​Freemans said on Friday that it had “a cracker of a Christmas” with sales in the eight weeks to the end of the year up as much as 23%. Its customer numbers also topped a million, which was up 65% from two years ago.

Kering said on Friday it was entering the cosmetics business, with the announcement that it has recruited seasoned Estee Lauder executive Raffaella Cornaggia to head the push into the new segment. 

​Footfall to UK retail destinations was up 12.5% in January, according to the latest BRC-Sensormatic IQ data. But while it rose, it was 2.6 percentage points down on December.

Estee Lauder Cos Inc forecast a bigger drop in full-year profit than it had initially estimated, citing uncertainty around recovery in major market China. 

​There are big changes happening in John Lewis Partnership’s customer service capability, with the UK retail giant announcing new investment in its brands, data and technology “to give even more value to customers”.

Global fashion giant H&M is planning to shutter four of its regional UK stores, citing a “rapid change” in customer behaviour. Stores in Hartlepool, Maidenhead, Newport on the Isle of Wight and Burton are set to close.

How successful has The Very Group’s Everyday range been? Enough to expand the collection with more than 900 new fashion and home products “following strong customer demand since it launched in summer 2022”.

The founder of Liu Jo has been named president of Italian department store group Coin SpA. A former board member, Marchi succeeds Giorgio Rossi, who will stay on as a board member.

American singer Ariana Grande will acquire the assets of her R.e.m. Beauty brand from Forma Brands, her licensee, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under US law. 

E.L.F. Beauty announced on Wednesday revenues for the third quarter lifted 49% to $146.5 million, driven by strength in both its retailer and e-commerce channels.  

A new broom is expected to sweep in at Matalan following the acquisition of the fashion and lifestyle retailer last month, with interim chairman Tim Isaacs the first casualty.

Central London commercial property landlord Shaftesbury is to partner with Good On You, fashion’s source for brand sustainability ratings.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking into Farfetch’s purchase of a stake in Yoox Net-A-Porter, owned by Swiss luxury goods group Richemont, claiming it might reduce competition in the UK market.

In the first nine months of fiscal 2022-23, cosmetics group L’Occitane recorded a 10.6% rise in sales, a performance largely due to the Sol de Janeiro brand, acquired in November 2021.

The company, which specialises in perfumery and cosmetics, recorded a turnover of 92 million euros in the last financial year, driven by well-known perfume brands within its portfolio, such as Tous and Halloween.

​THG Ingenuity has inked a strategic alliance with And Digital, the software engineering firm, “to accelerate digital transformation, help brands bridge the digital skills gap and unlock the potential of commerce tech”.