Legendary US name in talks for Regent Street property
Brooks Brothers, the world-famous US menswear business formerly owned by Marks & Spencer, is to bring its formal fashions to the UK.

It plans to open its first UK store before Christmas. It is also negotiating to secure a flagship site on Regent Street.

The chain was bought in 2001 by Claudio Del Vecchio's US-based Retail Brand Alliance for US$225 million (£127.5 million) during Luc Vandevelde's initial turnaround of M&S. Since then, the 180-store US chain has increasingly focused on international expansion and has more than 80 overseas stores.

Brooks Brothers UK managing director John Hind said on Wednesday: 'I've put an offer for a store on Regent Street this morning. It's part of a strategy to open 10 to 12 stores over the next three to five years.'

He said the first shop will open in the City of London's prestigious Lion Plaza development in Old Broad Street in late October or early November.

'The brand is growing internationally and I think there is a gap in the market in the UK in terms of quality and style,' he said.

The 3,200 sq ft (300 sq m) City site will stock off-the-peg suits, shirts, ties and accessories, although the retailer will also focus heavily on made-to-measure clothes. Tailoring is expected to account for about 25 per cent of sales and increase from there. Hind said he was keen to distance the brand from its former parent.

Hind has appointed recruitment specialist The Human Resource to help make several key appointments over the next few weeks.

Retail Brand Alliance has shops in Japan, Hong Kong, Italy and Taiwan. It also has two stores in Italy, and the first in France is expected to open next year. Opportunities in other territories are being assessed.

The UK operation is a 50-50 joint venture between Retail Brand Alliance and a private investor, whose name Hind said he could not reveal.

Retail Brand Alliance disposed of its 550-store US chain Casual Corner in August to concentrate its efforts more fully on Brooks Brothers.

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