Argos has announced the launch of ‘Your Catalogue’, an innovative new feature embedded directly within the Argos mobile app. Rolling out from 29th July, the feature reimagines the beloved classic print catalogue into a modern, digital-first browsing experience tailored to contemporary shoppers.

Developed following extensive customer research, ‘Your Catalogue’ addresses the growing consumer demand for editorial style inspiration and open-ended product discovery, rather than entirely transactional shopping. Tapping into the retro nostalgia of the original Argos catalogue, the feature is a modern digital evolution, offering constantly updated, real-time inspiration based on individual browsing patterns.

Argos shoppers will be greeted with curated trend edits, category lookbooks and the latest arrivals, offering genuine inspiration for every room, gift idea, or life event. ‘Your Catalogue’ updates organically as customers browse with every click, search, and saved item subtly shaping the interface, serving up relevant top picks and tailored ideas in a clean, seamless layout.

Bringing back the classic ritual of ‘circling your favourites’, the new feature allows users to easily save items, organise wishlists, and curate mood boards for future shopping trips. Unlike its physical predecessor, ‘Your Catalogue’ is constantly updated with new arrivals, trending products, and exclusive offers, ensuring there is always something new to discover every time the app is opened.

The ‘Your Catalogue’ experience is available nationwide starting 29th July across the iOS and Android Argos apps. Existing App Users only need to update and open the Argos app to unlock immediate, personalised inspiration on the homepage. New customers can download the free Argos app from the App Store or Google Play.

App users will also have direct access to Argos’s Click & Collect options, meaning customers can collect from over 1,100 stores on the same or next day. Customers can also make the most of Argos’s market leading Fast Track same day and next day home delivery services.

Find out more about how ‘Your Catalogue’ can help customers discover top picks, explore tailored ideas, and save what they love by visiting argos.co.uk/events/your-catalogue.

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Founded in 2009, Mint Velvet has since gained global recognition for its approach to ‘relaxed glamour’, delivering effortless yet luxurious womenswear. The new 1,700 sq ft store will sit on The Avenue’s Upper Level. With a focus on long-term trends and timeless pieces, Mint Velvet offers high-quality clothing that continues to attract a wide range of audiences.

Set to strengthen Meadowhall’s menswear offer, British-born brand Belstaff has signed for a 1,400 sq ft unit, two doors down from Mint Velvet. Renowned for its motor-inspired collections, Belstaff draws on more than 100 years of British heritage, innovation and adventure. The new store will showcase its tailored menswear range, including premium outerwear, wardrobe essentials, and accessories.

Having first opened at Meadowhall a decade ago, Michael Kors has invested in a significant store refurbishment, introducing a double-height shopfront to bring the retailer in-line with The Avenue’s new design principles. Spanning 2,600 sq ft, the updated space will incorporate the brand’s latest interior concept and showcase its signature collection of accessories, clothing, and jewellery. The store investment reflects the new design standards for tenants on The Avenue, as Meadowhall encourages the best in retail, with the latest store fits, concepts, and innovative designs. The store is also located on the Upper Level.

Richard Crowther, Retail Leasing Director at British Land, said: “The arrival of Mint Velvet and Belstaff, alongside Michael Kors’ impressive investment, not only strengthens our fashion offer on The Avenue, but also reflects our new vision for this part of Meadowhall. We are focused on creating an aspirational, best-of-British and global mix on The Avenue, shaping a complete experience that responds to the way our visitors want to shop aspirational retail. All three brands complement the existing tenant mix, while individually and collectively bringing something unique to the centre.”

Liz Houghton, CEO and Co-Founder of Mint Velvet, added: “Our customers are at the heart of every decision we make, so opening at Meadowhall feels like a natural next step. We’re excited to make getting dressed feel effortless, creating a beautiful space where women can discover a capsule wardrobe and our take on the trends.”

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With Glasgow hosting the Commonwealth Games from 23rd July to 2nd August, around 500,000 ticket holders are expected to travel across the city during one of the busiest periods in its events calendar. For retail destinations, the Games offer a valuable chance to welcome new audiences and demonstrate how they can contribute to the wider visitor experience beyond the competition itself.

As visitors move between venues, transport hubs, neighbourhoods and other destinations throughout the day, activity will spread across Glasgow. Retail parks such as Glasgow Fort, on the city’s eastern approach, can play a wider role in supporting how people experience the city.

For operators and landlords, now is the time to be thinking about what happens once the crowds arrive. Event visitors might not initially be coming to shop, but they do need places to eat, meet and spend time before and after any Games events and that’s exactly where the wider shift in retail is already heading.

At Glasgow Fort, we have seen this shift first hand. Footfall is up eight percent over the past year, driven largely by demand in food and beverage, alongside fashion and health and beauty. The Commonwealth Games can build on that momentum, bringing more people into the city and creating additional opportunities for retailers that offer convenient places to eat, shop and spend time around events.

That’s why we see major events as an accelerant for a strategy that is already in motion, not a reason to bolt on short term activation. At Glasgow Fort, we’ve recently submitted plans for a 60,000 sq ft expansion that incorporates significant new leisure attractions including bowling, arcades, karaoke, laser quest and escape rooms. The proposals follow two rounds of public consultation and reflect sustained demand from visitors. It’s one of the first developments of its kind in the UK since 2020, and it’s designed to drive footfall and increase dwell time whether or not there’s a major event on the calendar.

That said, the Games do give us a live opportunity to bring that strategy to life for visitors right now.

During the Games period, Glasgow Fort will host a free Big Summer Sports Camp, tapping into the sporting mood and timed to coincide with the school holidays. It provides a way for us to connect with the wider event calendar and encourage families already in the area to spend more time at the destination, but it only works because the underlying offer, and the ongoing investment behind it, gives people a reason to stay once they’re there.

The Commonwealth Games will bring a welcome, city-wide spotlight to Glasgow this summer. The destinations that benefit most, not just during the Games but for years afterwards, will be the ones that are already building for changing visitor habits. Sustained investment in the right mix of retail, leisure and food and drink is what converts these big moments into repeat visits and longer-term loyalty.

Image courtesy of Pexels. Photo credit: Adrien Olichon.

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Tesco has launched its ‘Back From Holiday Shop’, a pop up designed to help returning travellers replenish the essentials and stock-up on the home comforts they’ve missed most while away.

The initiative follows new research revealing that a quarter (25 percent) of Brits find coming home to an empty fridge one of the most frustrating parts of returning from holiday.

To make the journey home that little bit easier, Tesco has teamed up with Clubcard Reward partner easyJet holidays and London Southend Airport to bring the ‘Back From Holiday Shop’ directly to the airport baggage hall. Offering Brits the ultimate welcome home, returning holidaymakers will be able to pick up a complimentary bag of Tesco essentials straight from the baggage carousel.

The bags are packed with the everyday essentials people say they most want waiting for them when they get home. Topping the list is that first proper cuppa, with over half (57 percent) of holidaymakers craving a cup of tea after returning from a trip, with fresh milk a must-have for over half of Brits (56 percent). And, of course, no welcome home would be complete without a classic British biscuit, with more than a quarter (28 percent) reaching for a custard cream the moment they’re back on UK soil.

The research also highlights our appetite for simple, comforting staples when we get home. Beans on toast leads the way at almost a quarter (24 percent), reaffirming its status as a go-to post-holiday staple. More surprisingly, porridge also makes the list at 14 percent, showing that even the most unassuming breakfast comforts hold real appeal after time away.

But it’s not just quick fixes people miss after time away. Despite spending their trip soaking up the sunshine and sampling local cuisine, the classic Sunday roast has been crowned the meal nearly a third 31 percent of Brits most look forward to after a holiday abroad, rising to over 10 percent more for those in the North East (42 percent). In fact, 63 percent of Brits agree that you simply can’t recreate a proper roast overseas, and nothing makes them feel truly home quite like sitting down to one.

And while holidays are all about switching off and indulging, the majority of holidaymakers (70 percent) agree that they like to strike a balance with their diet once back home, with fresher, healthier options. Fresh produce including British strawberries (51 percent), cucumber (34 percent) and carrot sticks (19 percent), are all among the top choices for easing back into everyday eating after holiday.

From speedy meals to healthier treats and home comforts, Tesco has packed the baggage carousel bundles with everyday essentials including; Tesco Finest English Breakfast Tea Bags, Tesco British Semi Skimmed Milk, a Tesco Finest Wholemeal Seeds & Grains Loaf and Tesco Finest Strawberries, as well as classic British staples like Tesco Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce, Tesco Finest Mature English Cheddar Cheese and Tesco Yorkshire Pudding Batter Mix.

Also included is a bathroom cupboard staple – Tesco Extracts Aloe Vera Body Lotion. The research shows over half 65 percent of the nation are keen to keep their holiday glow going after touchdown, with soothing after-sun care ranking among the most wanted items. In fact, 36 percent of travellers pick up a bottle after returning home, particularly popular with younger holiday makers (18-25) at 56 percent, either to prolong their sun-kissed glow or to calm skin that may have seen a little too much sunshine.

And it’s not just those travelling into London Southend Airport who can benefit. As part of the partnership, Tesco and easyJet holidays will be giving away 10 x £250 vouchers to customers via Instagram, helping make the return home that little bit easier.* And for one lucky winner dreaming of jetting off again, easyJet holidays will also be offering a free holiday worth £1,500, adding an extra touch of excitement to the campaign.

The Back From Holiday Shop has been launched as part of Tesco’s “Need Anything From Tesco?” campaign, which highlights the ways Tesco goes above and beyond for its customers. And, builds on Tesco’s long-standing partnership with easyJet holidays, where customers can ​conver​​t ​their Clubcard points into ​easyJet holidays​ credit​ through Tesco Clubcard Reward Partners.​ easyJet holidays offers thousands of beach and city package holidays to 100+ destinations in Europe and North Africa. New destinations from London Southend Airport include Lyon, starting in December 2026, and Sharm El Sheikh, launching in January 2027.​

The Tesco Back From Holiday Shop will be available at London Southend Airport today (29th July) for travellers on flights arriving between 12pm and 5pm in partnership with easyJet holidays.

The following flights landing at London Southend Airport on the 29th July will have the opportunity to pick up a complimentary bag of Tesco essentials in baggage reclaim:

• EZY4661 – arriving from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) at 11:45

• EZY5706 – arriving from Alicante (ALC) at 12:55

• EZY5728- arriving from Malta (MLA) at 14:30

• EZY7511 – arriving from Faro (FAO) at 16:10

• EZY5726 – arriving from Gran Canaria (LPA) at 16:35

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DHL Supply Chain has been appointed by ProCook in a strategic logistics partnership that will support the kitchenware retailer’s next phase of growth in the UK. The agreement marks the first time in ProCook’s 30-year history that it has partnered with a top-tier third-party logistics provider.

Under the partnership, DHL has assumed responsibility for operating ProCook’s 167,000 sq ft Distribution Centre in Gloucester, managing both retail and e-commerce fulfilment activities. The transition has been completed successfully, with operations transferring to DHL without disruption to customers or stores.

By combining ProCook’s retail expertise with DHL’s supply chain capabilities, the partnership will support greater operational efficiency, flexibility and scalability as ProCook continues to grow its UK business.

Over the coming months, ProCook and DHL will deliver a joint improvement programme focused on enhancing operational performance and future capacity. This will include the implementation of DHL’s technology solutions, including a new Warehouse Management System, planned for deployment during the first half of 2027.

The partnership is also built on a strong cultural alignment between the two organisations, with a shared focus on colleague engagement, responsible business practices and creating great places to work.

Lee Tappenden, CEO at ProCook, said: “This partnership is an important milestone for ProCook. As we continue to grow, we wanted a logistics partner with the expertise, scale and capability to support our ambitions. DHL Supply Chain’s experience across retail and e-commerce logistics will help us build a more efficient and scalable operation, while maintaining the high standards of service our customers expect.”

Spencer Conday, Managing Director, Retail and Ecommerce, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to partner with ProCook and support the next stage of its growth. The successful transition of the Gloucester operation is a testament to the close collaboration between our teams. We are particularly pleased to welcome ProCook’s colleagues into DHL and look forward to supporting their development as part of our business. We look forward to helping ProCook deliver greater efficiency, flexibility and long-term growth.”

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Located in a 734 sq ft unit, Randox Health offers a comprehensive range of preventative healthcare services, including blood testing, full body health checks, specialised diagnostics and corporate wellness programmes. The opening brings the brand’s bespoke, holistic approach to healthcare to Victoria Leeds’ extensive catchment, alongside complementary health and wellness operators such as ALO, Aesop and Neom Wellbeing.

Randox Health’s decision to launch its Yorkshire debut at Victoria Leeds further reinforces the destination’s position as the launchpad of choice for brands seeking a flagship presence in the North. Its arrival reflects the strength of the destination’s affluent catchment, premium positioning and best-in-class brand mix, with Leeds ranked second only to London for its concentration of luxury and premium brands, according to CACI.

James Edmondson, Asset Manager at Redical, said: “Victoria Leeds continues to attract brands looking to make significant regional statements, and Randox Health opening its first standalone Yorkshire clinic here is another endorsement of the destination’s strength. As we continue to evolve our offer, we’re focused on introducing brands that reflect the changing needs and aspirations of our catchment, and an inclusion of health and wellness is an increasingly important part of that strategy.”

David Ferguson, Chief Operations Officer, at Randox Health, said: “Establishing a presence in Yorkshire was an important step for Randox Health, and Victoria Leeds was the clear choice for our first standalone clinic in the region. Its premium environment, exceptional brand mix and strong customer base made it the ideal location, and we’re delighted to have opened our doors to the people of Leeds.”

Continuing to evolve beyond traditional retail, Victoria Leeds continuously evolves to curate a complementary mix of shopping, wellness, dining and lifestyle experiences. The addition of Randox Health further enhances the destination’s appeal as a true all-day experience.

LM and Central Retail represent Redical.

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The company is piloting the ‘O2 Tech Refab Lab’ as one of the store’s interactive discovery zones, where customers can learn how devices can be given a second life so they don’t go to waste.

Created in collaboration with the O2 Stores team, the zone helps consumers become more aware of the sustainable options available when replacing, recycling or rehoming their unwanted tech, helping to keep devices and materials in circulation for longer – benefiting both people and the planet.

It comes as Virgin Media O2’s research found two thirds (66 percent) of people want to understand more about how devices can be reused so they don’t go to waste, while 64 percent would be more likely to recycle a phone if they knew more about the valuable materials inside it. Additionally, more than 7 in 10 (71 percent) would be more likely to donate a phone if they knew it could help someone in need, and 67 percent would be more likely to buy a refurbished device if they could see an example of one in person first.

The ‘O2 Tech Refab Lab’ includes information about:

• Trading In: highlighting the robust processes devices go through when they are traded in via its O2 Recycle scheme, such as being securely data wiped. O2 Recycle is available to anyone regardless of their mobile network, with people making an average of £148 when trading in an eligible smartphone.

• Extending the life of devices: showing the simple steps people can take to keep their tech in use for longer, such as fitting a screen protector, taking out insurance or repairing damage early. This helps people maximise the trade-in value of their device, or if they choose to donate it, ensure it remains in good condition so it can be reused by someone who needs it.

• Spotlighting precious materials: helping shoppers learn about the valuable materials inside phones that can be recovered and reused rather than end up in landfill.

• Like New: how phones are refurbished to a high quality (‘like new’) standard – such as removing scratches and ensuring they have at least 80 percent battery health, and resold as great value ‘like new’ devices.

• Helping people who need a device: how unwanted phones can be rehomed with people who need them via Community Calling – a programme established by Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity, Hubbub.

The pilot forms part of Virgin Media O2’s work to extend the life of technology as part of its ESG strategy, the Responsible Business Plan. This includes aiming to double the number of people buying refurbished devices from Virgin Media O2, and recycling unwanted devices via O2 Recycle by 2030.

Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “We want to build consumers’ trust in tech recycling and buying ‘like new’ so we can help extend the life of devices so they don’t go to waste. To do that, consumers need to be brought closer to what goes into manufacturing devices.

That’s why we’re trialling this circularity-themed zone at our O2 store in Westfield Stratford City, where we’re unpacking the safe, secure and rigorous processes devices go through when they’re recycled or refurbished and highlighting the environmental benefits of keeping devices and materials in use for longer. By bringing this to life in store, we hope consumers will feel even more confident trading in or buying ‘like new’ tech.

This is part of our wider work to champion a more circular economy and create more opportunities for people to make sustainable choices that are good for both them and the planet.”

Will Houldsworth, Director of Retail at Virgin Media O2, added: “We want to help shoppers see the simple steps they can take to keep tech in use for longer, while dispelling any concerns they may have about trading in, buying like new or donating their devices.

The O2 Tech Refab Lab is already proving popular with our customers, and it will help us learn the additional steps we can take to make tech recycling and reuse as seamless and convenient as possible.”

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Throughout the partnership, surplus food from more than 1,000 Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores has reached over 165,000 households across the UK via Olio’s Food Waste Hero programme.

The achievement has been made possible by over 45,000 Olio volunteers, known as Food Waste Heroes, who collect surplus food from stores and redistribute it within their local communities.

The milestone comes as Iceland and Olio also celebrate one year of helping shoppers access discounted groceries through Iceland’s national reduced food initiative, launched in partnership with Gander.

Following successful trials in Bristol and London, Iceland’s yellow sticker reductions were made available to view through the Olio app, alerting its 5 million UK users to discounted groceries at their local store.

Since launch, more than 47 million Iceland reduced food listings have been added to the Olio app, with each listing receiving an average of 23 unique impressions. The initiative has helped shoppers stretch their grocery budgets while supporting efforts to reduce food waste.

Stuart Lendrum, Director of Product, Process and Sustainability at Iceland Foods, said: “Reaching 10 million meals redistributed with Olio is a fantastic milestone and demonstrates the impact that can be achieved when businesses and communities work together to make sure good food is eaten, not wasted.

We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved through this partnership over the past four years, helping surplus food reach local households while supporting our commitment to doing the right thing for customers, communities and the planet.”

Saasha Celestial-One, COO and Co-founder of Olio, said: “It’s incredible to see that, through Iceland’s commitment to reducing food waste and the dedication of 45,000 Food Waste Heroes, we’ve been able to share 10 million meals with local households, instead of that food going to waste.

Retailers have a crucial role to play in building a more sustainable food system, and we’re proud to partner with organisations like Iceland that are leading the way. Together, we’ve shown how technology and community action can deliver real impact for people and the planet. Here’s to the next 10 million meals.”

Customers can download the Olio app to find free and discounted items at local Iceland stores and receive alerts about fresh reductions in their area.

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Shaftesbury Capital has announced that KIBOU Japanese Kitchen & Bar, the independently owned premium casual dining restaurant group, has signed for its first central London location in Covent Garden. This site will be the largest restaurant to date for the group, and continues to reinforce Covent Garden’s role as the go-to destination for dining in the West End.

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Danish lifestyle brand Søstrene Grene has announced plans to open a new store in St Albans, marking its first location in Hertfordshire. The opening represents another step towards the brand’s UK expansion and will introduce local shoppers to its distinctive blend of Scandinavian design, affordable homewares and immersive retail experiences.

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