​It’s official — Thailand’s Central and Austria’s Signa are buying Selfridges Group from the Weston family. The transaction “will create one of the world’s leading omnichannel luxury department store groups”.

On Friday, luxury crystalware producer Baccarat announced the appointment of Margareth Henriquez, the CEO of Krug Champagne since 2009, as its new managing director effective April 1 2022.

Fast-expanding retailer Next delivered a Q3 trading update on Wednesday and brief though it was, it showed how the business continues to be one of the most successful and best-run in the UK fashion sector. 

The rain from the Bay of Biscay may have engulfed the City of Light, but the mood was sunny and optimistic at Isabel Marant and Leonard, quietly confident at Moynat and effervescent at Baccarat.

Dior went into full court press in the first 48 hours of Paris Fashion Week – unveiling its new Cheval Blanc spa, feting its Dior Home and Kids creator Cordelia de Castellane, and unveiling a Miss Dior floral pop-up. 

​H&M has opened the doors of its first standalone store for its growing H&M Home concept with a debut in Paris at 14, boulevard de Capucines.

​There was some good news coming out of Marks & Spencer for once on Friday as it upgraded its profit outlook after shoppers went online to buy more of its revamped clothing offer and also bought plenty of its foods.

​Hermès became the latest luxury group to announce a rebound on Friday as the upscale leather goods and fashion maker saw its sales soaring during Q2 and the first half as a whole.

​Hermès reopened its via Montenapoleone store in Milan on July 9 and said it starts a “a new chapter in the history that has linked Italy to the French house since 1987”.

Fashion e-tailer N Brown has delivered full-year results for the period to the end of February and it's no surprise that they were weaker than the previous financial year. But the company seemed upbeat for the future.

​Next continued to show just how strong it has been in recent periods on Thursday as the retailer increased its guidance due to sales dipping only slightly in the latest quarter.

​The H&M Home x Diane von Furstenberg collection launches next week featuring the “bold prints that von Furstenberg is renowned for, such as zebra and leopard, a kissable lip pattern and abstract signature lettering”.

Swarovski, the world’s premier crystal supplier, has unveiled its latest new concept store, named Instant Wonder, a high-color boutique on Paris' Champs-Elysées.

The headline news may have been about John Lewis's pre-tax loss of £517m in the year to January. But more newsworthy was that it said “we do not expect to reopen all our John Lewis shops at the end of lockdown”.

Retail giant Inditex hasn’t come out of the pandemic year unscathed. But the strength of its business model appears to have carried it through so far and its performance since its fiscal year ended has been encouraging

Priced from $3 to $150 with most items under $25, the collection includes home items like tableware, quilts and pillows, pet apparel and accessories, as well as apparel like Levi's trucker jackets and sleepwear.