Exclusive: Fashion giant New Look has told staff across its buying, merchandising and design (BMD) department that they must return to the office four days a week.
A source told Retail Week that staff are being ordered back to the office from January 6, 2025, and the ramped-up office days are ānon-negotiableā.
It is understood that the change will only impact product-facing roles at the fashion retailer, which includes buyers, merchandisers and technologists, among others.
The staff in the BMD department are currently working in the office three days a week and from the new year, this will be upped to four days, with Fridays remaining a hybrid working day.
A source close to the business said the change comes amid a shift within the retail sector towards a return to the office to facilitate collaborative working and a quicker response to industry trends.
A spokesperson for New Look told Retail Week: āWeāre committed to offering our customers the very best products, and we know our strongest ideas emerge when we collaborate closely as a team.
āWhile we understand that this is a change for our product-facing BMD colleagues, we believe it will allow us to react quickly to trends, generate more ideas and create amazing designs for our customers.ā
This comes after New Look posted a trading update for the full year to March 30, 2024, last week that saw a decline in revenue year on year from Ā£816.9m to Ā£735.4m.
Despite the dip in revenue, New Lookās losses for the full year lessened but the fashion retailer said the āchallenging trading environmentā combined with āunseasonable weather patternsā took their toll.
During the year, New Look hailed the āstrong progressā across its product ranges as it maintained its position as the number two womenswear retailer by market share as well as taking the top spot for market share in dresses.
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