Drapers
3 May 2008
View all stories from this issue.
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Ann Summers revamps stores
Ann Summers will embark on an overhaul of its stores as part of a nationwide rebranding of the lingerie business. -
Anne Pitcher
The first lady of the UK’s department stores has worked at all of London’s top retailers and is now buying and merchandise director at Selfridges. -
April fails to lift indies’ spirits
UK womenswear independents suffered dismal trading in April, backing up the findings of the British Shops and Stores Association’s quarterly sales survey which was published this week. -
April footfall up slightly
Footfall in April has risen for the first time in nine months while traffic to fashion websites has risen by 7% since January. -
Asda to showcase infomercials on ethics
Asda has produced a behind-the-scenes TV documentary looking at its operations, including its efforts to reduce waste, cut packaging and source more sustainably, which will be aired tonight on Sky’s Information TV channel. -
Asos customers to be given personal touch
Asos has hired a new IT director to develop an Amazon.com-style web platform for the young fashion etailer. -
Asos powers ahead despite economic slowdown
Asos saw sales rise 80% for the four weeks to April 27 thanks to the continued trend for online shopping. -
Bagga seeks 750k to fuel online expansion
Menswear retailer Bagga is hunting for an investor in an attempt to triple its online business after its relaunched website boosted sales by 25%. -
Barclays offers retailers 'green' cash back loans
Barclays has made £50 million worth of loans available to businesses undertaking investment in sustainability projects in the UK. Those that sign up will benefit from a cash back payment. -
Baroue ready for wholesale debut
Kuwait-based kids’ department store Baroue will open three stores this year in the Middle East and launch its own brand at wholesale after strong trading in the first six months since its debut. -
Base London strengthens sales team to boost indie accounts
Footwear brand Base London has appointed Nathan Cooper as sales executive amidst a reorganisation of its sales team. -
Baugur sells MK One to Hilco
Baugur has sold its beleaguered young fashion chain MK One to retail restructuring specialist Hilco, according to The Daily Telegraph. -
Blog: Sunshine in a grey year
So the sun has popped out and with it the first realisation that summer might have finally arrived. But what does this mean for those all important shoppers? -
Brands offer a port in the trading storm
Just two weeks into February, we have already seen several big retailers bite the dust. Home shopping business Empire Stores and footwear chain Dolcis may be names that in recent times have lacked lustre, but in their day they really meant something to their customers. -
Bread & Butter launches textiles show
Bread & Butter Barcelona is to launch a dedicated fabric show called The Source at its July event. -
CCDK
The Danish womenswear brand is expanding its fanbase with new sub-label CCDK Limited. -
Donna Ida to open second store in Westfield London
Denim boutique Donna Ida is to open its second store, in the Westfield London development in White City. -
Fashion Fringe adds footwear to its competition
Fashion Fringe, the competition which spots up and coming design talent, has extended its reach to take in rising talent in the footwear sector. -
Fashion's richest fall down rankings in Sunday Times Rich List
Fashion’s high-net worth individuals have been feeling the pinch from the credit crunch according to The Sunday Times’ Rich List published yesterday. -
Fila auctions celeb jackets
Italian sportswear giant Fila is introducing a series of one-off Matchday jackets customised by celebrity Fila fans. -
Firetrap gives green light to preview range strategy
Firetrap is to introduce preview collections to help it deliver new looks to its stockists throughout the year. -
Green's empire nudges M&S share
Sir Philip Green's Arcadia and Bhs retail empire is closing in on Marks & Spencer to become the UK's leading fashion retailer by value according to The Mail on Sunday. -
Hobbs steady through 2007
Womenswear chain Hobbs posted a 3% rise in sales to £96.2 million for the year to January 26, but pre-tax profit was flat at £16.2m following investment in a new distribution centre and transactional website. -
Hunter to sell off Qube to JJB
Sir Tom Hunter is understood to be close to finalising a deal to sell his loss-making footwear chain Qube to JJB Sports, the company that earned him his first fortune. -
IFF urges retailers to forward buy currency
The chairman of the International Fashion Federation (IFF), Glynn Alwyn-Jones, has urged independent retailers to forward buy currency to ease the pressure of the strong euro ahead of the next buying season. -
In the value sector, size does matter
In conversation the other day, the ex-chief executive of a prominent value retailer gave me his gloomy prediction for the future of the value market in the form of a blunt Anglo-Saxon phrase. -
Independents suffer weak trading says BSSA
Independent retailers suffered weak trading in March and during Easter, according to the British Shops and Stores Association's (BSSA) quarterly Sales Monitor published today. -
Indies under 'increased threat' from supermarkets says BSSA
Independent retailers are under increased threat from the supermarkets following the Competition Commission's report into the grocery market according to the British Shops and Stores Association. -
Jacques Vert to miss profits
Jacques Vert said full year profit would be below market expectations at between £4 million and £4.5m after trading deteriorated in the second half. -
John Lewis reports mixed trading
Department store chain John Lewis has said changeable trading patterns pushed sales growth below recent trends last week. -
John Lewis sales hit by warm weather
Sales at John Lewis department stores slowed last week, up just 1.1% to £46.71 million in the week to April 26, as hot weather diverted shoppers away from the high street. -
Laura Ashley raises Moss stake to 6.61%
Fashion to furnishings retailer Laura Ashley has raised its stake in Moss Bros to 6.61%. -
Liberty replaces finance director
Liberty finance director Crispin Mardon has left the business to pursue new opportunities. -
Lipsy maps out launch plans for US
Young fashion brand Lipsy is gearing up to launch in the US later this year and is drawing up plans to open a New York office. -
London Fashion Week dates confirmed
London Fashion Week will take place on September 14-19. -
Marcona brand changes hands
Textiles group Miro Radici has acquired German womenswear brand Marcona with a complete buyout of all its shares. -
Marcona brand changes hands
Textiles group Miro Radici has acquired German womenswear brand Marcona with a complete buyout of all its shares. -
Marks & Spencer opens biggest London store in nine years
Marks & Spencer has opened its first flagship store in London since Bluewater at Colliers Wood. -
Matalan to update early on trading
Matalan will release its trading update to the market early this year following a good performance which bucked the turbulent trend in the value sector. -
Matalan’s face values
As some value retailers struggle to survive, Matalan is hoping to win a bigger slice of the market with a £20m store makeover will help it win a bigger share of the market. -
MK One faces possible administration
MK One could be put into administration if the Baugur-owned value chain fails to find a buyer, according to The Daily Telegraph. -
Moda in Pelle opens in Lakeside
Fashion footwear retailer Moda in Pelle has opened a store at the Lakeside shopping centre in Thurrock. -
Mosaic Fashions falls into loss after Rubicon distractions
Mosaic Fashions, the company behind high street chains Oasis, Coast and Karen Millen, recorded a £30.2 million pre-tax loss for the year to January 26. -
N Brown grows menswear offer
Home shopping group N Brown is expanding its menswear offer and plans to more than double the proportion of sales the category generates. -
N Brown scores record results
N Brown recorded sales up 12.1% for the eight weeks to April 26 on the back of a full year pre-tax profit hike of 19.4% to £78 million. -
New chief executive at New Look
New Look has reorganised its senior management team with the promotion of Phil Wrigley to executive chairman and Carl McPhail to chief executive with immediate effect. -
New Look rejigs BMD team
New Look has implemented a massive overhaul of its buying, merchandising and design teams following the promotion of Carl McPhail to chief executive and Paul Marchant to chief operating officer. -
News in brief
News in brief for the week ending February 9, 2008. -
News in brief
News in brief for the week ending February 9, 2008. -
Record profits for VF Corp
VF Corporation, the branded fashion house behind Seven For All Mankind, Vans and Wrangler, has posted record results for the first quarter helped by booming international sales. -
Remus Uomo, Belfast
Marrying tradition with a slick edge, Remus Uomo’s design DNA translates smoothly to a store environment. -
Retail sales fall sharply in April
Retail sales fell sharply in April, as the cold weather and change in the Easter calendar compounded the economic slowdown, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). -
Retail Trust calls for fundraisers for Retail Trust Week
The Retail Trust charity is urging retailers across the country to come up with fun fundraising ideas for the second Retail Trust Week. -
Retailers back climate change plan
Big name retailers, including John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Mothercare and Next, have signed up to a new commitment to combat climate change. -
Retailers issue record profit warnings
Retailers issued the most profit warnings of all the companies in the FTSE All-Share index during the first three months of this year, according to a report by Ernst & Young. -
Shopping centres hit by consumer downturn
Shopping centre developments are being put on hold after schemes were hit by funding crisis, according to the Financial Times. -
The Weekend News Roundup
The best retail news from the weekend papers... -
The weekend newspapers: April 26-27
The best of the fashion news stories from the weekend's newspapers... -
Tommy Hilfiger to reposition in US
Sales at Tommy Hilfiger soared 10% to a record €1.37 billion (£1bn) for the year to March 31, prompting the US lifestyle brand to kick-start a repositioning in its domestic market. -
USC signs Premiership footballer as face of its Puma campaign
USC has signed up Blackburn Rovers footballer and England international David Bentley for an exclusive photoshoot to promote the Puma ranges it stocks. -
Watch your staff for warning signs
One of the stresses of running your own business is that the show must go on regardless of how good or bad trade is. -
Web refuseniks put their future at risk
Where is the customer going to shop? Where is the growth going to come from? -
Why men like to be simple minded
A friend recently sent me a joke. It listed 54 things a man must do to keep a woman happy.
