
Lululemon opens first European airport store
The opening of the 103 square metre store intends to cater to the rising demand for activewear in travel, particularly in the way of long-haul flights. Lululemon has already explored the airport space in North America, where it first ventured into travel-centric boutiques back in 2021, with a pop-up at Vancouver's YVR.
Speaking on the opening at Heathrow, the airport's retail director, Fraser Brown, said: 'As we strive to make every journey better, the launch of Lululemon in Terminal 5 will give passengers the opportunity to enjoy their travel experience with added comfort and style. Lululemon has amassed a cult following for good reason, and we are excited to welcome such an iconic activewear brand to Heathrow.'
Travel retail has become increasingly prominent in the UK, with the market having generated 4.9 million dollars in revenue in 2024, according to Grand View Research. This is expected to reach 8.2 million dollars by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.2 percent over the next five years.

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Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Wildfires alert to Brits travelling to popular Mediterranean hotspot
Wildfires alert to Brits travelling to popular Mediterranean hotspot The UK Foreign Office has issued a warning to Brits travelling to a popular holiday destination in the Mediterranean this summer, with travellers urged to take action if they're caught in a wildfire Greece is already experiencing wildfires (Image: Kostas Metaksakis/Anadolu via Getty Images ) Holidaymakers heading to a popular Mediterranean destination have been cautioned about the potential risk of wildfires throughout the summer. The Foreign Office's travel advice for Greece has highlighted that wildfires are a common hazard from April to October. The fires are due to soaring temperatures. Officials say several fires have already reported in parts of the country. Parts of the Greek mainland and surrounding islands have experienced wildfire outbreaks due to an early summer heatwave across the region. A spate of wildfires broke out last week in Achlia on the island of Crete on Wednesday. Fires being contained across the weekend in Greece However, before the start of the weekend, the Hellenic Fire Service confirmed that it was mostly contained. Despite this, the villages of Tsakeoi and Limnionas on the island of Evia had seen residents evacuated due to a blaze that started late last Friday. Evia was previously placed on a list of several regions in Greece that were placed on high alert due to the risk of wildfires being exacerbated by high winds. In the European continent overall, eight deaths have already been linked to an outbreak of wildfires across the region. Article continues below UK Foreign Office guidance for traveller safety in Greece Official guidance from the Foreign Office states: "There is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October. Ensure that your mobile phone is registered to receive emergency alerts to be warned of wildfires near your location." It also highlights that wildfires are 'highly dangerous and unpredictable' and that tourists should help avoid starting any by not leaving their litter, especially glass and cigarettes which have been linked to starting wildfires. Furthermore, Brits could commit a criminal offence in Greece by starting a wildfire, even if it's unintentional. The Foreign Office also advises travellers to do the following: Article continues below


The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Gunning for economic growth: Is defence spending the answer?
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"Creating new jobs, skills and community pride across the country." Not all agree that defence spending is a tonic. Writing for The Herald, professor Karen Bell of the University of Glasgow said the assumption that military investment will deliver economic dividends demands "urgent scrutiny". "Analysis for the Scottish Government showed military spending has one of the lowest employment multipliers of any public investment," she said. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks during a visit to BAE Systems in June in Glasgow (Image: Andy Buchanan/PA) "For every pound spent, sectors like care, education and renewable energy produce far more and better-quality employment. At the same time, excess government defence spending comes at the cost of these other socially necessary jobs." Khem Rogaly, senior research fellow at the thinktank Common Wealth, is among others who support this view. He points out that London and the south of England accounted 56% of Ministry of Defence spending with UK businesses last year, while nearly 40% of the £37.6 billion military equipment budget went to just 10 multinational companies. BAE is the largest of these suppliers, accounting for roughly 15% of the annual equipment budget. Its main operations in Scotland include the aforementioned site in Govan along with the Scotstoun shipyard in Glasgow. Its next largest site is at Prestwick airport, where 240 employees provide engineering support for the commercial aircraft built by BAE, a further 160 staff at Hillend near Edinburgh specialising in electronics development, and 100 employees working at RAF Lossiemouth. Read more: In a study commissioned by BAE that was published last week, researchers at Oxford Economics determined that the UK Government's aim of delivering a "defence dividend" is already taking effect with BAE spending £550 million with 300 suppliers in Scotland. Throughout the UK, the company was said to have contributed £13.7bn to GDP in 2024, accounting for one in every £200 of economic output. 'With 4,500 employees in Scotland and spending £550m with 300 suppliers, we're proud to support both national security and economic growth," BAE naval ship supply chain director Sean Scott said. 'As one of the UK's largest employers we recognise the impact we have - creating jobs, developing skills and strengthening communities in Scotland and across the country.' Whatever your view on the merits of a higher defence budget versus those of other public services, the reality is that this additional money is going to be spent if the government holds to its commitments. With that in mind, the engineering industry in Scotland needs to secure as much of this as possible. Read more: This point was raised earlier this year by Gerry Hughes, managing director of family-owned KRG Specialist Engineering in Coatbridge. He maintains that more needs to be done to ensure large contractors source locally, ensuring small and medium-sized firms in Scotland benefit from the financial rewards. 'While major defence firms such as BAE Systems, Babcock, and Leonardo have operations in Scotland, much of their supply chain spending still goes elsewhere," Mr Hughes told The Herald. "The UK Government has committed to directing 25% of defence spending to SMEs, but how much of that truly benefits Scottish businesses? Without stronger links between local firms and defence procurement, Scotland risks missing out on a vital economic opportunity." The solution? Better support for advanced manufacturing in Scotland with backing from the Scottish and UK Government in skills, innovation and infrastructure to keep firms competitive in defence supply chains. Mr Hughes also argues that Scottish firms should have greater access to Ministry of Defence contracts, declaring that they must be embedded in procurement to prevent local expertise from being overlooked in favour of larger, more established suppliers. Read more: 'Scotland's engineering excellence is not just history - it is the foundation of a resilient and secure defence industry," he said. "While shipbuilding remains critical, the future of UK defence cannot be confined to the Clyde alone. "A genuine commitment to local procurement will not only bolster national security but also ensure Scotland's world-class precision engineering and manufacturing capabilities are fully utilised." So will defence spending turbocharge economic growth? The verdict from analysts at Capital Economics is a conditional "no". The rise in defence spending that looks likely in many countries across Europe will boost demand and output, but not by as much as some would hope due to several factors such as capacity restraints and the reliance on imports referred to by Mr Hughes. There could be "significant" improvement to productive potential in some economies in the long run, according to Capital Economics, but this will happen over decades and is not guaranteed. The UK is particularly constrained by a lack of spare capacity, which is all the more reason to ensure no viable firm is overlooked in the distribution of any "defence dividends".


Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
‘Best hidden gem' is underrated city with 'most beautiful castle' and huge lake
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