​BNPL specialist Klarna has rolled out Virtual Shopping, “connecting online shoppers directly with experts in physical stores, through live video and messaging, to provide a highly personalised experience online”. 

Tech firm Nexite has announced a new funding injection. It takes its total funding up to $100m for its breakthrough Bluetooth tag and SaaS platform that boosts physical shopping and makes it more e-tail-like.

UGC is becoming ever more important to the shopping journey and the latest international Shopper Experience Index report shows that “purchase influence has shifted from business-to-consumer, to consumer-to-consumer”.

​There was good news and bad on UK spending on Tuesday as reports showed consumers are being impacted by higher prices, but are still spending on fashion and on activities that require new clothes and beauty products.

Steen & Strøm, the historic luxury department store in Oslo that’s also the worlds oldest, said on Monday that it made history in its March results when it exceeded its best monthly sales on record by as much as 20%.

​Outlet malls are continuing to turn in strong performances and London Designer Outlet said on Monday that footfall during the Easter weekend surged by over a fifth compared to 2019.

​Shaftesbury and Capco have confirmed long-expected merger talks with the companies saying that they're in advanced discussions, although there's still a chance a deal might not happen.

​Made.com Group — the stock exchange-listed artisan interiors retailer —  announced on Monday that it’s buying Trouva “to advance the group's growth strategy”.  

​There has been speculation for several years that West End landlords Capco and Shaftesbury could link up and now it seems that they really are in talks about a merger that would value the joint firm at around £3.5bn.

​The White Company’s holding company has filed its results for the year to the end of last July and said that turnover rose 21% year-on-year to £273.1 million. 

Many UK trading updates at the moment see retailers reporting weaker sales and reining-in expectations for the year. But Next’s update on Thursday did neither, even though sales guidance for 2022 overall is fairly muted.

​In a surprise update on Wednesday, Joules Group said that its CEO of three years, Nick Jones, is to step down during H1 of the next financial year.

​There was good news and bad in Boohoo’s final results for the year to February, but much of the bad news had been flagged in advance and the firm said the pain it's feeling now should be balanced by future growth.

​Lindex owner Stockmann Group said it had “a positive first quarter with clearly improved results across both divisions”.

​Billed as a ‘Real Magic’ retail experience, Coca-Cola has opened its first European flagship store in London where fashion and experiences will share the limelight.

​Shopping malls giant Unibail-Rodamco Westfield saw turnover rising 34.2% in Q1, reflecting a “strong post-Covid-19 recovery and asset deliveries”.