Amys stirs value lines into mix as brands fail to sell

Homewares retailer Amys Cook & Dine has changed nearly half of its product range, in a move away from its upmarket roots towards the mid-market.

Chairman Jeffrey Goodman admitted the changes were in response to toughening market conditions and said customers are now after value rather than brand names.

Amy's Cook & Dine, which has 13 stores, has dropped brands such as Dualit, Le Creuset and Tefal, and abandoned electrical products.

'There was a big drop in consumer spending pre-Christmas. We are reacting to that by coming out of low-margin, high-price goods,' Goodman said, adding that brands would now be cherry-picked.