Retail Week
Suzanne Bearne
Suzanne is a freelance journalist, specialising in fashion, digital and travel.
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Aquascutum narrows losses
14-Jan-2011
Luxury fashion retailer Aquascutum has narrowed its losses under new owners Jaeger tycoon Harold Tillman and Jaeger chief executive Belinda Earl. -
Ted Baker retail sales rise 7.6%
14-Jan-2011
Fashion brand Ted Baker posted a 7.6% rise in retail sales over the crucial Christmas period and said pre-tax profit would be in line with expectations for the year to January 29. -
House of Fraser enjoys record Christmas
10-Jan-2011
House of Fraser has posted a record Christmas with like-for-like sales increasing 8.5% in the five weeks to January 8, despite last month’s snow. -
Sir Stuart Rose ends six-year tenure at M&S
4-Jan-2011
Sir Stuart Rose will step down as chairman of Marks & Spencer today as he hands over the reins to former investment banker Robert Swannell. -
Reiss' recession initiatives boost EBITDA
20-Dec-2010
Reiss said its sub-brand launch 1971 Reiss and its revamped website helped UK EBITDA to rise 7% to £9.1m for the year to January 31 2010. -
Cruise files intention to appoint administrators
17-Dec-2010
Cruise has filed an intention to appoint administrators after it emerged that chief executive James Pow had resigned from the troubled designer mini-chain. -
Office bought by Silverfleet
15-Dec-2010
Private equity firm Silverfleet has bought footwear chain Office for an undisclosed sum from owner West Coast Capital (WCC). Chief executive Brian McCluskey has reinvested in the business and will remain in his role. -
Office sale expected to be completed today
15-Dec-2010
Private equity firm Silverfleet is expected to complete a deal to buy footwear chain Office by the end of today. The price paid is expected to be below the original £150m tag. -
SuperGroup first half pre-tax profit soars 86%
15-Dec-2010
SuperGroup, the young fashion business that owns brand Superdry and retail chain Cult, said that pre-tax profit surged 86% to £14.6m in the first half of the year as the company revealed it was optimistic about Christmas trading. -
Kurt Geiger to launch discount website
7-Dec-2010
Premium footwear retailer Kurt Geiger is to launch a discount website early next year in a bid to grow revenues from the channel. -
Retailers face inquiry into 'sexualised' kids clothing
6-Dec-2010
Retailers and brands selling what are deemed to be sexualised products to young children may face restrictions under a government review. -
John Lewis weekly sales pass £100m
6-Dec-2010
John Lewis sales passed £100m for the week ending Saturday December 4, up 1.2% year on year, despite poor weather conditions. -
Bruce Oldfield in bookies lead to design Kate Middleton's dress
2-Dec-2010
Bruce Oldfield, a favourite designer of the late Princess Diana, is the front runner to create Kate Middleton’s bridal dress, according to an Irish bookmaker. -
Galeries Lafayette progresses with move into China
2-Dec-2010
French department store group Galeries Lafayette has reportedly entered a joint venture with fashion retail company IT to open stores in China, three years after the companies signed an informal agreement. -
All Saints boss Stanford forced to pay out £2.5m
29-Nov-2010
Retail entrepreneur Kevin Stanford has reportedly been forced to pay out £2.5m of his own money after personally guaranteeing a bank loan to his former premium womenswear business Ghost which fell into administration in 2008. -
Office edges closer to £150m deal with Silverfleet
29-Nov-2010
Retail entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter has entered exclusive talks with private equity firm Silverfleet Capital to sell footwear retailer Office for about £150m. -
Alexon Group like-for-likes edge up 0.4%
25-Nov-2010
Womenswear group Alexon, which includes the Ann Harvey and Kaliko chains, experienced a marginal group like-for-like sales rise for the period from August 1 to November 23, and remains cautious on the outlook. -
All Saints approached by investment bank to explore options
18-Nov-2010
All Saints has been approached by a major US investment bank to explore its options, including a potential flotation – as the retailer looks to expand in the US, according to reports. -
JD Sports Fashion launches mobile site
18-Nov-2010
JD Sports Fashion has launched its first mobile site to allow customers to buy products on the go. -
Sales rise at Ted Baker
17-Nov-2010
Quirky fashion specialist Ted Baker notched up retail sales growth of 8.6% in the 13 weeks to November 13, when group sales jumped 20.7%. -
Blue Inc plots expansion ahead of possible flotation
16-Nov-2010
Menswear retailer Blue Inc has laid down plans to open 20 stores next year ahead of a possible flotation or share placing. -
French Connection like-for-like sales drop 6.1%
16-Nov-2010
French Connection said UK and European like-for-like retail sales dropped 6.1% in the 15 weeks to November 13, with womenswear struggling during the period. -
Google poised to launch fashion venture
15-Nov-2010
Online giant Google is moving into fashion with the launch of a website and virtual designer boutiques on Wednesday, according to reports. -
New Look launches inquiry into supply chain
12-Nov-2010
New Look has launched an inquiry into its supply chain following a Channel 4 TV investigation which revealed the value chain was using poor working conditions in a factory in Leicester. -
Rob Templeman appointed non-exec chairman at Gala Coral
8-Nov-2010
Debenhams chief executive Rob Templeman has been appointed non-executive chairman of gambling company Gala Coral. -
Marks & Spencer unveils Christmas ad
2-Nov-2010
Marks & Spencer will kick off its Christmas ad campaign tomorrow (Wednesday), with the airing of its clothing ad and the launch of a campaign site. -
Hobbs profits fall
1-Nov-2010
Profits at womenswear retailer Hobbs dropped more than a third in the year to January 30 but the chain said it remained confident over future trading. -
Primark gears up for UK growth
1-Nov-2010
Primark, the value fashion giant, is poised to open six new UK stores before Christmas. -
Suits You in administration
27-Oct-2010
Speciality Retail Group, the company behind 66-store menswear chain Suits You, has been bought by restructuring specialists GA Europe and put in to administration. -
Cotton prices reach new high
26-Oct-2010
Cotton prices have hit a record high after cold weather threatened to damage the crop in China. -
Peacocks hires La Senza marketing director
26-Oct-2010
Value chain Peacocks has appointed former La Senza marketing head Lisa Bond to the newly created role of marketing director. -
George Davies sets January date for kidswear venture
25-Oct-2010
Fashion entrepreneur George Davies has revealed further details of his forthcoming Middle East-based kidswear chain, including the name of the operation and the launch date of the first store. -
Retail sales rise in September
21-Oct-2010
Year on year retail sales, excluding petrol, rose 3.3% by value and 1.8% by volume in September the Office for National Statistics reported. -
Asos launches mobile site
14-Oct-2010
Asos has launched its first mobile site to allow customers to buy products on the go. -
Asos reports strong sales growth
14-Oct-2010
Etailer Asos saw sales soar 47% year-on-year for the three months to September 30. -
Ted Baker pre-tax profits rise 25%
7-Oct-2010
Quirky retailer Ted Baker saw pre-tax profits rise 24.6% to £7.5m for the 28 weeks to August 14. -
Lewis Trust Group pays out £20m to family as part of £611m dividend
6-Oct-2010
The Lewis Trust Group, which is controlled by the owners of young fashion retailer River Island, paid out a dividend of £611.4m last year. -
Kate Spade to make UK retail debut
5-Oct-2010
US womenswear label Kate Spade will open a pop-up shop in London’s Covent Garden this month. -
House of Fraser plots Biba standalones
4-Oct-2010
House of Fraser is considering opening standalone stores for British brand Biba, just a month after the department store introduced the label into its stores and website. -
BRC warns of minimum wage rise impact
1-Oct-2010
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that the government must limit next year’s National Minimum Wage to help retailers protect jobs. -
Asos launches dedicated US site
30-Sep-2010
Online fashion retailer Asos’s US site went live today. -
Moss Bros to axe staff as pre-tax losses widen
29-Sep-2010
Menswear retailer Moss Bros is axing jobs as its pre-tax losses widened to £3.3m over the six months to July 31. -
Evans poised to launch young branded offer today
23-Sep-2010
Plus-sized womenswear chain Evans has revealed that its young branded fashion offer, expected to launch today, will be called Style369.com. -
Alexon posts rise in profits
23-Sep-2010
Womenswear group Alexon recorded a rise in profits for the 26 weeks to July 31 despite tough trading conditions. -
Gap collaborates with Valentino
9-Sep-2010
Casualwear chain Gap has joined forces with designer label House of Valentino to launch a womenswear capsule collection. -
M&S to raise £1m for Oxfam
3-Sep-2010
Marks & Spencer has partnered with Oxfam to create a one day event where customers can donate unwanted clothing into M&S stores to raise £1m for the charity. -
Kate Moss and Topshop part ways
31-Aug-2010
Arcadia owned Topshop will launch its final Kate Moss collection this October, ending a lucrative partnership between the supermodel and Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green. -
Sixty UK files for liquidation
18-Aug-2010
Sixty UK, the UK distributor for young fashion brands Miss Sixty and Energie, has filed for liquidation after the High Court last month rejected its Company Voluntary Arrangement. -
H&M like-for-like sales up 10% in July
16-Aug-2010
Total sales for Swedish fashion giant H&M jumped 21% in July compared to the same month last year. -
Arnotts to secure extra €10m
13-Aug-2010
Irish department store Arnotts is set to receive €10m (£8.2m) in additional working capital from its banks, Anglo Irish and Ulster Bank to help support the company, it has been reported. -
Womenswear plus-sized market to reach £3.8bn this year
13-Aug-2010
Sales of plus-sized womenswear have soared 45% over the past five years with the market predicted to reach £3.8bn this year. -
USC sells overseas through website
11-Aug-2010
Young fashion chain USC is selling online to 10 European countries in a bid to tap into growing traffic from overseas. -
Major high street retailers reiterate commitment to ethical trading
9-Aug-2010
High street chains including Marks & Spencer, Gap, Next, Tesco and Asda have all been the subject of investigations relating to poor working conditions in their overseas factories. -
Debenhams considers sale and leaseback deals
5-Aug-2010
Department store group Debenhams is reportedly considering a sale and leaseback deal over nine of its stores as it looks to pay off debt and invest further in the company. -
Select embarks on retail push
5-Aug-2010
Value fashion retailer Select is on a retail drive with plans to open 13 new stores by the end of year. -
Next posts 1.3% rise in total retail sales
4-Aug-2010
Next posted a 1.3% increase in total retail sales for the 26 weeks to July 31 as the fashion and homewares retailer said its clothing retail prices will jump by as much as 8% next year. -
Lipsy follows Next in selling rival brands
30-Jul-2010
Next-owned young fashion brand and retailer Lipsy is to broaden its offer by selling third-party brands on its website and in stores. -
Matalan posts 3% rise in like-for-like sales
28-Jul-2010
Matalan said like-for-like sales were up 3% for the 13 weeks to May 29 and it is cautiously optimistic about the rest of the year. -
High Court rejects Miss Sixty CVA
23-Jul-2010
The High Court has rejected young fashion brand Miss Sixty’s Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). -
LK Bennett to launch in the US
21-Jul-2010
Women’s footwear and fashion retailer LK Bennett is to enter the US market, with plans to open up to 100 stores, it is understood. -
Gant to close Bond Street store
20-Jul-2010
Fashion retailer Gant will close its Bond Street store in London when its lease comes to an end in September. -
Miss Sixty in legal feud over CVA
19-Jul-2010
Fashion retailer Miss Sixty is reportedly embroiled in legal proceedings with British landlord Mourant & Co Trustees which could lead to rescue packages such as Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVA) becoming harder to implement. -
SuperGroup posts £22.5m in pre-tax profit
15-Jul-2010
SuperGroup, the young fashion business which owns brands Superdry and chain Cult, has posted £22.5m in profit before tax in its first set of annual results since it joined the stock exchange. -
Surge in Indian shoppers buying luxury goods
13-Jul-2010
The amount spent on luxury goods by Indian shoppers visiting the UK has grown 89% year-on-year. -
John Kinnaird plans to launch new shoe chain
5-Jul-2010
Retail entrepreneur John Kinnaird is reportedly plotting a return to retail with the launch of a new footwear chain. -
House of Fraser forecasts sales lift
5-Jul-2010
Department store House of Fraser has forecast a sales increase as it announces the introduction of a range of multi-channel initiatives in a bid to improve the customer experience. -
Schuh posts record EBITDA to £17.3m
1-Jul-2010
Fashion footwear retailer Schuh has posted record results, with a 21% rise in EBITDA to £17.3m for the year to March 28. -
Jacques Vert makes pre-tax profit of £5.1m
29-Jun-2010
Womenswear clothing retailer Jacques Vert has posted pre-tax profits of £5.1m for the 52 weeks to April 24. -
Moss Bros hires Robin Piggott as group finance director
28-Jun-2010
Menswear retailer Moss Bros has appointed Robin Piggott as group finance director with immediate effect. -
H&M to launch UK ecommerce site on September 9
25-Jun-2010
H&M will allow its newsletter subscribers to shop exclusively on its UK ecommerce website on September 9, before opening it up to shoppers a week later. -
H&M profits soar 25% in the second quarter
24-Jun-2010
Swedish fashion group H&M reported a 24% rise in profit for the second quarter of the year. -
Superdry brings online outlet in-house
22-Jun-2010
SuperGroup, the young fashion business which owns brands Superdry and chain Cult, has brought its online outlet for Superdry in-house as it looks to boost its online sales. -
USC posts pre-tax profit of £1.3m
21-Jun-2010
Young fashion chain USC has returned to the black and recorded pre-tax profits of £1.3m for the year to January 31. -
Coleen Rooney to be the face of Littlewoods
21-Jun-2010
Shop Direct-owned etailer Littlewoods.com has signed Coleen Rooney to front its new advertising campaign. -
Private equity firm acquires Republic
21-Jun-2010
Branded fashion chain Republic has been sold to private equity house TPG for £300m. -
Mulberry posts 23% rise in sales
17-Jun-2010
Mulberry has posted a 23% rise in sales for the year to March 31 as the luxury clothing and accessories house continues to grow its business internationally. -
Ted Baker appoints non-executive director
16-Jun-2010
Ted Baker has drafted in commercial lawyer Anne Sheinfield as an independent non-executive director. -
Alexon sales fall 5% since year end
15-Jun-2010
Alexon Group, owner of womenswear retailers and brands including Ann Harvey and Kaliko, posted a 5.4% drop in like-for-like sales for the 19 weeks to June 12, partly driven by the volcanic ash cloud and the election. -
Ted Baker retail sales rise 20%
15-Jun-2010
Fashion retailer Ted Baker posted a 20.4% rise in retail sales over the 19 weeks to June 12. -
SuperGroup to expand into the United Arab Emirates
14-Jun-2010
SuperGroup, owner of young fashion brands Superdry and Cult, has signed a franchise agreement to open stores across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). -
Net-a-Porter to launch men's site
10-Jun-2010
Online fashion retailer Net-a-Porter is to move into menswear for the first time with the launch of a stand-alone menswear site. -
JD Sports Fashion reports improving sales
9-Jun-2010
JD Sports Fashion has reported improved trading in the UK and Republic of Ireland with like-for-like retail sales up 4.1% for the 18 weeks to June 5. -
Monsoon founder takes £14m dividend
7-Jun-2010
Peter Simon, founder of womenswear retailer Monsoon, shared a £14m dividend with his family last year, according to The Sunday Times. -
Blue Inc opens first store in Ireland
3-Jun-2010
Men’s high street brand Blue Inc has opened its first store in Northern Ireland and expects to create over 100 jobs in the next 18 months. -
New West End Company partners with VisitBritain to increase West End tourism spend
2-Jun-2010
The New West End Company, which represents 600 retailers on Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, has joined forces with VisitBritain to launch a campaign to lift UK visa restrictions in a bid to boost West End sales. -
Karren Brady joins Arcadia board
1-Jun-2010
Karren Brady, vice chair of West Ham United football club, is to join the board of Arcadia, it has been reported. -
VAT rise to 20% will lead to job cuts and £3.6bn fall in consumer spend
27-May-2010
A rise in VAT to 20% would lead to 163,000 job losses and reduce consumer spending by £3.6bn, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). -
Gieves & Hawkes appoints Andrew Merriman as COO
26-May-2010
Savile Row menswear retailer Gieves & Hawkes has appointed Andrew Merriman to the new role of chief operating officer, following a recent shake up of its senior management team. -
Marks & Spencer set to unveil 4% rise in annual pre-tax profits
24-May-2010
Marks & Spencer is expected to unveil a 4% rise in full-year pre-tax profits to £628m tomorrow, according to reports. -
Gap reports flat year-on-year sales for April
21-May-2010
Gap has reported flat year-on-year sales of $1.05bn (£727m) for the four weeks to May 1. -
Asda halves the price of England World Cup shirts
21-May-2010
Asda is gearing up for a price war after the supermarket started retailing England World Cup shirts for half the recommended retail price. -
SuperGroup appoints DHL Express CEO as non-exec director
21-May-2010
SuperGroup, owner of young fashion brands Superdry and Cult, has appointed Ken McCall as non-executive director. -
American Apparel struggles with debts as losses deepen
20-May-2010
The future of young fashion chain American Apparel has been thrown into question for the second time in just over a year as the retailer struggles to repay its debts to private equity firm Lion Capital.
