Retail news round-up September 23, 2013: Debenhams launches exclusive clothing collection to mark 200th anniversary and Topshop owner Arcadia hits the overseas expansion trail.

Debenhams to celebrate 200th anniversary with the launch of a new collection

Debenhams, which began life on Christmas Day in 1813, is planning to launch a collection of exclusive luxury clothing to mark its 200th anniversary, reports The Telegraph.

The anniversary Limited Edition Collection includes a gold sequin dress from Julien Macdonald, a coat from designer Betty Jackson, and a range of new homeware products created by designers such as Matthew Williamson.

The retailer expects to build a waiting list for the items from Monday, with the in-store launch next month.

Arcadia hits overseas expansion trail

Arcadia Group plans to open 150 new franchise stores in the next year outside the UK, including stores in Australia, Vietnam and Canada, with Topshop set to open in New Zealand for the first time in 2014.

It also plans to open 28 new Nordstrom concessions for its Topshop fascia in the US in the next month as part of its global expansion. The growth push will take Topshop clothing to major US cities such as San Diego, Houston and Washington DC, adding to its current stores in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Topshop is also understood to be in talks to open up to five more wholly-owned stores in the US.