Footfall across Scotland rose 0.4 per cent year on year in the four weeks from 3 to 30 May, according to the latest SRC-Sensormatic data, rebounding from a 5.2 per cent fall in April.

The result made Scotland the best-performing UK nation or region for retail footfall during the month.

Shopping centres saw footfall rise 1.3 per cent year on year, while retail parks posted a 1.5 per cent uplift, suggesting shoppers made use of warmer weather and bank holiday periods to visit physical retail destinations.

Edinburgh was the strongest-performing city in the UK, with footfall up 2.5 per cent year on year in May, recovering from a 3.8 per cent decline in April.

Glasgow footfall slipped 0.6 per cent, although it still performed ahead of most major UK cities.

Across the rest of the UK, London footfall was flat year on year, while Northern Ireland was down 1 per cent. England recorded a 3 per cent decline, Wales dropped 5 per cent and the South West of England was the weakest-performing region, down 5.3 per cent.

Scottish Retail Consortium deputy head Ewan MacDonald-Russell said: “Scottish retail footfall just about stayed positive as the warm weather outweighed consumer concerns about the economy.

“Footfall overall was up by 0.4 per cent, the best figures in the UK, as Scots enjoyed the eventual arrival of the sunshine.

“Edinburgh continues to perform well, partly driven by strong visitor numbers, to be the best performing city in the country. Glasgow saw slightly reduced footfall but still outperformed much of the rest of the UK.

“Shopping centres and retail parks both saw rises in footfall, indicative that these were popular on the bank holidays.”

However, MacDonald-Russell warned that retailers still face a difficult trading backdrop, with consumer confidence under pressure and inflation expected to rise in the coming months.

“Whilst the figures might look sunny there remain significant clouds on the horizon,” he said.

“Consumer confidence remains depressed as a result of the costs accruing from the international instability.

“The new Scottish Government will need to tread carefully with their policy interventions if they don’t wish to exacerbate those concerns.”

Sensormatic Solutions EMEA retail consultant Andy Sumpter said May had brought “a modest but welcome improvement” for Scottish retail.

“Consumer confidence may be edging up slightly, but it remains fragile, with geopolitical uncertainty continuing to weigh on discretionary spend,” he said.

“While May’s growth is modest, it suggests Scotland is holding firmer ground rather than seeing a full retreat from physical retail.

“For retailers, the challenge and the opportunity lie in building on this resilience, converting purposeful visits into meaningful spend by delivering the right mix of value, relevance and experience as we head into the summer months.”

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Total UK footfall fell 2.6 per cent year over year (YoY) from 3 to 30 May, BRC-Sensormatic data revealed. However, this was up from 10.7 per cent in April.

High street footfall decreased by 1.5 per cent YoY in May, up from -9.2 per cent the month prior.

Retail park footfall also declined by 0.5 per cent YoY over May, rising from -9.0 per cent in April.

Additionally, shopping centre footfall dropped by 2.4 per cent YoY in May, up from -10.1 per cent the month before.

Footfall rose by 0.4 per cent YoY in Scotland, while it dropped by 1 per cent in Northern Ireland, 3 per cent in England, and 5 per cent in Wales.

BRC CEO Helen Dickinson said: “While total UK footfall remained down on last year, it was a significant improvement on April’s double-digit drop. 

“While the warmer weather initially encouraged more people to the shops, the record-breaking temperatures at the end of the month resulted in a sharp decline in footfall, particularly at shopping centres and retail parks. 

“Only high streets bucked the trend, as those who were out and about took the opportunity to pop into their local stores.”

She added: “Households remain anxious about the long-term impact of the Iran conflict and inflation and expect prices to rise over the year. 

“By tackling the inflationary pressures on the horizon, government can help rebuild consumer confidence, ultimately supporting footfall. 

“The first priority must be to address non-commodity charges which are pushing up energy costs to an unsustainable level. 

“The window for government to act is narrowing, and any delay will only harm retailers and their customers.”

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The charity said the decision follows an extensive review of its retail estate against a backdrop of rising operating costs and changing shopping habits, which have left some locations no longer financially viable.

Under the proposals, around 90 stores would close by March 2027, with the remaining closures taking place by March 2028. The plans also include reductions within the central teams that support the charity’s retail operations.

BHF currently operates around 640 shops and stores across the UK and said it would continue to run a substantial retail network alongside its online channels, including eBay and its own website.

“Our shops mean so much to our colleagues, brilliant volunteers and communities across the UK,” said British Heart Foundation chief executive Dr Charmaine Griffiths.

“They are places where people come together to donate, shop and volunteer, helping to make a real difference to lives affected by cardiovascular disease.

“We know this will be a difficult time for our dedicated colleagues and volunteers in affected stores and emphasise our deep appreciation and gratitude for all they have done for BHF and the communities they serve.

“Like most retailers, we are facing an exceptionally challenging trading environment.”

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the UK’s biggest killers and our priority is funding research to save lives. We must take the difficult step to close some of our shops to sustain retail’s important contribution to funding BHF’s groundbreaking research.”

The charity stressed that its overall financial position remains strong, supported by fundraising and legacy income, but said changes are required to ensure retail continues to make a meaningful contribution to its mission.

BHF said it would support affected employees through consultation and redeployment opportunities where possible, while volunteers would be offered alternative roles within nearby stores or elsewhere in the organisation.

Details of the first wave of proposed closures will be published once affected colleagues have been informed.

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However, Specsavers believes it has found a model that can scale. The optical retailer has expanded its recycling scheme to all UK stores, adding around 300 locations to an initiative first introduced in 2022.

The move means customers can now drop off unwanted glasses, cases, cleaning cloths, contact lenses and contact lens packaging at every Specsavers branch, regardless of where the products were originally purchased.

In 2025, the scheme collected and recycled 72 tonnes of material from 659 stores and laboratories, almost five tonnes more than the previous year.

For Specsavers’ head of sustainability for the UK and Ireland Helen Curran, the scheme grew out of a gap in the market rather than a regulatory requirement.

“Products like glasses and contact lenses do not really fit into standard recycling schemes,” she said. While donation schemes for reusable spectacles have existed for years, there was no straightforward route for glasses, cases, cloths, contact lenses and blister packs to be handled together.

“We saw an opportunity to make it easier for customers and operationally easier for ourselves.”

Turning optical waste into raw materials

One question facing many retailer recycling schemes is what actually happens to the waste once it disappears into a collection box.

Specsavers’ programme is run with recycling specialist MYGroup, which separates and processes the material at its UK operation in Hull. According to Curran, the scheme captures a broad mix of products, from old spectacles and cases to contact lens packaging and worn lenses.

The retailer operates two collection streams: customer-facing recycling boxes in stores and separate collection points within its laboratories. The lab stream is designed to capture higher-value materials such as dummy lenses used in the manufacturing process.

Specsavers does not currently separate its reporting between customer returns and internally generated waste, nor does it break down the 72 tonnes by material type. Likewise, the company was unable to provide a figure for what proportion of its total UK waste footprint the scheme represents.

What it can say is that much of this material would previously have entered general waste streams.

“If a company was using a different partner that only took glasses and reused them in a developing country, you would only really use around 20 to 30 per cent of those frames,” Curran said. Cases, cloths, contact lenses and blister packs would typically have been discarded through conventional waste routes.

The collected material is ground down and repurposed into products including joinery boards and furniture. While the recycled content is not currently being incorporated back into Specsavers products, the company has worked with MYGroup to produce Specsavers-branded pens made from material recovered through the scheme.

“It is important for people to be able to say, ‘Wait, waste made this?'” Curran said.

The commercial case for sustainability

While sustainability projects are often presented as purely environmental initiatives, Curran argues that waste reduction and commercial efficiency increasingly go hand in hand.

“If we look at general waste for a commercial business, it costs more to have more general waste bins,” she said. “Recycling costs less.”

That thinking appears to be informing a wider sustainability programme across the business. Earlier this year, Specsavers won Retail Week’s Green Initiative of the Year award for changes to its ophthalmic lens manufacturing process. The project reduced hard-to-recycle plastic waste by 107 tonnes a year and cut annual carbon emissions by 230 tonnes through changes to lens production and stock management.

The retailer is also pursuing broader environmental targets. According to its sustainability commitments, Specsavers is targeting net-zero emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2050, with interim goals to reduce operational emissions by 50% and supply-chain emissions by 25% by 2030.

Curran said the company is increasingly focused on reducing waste before it is created, particularly through packaging changes and material efficiency.

“This programme is just one area where we are looking to reduce waste overall, both by improving our recycling rates and looking at waste at source.”

The growing regulatory burden is also shaping decision-making. With measures such as digital product passports and wider sustainability reporting requirements moving up the agenda across Europe, Curran said the priority is understanding what data businesses need and ensuring suppliers are part of the process.

“Any big business will have the majority of its emissions sitting in scope three,” she said. “It is about working with suppliers.”

For Specsavers, the challenge appears less about persuading customers to participate than making participation simple. The company says customer feedback has been positive, although it has not published formal participation figures.

“I think everybody wants to do the right thing,” Curran said. “You just have to make it easy and accessible for them.”

As retailers face growing scrutiny over waste, packaging and supply-chain transparency, Specsavers shows the test lies in whether businesses can make these initiatives easy enough to become routine.

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According to Rithum’s retail director EMEA Mark Howell, the model is becoming an increasingly important part of modern retail strategy, allowing businesses to widen their assortment while saving on cash and warehouse capacity.

Retail Gazette caught up with Howell, who says the fundamental attraction of dropshipping is simple: retailers only pay for stock once it has been shipped by a supplier.

“The virtue and advantage of doing a model like dropship is you only pay for it when it’s shipped by the brand,” he explains.

For retailers faced with constraints such as warehouse capacity, store space and inventory budgets, dropshipping allows them to still provide for customers without ‘committing significant capital upfront’.

“Retailers want to solve a problem,” Howell says. “They want to be relevant for customers. They want to have choice and assortment.”

The approach has become particularly attractive as retailers seek to compete with ecommerce giants such as Amazon, where a significant proportion of products are supplied and fulfilled by third-party sellers operating from warehouses Amazon itself does not own.

“Mimicry is the highest form of flattery,” Howell says. “If it works, why aren’t I doing it?”

What does dropshipping actually change?

While dropshipping is often discussed as a commercial strategy, Howell argues the biggest shift happens operationally.

Instead of goods moving through a retailer’s own distribution network, suppliers become responsible for fulfilment and delivery. The retailer, however, remains accountable for customer experience.

“The physical movement of the goods is managed by a supplier,” he says. However, what does not change are customer expectations.

“Is it being delivered on time? Is the experience good for customers? Is it packaged well? Is it turning up in one piece? All of those things are still true.”

This, Howell says, creates one of the biggest challenges for retailers adopting the model: learning how to relinquish some control without losing visibility.

Many businesses, Howell says, still operate around wholesale processes built over decades. Buyers and merchandisers remain accustomed to approving every SKU, product description and item before it reaches customers.

One of the common mistakes is attempting to replicate those same wholesale processes within a dropship environment.

“If you try and replicate your wholesale processes just into dropship, then you will suffer. You will fail because you’ll still be slow.”

Instead, retailers need to adopt a “trial and learn” mindset, using supplier inventory to test new products and categories before making larger commitments.

The model can also help retailers free up warehouse capacity by moving slower-selling lines out of their own fulfilment networks while continuing to offer them online.

Trust and data become the new battlegrounds

Howell believes that as retailers move away from inventory-led expansion, trust becomes the defining competitive advantage.

“We shop with retailers that we get a good experience with,” he says. For that reason, supplier performance cannot be left to chance.

Retailers typically establish strict operational playbooks, service-level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) for participating suppliers. Failure to meet those standards can result in financial penalties or removal from the programme.

“If you don’t do what customers expect, you’ll erode trust,” Howell says. He points to Marks & Spencer as an example of a retailer that established clear expectations from the outset when building its programme.

Alongside trust, product data is becoming increasingly important as consumers change how they discover products online.

Howell says retailers are now navigating a world where search is becoming more conversational, driven by platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI-powered tools.

“It’s not just enough to say it’s a laptop with 16GB of memory and a certain screen size,” he explains.

If consumers search for a lightweight laptop with a high-quality display, or a breathable hiking backpack suitable for long walks, retailers need product attributes that reflect those needs.

“If that information isn’t there, the AI engine isn’t going to find it.” The challenge is compounded by the fact that many retailers are still working to improve the quality of legacy product data already sitting across their websites.

Learning from past failures

While dropshipping and marketplace models have become commonplace in the US, Howell believes the UK market has historically struggled to achieve the same level of success.

Part of the reason, he argues, is that many retailers attempted to bolt dropship programmes onto existing wholesale systems rather than redesigning processes around the new model.

“UK retailers were trying to make these quite big ideas work, but they were still being bound to the legacy of old wholesale processes.”

By contrast, retailers that have succeeded have invested in new fulfilment models while remaining realistic about the limitations of older technology infrastructure.

“It’s about finding the best path with what you have,” Howell says. The growing maturity of the sector is also helping. More retailers have now seen successful examples in the market, while specialist technology providers and industry professionals bring greater experience than was available a decade ago.

Howell points to Next as an example of a retailer that has successfully modernised its fulfilment approach. While the retailer still has deep roots in traditional wholesale operations, it has developed new fulfilment models and moved beyond some of the limitations of legacy processes.

He also highlights Marks & Spencer’s approach, praising the retailer for having a clear vision of what it wanted its dropship programme to achieve and for setting clear expectations for suppliers from the outset.

Howell says retailers such as M&S, Adidas and Pets at Home may use different commercial models and operate in different sectors, but all face the same challenge of balancing customer experience, supplier relationships and operational efficiency as they expand their assortments beyond inventory held in their own warehouses.
At the same time, retailers are facing new pressures ranging from rising fuel costs and geopolitical disruption to changing regulation around artificial intelligence.

Howell highlights the forthcoming requirements under the EU AI Act, which will introduce new transparency obligations around AI-generated content and product information.

He also points to the future development of Digital Product Passports, which are expected to require significantly greater product-level data and traceability across supply chains.

While the final shape of those regulations is still evolving, Howell believes retailers will increasingly require suppliers to provide the necessary information as a condition of participation.

“The retailer is still heavily liable due to our laws and legislation in the UK.”

For retailers balancing growth ambitions with mounting operational complexity, the challenge is no longer simply expanding assortment. It is doing so while maintaining trust, visibility and compliance.

As customer discovery shifts towards AI-driven search and product recommendations, retailers may find that the quality of their product data matters just as much as the size of their catalogue.

The retailers that succeed will not necessarily be those holding the most stock, but those that can connect customers to the right products, at the right time, through the right fulfilment model.

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The company will now give shoppers the option to claim up to 50 per cent of the original purchase price back in cash, depending on the condition of the tent when it is returned.

The scheme previously allowed customers to buy a Decathlon tent before a festival, use it across the weekend and return it to a participating store in exchange for the value back as a gift card.

The offer will run until 6 September, with returned tents in good condition assessed, cleaned and resold through Decathlon’s Second Life programme.

Decathlon launched the initiative to tackle the growing problem of festivalgoers treating tents as single-use items and leaving them behind to end up in landfill.

Decathlon UK sustainability leader Chris Allen said: “Our No Tent Left Behind scheme goes from strength to strength each year.

“What started as a small-scale initiative has become an important part of how we approach camping and festivals more broadly, encouraging customers to return used equipment, keep valuable materials in circulation, and give more products a second chapter through our Second Life programme.

“This year, we’re helping customers’ pockets as well as our planet. With our new one-hour bank transfer service, we’re providing the flexibility and value needed to turn unused gear into new adventures.”

The campaign is being backed by radio broadcaster Edith Bowman, whose work includes covering Glastonbury.

Bowman said: “From festival fields to family camping trips, great gear should be used and enjoyed again and again.

“Decathlon’s Tent Pledge makes it easy for people to pass tents on, give them a second life, and help keep the spirit of adventure going long after the weekend ends.”

Decathlon is continuing to build out its circular retail offer across multiple categories.

Earlier this year, the retailer expanded its BuyBack service by allowing customers to trade in unwanted or outgrown bikes for instant money back for the first time.

Customers can bring bikes from any brand into a UK Decathlon store, where staff assess the condition and offer a quote. The retailer has also launched an online quick quote tool, giving shoppers an estimated value before completing the full trade-in process.

For 2026, Decathlon has introduced a one-hour bank transfer payment option across BuyBack, giving customers cash for their unwanted gear. Shoppers can also choose a gift card to spend in store or online.

The BuyBack scheme, which launched in 2023, now covers products across up to 15 sports, including fitness equipment, racquet sports, golf, horse riding, GPS watches, camping gear, kayaks and paddleboards.

More than 10,000 items have been returned since the scheme launched, with Decathlon refurbishing products before reselling them through its Second Life range at a reduced price.

Allen previously said the service was designed to help customers’ “pockets as well as our planet”, while making it easier to turn unused sports equipment into “new adventures”.

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Following consultation with industry stakeholders, manual return points will receive a handling fee of 3p per container returned.

For automated return points using reverse vending machines (RVMs), a tiered payment structure has been agreed. Operators will receive 5p per container for up to 225,000 eligible containers returned annually, with returns above that threshold attracting a fee of 1.3p per container.

EcoVend, part of Reconomy, managing director Tarvis Way said the confirmation represented an important milestone for businesses preparing for DRS.

“For retailers, having greater clarity on the financial framework now will help support investment decisions and operational planning ahead of the scheme’s launch in 2027,” Way said.

“It is encouraging to see a tiered approach that recognises the different realities facing retailers of varying sizes and return volumes.

“Reflecting the distinction between manual return points and reverse vending machine operators should help ensure the scheme remains practical and accessible across a diverse retail landscape.

“The commitment to review fees before launch and on an ongoing basis will also be important.

Way added: “As businesses gain experience of operating within the scheme, it is vital that the fee structure continues to reflect real-world costs and supports high levels of participation, helping to deliver the strong return rates needed to create a more circular economy.”

The announcement comes as the latest update to the scheme, scheduled to launch across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in October 2027, with retailers and operators continuing preparations for its rollout.

In April, Exchange for Change confirmed that a flat 20p deposit will apply to all in-scope drinks containers, after research conducted by the not-for-profit scheme administrator found deposit levels below 15p were unlikely to provide a strong enough incentive to meet the target of returning 90% of containers within three years

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Based in the main mall area of Westwood Cross, the updates include improved lighting and new furniture.

Ahead of Father’s Day on 21 June, the store will offer a new selection of cards and small gifts. 

Alongside a choice of cards, guests will also find novelty gifts such as whisky decanter sets, retro TV game sets and personalised pint glasses.

The card retailer’s store will be holding a reopening event on 6 June. 

As part of its celebrations, the company will be giving away a free tote bag and a card from its simply Clintons collection to the first 200 customers, with a minimum spend of £3 applied.

Westwood Cross centre director Fran Donovan said: “It’s great to welcome Clintons back at Westwood Cross following its recent refresh. 

“The updated store creates a brighter and more inviting shopping experience for our guests, and its broad range of cards and gifts makes it a valuable addition to the centre.”

Clintons trading director James Taylor said: “Westwood Cross has been a key location for us for many years, and we’re thrilled to be bringing our new-look store concept there. 

“This refurb is a real milestone in our roll-out programme, and we can’t wait for customers – both loyal and new – to experience the elevated environment we’ve created.

“There’s something for every occasion, and we look forward to welcoming shoppers in Westwood Cross to discover the next chapter of Clintons.”

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The Yate-based business, near Bristol, has closed its doors after 22 years supplying bikes, accessories and clothing to retailers across the UK.

Jonathan Dunn and Matt Whitchurch have been appointed as joint administrators to the company, which distributed a raft of premium cycling brands including Pivot, Castelli, Sportful, Silca, Abbey Bike Tools and Feedback Sports.

Dunn said the company had been hit by “increasingly difficult market conditions” in recent years.

“Our immediate priority is supporting those employees who have been made redundant and helping them access financial support,” he said.

The administrators said Saddleback’s directors had attempted to sell the business but were unable to secure a deal. The company was subsequently placed into administration.

Saddleback was founded in 2004 and had built a reputation as a distributor of prestige cycling brands in the UK market.

However, the business had suffered a series of setbacks in recent months after key brand partners moved away from the company.

ENVE, a long-standing Saddleback partner, ended its relationship with the distributor in February and switched its UK and Ireland distribution to Mohawk’s, its own European distributor. The brand also announced plans to open a UK office and showroom in Warwick.

Cannondale also parted ways with Saddleback in March, just months after joining its portfolio in January 2025.

Saddleback had described the addition of Cannondale as “transformative” in its accounts, with the brand helping lift turnover by £10 million to around £24 million in the year to January 2026.

However, Cannondale has since returned to a direct-to-dealer sales model in the UK through Pon, which also owns brands including Santa Cruz and Cervélo.

Saddleback had increased staffing levels to support the Cannondale business, but the loss of both Cannondale and ENVE left the company with costs it could no longer sustain.

Really Useful Bikes owner Rob Bushill, whose business is also based in Yate, said it was a “real shame” the company had closed.

The collapse comes amid continued pressure across the cycling sector, which has faced weaker demand and challenging trading conditions following the pandemic-era boom in bike sales.

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