMEA, lululemon, said: “This year we’ve expanded our presence across some of the fastest-growing markets across central and eastern Europe and our launch into Romania is our latest milestone. Bucharest is such a dynamic city with an active wellbeing network, including local and international studios, health clubs, and holistic fitness experiences. The response from the local community during opening week has been exciting and shows the strength of the opportunity ahead.”

lululemon now has stores and a digital presence in 23 markets across EMEA through a mix of owned and franchised operations. This summer, there will be another new market entry through the company’s franchise model into Austria with the opening of a store in Vienna. India will follow later this year, bringing lululemon’s community-led approach and innovative products to even more guests around the world.

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Led by dresses, with relaxed sets and feminine separates woven throughout, the collection takes cues from the journey behind the cotton, from sunlit landscapes to hand-touched detail. Fresh, mood-lifting shades, soft volume and easy silhouettes are brought to life with the design details Nobody’s Child is known for, including shirring, tie details, full skirts and subtle tie-dye influences.

With organic cotton already representing around half of Nobody’s Child’s total material usage, this collection using cotton grown from regenerative practices marks a new area of exploration for the brand. It looks closely at the people, places and farming systems behind the cotton with the ambition to carry learnings from this launch into future collections.

As part of the project, the Nobody’s Child team visited smallholder cotton farms in rural India to learn more about the people and practices behind the collection. Guided by Materra, the cotton comes from farmers using regenerative methods designed to work with natural systems, helping to support healthier soil, richer biodiversity and more resilient farming communities.

Each piece in the collection is accompanied by its own Digital Product Passport, documenting key supply chain touchpoints and offering customers a closer look at where their clothes come from. Accessed via the QR code on the clothing care label, the DPP helps connect the finished garment with the materials, makers and processes behind it.

“This is an exciting first for Nobody’s Child. Cotton is central to so many of our collections, and visiting the farms helped us better understand the land, systems and communities behind the fibre. With this collection, we wanted to bring that closer connection to cotton together with the colour, print, detail and feminine silhouettes our customers come to us for, creating pieces that feel true to Nobody’s Child,” said Jody Plows, CEO at Nobody’s Child.

“We can see more birds coming. The soil which was barren has now become fertile,” added Parameshwar Sopanrao Pawar, Farmer.

As part of its commitment to issue-led innovation, Nobody’s Child is supporting the regenerative agriculture exhibit at this year’s Future Fabrics Expo, taking place in Brussels on 24th and 25th June.

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As Europe’s best performing retail property sector over the past 18-24 months, there will be a special focus on retail warehousing at this year’s edition of MAPIC. Institutional capital has returned with investment volumes rising materially across Europe as investors are attracted by strong fundamentals such as constrained supply, continued occupier demand, rental growth potential and the opportunities presented by the evolution of retail parks into hybrid retail, fulfilment and mixed-use assets.

A recent report undertaken by MAPIC, in partnership with Mercialys and Imocom Partners, highlights the key characteristics of the European retail warehousing market and points towards continued growth in the sector.

Against a backdrop of increasing liquidity after the interest-rate shock, retail warehousing has emerged as retail’s most active asset class, having achieved investment volumes of €13.9bn in 2024 (versus €8.5bn for shopping centres and €11.5bn for high streets).

Investor sentiment has been buoyed by the sector’s outperformance across a number of key metrics, including:

• Pricing dynamics: focus on mass-market categories and essential goods that align with consumers’ price sensitivity despite challenges to consumer spending.
• Convenience retail: trusted brands, easy access, ample parking, and quick shopping experiences.
• Omnichannel enabled: structurally well-suited to click-and-collect services and efficient order fulfilment.
• Essential goods: the most successful projects are anchored by convenience and necessity-based retail, encouraging repeat visits even in unstable macroeconomic conditions.

UK leads European activity

The UK’s retail market is the largest by volume of floorspace with some 10.2 million sq m across 1,500 schemes. The lack of current development pipeline is fuelling investor activity, culminating in some €1.7bn of transactions completed during H1 2025, with major institutional investors including Aviva, British Land and Legal & General among the sector’s most acquisitive players.

Vacancy rates remain historically low at just 4.6 percent, driven by continued demand from the sector’s key occupiers including Next, H&M, M&S, Boots and TK Maxx. This, alongside a limited development pipeline, is driving current rental growth levels of 2-3 percent per annum.

A European success story

The fundamentals driving retail warehousing’s success story remain a common theme throughout Europe. Investor coincidence in European retail warehousing has rebounded with renewed activity in major markets including France, Germany, Iberia and Italy.

The wider European market is currently projecting rental growth of 3.5 percent per annum, alongside yields of 5.9 percent, which is driving activity from players including Redevco, Frey and Pradera. While the UK remains the deepest and most liquid retail warehouse investment market in Europe, Spain and Italy were among the fastest-growing investment markets in 2025.

A constrained pipeline 

After a decade of moderate development, annual retail park completions across Europe are expected to reach approximately 1 million sq m in 2026.

However, this growth is highly concentrated geographically. Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Iberian Peninsula account for most new projects, while mature markets such as the UK, France, and Germany remain focused on optimising and repositioning existing assets rather than expanding overall stock.

The evolution of the retail warehousing market will be at the centre of discussions during the MAPIC’s Retail Parks Forum, a closed-door event bringing together industry stakeholders for high-level conferences and networking sessions.

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Joining over 30 existing F&B operators across the scheme, the new 450 sq ft kiosk has been designed to complement the unique circular layout of the bandstand space on the Upper Orient, delivering a highly innovative and interactive retail experience for customers. Known for its customisable frozen yoghurt creations and loyal customer following, Frurt’s arrival further strengthens Trafford Centre’s position as a leading destination for exciting and trend-led food experiences.

The opening follows a wave of new food arrivals and upcoming launches at the centre, reflecting Trafford Centre’s continued investment in bringing viral and sought after brands to visitors.

Trafford Centre’s kiosk will introduce Frurt’s self-serve concept, designed to deliver an interactive and experience-led customer journey, alongside a newly enhanced premium toppings station and the relaunch of the brand’s Blue Biscuit edition.  The opening will also feature Frurt’s iconic life-size Green Spoon installation, with complimentary Frurt pots available for the first 150 customers, driving engagement and launch day footfall.

With a customer-first leasing approach, focused on delivering the brands and experiences visitors actively want, Trafford Centre continues to strengthen its appeal as one of the UK’s most in-demand retail and leisure destinations.

Shaza Khalil, Co-Founder of Frurt said: “As a Manchester born brand, opening at Trafford Centre is a major milestone for Frurt. The kiosk has been uniquely designed for the iconic bandstand location, bringing together our popular self-serve concept, premium new design and enhanced toppings experience.

Trafford Centre is one of the UK’s leading retail and leisure destinations, making it the ideal location to launch our first-ever shopping centre kiosk concept as we continue to expand into key locations across the UK.”

Bruce Gardner, Director and Head of Commercial Partnerships at Pradera, said: “Frurt’s arrival reflects the continued momentum across Trafford Centre’s evolving F&B leasing, as we continue to attract exciting, in-demand brands and exclusive concepts that resonate strongly with our visitors.

The launch of this new kiosk not only supports Frurt’s ongoing growth ambitions but further strengthens Trafford Centre’s position as a leading destination for forward-thinking brands thanks to its exceptional footfall and highly engaged customer base.”

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