The technology underpinning retail operations is under scrutiny in 2026 as fashion executives look to streamline systems with the aim to unlock efficiency, cut costs and meet consumer expectations for speed and personalisation in the shopping journey. At the retail event Lightspeed Edge on 12 January, Lightspeed - the unified point-of-sale (POS) and payments platform for SMEs such as Apricot Lane Boutique and Neal's Yard Remedies - convened industry leaders to explore the strategic imperative for integrated technology ecosystems over siloed systems.
The upmarket fashion retailer LK Bennett is on the brink of collapse for the second time in six years after filing an application to appoint administrators. Court filings show the business submitted papers to the High Court on Tuesday, signalling that efforts to secure fresh funding or a buyer may have failed. The move puts around 280 jobs at risk across the group.
This technology is now really good enough to do something that the fashion industry has wanted to do for about 30 years. The Clueless comparison comes up a lot, and so it's been in the public consciousness for some time, but the tech has never really been there yet,
Sales rose 26.5% to 112.7m in 2024, the brand's fourth consecutive year of growth, helped by strong sales online and at Victoria Beckham's London flagship store, as well as a 24% leap in online sales of cosmetics including a new concealer pen and eyeliner. However, accounts filed at Companies House show the shareholders advanced an additional 6.2m loan earlier this year amid material uncertainties which may cast significant doubt over the group and company's ability to continue as a going concern.