The retailer will incorporate the ladieswear offer into eight of its 51 stores and is poised to roll it out as a standalone concept in the future. The offer has already been piloted in two stores.
Managing director Steven Cohen said: “There is potential for a standalone concept, but Blue Inc remains the mainstay of the business. The addition will hopefully allow us to get more sales per square foot.”
The retailer is set to announce the appointment of a new head of ladieswear buying, who will oversee the growth of Pink Inc.
To integrate the new womenswear departments and develop its new store concept, Blue Inc has appointed design consultancy Dalziel + Pow. The agency will create the “A store” concept for openings at both Liverpool One and Oxford Street, to take place in the coming months.
In the year to May 23, like-for-like sales at Blue Inc were up 7 per cent, with total sales for the year to December 31 expected to increase to£38 million with operating profits of£1.3 million.
Cohen added: “The expansion of our Blue Inc menswear concept continues apace. Our customers are very young and, as such, generally do not have a mortgage or rent to pay and this seems to be working to our advantage in the present economic climate.”
Cohen is set to expand the portfolio to more than 100 stores in the next two years.
Blue Inc is also in final-stage discussions with two potential partners in the Middle East and expects to open shops in Dubai and Kuwait later this year.
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