Sainsbury’s today revealed it is to revamp its own brand clothing label Tu in September. Retail Week looks at the highly competitive supermarket clothing category.

George at Asda Fosse Park

Tesco

Tesco has embarked upon a push to further the reach of its F&F own brand. The retailer is promoting its fashion credentials via its summer advertising campaign and has revamped a number of its larger Extra stores – including Woolwich and Pitsea – to reflect this. However, chief executive Philip Clarke has acknowledged that its stores’ non-food sales are migrating online and the retailer has moved to bolster its web clothing presence with broadened ranges and use of augmented reality marketing. Tesco has also expanded F&F’s international presence with openings scheduled for the Middle East, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and a plan to open more than 50 franchise stores over the next five years. However, standalone F&F stores in the UK remain off the menu with no signs of a change on that front.

Asda

George at Asda remains arguably the best known UK supermarket clothing own brand and is enjoying strong growth. Led by George boss Andrew Moore, the retailer has revamped its in-store offer following a rebrand of George last year bringing a high street feel to its in-store shops. Online, the brand has thrived as click-and-collect shoppers pick up further items in store on picking up their goods. Moreover, George has kickstarted a process of rolling out online delivery to 24 European countries after a pilot in the Republic of Ireland. The retailer is also looking further afield to build-up its store portfolio with openings in the Middle East, Malta and the Channel Islands in the last year and further Middle Eastern stores planned.

Sainsbury’s

The UK’s third largest grocer is to relaunch its Tu brand in September, accompanied by a marketing campaign with the strapline ‘Live Your Style’. Tu was launched in 2004 and is now the UK’s seventh largest clothing brand by volume. From September, the new Tu look will be in 395 stores and comes as part of a wider push on building non-food sales at Sainsbury’s. The retailer has trialled a new look flagship non-food model in King’s Lynn in Norfolk and Weedon Road, Northampton which will be rolled out to 20 stores by September after performing well. Last week, the retailer said non-food sales are growing faster than food and earlier this year the grocer past a milestone as it’s general merchandise business surpassed £1bn of sales. However, with Tu still lacking a transactional online presence there is still growth potential for Sainsbury’s.

Morrisons

The grocer had limited exposure to the clothing market until this year when it launched fledgling own label kids clothing brand Nutmeg in 100 stores. With the range now stocked in 120 stores and quickly rising under the stewardship of clothing boss Tim Bettley, Nutmeg is growing fast. Retail Week revealed last month that Bettley plans to broaden the brand into adult clothing with its online launch next year. However, Morrisons has been clear that it remains a “food first” business and dedicates just 1,000 sq ft per store – the Nutmeg range is sold in its Fresh Format designed stores – to clothing and Morrisons remains far behind the competition.