Drapers
Jessica Brown

Jessica is editor Drapers magazine and Drapersonline.com. Jessica has more than seven years' experience writing about the fashion industry and retail sectors and regularly writes news stories, features and columns for Drapers across all sectors as well as co-ordinating the news team and sending out the daily email newsletter. Jessica is also a regular commentator on the fashion and retail industries on television and on the radio. Contact Jessica with any corporate or business press releases you may have. Please also send her letters for the Drapers Letters page.

  • Steven Miller

    5 August 2011

    The last true British shirtmaker, Turnbull & Asser, enriches more than just gentlemen’s wardrobes. Its boss explains why it won’t compromise on its Made in Britain ethos

  • Oasis appoints design director

    13 July 2011

    Oasis has hired Clive Reeve from Wallis as its design director.

  • Bread & Butter claims UK visitor rise

    13 July 2011

    Bread & Butter said that last weeks’ edition of the event had attracted the most it had ever recorded since it relocated to Berlin-Tempelhof Airport five seasons ago.

  • Ashley poised to snap up Van Mildert

    8 July 2011

    Northeast mini-chain could be next on Sports Direct owner’s premium hit list

  • Ashley cruises into premium territory

    8 July 2011

    It’s now not beyond the realms of possibility that come October we could see the somewhat sartorially challenged Mike Ashley elbowing his way past Anna Wintour into the front row of the Prada catwalk in Milan.

  • How was it for you?

    4 July 2011

    Did you take part in Skillsmart Retail’s Independents’ Day yesterday? Then we want to hear from you.

  • Portas says high street may no longer be "heartbeat of the town"

    4 July 2011

    Mary Portas has warned that she is not yet convinced Britain’s high streets have a future - a surprising statement from the woman who has been hired by David Cameron to come up with a plan to rescue the fortunes of the country’s shopping streets - but added that she believes community centres and workplaces could help fix the retail industry’s challenges.

  • A week of weddings: Kate Moss in Galliano IMAGE GALLERY

    4 July 2011

    The last seven days have witnessed some seriously high-profile celebrity weddings led of course by Kate Moss’ nuptials, during which she wore a stunning veil and a slightly surprising ethereal gown by John Galliano. The groom Jamie Hince opted for a Yves Saint Laurent 3db pale blue suit.

  • A decade of showing how it’s done

    1 July 2011

    It’s hard to believe it’s almost 10 years to the day that, having just joined the Drapers team, I was escorted to Cologne by the then editor Eric Musgrave and his trademark specs for my first fashion trade show experience.

  • UK factory raids add weight to calls for urgent regulation

    24 June 2011

    Four out of 12 fashion and textile manufacturers spot-checked by the UK Border Agency have been found to be employing illegal workers in Leicester, in what is a huge blow to the reputation of the resurgent British manufacturing industry.

  • UK attendance soars at Pitti Uomo

    22 June 2011

    International visitors to last week’s Italian menswear show Pitti Uomo in Florence rose by 7.6% with Brit attendance outstripping that, putting in a stonking 20.4% rise.

  • Riddiford drafted in at La Senza

    27 May 2011

    David Riddiford, the former chief executive of Arnotts and buying and merchandise director of Selfridges, has been drafted in to advise lingerie chain La Senza on an interim basis.

  • Portas to launch womenswear collection with House of Fraser

    20 May 2011

    House of Fraser has inked a deal with retail guru Mary Portas to create a collection for the department store.

  • Kurt Geiger strikes worldwide licence deal for Lipsy footwear

    20 May 2011

    Premium footwear retailer Kurt Geiger has signed a licence to design and distribute footwear under the Lipsy young fashion brand worldwide from spring 12.

  • M&S autumn 11: MENSWEAR review & picture gallery

    19 May 2011

    Marks & Spencer menswear has moved on dramatically for autumn 11 with a Ralph Lauren meets Hackett-vibe, embracing home-spun fabrics to celebrate the retailer’s authentic British heritage.

  • M&S autumn 11: WOMENSWEAR review & photo gallery

    19 May 2011

    Marks & Spencer unveiled its autumn 11 collection, the first full fashion season under new chief executive Marc Bolland, yesterday. Read on for an in-depth look at its next-season womenswear and lingerie, which interpretted the catwalks of Burberry Prorsum, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Giles and Celine for next season.

  • New Look chief marketing officer departs

    18 May 2011

    Nick Cross, the chief marketing officer of New Look, is the latest executive to depart the business after less than six months in the role.

  • TK Maxx slows expansion on tougher trading

    18 May 2011

    TJX Europe, the parent company of off-price chain TK Maxx, said that like-for-like sales fell 5% in the first quarter of 2011, which has led it to slow its store expansion strategy.

  • URGENT: Share your memories of Bread & Butter

    18 May 2011

    Bread & Butter, Europe’s leading streetwear fair, will celebrate its 10th anniversary this July and we want to hear your best memories, stories and experiences of this phenomenal event so far for a celebratory book we are publishing at the event. DEADLINE MAY 25

  • M&S: Bolland to move fashion upmarket?

    18 May 2011

    M&S chief executive Marc Bolland is said to be plotting to move the business, including its fashion offer, in a more contemporary and upmarket direction from autumn 11.

  • All Saints to pay bills after £105m lifeline

    13 May 2011

    All Saints suppliers can look forward to receiving overdue payments within days after the young fashion retailer concluded the saga that surrounded a deal to secure its future with a £105m investment from Lion Capital and Goode Partners.

  • Peter Bolliger

    13 May 2011

    The Drapers Footwear Awards Lifetime Achievement winner salvaged that great British footwear institution Clarks and put UK retail on the world stage.

  • Austin Reed, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    Shopping here is about promotions and more promotions, not all of which are crystal clear.

  • Bhs, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    A good offer for older male customers but the knitwear collection needs a serious rethink.

  • Blue Inc, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    Interpretations of best-selling branded looks but these pieces don’t offer value for money.

  • Burton, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    Burton has the trends covered and the prices are competitive. Shame the store is so tucked away.

  • Catherine shows signs she has the potential to fit into Diana’s glass-slipper fashion icon status

    6 May 2011

    Anyone under the age of 30 would undoubtedly cite Kate Moss as the UK’s biggest-ever style icon but the real owner of that mantle is undoubtedly the late Princess Diana.

  • Debenhams, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre

    6 May 2011

    Lots of choice from a variety of sub-brands but this store’s offer would benefit from a heavy edit.

  • Gap, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre

    6 May 2011

    The store is nearly totally devoid of product. The only saving grace is good value for money.

  • Hit or Miss Menswear - Spring 11

    6 May 2011

    For this season’s third and final Hit or Miss report, Drapers headed to Milton Keynes to scrutinise the major trends and key pieces on offer at high street menswear stores for spring 11.

  • John Lewis, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    Pub-proof brands for dads who are (mainstream) lads but some of the offer is a bit pricey.

  • Marks and Spencer, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    Category killer M&S is bang on the money for its target market but a lack of staff hampers service.

  • Moss, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    Moss is selling suits for everyone and with plenty of promotions. The store needs livening up though.

  • Next, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    Back to doing what it knows best - fashion for the over 30s - but service levels cost Next marks.

  • Republic, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    A one-dimensional, unsophisticated experience that has been crammed onto the first floor.

  • River Island, The Centre MK

    6 May 2011

    Seldom puts a foot wrong on the product front and the offer this season is no exception.

  • Superdry, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre

    6 May 2011

    Superdry’s staple products fit the trend bill perfectly for spring 11 and the store looks great.

  • Topman, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre

    6 May 2011

    Topman scores on the trend front but the store is let down by messy Sale rails towards the front.

  • Gap design president Patrick Robinson departs

    5 May 2011

    Patrick Robinson, the much-lauded vice-president of Gap global design for its adult and body categories, has left the company with immediate effect.

  • Debenhams’ Sharp thinking

    21 April 2011

    Michael Sharp, the soon-to-be promoted deputy chief executive of Debenhams, is often described as a shrewd dealmaker.

  • Simon Rider

    15 April 2011

    It may be a short sprint in terms of selling opportunities, but running the on-site stores at the Games will be an Olympian effort for The Retail People boss.

  • Team GB has a cheerleader in Green

    15 April 2011

    Trade may still be extremely difficult both across the country and in London (last weekend’s sunshine drove shoppers into their gardens rather than into spring fashions) but a few bright spots did emerge for the sector this week.

  • Stores face discount dilemma to resurrect Easter trading

    8 April 2011

    Exclusive poll: majority of shoppers do not plan to spend on spring 11 fashion over bank holiday breaks.

  • Mim sell-off on hold in New Look review

    8 April 2011

    New Look founder Tom Singh is believed to have postponed a sale of its French basics chain Mim after he kicked off a review of the New Look business.

  • Easter is crunch time for retailers

    8 April 2011

    Sitting in the beer garden of your average edge-of-town pub in Nottingham a fortnight ago, I was shocked to overhear that the thrust of conversation among weekend drinkers was solely around jobs and money, or rather a lack of them.

  • Fashion’s young stars can plot a bright future

    8 April 2011

    The second edition of the Drapers Next Generation Academy took place at east London nightclub Fabric last week and welcomed double the number of delegates.

  • Simon Bamber

    1 April 2011

    From social worker to fashion entrepreneur via a passion for football, GLD’s co-founder shares his career journey up to his latest venture - Italian plimsoll brand Superga

  • Who said menswear was boring?

    1 April 2011

    It’s been some time since menswear has been the space to be in, but it’s starting to look like an interesting place to be again.

  • All Saints Lebanese deal off: new suitors in the wings

    30 March 2011

    All Saints’ sale deal with M1, a Beirut-based business co-founded by the likely next Lebanese Prime Minister, has collapsed. However US investment firms Goode Partners and MSD Capital are understood to have stepped up their interest in buying the young fashion chain.

  • Next Lebanese PM closes in on All Saints deal

    25 March 2011

    All Saints is close to being bought by surprise suitor M1, a Beirut-based business co-founded by the likely next Lebanese Prime Minister, in partnership with Richard Sharp, the former head of Goldman Sachs’ private equity firm. A deal could be finalised as early as Monday.

  • Burberry plans super flagships to trumpet Britishness

    25 March 2011

    Luxury brand Burberry has snapped up a series of high-profile London leases that will see it create a “Burberry super flagship” department store format to showcase its entire product offer.

  • High street must support UK factories, says Ben Lewis

    25 March 2011

    The high street must take responsibility and “keep production lines flowing” at UK factories if the manufacturing industry is to stand any chance of grasping the opportunities in front of it, according to River Island chief executive Ben Lewis.

  • New Look goes back to the future

    25 March 2011

    Retail is about product and people. Get away from either, let alone both, and business is bound to be derailed.

  • Product tops Singh’s New Look agenda

    25 March 2011

    New Look founder Tom Singh will prioritise improving the fast-fashion chain’s product ranges and re-engaging its suppliers following his return to an executive position at the business this week.

  • Tom Singh reinstates Roger Wightman in New Look buying role

    24 March 2011

    New Look founder Tom Singh has reappointed Roger Wightman to the role of group buying director at the fast-fashion chain just weeks after he was ousted by former chief executive Carl McPhail. The decision means that Julian Kilmartin will leave the business.

  • Fashion Rocks store to debut next week

    23 March 2011

    Fashion Rocks, the music-meets-fashion event part-backed by fashion entrepreneurs Angus Morrison and David Douglas, will throw open the doors to its first retail store in Meadowhall shopping centre, Sheffield next week.

  • New Look chief Carl McPhail resigns

    21 March 2011

    New Look founder Tom Singh has returned to the board as interim executive chairman following the resignation of the chain’s chief executive Carl McPhail.

  • TK Maxx unveils new ad message

    21 March 2011

    TK Maxx has unveiled its spring television advertising campaign which breaks with tradition and lets shoppers into the closely-guarded secret, that the chain deals directly with designers rather than just sourcing old season stock.

  • It’s do or die for British manufacturing

    18 March 2011

    One size certainly doesn’t fit all when it comes to British manufacturers.

  • Katie Price

    18 March 2011

    Tabloid fodder, mother of three, best-selling author, horse rider… but can Katie Price really do a Victoria Beckham and get the fashion pack on her side as a designer?

  • You can bank on an uncertain Easter

    11 March 2011

    Does a late Easter with extra bank holidays mean good news for trade?

  • Paris Fashion Week: Yves Saint Laurent

    8 March 2011

    Yves Saint Laurent showed a highly-wearable and interpretable collection, anchored by Prince of Wales check fabric and some standout accessories, at Paris Fashion Week yesterday.

  • Clarks considers bringing manufacturing back to UK

    4 March 2011

    Clarks, the global footwear giant, is assessing whether it can bring some production back to the UK to champion its British heritage.

  • Galliano revolt: vive la maison Dior

    4 March 2011

    John Galliano’s spectacular demise and inevitable sacking from Christian Dior jostled with Colonel Gaddafi for space on the front pages, such was the shock at the fall from grace of such a talented British-trained designer.

  • London Fashion Week

    25 February 2011

    The top collections and trends at London Fashion Week

  • Tillman to see LFW through Olympic opportunity

    25 February 2011

    Harold Tillman, chairman of London Fashion Week organiser the British Fashion Council (BFC), will stay in the role through to the crucial 2012 Olympics year and will cajole retail leaders to join him in pressing the Government to urgently address plummeting consumer confidence.

  • UK fashion must seize the moment

    25 February 2011

    It was a funny old fashion week. Certainly one of the best in recent years for inventive yet commercial collections and for high-profile buyer attendance, but in terms of trends London’s was a rather chaotic message.

  • London Fashion Week: Mary Katrantzou and Aquascutum

    23 February 2011

    The womenswear events at London Fashion Week closed yesterday with a strong final line-up of collections led by print guru Mary Katrantzou and a beautifully revived Aquascutum collection.

  • London Fashion Week: Burberry Prorsum, Giles Deacon, Julien Macdonald, Peter Pilotto

    22 February 2011

    Giles and Julien Macdonald brought London Fashion Week back to life last night with triumphant and super sexy showings of bondage leather and gothic princesses while Burberry, as expected, showed a collection almost entirely made up of outerwear.

  • London Fashion Week: Temperley London, Matthew Williamson, Vivienne Westwood Red Label, Richard Nicoll, Topshop

    21 February 2011

    Colour, long-line silhouettes, trousers and some stand out outerwear and eveningwear were the trend highlights of yesterday’s London Fashion Week schedule, which marked the return of Temperley London to the capital and which saw big-name showings from Matthew Williamson, Vivienne Westwood Red Label and Richard Nicoll.

  • New Look drafts in Kilmartin to steer product overhaul

    18 February 2011

    Ex-Primark and M&S product guru’s arrival set to trigger shake-up after chain’s 2010 sales slump

  • Big trend hopes are pinned on London

    18 February 2011

    Opening this week’s issue of Grazia, its Big Fashion Special, on Tuesday, the scale of the challenge retailers are facing this spring was clear.

  • Jeff Banks: ‘Indies, now is the time’

    18 February 2011

    Independent retailers have a huge opportunity to pick up business this year, according to industry stalwart Jeff Banks, who accused the high street of opening too many stores and “jading their consumers”.

  • Putting out an SOS to save UK skills

    11 February, 2011

    Of the estimated 80,000 people who work in the fashion industry, how many know how to cut or grade a pattern?

  • Method in sportswear’s madness

    4 February, 2011

    Unravelling the incestuous nature of the sportswear sector is not as hard as you think.

  • Mustard

    28 January 2011

    Autumn 11

  • Quilting

    28 January 2011

    Autumn 11

  • Why the UK is on the make again

    28 January 2011

    Last year I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a gem of a business housed in a rather rundown building in the backstreets of Manchester. That business was Cooper & Stollbrand, the last remaining factory from the North’s once thriving rainwear manufacturing industry.

  • Prada to float in Hong Kong

    27 January 2011

    Prada confirmed today that it will go ahead with an IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange but did not commit to a timeframe for the float.

  • Paul Costelloe license owner in administration

    27 January 2011

    UPDATED: Signature Brands, the supply group that operates the Paul Costelloe womenswear collection and the Four Seasons and Dannimac brands, has gone into administration.

  • Eric Musgrave departs UKFT

    27 January 2011

    Eric Musgrave has left his role as chief executive of trade body UKFT today.

  • Clarks Originals unveils spring ad campaign

    26 January 2011

    Clarks will launch its first international advertising campaign for its Clarks Originals collection next month when it will also open a pop-up store for the sub-brand at its store in London’s Regent Street.

  • Winser in shock Agent Provocateur exit

    21 January 2011

    Kim Winser has left her role as chairman of luxury lingerie chain Agent Provocateur after just 12 months at the business.

  • Menswear plays its strong suit

    21 January 2011

    Dressing better. That’s what men will be doing come autumn 11 if the last fortnight of collection previews is anything to go by.

  • Talking about the next generation

    14 January 2011

    There are plenty of people with a burning desire to “work in fashion” but what this vaguest of ambitions actually means is anyone’s guess (although I would probably put money on it involving catwalk shows and Ab-Fab-style international jet-setting).

  • Paul Sweetenham

    14 January 2011

    Having dreamt of being the boss from the age of 16, TJX Europe’s president now runs a £1bn retailer and has strong views about how the next generation of talent can follow in his footsteps.

  • Shaping the future of fashion retailing

    14 January 2011

    Since we launched the Drapers Next Generation concept early in 2010, it has taken on a life of its own.

  • New Look in shock Xmas sales collapse

    13 January 2011

    New Look saw Christmas sales at its UK stores plummet 9.1% on a like-for-like basis over the 15 weeks to January 8.

  • New ranges and cost-cutting put Arnotts on road to recovery

    7 January 2011

    Beleaguered Dublin department store Arnotts is on the brink of returning to operating profit after its management team introduced a raft of new collections and cut costs.

  • Whiff of optimism hangs over 2011

    7 January 2011

    Next week sees the official kick-off of the autumn 11 buying season with the opening of menswear show Pitti Uomo in Florence, swiftly followed by streetwear fair Bread & Butter in Berlin one week later and then the main womenswear shows.

  • Ted Baker founder Ray Kelvin awarded CBE

    31 December 2010

    Ray Kelvin, Ted Baker founder and “the closest man to Ted”, has been recognised in the New Year Honours list along with Katherine Hamnett, Alice Temperley, Beatrix Ong, Tanya Sarne and Wendy Dagworthy.

  • Oliver Sweeney reports record Xmas

    31 December 2010

    Footwear firm Oliver Sweeney said like-for-like sales rocketed by 50% in the eight weeks to December 24, thanks to improved ranges and increased marketing activity.

  • Coes confirms major redevelopment

    31 December 2010

    Coes, the independent department store group, is to kick off the new year with a major multi-million pound refurbishment and expansion of its Ipswich store.

  • Hunter rescues Cruise and partners with Van Mildert

    30 December 2010

    Sir Tom Hunter has rescued Cruise from administration and entered into a joint venture agreement with Van Mildert, which will see the Middlesbrough mini-chain take control of all of Cruise’s buying.

  • Cruise files intention to appoint administrators

    17 December 2010

    Cruise has filed an intention to appoint administrators after it emerged that chief executive James Pow had resigned from the troubled designer mini-chain.

  • Office sale expected today

    15 December 2010

    Private equity firm Silverfleet is expected to complete a deal to buy footwear chain Office by the end of today. The price paid is expected to be below the original £150m tag.

  • Brave product decisions dictated how much nervy shoppers spent in 2010

    10 December 2010

    I never thought I’d say it, but the Drapers Top 100 2010 proved even harder to compile than last year’s.

  • Snow-blind retailers mull next move

    10 December 2010

    Don’t say the S-word. That’s ‘snow’ or ‘Sale’ in case you missed the deep freeze that has been the UK’s high streets of late

  • Restructuring firms circle Cruise chain

    3 December 2010

    Approaches come 18 months after mini-chain’s pre-pack administration.

  • Festive sales melt away in the snow

    3 December 2010

    Unless you are aged five and own a sledge, a blanket of snow is not the sight anyone wants to be greeted with first thing in the morning. If you’re a retailer, the pain of icy roads and icy blasts is even more biting.

  • Over-30s will worship Princess Kate

    26 November 2010

    The Princess Kate effect is already in full swing. Tesco’s £16 interpretation of the oh-so-demure navy Issa dress that the future Queen wore to announce her engagement sold out within an hour of it hitting the retailer’s transactional clothing website.

  • Time to show us the money, Vaizey

    19 November 2010

    Ed Vaizey, the minister for culture, demonstrated his enthusiasm for the fashion sector at the 10th Drapers Fashion Summit this week, claiming he wants “to support the fashion industry” and that he “tends to be the type of minister that likes to get out a cheque book”. But enthusiasm on its own isn’t enough.

  • Fortune favours the brave in 2010

    18 November 2010

    2010 has been a phenomenal year. Fashion retailers, brands and suppliers have navigated the stormy waters of rising input prices, endless supply chain challenges and the biggest unknown - fluctuating consumer confidence.

  • Tempting trends are in short supply

    5 November 2010

    ‘If shoppers want trends, then they’re going to have to pay for them,’ went much of the industry conversation this week.

  • Watch out: the Americans are coming

    29 October 2010

    While our homegrown brands and retailers are shaving capital expenditure and planning nervously for the fall-out from last week’s public sector cuts announcement, across the pond there are billionaire and millionaire entrepreneurs plotting to make their mark on the UK market.

  • Austin Reed, 62-64 Promenade

    22 October 2010

    In tune with the Cheltenham man and sweating promotions hard.

  • BHS, Regent Arcade

    22 October 2010

    Give up now. The worst retail experience in Cheltenham.

  • Burton, 170 High Street

    22 October 2010

    Straightforward trends in a simple-to-shop environment.

  • Debenhams, Beechwood Shopping Centre

    22 October 2010

    A depressing store environment that delivers value only on a Blue Cross day.

  • French Connection, 169 High Street

    22 October 2010

    A total removal of FCUK is a triumph to behold - trade up to quality classics here.

  • Gap, 106 Promenade

    22 October 2010

    A good array of choice on everything but the season’s biggest trend - outerwear.

  • House of Fraser, 32-48 Promenade

    22 October 2010

    Premium prices require a premium experience - work to do here.

  • Marks & Spencer, 173-181 High Street

    22 October 2010

    Demonstrating the perfect shopping experience for men - outstanding value.

  • Moss, 4 Ormond Place

    22 October 2010

    Moss should top the tailoring shops but comes nowhere near rivals in any category.

  • Next, 147 High Street

    22 October 2010

    Fashion highs and fashion lows, Next can and does do better elsewhere.

  • Osborne’s axe cuts both ways

    22 October 2010

    So, some half a million people will find themselves out of public sector employment over the next four years as a result of Chancellor George Osborne’s spending cuts, which were announced this week.

  • Primark 201-207 High Street

    22 October 2010

    Cheap isn’t everything, but it’s a lot in this climate.

  • Republic, 174-186 High Street

    22 October 2010

    Republic is a one-trick pony this season - sadly its magic is lost on this branch.

  • River Island, 4-5 Regent Street

    22 October 2010

    Fashion forward but store backward - River lets down the regions.

  • Slaters, 13-17 Promenade

    22 October 2010

    Service that’s fit for Savile Row in a low-cost, letdown environment.

  • TM Lewin, 16 Promenade

    22 October 2010

    Great service, but it needs to be in this confusing market.

  • Suits You owner considers sale or closure

    19 October 2010

    The owners of SRG, the company behind 66-store menswear chain Suits You, are understood to have begun a strategic review of the business, which could lead to its sale, closure or administration.

  • Supply crisis isn’t made in Britain

    15 October 2010

    It’s all about managing the supply chain. That’s been the theme of so many of my conversations with readers this week who are scrabbling around to replenish autumn best-sellers, be they aviator coats, faux-fur jackets or ankle boots.

  • Levi's hampered by currency fluctuations

    13 October 2010

    Levi Strauss & Co saw net revenue rise 7% to $1.1bn (£693m) for the three months ended August 29, but European sales were hit by a weaker wholesale market, investment in company-owned retail stores and unfavourable currency fluctuations.

  • Spring 11 catwalks full of contrasts

    8 October 2010

    The spring 11 catwalk season drew to a close in Paris this week and was characterised by the very fact that each event - New York, London, Milan and the French capital - backed some wildly contrasting trends.

  • Paris Fashion Week: Long live McQueen

    6 October 2010

    Sarah Burton’s first catwalk outing as creative head of the Alexander McQueen was a triumph in Paris yesterday.

  • Louise Barnes joins Fenn Wright Manson as part of sale deal

    4 October 2010

    Fenn Wright Manson, the contemporary womenswear brand and retailer, has been sold to Darwin Private Equity for an undisclosed sum. Former Fat Face chief executive Louise Barnes has been hired as executive chairman.

  • Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

    1 October 2010

    The A-list celebrity-cum-king of commerce is determined to replicate Sean John’s US success in Europe.

  • Stitch and Pure Spirit to co-locate for next shows

    1 October 2010

    Menswear tradeshow Stitch is to co-locate with Pure Spirit next February in an attempt to create a one-stop event for the young fashion sector in the UK.

  • There’s a lot in a name that you know

    1 October 2010

    This week Barbara Hulanicki issued a stinging attack on department store chain House of Fraser’s relaunch of the Biba brand she founded, and used the blaze of publicity to announce her own design deal with George at Asda (as revealed exclusively on Drapersonline.com, September 29).

  • Arnotts appoints Nigel Blow as chief executive

    28 September 2010

    Dublin department store Arnotts has appointed the former Brown Thomas boss Nigel Blow as chief executive.

  • Substance unites with style at LFW

    24 September 2010

    The UK’s home-grown designers, or at least British-educated ones, put on one of the best-received London Fashion Weeks in recent history this week.

  • London Fashion Week: Burberry's biker chicks

    22 September 2010

    Burberry’s Christopher Bailey showcased a series of studded leather jackets, quilted leather jodphurs and colourful animal prints at the luxury fashion house’s catwalk at London Fashion Week yesterday.

  • London Fashion Week: Richard Nicoll and Matthew Williamson

    20 September 2010

    Richard Nicoll delighted London Fashion Week with a sporty commercial collection brimming with transparent chiffon layering while Matthew Williamson did what he does best, showcasing a range of brightly coloured dresses ready for summer’s sun.

  • Jackets drive strong sales at SuperGroup

    17 September 2010

    SuperGroup has experienced a strong start to autumn after the cold weather helped drive early sales of its young fashion brand Superdry’s outerwear collection.

  • Weighing up the true value of luxury

    17 September 2010

    From Marc Jacobs’ 1970s glamour collection to Tom Ford’s secretive womenswear comeback, New York Fashion Week opened the international catwalk calendar with as many talking points as it did trends for spring 11.

  • New York Fashion Week: Narcisco Rodriguez echoes feminine vibe

    15 September 2010

    Narcisco Rodriguez showed a collection of elegant tailoring and classic dresses for spring 11.

  • Next's Simon Wolfson: "no meltdown in consumer spending"

    15 September 2010

    Next chief executive Lord Simon Wolfson has issued a cautiously optimistic outlook on trading prospects, forecasting that there would be no double dip recession or “meltdown in consumer spending” at the retailer’s half-year results today.

  • Stella McCartney to launch first kidswear range

    14 September 2010

    Stella McCartney is launching her first designer kidswear range in November ahead of the Christmas season.

  • Tom Ford criticises fast-fashion knock-off culture

    14 September 2010

    Tom Ford, who launched his womenswear comeback collection at a low-key showroom style event New York Fashion Week on Sunday, has hit out at the culture of luxury houses making their catwalk collections instantly accessible and immediately copyable.

  • Office sale generates strong interest

    14 September 2010

    Footwear chain Office is understood to have generated more than 10 expressions of interest, two weeks before its sale document is due to be published.

  • Dune’s profits soar after rescue merger

    10 September 2010

    Operating profit at Dune Group rocketed 630% to £7.3m for the year ended January 30, 10 months after it rescued footwear concessions business Shoe Studio Group from administration.

  • Bertie sets pace for Shoe Studio revival

    10 September 2010

    Eighteen months after rescuing Shoe Studio Group from administration and making it part of Dune Group, chief executive John Egan has ambitious expansion plans for the footwear business.

  • Brave buyers get an autumn tip-off

    10 September 2010

    I headed down to Oxford Street last week in search of a shearling jacket I’d coveted since the high street press days back in March and was, from a sales perspective rather than a personal one, pleased to find it had already sold out.

  • Roland Mouret takes back naming rights

    9 September 2010

    Roland Mouret has bought back the rights to his name, five years after he left the company that owned it.

  • Green’s Topshop gathers no Moss

    3 September 2010

    They don’t come much more iconically ‘British fashion’ than Kate Moss, and when in April 2007 she made a brief appearance (12 seconds to be precise) in the window of another British icon Topshop’s Oxford Circus flagship, dressed in a limited-edition long red dress from the inaugural collaborative collection, it was a momentous occasion in London’s, if not the world’s, fashion history.

  • Debts spoil American Apparel’s party

    28 August 2010

    Building a high street chain on basics was never going to be easy but the controversial Dov Charney appeared to have done just that when American Apparel, the business he founded, burst into the UK in 2005.

  • M&S sub-brands face identity crisis

    21 August 2010

    This week I attempted to count the number of sub-brands, special ranges and collaborations housed by the UK’s largest clothing retailer, Marks & Spencer

  • Footwear specialists step up a gear

    14 August 2010

    The weak clothing sales figures for July from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) came as a surprise to much of the industry this week. Trade might not be setting the world alight, but neither is it wrist-slittingly gloomy.

  • Pure to launch new show

    7 August 2010

    Womenswear trade show Pure London is to invest £1m in a separate spin-off event dedicated to young fashion that will run alongside next February’s show.

  • Men’s formalwear sales jump at Next and M&S

    7 August 2010

    Next and Marks & Spencer have made massive value market share gains in men’s formalwear but seen their men’s casualwear sales shrink back.

  • Old stock is well past its use by date

    7 August 2010

    This week’s Indicator poll has a shocking statistic.

  • Taking risks is proving a safer option

    31 July 2010

    So, if you stocked up on the hot maxi dress young fashion trend for spring 10 or are a luxury retailer in London capitalising on an earlier-than-usual Ramadan and the resulting early full-price autumn 10 Sales, then you are probably, for the most part, feeling OK about trade right now.

  • Climbing costs call for canny thinking

    10 July 2010

    “It’s a perfect storm” were the words of one eminent brand owner at the opening of streetwear show Bread & Butter Berlin this week. He was referring to cost pressures, which as the market moves deeper into the spring 11 buying season are weighing heavier and heavier on suppliers.

  • Will Liberty score under Capello?

    3 July 2010

    While it was a bad week for a certain Signor Fabio Capello, who saw England crash out of the World Cup with an embarrassing performance against Germany, another Capello, Marco (coincidentally Fabio’s distant cousin) succeeded in a takeover of another national treasure, London department store Liberty.

  • It’s time to let the product do the talking

    26 June 2010

    This week’s emergency Budget could undoubtedly have been worse.

  • Upbeat UK buyers return to Pitti Uomo

    26 June 2010

    Florence menswear show Pitti Uomo lured back a tranche of high-profile UK buyers last week as indies and department stores kicked off the spring 11 buying season with renewed determination and optimism.

  • Life in the fast lane

    19 June 2010

    In the current climate, what retailer doesn’t want to hold back buying budget to top up stock in-season as and when it’s needed?

  • Make or break

    19 June 2010

    Cooper & Stollbrand is one of Manchester’s last remaining clothing factories. Directors James Eden and Michael Stoll discuss the future of UK manufacturing.

  • Manchester united by its passion

    19 June 2010

    Last month, the Drapers team headed north to create this week’s special Brandchester issue, which celebrates some of the creative successes that have come out of Manchester.

  • Indies see windows of opportunity

    12 June 2010

    Department stores and the internet are now “100 times” more powerful routes to market than destination boutiques, said Maria Luisa Poumaillou this week, following the shock announcement that she would close her cult designer indie Maria Luisa in Paris in August after 22 years.

  • Paris indie Maria Luisa to close

    9 June 2010

    Maria Luisa, the iconic French designer independent, is to shut up shop in Paris to focus on trading in department stores and online, claiming they are “100 times” more powerful routes to market than destination boutiques.

  • Drapers Awards call for entries launched

    4 June 2010

    The Drapers Awards 2010 has launched a call for entries at www.drapersawards.co.uk so take this chance to grab a slice of the glory.

  • All Saints smashes sales targets in New York

    5 June 2010

    All Saints has put British fashion firmly on the global map after it racked up sales of nearly $1m (£680,000) in its first week of trading on New York’s iconic shopping thoroughfare Broadway.

  • Celebrating the best of British

    5 June 2010

    Our opening news spread this week is characterised by some real displays of excellence by British fashion businesses.

  • Image Gallery: The big winners at the Drapers Footwear Awards

    5 June 2010

    The footwear industry came together at London’s Grosvenor House last week to celebrate the achievements of the best in the business at the Drapers Footwear Awards 2010

  • Sir Stuart paints rosy picture of M&S

    29 May 2010

    Was Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose really looking back on his six-year tenure at the retailer with “rose-tinted” glasses, as was suggested by the national press at his final full-year results presentation to the City this week?

  • Terry de Havilland

    29 May 2010

    The rock ‘n’ roll cobbler, a legend in the world of designer footwear, was this week honouredwith the Drapers Footwear Lifetime Achievement Award to mark half a century in the industry

  • Dawn of a new era comes at a price

    22 May 2010

    The prospect of rising prices this autumn through the current fragile recovery is not going to be easy for retailers or shoppers to swallow.

  • Menswear sales improve at French Connection

    19 May 2010

    French Connection saw like-for-like retail sales in the UK and Europe fall 1.9% for the 14 weeks ended May 14, but performance was ahead of plan and better than last year thanks to improved gross margin and cost controls.

  • Run Harrods ‘the Al Fayed way’

    15 May 2010

    Industry insiders have urged Qatar Holding to stay true to the roots of Mohamed Al Fayed’s Harrods formula for success after the investment vehicle bought the business for £1.5bn last week.

  • Retail a duller place without Al Fayed

    15 May 2010

    Last weekend marked the end of an era as one of retail’s more colourful characters, Mohamed Al Fayed, sold his Harrods empire off for a whopping £1.5bn and exited the fashion industry for good.

  • Fashionair website closes down

    12 May 2010

    Fashionair, the fashion entertainment website launched last year by pop svengali Simon Fuller and former Net-a-Porter buyer Sojin Lee has closed down following a strategic review by parent company 19 Entertainment.

  • Administrators plan closure of nine Vergo Retail department stores

    11 May 2010

    The administrators of Vergo Retail, the department store group which owns Lewis’ in Liverpool, Joplings in Sunderland and Robbs in Hexham, is set to close nine of its stores within the next month in an attempt to stem losses and keep the rest of the business trading.

  • Wait for the political dust to settle

    8 May 2010

    The final prime ministerial debate and a bank holiday weekend of rain and shine (depending on where you live) brought with it a mixed picture on trading ahead of the general election, which was due to take place as Drapers went to press.

  • Keep faith with footwear specialists

    1 May 2010

    Just six years ago a bidding war broke out over Faith, with private equity houses (and several trade players) falling over themselves to get a piece of what was clearly the best footwear specialist on the high street at that time.

  • Fashion fortunes climb the Rich List

    26 April 2010

    Fashion’s high net-worth individuals have seen their fortunes begin to rise and recover according to The Sunday Times Rich List, which was published yesterday, while the float of Supergroup earlier this year generated two new entries to the list.

  • USC founders plot international Fashion Rocks concept

    24 April 2010

    Angus Morrison and David Douglas, the original founders of USC, are understood to have created a spin-off premium branded fashion concept dubbed the new “Wade Smith or Selfridges” from the Fashion Rocks event they own.

  • Maurice Helfgott

    24 April 2010

    The former Marks & Spencer director is kept busy with investments in Kookaï, Long Tall Sally and footwear brand Oliver Sweeney - but that doesn’t mean he’s not open to further opportunities

  • Faith suppliers threaten stock removal

    21 April 2010

    A group of major footwear suppliers have arrived at Faith’s London head office to demand their stock back amid growing uncertainty about the future of the young fashion footwear chain.

  • Comings and goings are all the rage

    17 April 2010

    The revolving door of fashion spun a revolution or two extra this week with an unprecedented number of high-profile departures and appointments, with senior management changes at River Island, LK Bennett, Asda, Reiss, Scotts, and Maharishi.

  • Industry looks for vote of confidence

    10 April 2010

    So, this week we know one thing - we’re less than a month away from a general election. But that’s about all we know. At the time of writing neither the Labour Party nor the Conservative party or Liberal Democrats had given much away about their plans to stabilise the economy.

  • Shortlisted brands vie for UKFT Export Awards

    10 April 2010

    The UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) this week confirmed the finalists for its annual UK Fashion & Textile Export Awards, which celebrate excellence in international trade across the industry.

  • Recovery will be slow, brand bosses warn

    1 April 2010

    Pentland Brands chief executive Andy Rubin has warned that consumer spending and the UK economy is unlikely to ever return to the heady heights of the early noughties, while the bosses of British brands Ben Sherman and Bench believe spring 11 is the earliest prospect for any upturn.

  • Richemont acquires Net-a-Porter

    1 April 2010

    Luxury goods group Richemont has confirmed it will buy Net-a-Porter in a deal that values the designer etailer at £350m.

  • Making the cut in design

    3 April 2010

    New Look group design director Barbara Horspool told young designers how to get a foot on the career ladder

  • Open your mind to outside influences

    3 April 2010

    To stay ahead of the game businesses must be alert to globalisation, consumer power, multichannel and sustainability, says Pentland Brands’ Andy Rubin

  • The industry’s future is in safe hands

    3 April 2010

    Pentland Brands boss Andy Rubin imparted a chilling forecast this week: that the fashion sector will never know it as good as it did through the credit boom earlier this decade.

  • The industry’s future is in safe hands

    3 April 2010

    Pentland Brands boss Andy Rubin imparted a chilling forecast this week: that the fashion sector will never know it as good as it did through the credit boom earlier this decade.

  • Why it’s worth investing in tomorrow’s leaders

    3 April 2010

    Drapers hosted 100 bright young fashion stars at its inaugural Next Generation Academy event at London’s Soho Hotel last week.

  • Easter trading hangs in the balance

    27 March 2010

    Three weeks into March and spring 10 sales are still very much out in the cold.

  • Progress in cyberspace

    27 March 2010

    Multichannel is the buzz word of the moment - how can you join up your clicks and bricks operations and seamlessly bounce shoppers from your website to your store and back again?

  • Exclusive: Tommy Hilfiger proves its worth as sales soar

    20 March 2010

    Daniel Grieder, the European chief executive of Tommy Hilfiger, said he had seen evidence that the UK and European markets were returning to growth for autumn 10, just days after the premium lifestyle brand was sold to US giant and Calvin Klein owner Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH).

  • Sir Stuart Rose to step down in March 2011

    18 March 2010

    Marks & Spencer executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose will leave the retailer in March 2011.

  • Investor closes in on Liberty

    12 March 2010

    Marco Capello, the former managing director of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity, is poised to buy iconic London department store Liberty via his investment fund BlueGem Capital Partners.

  • Arnotts mulls restructure

    13 March 2010

    Arnotts’ banks have drafted in a team of specialists including former Brown Thomas chief executive Nigel Blow to assist its management team with formulating a strategy for the troubled Irish department store.

  • Hunter rebuffs ‘too low’ approaches for Office

    13 March 2010

    Retail entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter is understood to have rebuffed a number of unsolicited approaches for young fashion footwear chain Office, which he owns via his West Coast Capital private equity partnership.

  • Iconic stores need a change for the better

    13 March 2010

    Which stores inspire you? Colette, Merci and Maria Luisa in Paris? 10 Corso Como in Milan? Tokyu Hands in Tokyo? Or perhaps it’s the Apple experience or the buzz of Topshop Oxford Circus. Certainly iconic British department store Liberty probably comes somewhere fairly high on the list.

  • John Lewis warns of challenging 2010

    11 March 2010

    John Lewis saw profits climb 15% to £165.9m for the year ended January 30, but the department store warned that the second half of 2010 was likely to bring more challenging trading conditions.

  • Whistles posts £5m loss

    10 March 2010

    Whistles reported a pre-tax loss of £5.1m for the year ended January 31, 2009 - its first 12 months under the leadership of former Topshop boss Jane Shepherdson.

  • Slow sales increase fears of a double dip

    6 March 2010

    We may have seen the first blue sky of 2010 this week but spring has certainly not yet sprung for the fashion sector.

  • Clothing prices fall despite VAT increase

    3 March 2010

    Clothing is cheaper than it was this time last year in spite of January’s VAT increase, according to the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index.

  • Adidas Q4 profits tumble 61%

    3 March 2010

    Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer said that 2009 had been his most difficult year at the top, as fourth quarter operating profits plummeted 61%to €42m (£38m).

  • H&M proposes stock split

    3 March 2010

    H&M will propose a stock split at its annual general meeting, whereby each of its existing shares will be divided into two new shares to dilute its share price and give its customers more opportunity to invest in the retailer.

  • Ugg axes UK distributor

    26 February 2010

    Ugg Australia, the big-selling sheepskin boot brand owned by US firm Deckers, has terminated its UK and Republic of Ireland distribution agreement with AMG Footwear after eight years.

  • Business given top billing at LFW

    27 February 2010

    What London Fashion Week lacked in “buzz” this week (whatever that really means) it more than made up for in business terms. Almost all the catwalks were incredibly commercial, something which LFW designers spent the best part of the last decade ignoring, to the detriment of the event.

  • Footwear & Accessories

    27 February 2010

    Autumn 10

  • London Fashion Week: Christopher Kane and Paul Smith

    23 February 2010

    Christopher Kane, the rising star of London Fashion Week, showed a technically brilliant collection yesterday, stitching together the lightest of leather skins and gothic black lace into a hard-edged collection of little black dresses.

  • Long live the legacy of McQueen’s genius

    19 February 2010

    The death of Lee Alexander McQueen, easily the UK’s greatest creative fashion design talent, has led to a huge outpouring of grief.

  • PPR confirms Alexander McQueen brand will live on

    18 February 2010

    PPR, the parent company of Gucci Group, has confirmed in the last few minutes that it will continue to trade the Alexander McQueen label, following the tragic death of the designer last week.

  • Pure London attendance rockets

    15 February 2010

    Pure London saw visitor numbers jump 27% year on year on its opening day yesterday - a record Sunday attendance for the womenswear show.

  • Sales of Alexander McQueen ranges rocket

    12 February 2010

    Sales of Alexander McQueen’s key pieces and spring 10 collection rocketed in the hours after his death.

  • French Connection’s brave new world

    13 February 2010

    French Connection’s new and dramatically different ad campaign looks to be reflective of a full and frank repositioning away from its FCUK heritage.

  • Liberty creative director quits

    9 February 2010

    Tamara Salman, the creative director of the Liberty of London brand, has left the business.

  • Get wool back in fashion, says Prince Charles

    30 January 2010

    Leading fashion industry figures have backed an initiative launched by the Prince of Wales to turn British shoppers back on to wool.

  • Out of recession but severe chill remains

    30 January 2010

    There remains a real prospect the economy could go into reverse again

  • Prince of Wales urges industry to back wool campaign

    27 January 2010

    Marks & Spencer and John Lewis have signed up to an initiative launched by HRH the Prince of Wales to reinvigorate the wool industry in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

  • Glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel

    23 January 2010

    Holding on to Christmas optimism is the best way to approach next season

  • Shoe Zone Group reports record Christmas

    19 January 2010

    Shoe Zone saw like-for-like UK sales rocket 27% in the five weeks to January 2, while sister chain Stead & Simpson saw comparable sales rise 7.6% over the same period.

  • Oliver Sweeney lifted by product overhaul

    19 January 2010

    Men’s footwear company Oliver Sweeney saw like-for-like sales rise 23.3% over the five weeks to December 28, eight months after it was rescued by Amery Capital founder Maurice Helfgott and footwear supplier Tim Cooper.

  • Step up and support UK fashion's next generation

    16 January 2010

    It’s unquestionable. The British fashion sector has got real talent and while the UK scrabbles to climb out of the recession it is imperative we do not neglect the incredible young people this industry attracts.

  • Trade body provides strength in numbers

    16 January 2010

    The spirit of the plan is one of collaboration and working together

  • Office celebrates record Xmas

    14 January 2010

    Young fashion footwear chain Office saw like-for-like sales rise 19% for the six weeks ended January 4.

  • Signs of a thaw in consumer spending

    9 January 2010

    The focus on preserving margin is likely to continue

  • Republic reports record Christmas

    6 January 2010

    Young fashion chain Republic reported like-for-like sales up 11% in the eight weeks to January 4, with total sales climbing a massive 23.6% to £51.2 million.

  • Shop Direct shows strong Xmas sales growth

    5 January 2010

    Shop Direct Group, the company behind the Very and Littlewoods home shopping brands, saw total sales rise 6.3% for the six weeks ended January 1.

  • TM Lewin on track for record year

    31 December 2009

    Shirt retailer TM Lewin is expected to report a record year in terms of sales and EBITDA for the year ended February 2010, after beating the downturn this year.

  • Hugo Boss to close US suit factory

    31 December 2009

    Hugo Boss, the premium German brand, said it planned to close a men’s suit factory in the US.

  • Fashion industry recognised in New Year honours list

    31 December 2009

    Luella Bartley, Amanda Wakeley, Timothy Everest and Ultimo founder Michelle Mone were among the fashion players recognised in the New Year honours list.

  • Primark mulls Westfield Stratford store

    30 December 2009

    Primark is reported to be considering signing a 70,000sq ft store at Westfield Stratford, the East London shopping centre scheduled to open in September 2011.

  • Boxing Day proves busiest online shopping day

    30 December 2009

    Boxing Day proved to be the busiest online shopping day of the year but Christmas Day itself saw a slowdown in traffic to etailers against last year.

  • One Teaspoon to debut at Pure London

    24 December 2009

    Australian young fashion brand One Teaspoon will make its UK debut at the Spirit section of Pure London in February.

  • Stitch adds exhibitors

    23 December 2009

    Debut menswear show Stitch has added Peter Jensen and Christopher Shannon to its exhibitor line up for its first show in February.

  • Footwear anti-dumping duties extended from January

    22 December 2009

    EU Ministers today voted in favour of a 15 month extension to anti-dumping duties on leather footwear imported from China and Vietnam.

  • Pure London builds on young fashion

    21 December 2009

    Pure London will play host to more than 100 young fashion brands across its Spirit and Label sub-shows next February.

  • Robert Bensoussan and Margaret McDonald

    18 December 2009

    Few businesses have crossed the footwear to fashion boundary as successfully as LK Bennett. Chairman Robert Bensoussan and chief executive Margaret McDonald plan to transcend it even further.

  • Burberry confirms London Fashion Week return

    10 December 2009

    Burberry chief creative officer Christopher Bailey has confirmed that the luxury British brand will stay at London Fashion Week this February.

  • Net-a-Porter profit hike bucks designer gloom

    28 November 2009

    Luxury etailer Net-a-Porter recorded a 56% hike in pre-tax profits to £7.1m for the 26 weeks to August 1, providing a shot in the arm for the depressed designer sector.

  • Robert Bensoussan warns of discounting damage

    27 November 2009

    LK Bennett chairman, luxury expert and serial fashion investor Robert Bensoussan has warned that the high street has come close to being irreparably damaged by high levels of discounting and constant promotions.

  • Why Bolland is just what Marks & Spencer needs

    21 November 2009

    So just who is Marc Bolland, the new chief executive of Marks & Spencer?

  • Tom Singh

    20 November 2009

    The modest New Look entrepreneur is the pioneer of fast fashion on the high street. As he picks up the Drapers 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award, he reflects on his 40-year career.

  • Designer sector turmoil at Cruise and Flannels

    14 November 2009

    The designer sector was rocked this week by the shock departure of John Heath from designer mini chain Cruise in the same week that Flannels issued suppliers with a proposal for a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to ensure the chain’s survival.

  • Why indies are worth it for luxury brands

    14 November 2009

    It’s been a shocking week for the designer sector. British brand Luella ceased trading, Manchester mini chain Flannels issued a proposal for a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) and Cruise directors John Heath and Ian Baird made a sudden exit from the Scottish-based chain.

  • Shoe Zone acquisitions go straight into profit

    13 November 2009

    Shoe Zone Group, the company that led the consolidation of the footwear sector with its rescue of Stead & Simpson and acquisition of Shoefayre, achieved pre-tax profits of £8.1m for the 53 weeks to January 3.

  • Flannels issues CVA proposal

    10 November 2009

    Flannels, the designer mini-chain, has written to suppliers disclosing its plans for a proposed Company Voluntary Arrangement, which would see it shutter three stores to ensure its survival.

  • Club 21 pulls out of Luella

    10 November 2009

    Club 21, Luella’s ready-to-wear and accessories licensee, has pulled out of its investment in the London Fashion Week label.

  • Aldo

    7 November 2009

    A significant improvement on styling helps make this chain a more interesting competitor

  • Clarks

    7 November 2009

    Plays it safe by majoring on its trusted brand credentials

  • Dune

    7 November 2009

    Doing the business on boots for the 20-something fashion lover

  • Faith

    7 November 2009

    Fashion at a discount - Faith takes a step closer to the cheaper end of the market

  • Jones Bootmaker

    7 November 2009

    In desperate need of a shift back to its quality roots

  • Kurt Geiger

    7 November 2009

    Leading design in a superior environment justifies premium price points

  • LK Bennett

    7 November 2009

    Stretching its price points in an attempt to cross the boundary to the luxury market

  • Marks & Spencer

    7 November 2009

    Chasing price is the wrong direction for a trusted brand

  • New Look

    7 November 2009

    Still unbeatable on price but let down by a tatty storefit

  • Next

    7 November 2009

    Beating middle-market rivals on both price and fashionability, particularly for men

  • Office

    7 November 2009

    Working the trends alongside an exclusive range of sneakers

  • Pied A Terre and Bertie

    7 November 2009

    Marked down purely because of the narrow ranges on offer

  • River Island

    7 November 2009

    Interpreting trends in a unique way, River Island is back to its best this autumn

  • Russell & Bromley

    7 November 2009

    Embracing over-the-knee boots but not much else on the fashion front

  • Schuh

    7 November 2009

    Some improvements on own label but a way to go on quality

  • Soletrader

    7 November 2009

    Still the best for men’s brands but treading a cautious path this autumn

  • Topshop

    7 November 2009

    Outstanding visual merchandising but a narrow offer lets this branch down

  • UK fashion’s power is sum of its parts

    31 October 2009

    Is the rise of “Primarni” and the value sector really to blame for the state of the independent market? According to retail guru Mary Portas, the explosion of cheap fast-fashion multiples has done just that, killing off the traditional seasonal nature of fashion and undermining the importance of quality and service to shopper experience.

  • Celebrating UK fashion

    30 October 2009

    When Katharine Hamnett met Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street in 1984 wearing one of her infamous slogan T-shirts “58% don’t want pershing” she created one of the most powerful images in the history of British Fashion.

  • Superdry to open first US store

    28 October 2009

    British young fashion brand Superdry is to open its first store in the US next month on New York’s Broadway.

  • Retailers find solace in over-30s women

    24 October 2009

    Young fashion may have been the sector’s saviour for the past 12 months – case in point another record performance from Sir Philip Green’s Topshop and Topman chains – but things haven’t been so smooth at this end of the market this autumn.

  • Fashion sales soar at John Lewis

    23 October 2009

    John Lewis said fashion sales rose 19% on the back of a 13% uplift in total sales to £54.5 million at the department store for the week ended October 17.

  • H&M unveils Jimmy Choo collection

    21 October 2009

    H&M has lifted the lid on its collaboration with luxury footwear label Jimmy Choo.

  • Tell the EC to dump the footwear duties

    20 October 2009

    The European Commission is proposing to extend anti-dumping duties on leather footwear imported from China and Vietnam for a further 15 months.

  • Flannels adds fuel to indies’ Grazia promotion debate

    16 October 2009

    Designer mini chain Flannels has inflamed the debate about out-of-season promotional activity after it launched a 25%-off promotion with women’s glossy Grazia, just one week after York indie Sarah Coggles ran a similar 30%-off campaign with the magazine.

  • Discounts are blight on autumn trading

    10 October 2009

    “A week and a half at most,” is the timeframe one high-profile fashion retailer told me was left to save the season. “If we don’t get cold weather by then, autumn will be a write-off,” he added. 

  • Mild weather gives retailers cold sweats

    03 October 2009

    Marks & Spencer executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose was not alone when he said clothing sales could do with a cold snap at the retailer’s second quarter results this week.

  • Footwear shakeout bolsters Schuh sales

    2 October 2009

    Branded young fashion footwear chain Schuh posted a market-defying 21% uplift in EBITDA to £14.3m for the year to March 2009, after it benefited from last year’s shakeout in the footwear sector.

  • A Gallic flair for spotting new talent

    26 September 2009

    Drapers and the British Fashion Council hosted a question and answer seminar with Robin Schulie, buyer at Paris designer boutique Maria Luisa, at 180 The Strand, part of the static exhibition at London Fashion Week.

  • LFW’s wow factor does the business

    26 September 2009

    British Fashion Council chairman Harold Tillman set out to put the “wow” back into London Fashion Week when he was appointed last year. He did that with aplomb at this week’s 25th anniversary of the event, which proved to be the best and most commercial in more than a decade.

  • Service tops the agenda at GIVe

    26 September 2009

    Speaking before next week’s launch of GIVe, his new venture, George Davies tells Jessica Brown about changing shopping habits, the importance of customer service and why there’s more to the high street than the price route.

  • London’s chance to take centre stage

    19 September 2009

    New York served up its usual round of commercial catwalks this week, with the creative genius that is Marc Jacobs delivering pretty much the only two interesting collections for spring 10.

  • A year after Lehman and still a way to go

    12 September 2009

    One year on from the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which sent the world into one of the worst recessions in memory, and the “experts” say it is probably now over, predicting the economy actually grew in the three months to August.

  • Douglas overhauls USC womenswear strategy

    11 September 2009

    USC strategic buying and merchandise director David Douglas is to scale up the young multi-brand fashion chain’s womenswear offer with a raft of fast fashion brands and own-label product from October.

  • House of Fraser sees improving sales

    9 September 2009

    House of Fraser said like-for-like sales were ahead 1.3% for the first six weeks of the second half, an improvement on first half performance when comparable sales were down 2.7%.

  • Topman confirms Oxford Circus flagship plans

    8 September 2009

    Topman will expand its London Oxford Street flagship to 23,000sq ft and introduce a raft of premium menswear brands later this month.

  • Bank holiday trade blows hot and cold

    05 September 2009

    August might have been the worst month for footfall since Christmas, but the bank holiday weekend does not appear to have been a total washout. Shopper numbers were up a touch over 3% across both Saturday and Sunday, which will come as a relief to the many retailers who reported shocking business earlier in the month.

  • New season boosts John Lewis

    4 September 2009

    Sales of fashion at department store retailer John Lewis rose 3.3% over the week to August 29, driven by a positive reaction to new ranges.

  • Gap's August sales fall 12%

    3 September 2009

    Gap saw like-for-like sales at its international division, which includes its UK stores, fall by 12% in August.

  • Tributes to ex-Kickers boss Tony Parkin

    3 September 2009

    The footwear trade is mourning the loss of Tony Parkin, the former UK boss of Kickers who passed away last week.

  • KPMG seeks buyer for Escada

    3 September 2009

    Consultancy firm KPMG is believed to have been appointed to find a buyer for the struggling luxury womenswear brand Escada.

  • Fashionair on hunt for next presenting star at Selfridges

    1 September 2009

    Fashionair.com, the fashion website launched by pop svengali Simon Fuller, will host a series of events at Selfridges including a competition to become one of its presenters to celebrate the site’s official launch later this week.

  • Indies feel pain of discounting fever

    29 August 2009

    August sales have been a washout and the bank holiday weekend doesn’t look like being much better, unless you’ve joined the host of multiples offering discounts of up to a whopping 70%.

  • Brian McCluskey

    28 August 2009

    Office’s chief executive, who turned his back on private equity to trade in high heels and sneakers, figured out a formula for UK success and now has plans to take the footwear retailer global

  • German labels look to regain past glories

    22 August 2009

    Last week I made the somewhat controversial point that no brands were doing anything innovative enough to excite the over-35s womenswear market. Was I wrong? In some cases perhaps, but in others I remain resolute.

  • Liberty linked to Target collaboration

    21 August 2009

    Liberty, the iconic London department store, is reported to be in talks with US value chain Target about a collaboration on clothing next year.

  • Recessions can be a boon for business

    15 August 2009

    While recessions cause many casualties they also create entrepreneurs, throw up great ideas and improve the shape of the industry. This week Peter Davies, the former boss of one of this recession’s casualties, the Principles chain, unveiled details of his new womenswear venture, while Next founder George Davies’ GIVe project gathered momentum (see p2).

  • Industry adapts to changing trends

    8 August 2009

    That Pure London, the contemporary womenswear show owned by Drapers publisher Emap, had a record spring event last weekend is testament to just how hard the fashion industry is working to beat the downturn.

  • RSPCA announces Good Business finalists

    5 August 2009

    George at Asda, Tesco, New Look and Marks & Spencer are among the finalists for the RSPCA Good Business Awards 2009 in association with Drapers.

  • Pan Philippou exits Firetrap-owner WDT

    4 August 2009

    World Design & Trade [WDT] chief executive Pan Philippou is to step down from the business, which owns the Firetrap, Fullcircle and Sonetti brands, on September 4.

  • British Fashion Council relocates to Somerset House

    4 August 2009

    The British Fashion Council [BFC], which organises London Fashion Week, is to make Somerset House its permanent base from August 17.

  • Footwear firms demand action from Brazilian suppliers

    4 August 2009

    Footwear giants Clarks, Adidas, Nike and Timberland are demanding assurances from their leather suppliers in Brazil that their production is not destroying the Amazon rainforest.

  • Fashion the future from your heritage

    1 August 2009

    There’s something to be said for taking a long hard look back over the history of your business in the current climate.

  • JD revives Open fascia to replace Scotts

    31 July 2009

    JD Sports Fashion has relaunched Open, its branded fashion concept, amid speculation it is considering rebranding its 38-store Scotts business to the fascia.

  • Fashion sales fall for fifth week

    31 July 2009

    Like-for-like fashion sales were down 4.9% for the week ended July 26 according to BDO Stoy Hayward’s High Street Sales Tracker.

  • Douglas Hayward rescued

    29 July 2009

    Douglas Hayward, the London tailoring business which was popular with the likes of Sir Michael Caine, Richard Burton and Ralph Lauren, has been rescued by a newly formed company, Mount Street Tailors.

  • David Carter-Johnson stands down from Adams

    28 July 2009

    Adams chief executive David Carter-Johnson is to step down at the end of this week.

  • La Rinascente owner bids for Christian Lacroix

    28 July 2009

    Borletti Group, the Italian company behind department stores La Rinascente and Printemps, has made a bid for the Christian Lacroix fashion house in conjunction with the designer himself.

  • LVMH profits slide but Louis Vuitton gains market share

    28 July 2009

    LVMH, the luxury goods group, saw net profit fall 23% to €687 million (£593.2m) for the first six months of 2009. Sales rose 0.2% to €7.81 billion (£6.74bn) and the Louis Vuitton brand continued to gain market share.

  • Indie trading stabilising says BSSA

    27 July 2009

    Independent retailers saw sales fall back 2.2% in the second quarter but the British Shops and Stores Association (BSSA) said that there were some signs that business was stabilising.

  • Innovation is key as Pentland defies gloom

    25 July 2009

    Pentland Group, the parent company behind the UK’s largest brand supply house, Pentland Brands, saw sales climb 11% to £1.04 billion for the year to December 31 thanks to investment in both product and marketing innovation.

  • We’re all united by a common passion

    25 July 2009

    Passionate about product. That’s the one thing that unites all the characters I have met in my nine years here at Drapers, be they independent retailers, fashion brands, high street multiples or suppliers. Sure, the seductive glamour of the fashion industry is why most of us entered this business in the first place but fashion is about so much more than fun and frivolity. 

  • Ashley to quiz Jones at JJB agm

    23 July 2009

    Sports Direct deputy chairman Mike Ashley is planning to send someone to represent him at JJB Sports’ annual general meeting tomorrow to grill chairman David Jones about the controversial £1.5 million loan he took from Ashley.

  • Skechers slips into the red

    23 July 2009

    Footwear brand Skechers posted a net loss of $5.9 million (£3.57m) for the second quarter ended June 30 against a profit of $14.6m (£9m).

  • Amazon to buy Zappos

    23 July 2009

    Amazon is set to buy US footwear website Zappos.com for around $927 million (£561.6m).

  • Jones and Ashley saga rumbles on

    22 July 2009

    JJB Sports chairman Sir David Jones is alleged to have held secret talks with rival Mike Ashley, a month after his £1.5 million loan from the Sports Direct founder could have been called in.

  • BRC calls for action on high streets

    21 July 2009

    The British Retail Consortium [BRC] insists that a bright, post-recession future is possible for UK high streets if key recommendations are followed.

  • Bidder emerges for Christian Lacroix

    21 July 2009

    Restructuring firm Bernard Krief Consultants is reported to be planning to table a bid to rescue couture house Christian Lacroix.

  • Warm weather helps Next beat expectations

    21 July 2009

    Next saw like-for-like sales down just 1.9% for the 25 weeks to July 18 - a better than expected performance from the high street chain, which has led it to add £15 million to its first half profit forecast.

  • Ted Baker sees improvement in wholesale

    17 July 2009

    Premium brand Ted Baker is understood to be considering resupplying some of its wholesale stockists after it saw evidence that the wholesale market was turning the corner.

  • Mothercare records strong first quarter

    16 July 2009

    Mothercare saw like-for-like sales rise 5.1% over the 15 weeks to July 10.

  • Ossie Clark to close

    16 July 2009

    Ossie Clark, the iconic fashion label which enjoyed huge popularity in the 1960s, is to close, just one year after it was relaunched.

  • Sports Direct profits fall 20%

    16 July 2009

    Sports Direct saw pre-tax profit fall 20.2% to £68.2 million for the year ended April 26.

  • B&B does the business in Berlin

    11 July 2009

    Bread & Butter’s move to Berlin brought with it a more business-like attitude from Europe’s young fashion buyers last week.

  • John Lewis sales hit by Wimbledon

    10 July 2009

    John Lewis saw sales fall 2.3% to £60.13 million for the week ended July 4 but fashion sales rose 0.5%.

  • Gap international sales fall 5% in June

    9 July 2009

    Gap saw international like-for-like sales, which include its UK sales, fall by 5% in June.

  • Uniqlo reveals details of Jil Sander sub-brand

    9 July 2009

    Jil Sander’s debut collection for Uniqlo this autumn will be called +J.

  • Primark posts strong growth

    9 July 2009

    Sales at Primark rose 21% over the 16 week third quarter period to June 20 demonstrating that the value sector remains resilient in the recession.

  • Bread & Butter Berlin releases visitor breakdown

    8 July 2009

    Bread & Butter has issued a breakdown of attendance at last week’s Berlin event but said it would no longer publish total visitor numbers because the records were “irrelevant”.

  • Clothing deflation rises on discounting

    8 July 2009

    Annual deflation in clothing and footwear rose to 6.5% in June - the second largest fall in prices since the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index began in December 2006.

  • Mr Shoes rescued from administration

    7 July 2009

    Mr Shoes, the branded footwear chain, has been rescued by its former directors.

  • Masters of invention

    4 July 2009

    Three garment technology firms explain how their innovations are helping brands and retailers to revolutionise their ranges and keep shoppers spending

  • 24,000 head to opening of B&B Berlin

    2 July 2009

    Bread & Butter Berlin drew in 24,000 visitors on its opening day yesterday but attendance had dropped this morning to around 11,000 by 11am.

  • West End to capitalise on London Fashion Week fever

    1 July 2009

    Fashion retailers in London’s West End will host a High Street Fashion Week in early September to promote shopping in the capital and take advantage of the build up to London Fashion Week.

  • M&S sales improve

    1 July 2009

    Marks & Spencer saw clothing sales rise 1.4% over the 13 week first quarter to June 27 but overall like-for-like-sales of general merchandise fell back 2.4%.

  • Asos profits soar but online growth "moderates"

    29 June 2009

    Asos saw sales rise 104% to £165.4 million for the year to March 31. Trade has continued strongly with sales for the 13 weeks to June 26 ahead 52% on last year but Asos warned online sales growth was “moderating”.

  • Brian Duffy

    26 June 2009

    You’ve seen (and possibly bought) the Polo Ralph Lauren polo shirt. Now the brand’s European president wants the market to get acquainted with the relaunched Polo Jeans brand

  • Michael Jackson: tribute to a style icon

    26 June 2009

    Michael Jackson, the legendary King of Pop, will be remembered as much for his outlandish taste in clothes as for his music.

  • Giles Deacon to head to Paris?

    25 June 2009

    Reports suggest Giles Deacon will head to Paris Fashion Week to show his spring 10 collection after the British Designer scooped a top French design prize.

  • Green to use Cowell celebs to promote his fashion empire

    25 June 2009

    Sir Philip Green will use his joint international television venture with Simon Cowell to promote his fashions and create spin-off merchandise, according to reports.

  • Profits rise at H&M

    25 June 2009

    H&M saw pre-tax profits rise 6% to SEK 5.78 billion (£448.5 million) in the second quarter ended May 31, slightly ahead of market expectations.

  • Mary Portas stars in Save Our Shops documentary

    23 June 2009

    Retail guru Mary Portas will star in a BBC 2 programme called “Mary Portas: Save Our Shops” tonight.

  • Kurt Geiger signs Nine West deal

    22 June 2009

    Kurt Geiger has inked a licensing and distribution deal with US footwear firm Nine West just one month after the US firm severed ties with its former UK partner Shoe Studio Group.

  • Which side is your bread buttered?

    19 June 2009

    With streetwear show Bread & Butter on the horizon, Drapers asked the young fashion market for its views on trading and the spring 10 season

  • Ted Baker designs lingerie for Debenhams

    17 June 2009

    Ted Baker will product a lingerie collection for Debenhams, a week after it terminated its lingerie licensing agreement its lingerie firm Intimas.

  • Jimmy Choo to collaborate with H&M

    17 June 2009

    Luxury footwear and accessories Jimmy Choo brand will create a range for H&M this autumn - the Swedish fashion chain’s first designer accessories collaboration.

  • Crombie owner comes in for Aquascutum

    16 June 2009

    Alan Lewis, the chairman and owner of Crombie, is reported to have made an offer to buy luxury British heritage brand Aquascutum.

  • Mary Portas charity store raises £60k

    16 June 2009

    Mary Portas’ Living and Giving charity shop in Westfield London has raised £60,000 for Save the Children since it opened less than a fortnight ago.

  • Ted Baker sees sales rise

    16 June 2009

    Ted Baker saw sales rise 7.6% for the 19 weeks to June 12, with margins in line with company expectations.

  • London retail sales rise 1.6%

    15 June 2009

    London Retail sales rose 1.6% on a like-for-like basis in May. This was the weakest growth in London this year but it was held back by tough comparatives and milder weather.

  • Matalan outperforms market

    15 June 2009

    Matalan said like-for-like sales for the 14 weeks ended June 6 were up 8.2% after posting a strong set of results for the year to February 28.

  • Patrick Cox and Oliver Sweeney reborn

    13 June 2009

    Footwear licensee Fresh Footwear is believed to be close to signing a UK distribution deal for the Patrick Cox brand, in the same week that premium men’s footwear brand Oliver Sweeney (pictured) was rescued from administration.

  • The Brandery confirms exhibitors

    12 June 2009

    Lacoste, Pepe Jeans, New Balance and Reebok are among the exhibitors at the first edition of Barcelona streetwear show The Brandery next month.

  • Graduate Fashion Week winners announced

    11 June 2009

    Myrto Stamou of UCA Rochester picked up the River Island Gold Award and the Womenswear Award at Graduate Fashion Week last night.

  • Net-a-Porter reports strong growth

    10 June 2009

    Net-a-Porter saw pre-tax profits more than treble to £10.1 million for the year to January 31, further demonstrating that internet fashion businesses are bucking the downturn.

  • Oliver Sweeney rescued

    9 June 2009

    Amery Capital and footwear supply guru Tim Cooper have bought premium footwear brand Oliver Sweeney out of administration.

  • Tough comparatives hit fashion sales in May

    9 June 2009

    Like-for-like retail sales fell 0.8% in May, with fashion and footwear sales among the worst performing sub-categories over the month because of tough comparatives.

  • Pringle to show at London Fashion Week

    8 June 2009

    Pringle, the Scottish knitwear brand, is set to leave the Milan catwalks to show during London Fashion Week this September.

  • Tommy Hilfiger posts 21% sales growth

    6 June 2009

    Tommy Hilfiger saw sales rise 21% to €1.6 billion (£1.4bn) in the year to March 31, but warned that sales had slowed dramatically since October last year.

  • TK Maxx ramps up European expansion

    5 June 2009

    TK Maxx is to open 35 stores across Europe this year, including 10 in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

  • Liam Gallagher's fashion line launches

    5 June 2009

    Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has launched his first fashion collection today.

  • UK Fashion Exports winners announced

    5 June 2009

    Knitwear brand John Smedley took the Gold Award at the UK Fashion Exports Awards, which celebrate excellence in selling overseas, yesterday.

  • Lisa Montague resigns from Mulberry

    4 June 2009

    Mulberry chief operating officer Lisa Montague has resigned.

  • BSSA boss to retire

    3 June 2009

    John Dean the chief executive of the British Shops and Stores Association (BSSA) is to retire at the end of the year.

  • Lacroix in administration

    3 June 2009

    French couture house Christian Lacroix was placed into administration yesterday.

  • Harvey Nichols boss warns "worse to come"

    2 June 2009

    Joseph Wan, the chief executive of Harvey Nichols, has warned the worst of the economic crisis will hit in the second half of 2009.

  • Mary Queen of Charity Shops debuts tonight

    2 June 2009

    Mary Portas’ new three part series for BBC 2 will air at 9pm tonight.

  • Laura Ashley boosted by promotions

    2 June 2009

    Laura Ashley saw like-for-like sales rise 6.9% for the 17 weeks to May 30 thanks to increased promotions.

  • Gunnar Sigurdsson reappointed to House of Fraser board

    1 June 2009

    Former Baugur chief executive Gunnar Sigurdsson has rejoined the board at House of Fraser.

  • Gap retail director heads to Adidas

    1 June 2009

    Michael Stanier, the former vice president and managing director of Gap’s UK retail and European franchise operations, is to join Adidas as director of retail.

  • Topshop confirms US roll out

    1 June 2009

    Sir Philip Green, the owner of Topshop, has confirmed he plans to open a second store in New York after the debut Manhattan store achieved strong sales in its first two months of trading.

  • Matthew Williamson returns to London Fashion Week

    1 June 2009

    UPDATED: Matthew Williamson will join Burberry at London Fashion Week in September to help celebrate the event’s 25th birthday.

  • Sector allies draw up survival plans

    30 May 2009

    The news that a group of Principles suppliers have joined forces to create an etail venture (see News) to serve the public direct is more evidence that suppliers are finally grabbing the bull by the horns with innovative new business models that will ensure their survival through the recession.

  • Moss Bros records rise in suit sales

    29 May 2009

    Moss Bros saw like-for-like sales fall 3.9% for the 16 weeks ended May 23, but the volume of suits sold rose 27% over the period.

  • Cafer Mahiroglu

    29 May 2009

    It’s been just 15 months since the owner of Select rescued the young fashion chain from administration, but through clever repositioning it is already turning a profit

  • Primark settles over alleged Superdry copy

    28 May 2009

    Primark has reached an out of course settlement with Laundry Athletics, the owner of Superdry.

  • Escada sells off Apriori, Cavita and Laurèl

    27 May 2009

    Escada has sold off its Apriori, Cavita and Laurèl womenswear brands which operate under its Primera subsidiary, to German investment firm Mutares.

  • Versace says "no friction" with chief executive

    26 May 2009

    Versace has issued a second statement denying there is friction between shareholder and creative director Donatella Versace and the luxury brand’s chief executive Giancarlo Di Risio, following a crunch board meeting held in Milan last night.

  • Aquascutum owner in sale talks with Asian licensee

    26 May 2009

    Aquascutum owner Renown is reported to be in talks with its Chinese licensee about selling the British heritage brand.

  • Burberry boosts London Fashion Week

    26 May 2009

    Burberry Prorsum will show its spring 10 collection at London Fashion Week in September.

  • Gap like-for-likes fall 4%

    23 May 2009

    Gap International, which includes its UK stores, saw like-for-like sales fall 4% for the first quarter ended May 2. Group comparable sales decreased by 8%.

  • Blacks Leisure extends banking facility

    22 May 2009

    Blacks Leisure has extended its banking facility with Lloyds Banking Group until August 31 while it continues discussions with the lender about a new financial structure.

  • Fashion sales hit by tough comparatives

    22 May 2009

    Fashion sales fell 2.5% on a like-for-like basis for the week ended May 17, according to the High Street Sales Tracker from BDO Stoy Hayward.

  • Management rejig at New Look + video of first TV ad

    22 May 2009

    New Look has promoted Will Kernan to group managing director (owned stores), overseeing its entire network of company-owned stores.

  • BCIA rebranded to UKFT

    21 May 2009

    The British Clothing Industry Association is to rebranded to the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) and a raft of leading industry players have been appointed to the new board.

  • M&S to launch casual brand + Sir Stuart Rose's outlook

    19 May 2009

    Marks & Spencer will launch a casualwear sub-brand called Indigo aimed at the over-45 womenswear market this autumn.

  • M&S rejigs management as profits crash

    19 May 2009

    Marks & Spencer saw profits tumble from £1 billion to £604.4 million for the 52 weeks ended March 28, prompting a reshuffle of its management team which has resulted in the departure of director Carl Leaver.

  • JJB Sports strengthens management team

    18 May 2009

    JJB Sports has appointed Colin Tranter as director of retail and product and Lawrence Coppock as finance director. Peter Williams has stepped down from the board.

  • Online fashion sales fall on month

    18 May 2009

    Online sales of fashion rose 17% on last year in April but fell 2% against March according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

  • London sales warmed up in April

    18 May 2009

    London retail sales rose 5.4% on a like for like basis in April - slightly ahead of retail sales across the UK as a whole.

  • Mary Portas to open store in Westfield London

    18 May 2009

    Retail guru Mary Portas is to open a charity shop in the Westfield London shopping centre to coincide with her latest BBC television series, Mary Queen of Charity Shops, which sees her turn her makeover skills to struggling charity shops.

  • Pitti Uomo signs new exhibitors

    13 May 2009

    Florence menswear show Pitti Uomo has signed a raft of new exhibitors for the next edition in June including US tailoring brand Brooks Brothers.

  • First look at Matthew Williamson menswear for H&M

    13 May 2009

    Matthew Williamson’s debut menswear range will hit 1,600 H&M stores tomorrow.

  • Johnstons appoints managing director

    12 May 2009

    Scottish knitwear firm Johnstons of Elgin has promoted James Dracup to managing director.

  • Has the credit insurance scheme worked for you?

    12 May 2009

    Drapers would like to hear from readers about their experiences accessing the government’s credit insurance guarantee scheme, which was introduced earlier this month to help business suffering from a reduction in cover.

  • Giles Deacon to quadruple sales

    12 May 2009

    London Fashion Week designer Giles Deacon has signed a production and distribution agreement with Italian manufacturer Castor to help him boost sales from £1 million to between £3m and £4m in the medium term.

  • April clothing sales strongest since 2006

    12 May 2009

    Retail like-for-like sales rose 4.6% in April, with clothing showing the strongest growth since late 2006, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

  • Jigsaw in consultation with warehouse staff

    11 May 2009

    Jigsaw is understood to be in consultation with staff over plans to close its warehouse in Isleworth, West London.

  • Stephen Rubin

    9 May 2009

    The slogan ‘people count’ was first used by Pentland Group’s chairman when he stood for parliament aged 21, but it is a phrase he’s stayed true to while building his footwear and sportswear empire

  • Indies cash in as shoppers opt for quality

    8 May 2009

    Independent womenswear retailers saw their market share by value rocket last year after shoppers opted to trade up to buying fewer better-quality items in highly serviced environments.

  • Shoe Studio axes Nine West and Debenhams

    8 May 2009

    Dune has dropped a raft of brands including Nine West from its Shoe Studio concession business which it rescued from administration in March. Its relationship with Debenhams has also ended as a result of the rationalisation.

  • M&S unveils new ad details

    5 May 2009

    Marks & Spencer has ditched some of the stars of its advertising campaigns and cut the salary of Myleene Klass as it trims its marketing spend in the recession.

  • Select sizes up Bay Trading business

    2 May 2009

    Young fashion retailer Select was preparing to run a slide rule over Alexon Group’s Bay Trading chain, which went into administration on Monday, as Drapers went to press.

  • Frances Card leaves Cocosa

    1 May 2009

    Frances Card, consulting brand director at off-price luxury goods site Cocosa, has left the business.

  • Skechers moves back into profit

    30 April 2009

    Skechers saw first quarter sales fall 11% to $342.5 million (£231.6m) but the footwear brand moved back into profit.

  • Consumer confidence improves

    30 April 2009

    Consumer confidence improved for the third consecutive month in April.

  • Gap to debut online via Asos

    29 April 2009

    Gap will make its online debut in the UK via young fashion website Asos this august.

  • Paul Smith sees profits soar

    27 April 2009

    Paul Smith saw profits jump 22% to £15 million for the year ended June 2008.

  • Fashion Fortunes from The Sunday Times Rich List

    27 April 2009

    Sir Tom Hunter, owner of USC and Office, was the shock exit from The Sunday Times Rich List, which was published yesterday, while most of the other sector big hitters saw their wealth slashed as a result of the recession.

  • Asos profits beat expectations

    27 April 2009

    Asos saw sales rise 104% to £165 million for the year ended March 31. The etailer said that profits would be slightly ahead of market expectations as a result.

  • Losses widen at Liberty

    24 April 2009

    Liberty, the iconic London department store and fabric brand, saw sales rise but pre-tax losses widen from £6.4 million to £7m for the year to December 31.

  • Bay Trading in administration

    24 April 2009

    Bay Trading, which is owned by the Alexon Group, has gone into administration.

  • Louis Vuitton defies downturn

    23 April 2009

    A strong performance from the Louis Vuitton brand helped nudge up first quarter sales at luxury goods group LVMH by 0.4% to €4 billion (£3.57bn).

  • Margins hit at Sports Direct

    23 April 2009

    Sports Direct said that UK retail sales were ahead of expectations but that margin had been hit since February 18.

  • Debenhams sees strong start to second half

    23 April 2009

    Debenhams saw like-for-like sales rise 1.9% on top of an increase in gross margin for the seven weeks to April 18 after pre-tax profits climbed 10.7% to £104.2 million in the first half.

  • Paul & Joe founder takes over London stores

    21 April 2009

    Paul & Joe will reopen its London stores after the labels founder Sophie Albou bought them from the former UK franchisee PJ One, which shut them down earlier this year.

  • Emma Hope seeks white knight

    21 April 2009

    Premium footwear brand Emma Hope is seeking a buyer following a restructuring of the business which resulted Emma Hope Shoes falling into administration.

  • Primark sales hit £1bn in first half

    21 April 2009

    Primark’s sales rose 18% to bust the billion pound barrier for the 24 weeks ended February 28.

  • Alexon rejects bid approach

    21 April 2009

    Alexon, the womenswear group which owns Bay Trading and Ann Harvey, has rejected an approach for the company.

  • Amanda Wakeley takes back full control of eponymous label

    20 April 2009

    Amanda Wakeley has bought back the label she founded in a deal valued at almost £1 million, giving her full control of the company for the first time in more than a decade.

  • Rate rise threatens retail sector jobs

    20 April 2009

    The future of up to 19,300 retail jobs and 582 retail businesses are under threat because of planned business rate rises according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

  • London Retail Sales motor ahead in March

    20 April 2009

    Like-for-like retail sales in central London rose 5.1%, well ahead of the 1.2% fall across the UK as a whole according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

  • Budget set to bring credit insurance relief for retail

    18 April 2009

    The British Clothing Industry Association (BCIA) has welcomed reports that Chancellor Alistair Darling will unveil details of a government scheme to underpin credit insurance for UK suppliers in next week’s Budget.

  • Clothing sales positive in March

    16 April 2009

    Fashion sales were in positive territory for the first time in 10 months in March as milder weather and discounting tempted shoppers to buy into spring ranges.

  • Chancellor to unveil Credit Insurance Support Scheme at Budget

    15 April 2009

    Chancellor Alistair Darling is expected to announce a government scheme to underpin credit insurance for UK suppliers in next week’s Budget, according to reports.

  • Take a preview tour of Bread & Butter Berlin

    14 April 2009

    Bread & Butter Berlin has unveiled foor plans, brand lists, images and video of its new venue, Airport Berlin-Tempelhof, where the next edition will take place July 1-3.

  • Original Factory Shop boosted by Woolworths collapse

    14 April 2009

    Like-for-like sales rose 12% at Original Factory Shop over the 12 weeks to March 29, thanks to the increasing number of bargain-hungry shoppers coupled with the demise of high street rival Woolworths.

  • M&S loses fashion share to rivals

    14 April 2009

    Marks & Spencer saw its market share fall by 12 basis points to 10.66% in February according to reports.

  • Bank of England holds interest rates

    9 April 2009

    The Bank of England has held interest rates at 0.5%.

  • George at Asda launches £20 suit

    9 April 2009

    George at Asda has lowered the price of its entry level suit to £20 for Easter weekend.

  • Clothing prices fall 4.9% in March

    8 April 2009

    Prices fell 4.9% in the clothing and footwear sector during March, according to the British Retail Consortium Nielsen Shop Price Index.

  • Clarks consolidates UK and RoI teams

    8 April 2009

    Clarks has consolidated its retail and wholesale teams in the UK and Republic of Ireland under operations director Chris Jewell.

  • Help the BRC gather evidence on the impact of credit conditions

    8 April 2009

    The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the British Shops and Stores Association (BSSA) are calling for their members to take part in a survey the BRC is conducting on behalf of the Treasury about credit conditions and credit insurance issues in the retail sector.

  • Phil Wrigley relinquishes exec role at New Look

    7 April 2009

    Phil Wrigley has relinquished his executive duties at New Look and stepped down to become non-executive chairman of the value fashion chain.

  • Who made the Online Fashion 100?

    7 April 2009

    M and M Direct chief executive Steve Robinson, Figleaves chief executive Julia Reynolds and M&S Direct director David Hughes are among the fashion retailers who have made the cut in a list of the top 100 people influencing fashion online.

  • JJB Sports outlines CVA proposals

    7 April 2009

    The landlords of the 140 JJB Sports stores the sportswear retailer is proposing to close will be able to claim against an aggregate fund of £10 million if they approve the proposed Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA).

  • Peacocks delivers strong fourth quarter

    6 April 2009

    Peacocks saw like-for-like sales climb 8.3% for the 14 weeks ended March 28, as the value fashion market continues to buck the consumer downturn.

  • Deichmann kicks off major UK expansion

    4 April 2009

    German footwear retailer Deichmann will take advantage of the weak property market and open up to 10 stores in the UK this year as part of wider plans to open up to 400 stores in the country over the next 10 years.

  • Drapers’ new forum aims to get indies networking

    4 April 2009

    Drapers has created a group on business networking website LinkedIn so that independents around the country can network and share ideas about how to trade through the recession.

  • Next suppliers in price talks

    4 April 2009

    Next has kicked off price negotiations with suppliers to help offset the impact of the weak sterling this autumn

  • Sales manager Chadwick dies

    4 April 2009

    Richard Chadwick, a former sales manager in the denim sector, has died aged 65

  • Trade support for credit move

    4 April 2009

    The British Shops and Stores Association (BSSA) and Associated Independent Stores (AIS) are the latest organisations to back the British Clothing Industry Association’s (BCIA) Credit Insurance Campaign.

  • Topshop New York: first look inside

    2 April 2009

    Topshop New York will throw open its doors to shoppers at 11am US time, 4.30pm GMT, today. Take a look at the first pictures of the store interior ahead of its opening.

  • Easter footfall boost likely

    2 April 2009

    Retailers should benefit from more people staying at home and more tourists visiting the UK over the Easter break according to the Synovate Retail Traffic Index.

  • Mothercare scores strong Q4

    2 April 2009

    Mothercare saw UK like-for-like sales rise 3.7% for the 11 weeks ended March 28.

  • Later Easter skews footfall figures

    1 April 2009

    Footfall fell by 1.7% in March according to Experian.

  • Ben Sherman swings to Q4 loss

    1 April 2009

    Ben Sherman saw sales fall by almost 30% to $26.2 million (£18.2m) in the fourth quarter ended January 31 pushing the brand into the red.

  • Crocs granted reprieve by bank

    1 April 2009

    Footwear brand Crocs has been granted an extension for its credit facility by the Union Bank of California.

  • Mike Ashley linked to JJB Sports shares

    1 April 2009

    Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley is understood to have bought 23% of JJB Sports’ shares, after the liquidator of Kaupthing, which had seized a key shareholding in the business from former chief executive Chris Ronnie, offloaded its stake.

  • Barcelona confirms details of rival Bread & Butter show

    30 March 2009

    Barcelona City Council has outlined plans for its new show called The Brandery, which will go head to head with Bread & Butter Berlin in July.

  • M&S shareholder calls for new chairman within 15 months

    30 March 2009

    The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) has filed a resolution calling for Marks & Spencer to appoint an independent chairman by July 2010, as Sir Stuart Rose comes under increasing pressure to relinquish his dual chief executive and executive chairman role.

  • Hobbs sales hit £100m as Nick Samuel departs chain

    30 March 2009

    Hobbs saw sales creep over the £100 million mark but EBITDA fall back 11.7% to £18.8 million for the 53 weeks ended January 31. Separately Nick Samuel has stepped down from the board.

  • Hot Tuna narrows losses

    30 March 2009

    Surfwear brand Hot Tuna saw sales rise 31% and losses narrow by 59% to £679,000 for the six months ended December 31.

  • Deichmann plots assault on UK

    30 March 2009

    German footwear chain Deichmann will take advantage of the weak property market and open up to 10 stores in the UK this year as part of wider plans to open up to 400 stores in the UK within the next 10 years.

  • Jane Norman trading boss in shock exit

    27 March 2009

    Sandy Goldsborough, the trading director at Jane Norman, has left the womenswear retailer after just six months in the role.

  • H&M profits hit by currency turmoil + Matthew Williamson preview

    26 March 2009

    H&M saw first quarter profits fall back 12% to SEK 3.5 billion (£298 million) after gross margin was hit by currency fluctuations.

  • Moss Bros posts £5m loss

    26 March 2009

    Moss Bros swung to a pre-tax loss of £5 million from a £200,000 profit for the 53 weeks ended January 31 and said like-for-like sales had slumped by 9.4% in the six weeks since the year end.

  • Next warns of "double challenge" as profits fall 7%

    26 March 2009

    Next saw like-for-like sales fall 6.5% and profits in its core business fall by 7% to £446.4 million for the year ended January 2009.

  • Li & Fung boosted by acquisitions

    25 March 2009

    Li & Fung, the global supply group, saw sales rise 20% to HK$110.7bn (£9.7bn) for the year ended December 31, but operating profit fell 3% to HK$3bn (£265 million).

  • BRC warns of toughest rent quarter day

    25 March 2009

    The British Retail Consortium [BRC] has renewed calls for landlords to be more flexible on rents as the retail sector faces its toughest rent quarter day for 18 years today.

  • Inditex sales rise 12%

    25 March 2009

    Inditex, the parent company behind Zara and Massimo Dutti, saw sales rise 12% to €10.4 billion (£9.5bn) for the year ended January 31 but net profit was broadly flat at €1.25bn (£1.14bn).

  • Ted Baker profits fall

    25 March 2009

    Ted Baker saw pre-tax profit fall 19.5% to £17.8 million for the 53 weeks ended January 31.

  • Retail Price Index at zero

    24 March 2009

    The Retail Price Index, a key measure of inflation, has fallen to zero for the first time since 1960.

  • Burberry launches first UK kidswear store

    24 March 2009

    Burberry has opened its first kidswear standalone in the UK in London’s Westbourne Grove.

  • M&S to launch Sale tomorrow

    23 March 2009

    Marks & Spencer will launch its mid-season Sale tomorrow with discounts of up to 50%.

  • Agent Provocateur sales rise 26%

    23 March 2009

    Agent Provocateur, the luxury lingerie label, saw sales rise 26% to £20.7 million for the year ended March 31 but EBITDA dipped from £2.7m to £2.2m because of increased investment in international expansion.

  • Diane Stone to retire from WSA show

    23 March 2009

    Diane Stone, chief operating officer of Las Vegas-based footwear show WSA, is to retire after five years in the role.

  • JJB Sports gym sale deal imminent

    23 March 2009

    The sale of JJB Sports’ gym business to Dave Whelan is reported to be close to completion in spite of efforts by Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley to scupper the deal.

  • Sir Stuart Rose faces second round of M&S shareholder fury

    23 March 2009

    Marks & Spencer chairman and chief executive Sir Stuart Rose is facing a shareholder backlash for the second time in less than a year over his appointment as chairman and chief executive of the UK’s largest fashion retailer.

  • Quiz rescued in pre-pack administration

    23 March 2009

    Quiz, the Scottish-based young fashion chain, has been rescued from administration by a newly formed company called KAST Retail.

  • American Apparel sells stake

    21 March 2009

    UK private equity firm Lion Capital invested US$80 million (£56.9m) in young fashion chain American Apparel last week.

  • Sander comes out of retirement for Uniqlo

    21 March 2009

    Uniqlo has tempted designer Jil Sander out of retirement to head up all of its menswear and womenswear design on a consultancy basis.

  • Reiss relaunches its website

    20 March 2009

    Reiss has relaunched its website at www.reiss.co.uk.

  • Top suppliers join BCIA battle over credit insurance

    20 March 2009

    Leading suppliers from across the industry have joined forces with Drapers and the British Clothing Industry Association (BCIA) to lobby the government over the issue of credit insurance.

  • Kaupthing takes over Kevin Stanford's Mulberry shares

    19 March 2009

    Kaupthing Bank Luxembourg, a subsidiary of the Icelandic bank, is understood to have taken over Kevin Stanford’s 25.4% stake in Mulberry.

  • Blacks trading in line with expectations

    18 March 2009

    Blacks said trading had been in line with expectations since Christmas and that it was continuing talks about a potential offer for the group.

  • Jil Sander to join Uniqlo

    17 March 2009

    Jil Sander is reported to be on the brink of signing a contract with Uniqlo, which will see her take overall creative control of the value fashion chain’s womenswear and menswear ranges.

  • JJB Sports granted extra week to complete sale of fitness clubs

    17 March 2009

    JJB Sports has had its banking arrangements extended for one week while it continues talks over the sale of its fitness clubs business.

  • Online clothing sales outperform etail market

    17 March 2009

    Online sales of clothing, footwear and accessories rose by 21% in February against the previous year, but fell back 6% on January according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

  • Harvey Nichols targets tourists with new campaign

    17 March 2009

    Harvey Nichols has launched a new advertising campaign to target tourists who are visiting London to take advantage of the weak sterling.

  • BCIA chairman calls for support on credit insurance campaign

    17 March 2009

    Peter Lucas, chairman of the British Clothing Industry Association, explains the Drapers and BCIA credit insurance campaign.

  • Debenhams own label boosts performance

    17 March 2009

    Debenhams saw like-for-like sales excluding VAT fall 3.6% for the 26 weeks ended February 28, but the department store said it had continued to gain market share across all of its major categories.

  • Join the Drapers BCIA Credit Insurance Campaign

    16 March 2009

    Drapers is backing a campaign by the British Clothing Industry Association (BCIA) which will demand the government helps to insure domestic orders.

  • Umbro hires Charlie Allen to overhaul England strip

    16 March 2009

    Umbro has hired Savile Row-trained tailor Charlie Allen to overhaul the England football strip.

  • London retail sales hold up

    16 March 2009

    London retail sales rose 5.9% on a like-for-like basis in February outperforming the rest of the UK, which recorded a 1.8% fall in like-for-like sales over the month.

  • BCIA calls for action on credit insurance

    12 March 2009

    The chairman of the British Clothing Industry Association (BCIA) Peter Lucas is calling on the government to make a gesture of support to the UK fashion and retail industry by offering credit insurance for domestic orders.

  • Court decision due on Baugur moratorium

    11 March 2009

    The Icelandic court will make a decision on whether to grant an extension to the investment firm Baugur’s moratorium today.

  • Simon Fuller to launch fashion etail portal

    11 March 2009

    Pop mogul Simon Fuller and Sojin Lee, formerly Net-a-Porter.com, are to launch a fashion style website which will be affiliated with brands and retailers via pop-up shops and advertising.

  • Principles brand could still be up for grabs

    9 March 2009

    Deloitte, the administrators of Principles, are expected to continue to sound out potential buyers for the Principles brand name, after Debenhams bought the bulk of the womenswear chain’s stock at the weekend but left the name behind (as exclusively predicted by Drapersonline.com).

  • Aurora to reassure its supply base...

    7 March 2009

    Derek Lovelock, chief executive of the newly formed Aurora Fashions business, which rescued Oasis, Karen Millen, Coast and Warehouse from administration this week, has kicked off a tour of suppliers to reassure them of the company’s strong financial position.

  • Founders back at USC

    7 March 2009

    Young fashion brands have hailed the return of David Douglas and Angus Morrison to USC, the branded young fashion chain they founded in 1989, as a clear sign the business will be restored to its former glory.

  • Debenhams to buy Principles stock

    6 March 2009

    Debenhams is believed to be close to securing a deal to buy a significant proportion of Principles’ stock, but it is not expected buy the Principles brand name or its shops.

  • Asos appoints finance director

    6 March 2009

    Asos, the young fashion etailer, has appointed Nick Beighton as finance director.

  • Interest rates cut to 0.5%

    5 March 2009

    The Bank of England has cut interest rates from 1% to 0.5%, a record low.

  • Adidas executive gives guidance on 2009

    5 March 2009

    Herbert Hainer, the chief executive of Adidas, has warned he expects currency neutral group sales to decline this year.

  • All Saints relaunches website

    5 March 2009

    All Saints has relaunched its online store with new imagery and better navigation.

  • Net-a-Porter gives details of discount venture

    5 March 2009

    Net-a-Porter will launch its dedicated discount etail venture theOutnet.com next month with more than 200 luxury fashion brands.

  • Mulberry to beat expectations

    5 March 2009

    Mulberry said that the last minute Christmas rush at its UK stores will help it to beat market expectations for the full year ended March 31.

  • Peter Davies' Principles deal in jeopardy

    4 March 2009

    Peter Davies has warned that his bid to rescue Principles may be thwarted because of the timing of the administration of its parent company Mosaic Fashions.

  • Shoe Studio Group sold to Dune

    3 March 2009

    The assets of Shoe Studio Group will be sold to footwear specialist Dune imminently Drapers has learnt.

  • Debenhams Spectacular planned for tomorrow

    3 March 2009

    Debenhams will hold a four-day New Season’s Spectacular offering discounts of up to 25% from tomorrow.

  • Oasis, Karen Millen, Coast and Warehouse saved

    2 March 2009

    Mosaic Fashions’ Oasis, Karen Millen, Warehouse and Coast brands have re-emerged from administration as a newly formed company called Aurora Fashions, in a deal led by Kaupthing and Mosaic Fashions’ management team.

  • This week in history...

    2 March 2009

    This week in 2004 saw Tom Ford take his last bow as creative director of Gucci during Milan Fashion Week.

  • Sir Philip Green to share tips on how retailers can beat the recession

    2 March 2009

    Sir Philip Green, the owner of Arcadia, and Jane Shepherdson, chief executive of Whistles, will feature in a BBC Radio 4 programme about how fashion retailers can beat the recession at 11am this morning.

  • EBTM heads for administration

    2 March 2009

    EBTM, the music-inspired fashion etailer, is to go into administration after the board conceded there were no possibilities of maintaining value for shareholders.

  • USC founders return to young fashion chain

    2 March 2009

    David Douglas and Angus Morrison, the founders of USC, are returning to the young fashion chain they sold to Sir Tom Hunter’s West Coast Capital fund for around £45 million in 2004.

  • Peter Davies makes offer for Principles

    27 February 2009

    Peter Davies, the former chief executive of Rubicon, has made a formal offer to buy Principles from Mosaic Fashions.

  • EBTM subsidiaries file for administration

    27 February 2009

    The subsidiaries of EBTM, the fashion etailer which sells merchandise inspired by music, have filed for administration.

  • Half-term boosts fashion at John Lewis

    27 February 2009

    The half-term holiday helped John Lewis to a better week but sales remained down 1.5% at £45.1 million for the week ended February 21.

  • Gap earnings rise but sales fall

    27 February 2009

    Gap saw fourth quarter comparable sales fall 4% at its international stores, which includes its UK shops.

  • TK Maxx posts solid full year results

    26 February 2009

    TK Maxx saw like-for-like sales rise 4% for the full year ended January 31.

  • Chris Ronnie resigns from JJB Sports

    26 February 2009

    Chris Ronnie the chief executive of JJB Sports has resigned, one month after he was suspended.

  • Mosaic Fashions prepares pre-pack administration

    26 February 2009

    Mosaic Fashions is preparing a pre-pack administration for its Oasis, Karen Millen, Warehouse and Coast chains.

  • High street sales fall slows in February

    24 February 2009

    The fall in retail sales slowed in February but job cuts in the sector rose at a record rate according to the CBI’s Distributive Trades Survey.

  • Call for entries to UK Fashion Export Awards

    24 February 2009

    The closing date for the revamped UK Fashion Export Awards 2009 is March 10.

  • Oscars special part 2: here come the boys

    23 February 2009

    Black-on-black, high shine fabrics, slim-fit tuxedos and a touch of velvet. Who were the best dressed men on the red carpet at this year’s Oscars?

  • Oscars Special: hit or miss for eveningwear

    23 February 2009

    The Brits may have swept the board at the Oscars last night with Slumdog Millionaire and Kate Winslet picking up coveted trophies, but were they a hit in the style stakes?

  • Primark records strong first half

    23 February 2009

    Primark saw like-for-like sales rise 5% for the six months to February 28.

  • Adili reshuffles board

    23 February 2009

    Quentin Griffiths, the etail entrepreneur who co-founded Adili, the ethical fashion website, has resigned as a director of the company as part of a wider boardroom shake up.

  • Wow factor proves a valuable currency

    21 February 2009

    Prices up 10%. Prices flat. Suppliers under pressure. Suppliers flexing their muscles. And so as we move deeper into the autumn 09 buying season, the debate across the industry on how to deal with the crushing issue of the weak sterling is gathering momentum.

  • Principles sale uncertain

    19 February 2009

    Confusion mounted surrounding the potential sale of Mosaic Fashions’ Principles chain as Drapers went to press.

  • Ziff family complete Stylo rescue

    19 February 2009

    The Ziff family have rescued 160 Barratts and Priceless shops, part of the Stylo group, from administration.

  • PPR sees fourth quarter sales slow

    19 February 2009

    PPR, the French owner of the Gucci Group and Puma brand, saw revenues climb 5.8% and 2% on a comparable basis to €20.2 billion (£17.7bn) in 2008 but fourth quarter sales slowed.

  • Original Shoe Co and Qube in administration

    19 February 2009

    JJB Sports has appointed administrators to its Original Shoe Company and Qube Footwear chains.

  • Sports Direct margins hit by weak sterling

    18 February 2009

    Sports Direct saw margins hit by the weak sterling over the 13 weeks ended January 25 but said that full year underlying EBITDA would be in line with expectations at around £135 million.

  • Debenhams and Arcadia linked to Principles

    17 February 2009

    Debenhams and Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group are said to be the front runners to buy the Principles chain from Mosaic Fashions.

  • Laura Ashley issues profit warning

    17 February 2009

    Laura Ashley will report below expectations profits of around £9 million for the year ended January 31 after the fashion to furnishings retailer was hit by plummeting consumer confidence and increased discounting.

  • Sir Philip Green unveils US plans for Topshop

    17 February 2009

    Sir Philip Green gave details of the Topshop New York launch and his plans to open up to 15 US flagships at a press conference in New York last night.

  • London retail sales best for five months

    16 February 2009

    Central London retail sales rose 6.5% on a like for like basis in January - far ahead of the 1.1% uplift across the UK as a whole.

  • Stylo chairman plans rescue deal

    16 February 2009

    Stylo chairman and chief executive Michael Ziff is reported to be working on a rescue deal to buy back 200 Barratts and Priceless stores from administrators Deloitte.

  • M&S signs renewable energy contract

    16 February 2009

    Marks & Spencer has signed a deal with Npower to provide it with renewable electricity from April 2009.

  • Adams rescued by John Shannon

    16 February 2009

    Kidswear chain Adams has been rescued from administration by its former owner John Shannon.

  • H&M sales boosted by new openings

    16 February 2009

    H&M saw like-for-like sales fall back 1% in January but total sales rose 9% during the month, thanks to new stores.

  • This week in history...

    14 February 2009

    This week in 2004, the City accepted Tom Singh’s bid to delist New Look, the chain he founded in 1969, in a deal worth around £700 million…

  • New markets offer growth for Monsoon

    13 February 2009

    Womenswear retailer Monsoon will focus on overseas openings this year to help offset the slowdown in the UK.

  • Topshop confirms NY launch details

    13 February 2009

    Topshop will make its debut in New York on April 2.

  • JJB Sports granted repayment extension

    13 February 2009

    JJB Sports has been granted an extension on the repayment of fees to its banks subject to the disposal of its fitness club business.

  • Snow sends fashion sales sub-zero

    13 February 2009

    Like-for-like fashion sales plunged 23.1% for the week ended February 8, when the snow and ice froze consumer shopping plans.

  • Creditors vote puts Stylo into administration

    13 February 2009

    Stylo, the footwear group which owns Barratts and Priceless, is poised to go into administration after failing to secure enough support for its Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) from its creditors.

  • Future of Stylo decided today

    12 February 2009

    The future of footwear group Stylo, which owns the Barratts and Priceless chains, will be decided today when creditors vote on its proposed Company Voluntary Arrangement.

  • HoF bosses meet with Landsbanki

    11 February 2009

    Icelandic bank Landsbanki has reiterated it has no intention of selling Baugur’s holding in House of Fraser for the “foreseeable future” following “positive talks” with the department store’s senior management team.

  • Sports Direct linked to Blacks approach

    11 February 2009

    Sports Direct and private equity firm Lion Capital are understood to have made separate preliminary approaches to the board of Blacks Leisure about a possible takeover of the company.

  • Pure London sees attendance rise

    11 February 2009

    Pure London, the womenswear trade show, closed yesterday with a 4.25% rise in visitor numbers.

  • Levi's Q4 sales fall back

    11 February 2009

    Levi’s saw Q4 revenues in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, fall by 4% and operating income dip 13% but full year operating income rose 9% $258 million (£179.1m) as a result of favourable currency exchange rates.

  • H&M appoints new ceo

    11 February 2009

    H&M has appointed Karl-Johan Persson as its new chief executive, replacing Rolf Eriksen who is due to retire this year.

  • This week in history...

    11 February 2009

    …was the week that now House of Fraser chairman Don McCarthy was catapulted into the big league with his purchase of Rubicon Retail in 2005, while Terry Green completed his acquisition of Allders this week in 2003…

  • Commercial looks lead way at Pure London

    10 February 2009

    Brands played it safe at Pure London offering up a host of commercial trends for autumn 09 for cautious womenswear buyers.

  • Sneak preview of Tommy Hilfiger collection

    10 February 2009

    Tommy Hilfiger has given Drapers a sneak preview of its autumn 09 collection ahead of its catwalk show during New York Fashion Week next week.

  • Discounting drives January sales

    10 February 2009

    Non-food like-for-like sales fell by 1.6% in January and clothing sales dipped by the lowest rate for months according to the British Retail Consortium.

  • Footfall up at Bluewater

    9 February 2009

    Bluewater shopping centre in Kent saw footfall rise 2% in January.

  • M&S to launch archive exhibition

    9 February 2009

    Marks & Spencer is to host an exhibition of its archive to celebrate its 125th anniversary.

  • Exhibitors positive at opening of Pure London

    9 February 2009

    Exhibitors at Pure London were pleased with overall levels of business on opening day yesterday, with serious buyers making their way to the womenswear show in spite of the recession and the adverse weather conditions.

  • Baugur in administration

    6 February 2009

    Updated: Landsbanki’s petition to put Baugur subsidiary BG Holding into administration has been granted by the High Court of Justice.

  • Alchemy boss hints at interest in House of Fraser

    6 February 2009

    Jon Moulton, founder of private equity firm Alchemy Partners, has hinted he could be interested in buying Baugur’s stake in House of Fraser.

  • Monsoon posts solid results

    6 February 2009

    Monsoon saw sales rise 5.3% on an annualised basis to £710 million last year.

  • Landsbanki must consent to Baugur share sales

    5 February 2009

    Baugur will not be able to offload its shares in House of Fraser to raise cash to save itself without approval from Icelandic bank Landsbanki.

  • Gap international sales flat

    5 February 2009

    Gap recorded flat sales in January at its international business, which includes its UK shops.

  • Bank of England cuts interest rates to 1%

    5 February 2009

    The Bank of England has cut interest rates to just 1%.

  • Baugur fashion firms unaffected by its bankruptcy

    4 February 2009

    Baugur’s fashion retail investments will continue to trade as normal following Baugur’s application for bankruptcy, which was prompted after Landsbanki bank terminated talks about a restructuring of the investment firm yesterday.

  • Mango's sales rise 8%

    3 February 2009

    Mango saw retail sales excluding VAT rise 8% to €1.4 billion (£1.2bn) in 2008.

  • John Lewis scales back expansion

    3 February 2009

    John Lewis has had to put some of its expansion ambitions on hold after property developers shelved plans for new schemes.

  • New Look signs London head office

    3 February 2009

    New Look will start the move into its new London head office this June after it signed a 61,000sq ft site on Mortimer Street and Wells Street in the West End.

  • George launches in-between jeans

    2 February 2009

    George at Asda has launched a range of in-between-sized jeans for women who don’t fit standard sizes.

  • New Look posts pre-tax loss

    2 February 2009

    New Look posted pre-tax losses of £1.8 million for the year ended March 29, 2008 but EBITDA rose 13.6% to £200.6m.

  • Sir Philip Green linked to Principles

    2 February 2009

    Sir Philip Green has been linked to a possible deal to take Principles out of the Baugur-backed Mosaic Fashions group.

  • Shop Direct buys Woolworths and Ladybird brands

    2 February 2009

    Shop Direct Group, the owner of Littlewoods, has bought the Woolworths and Ladybird kidswear brands from administrators Deloitte.

  • Barcelona not ready to give up Bread & Butter

    31 January 2009

    Uncertainty shadows Bread & Butter’s future as Barcelona threatens to launch a breakaway event in response to the trade show’s rumoured return to Berlin

  • Stylo to close stores

    30 January 2009

    Stylo chairman and chief executive Michael Ziff has outlined plans to shed as many as 200 stores if creditors approve proposals for a Company Voluntary Agreement [CVA] by its Barratts and Priceless chains’ administrator Deloitte.

  • Kurt Geiger signs deal with Radley

    29 January 2009

    Kurt Geiger has signed a five-year licensing deal to design, develop and distribute a footwear collection for premium handbag and accessories brand Radley.

  • Anthropologie to launch in Europe

    29 January 2009

    US womenswear chain Anthropologie has signed two stores in London, marking its first openings in Europe.

  • H&M profits rise 11%

    29 January 2009

    H&M saw Q4 sales rise 15% to SEK 26.3 billion (£2.3bn), helping the Swedish fashion chain to an 11% increase in full year profit to SEK 21.1bn (£1.8bn).

  • CBI records slow start to January sales

    27 January 2009

    Some 63% of retailers saw year-on-year sales volumes fell in the first half of January, according to the CBI’s Distributive Trades Survey.

  • London retail sales fall for fourth month

    27 January 2009

    London retail sales fell 0.7% on a like for like basis in December, but this was ahead of the 3.3% fall across the UK as a whole.

  • Asos reports sparkling Xmas sales

    27 January 2009

    Asos reported roaring Christmas trade, with sales up 118% for the nine weeks to January 16.

  • Bread & Butter upbeat despite attendance fall

    27 January 2009

    Barcelona streetwear fair Bread & Butter saw visits fall back to 79,942 against 99,500 last January but organisers said the show had been a success.

  • Stylo shares suspended

    26 January 2009

    Stylo, the footwear company behind the Barratts and Priceless chains, has suspended its shares while it reviews options for the business.

  • Barratts and Priceless in administration

    26 January 2009

    Footwear chains Barratts and Priceless have appointed Deloitte as administrators.

  • Shoe Studio Group steps away from Brown Thomas

    24 January 2009

    Shoe Studio Group has pulled its designer business out of Irish luxury department store Brown Thomas, just a week after the footwear concession business was put up for sale by its parent company Mosaic Fashions.

  • Bread & Butter bids farewell to Barcelona

    23 January 2009

    Bread & Butter confirmed that this week’s event would be its last in Barcelona, but refused to confirm that the show would head back to its roots in Berlin in July.

  • Net-a-Porter confirms launch of discount site

    20 January 2009

    Net-a-Porter has confirmed its will launch an off price designer fashion website called theOutnet.com in April.

  • JJB Sports suspends Chris Ronnie

    19 January 2009

    JJB Sports has suspended its chief executive Chris Ronnie.

  • New leader at Gore-Tex Footwear

    19 January 2009

    Christian Langer is to lead the Gore-Tex Footwear business following the retirement of Thorger Hubner, after 27 years in the role.

  • Matalan boosted by bargain hunters

    19 January 2009

    Matalan saw like-for-like sales rise 5.9% for the five weeks ended January 4, placing it firmly in the Christmas winners camp.

  • All Saints’ sales buck downturn

    17 January 2009

    Young fashion chain All Saints has racked up a phenomenal 43% like-for-like sales boom for the year to date, bucking the gloom in the retail sector.

  • Mosaic puts Shoe Studio on market

    17 January 2009

    Mosaic Fashions has hoisted the For Sale sign over its Shoe Studio Group business, in an effort to exit the increasingly competitive footwear sector and refocus on its womenswear brands.

  • Original Factory shop has best ever Xmas

    16 January 2009

    Original Factory Shop saw like-for-like sales rise 3.7% for the 13 weeks ended January 4. Gross sales were up 22%.

  • All Saints brightens sector gloom

    16 January 2009

    Young fashion chain All Saints has racked up a phenomenal 43% like-for-like sales boom for the year to date, bucking the gloom in the retail sector.

  • Roberto Cavalli finds investor

    16 January 2009

    Roberto Cavalli is to sell a minority stake in his label to Italian private equity firm Clessidra Capital Partners.

  • John Lewis sales rise 3.5%

    16 January 2009

    John Lewis saw sales rise 3.5% to £54.4 million for the week ended January 10.

  • First pics of Victoria Beckham for Armani and Katie Holmes for Miu Miu

    15 January 2009

    Shots from the new Armani lingerie campaign featuring Victoria Beckham were unveiled today. Miu Miu also released images of its latest campaign featuring Katie Holmes.

  • Mothercare reports solid third quarter

    15 January 2009

    Mothercare saw UK like-for-like sales rise 1.1% for the 13 weeks ended January 9.

  • Primark sales rise 18%

    15 January 2009

    Primark saw sales leap 18% for the 16 weeks to January 3.

  • Mosaic puts Shoe Studio Group on the market

    14 January 2009

    Mosaic Fashions has hoisted the for sale sign over its Shoe Studio Group business, in an effort to exit the increasingly competitive footwear sector and refocus its operation on its womenswear brands.

  • Kate Kuba founders 'considering options'

    14 January 2009

    Three Kate Kuba stores have reopened and are trading under license from the administrator.

  • CC extends Jane Seymour tie-up

    14 January 2009

    CC, formerly known as Country Casuals, has extended actress Jane Seymour’s contract to be the face of the brand.

  • December retail sales 'dreadful'

    13 January 2009

    Retail sales fell back 3.3% on a like for like basis in December according to the British Retail Consortium.

  • Primark supplier scandal - video footage appears on BBC

    12 January 2009

    Video footage of the BBC’s undercover investigation into Primark supplier TNS Knitwear has just been aired and five films are now available on its website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7824291.stm.

  • Kate Kuba shuts up shop

    12 January 2009

    Women’s footwear mini chain Kate Kuba has closed its doors just a fortnight after the business went into administration, as exclusively revealed by Drapersonline.com.

  • Primark hits back at 'unethical' allegations - details

    12 January 2009

    Primark is conducting a full investigation into allegations that TNS Knitwear, one of its suppliers in Manchester, had exploited workers with long hours and poor pay, and said it was confident it would be ‘completely vindicated’ if the Ethical Trading Initiative launches an internal inquiry into its practices.

  • Mosaic Fashions sees sales fall 1.2%

    9 January 2009

    Mosaic Fashions, the company behind Oasis, Karen Millen and Coast, saw group sales fall 1.2% for the 23 weeks to January 3, and said that profits would be below last year.

  • Gap International sees Xmas sales fall 5%

    9 January 2009

    Gap saw December sales fall 5% at its international stores, which includes its UK shops.

  • Profits above expectations at JD Sports Fashion

    9 January 2009

    JD Sports Fashion saw like-for-like sales rise 2.8% for the five weeks ended January 3. Gross margin was maintained, meaning full year profits will come in above market expectations.

  • Roger Best to retire from Radley

    8 January 2009

    Radley chief executive Roger Best is to retire after three years at the helm of the premium handbag and accessories brand.

  • My-wardrobe boosted by strong Xmas sales

    8 January 2009

    My-wardrobe.com, the premium etailer, recorded a 201% uplift in sales in December, helping it to a 190% increase in sales to £2.56 million for the second half of the year.

  • Peacocks benefits from flight to value

    8 January 2009

    Peacocks saw like-for-like sales rise 1% for the 14 weeks ended January 3.

  • House of Fraser reports solid Xmas

    8 January 2009

    House of Fraser recorded a like-for-like sales fall of 1.5% for the five weeks to January 3 and has made moves to reassure the market about its financial position.

  • Ted Baker knocked by Xmas discounting

    8 January 2009

    Ted Baker saw retail sales rise 7.2% for the period between November 1 and December 24, but the premium fashion brand said that profits would be at the lower end of market expectations because tough trading forced it into discounting before Christmas.

  • Jigsaw in monthly rent negotiations

    7 January 2009

    Jigsaw is reported to have written to its landlords to ask them to ease their rental terms.

  • M&S Xmas like-for-likes down 7.1%

    7 January 2009

    Marks & Spencer saw like-for-like sales fall 7.1% for the 13 weeks to December 27. Clothing sales were down 6.5%.

  • Carl McPhail on New Look outperforming the market this Xmas

    6 January 2009

    New Look chief executive Carl McPhail and chief finance officer Alistair Miller share their views on the trading prospects in 2009.

  • Job cut threat at Marks & Spencer

    6 January 2009

    Marks & Spencer is planning to slash more than 1,000 jobs at its stores and head office after Christmas sales nose dived, according to The Times newspaper today.

  • New Look emerges as Xmas winner

    6 January 2009

    New Look saw UK like-for-like sales rise 2.8% for the 14 weeks ended January 3. Gross margin also rose by 170 basis points, making the retailer one of the few winners on the high street this Christmas.

  • Next Xmas like-for-likes fall 7%

    6 January 2009

    Next saw like-for-like sales fall 7% for the five months to December 24 - the bottom end of guidance given by the company.

  • Footfall slumps on New Year's Day

    2 January 2009

    Footfall fell by 9.7% on New Year's Day against the previous year according to Experian.

  • John Lewis confirms late Christmas rush

    2 January 2009

    John Lewis saw sales rise 1.2% to £71 million for the week ended December 27. The week marked a record start to John Lewis' Clearance Sale.

  • David Jones appointed chairman of JJB Sports

    2 January 2009

    Retail heavyweight Sir David Jones has been promoted to executive chairman of troubled JJB Sports and former Selfridges chief executive Peter Williams has joined the sportswear retailer as executive director responsible for strategic development.

  • Kate Kuba in administration

    31 December 2008

    Bonustrend, which trades as Kate Kuba, the premium women’s footwear chain, has gone into administration.

  • Jones and Riva make New Year's honours list

    31 December 2008

    David Jones, the former chairman and chief executive of Next, has been knighted and Hilary Riva, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year's honours list.

  • Baugur denies Icelandic government stakes reports

    30 December 2008

    Baugur has denied the Icelandic government is planning to take stakes in some of its retail interests as part of its financial restructuring.

  • Debenhams to raise cash to shrink debt

    30 December 2008

    Debenhams is reported to be planning to raise equity capital to reduce its debt levels amidst worsening trading on the high street.

  • USC rescued from administration

    29 December 2008

    Updated: USC has been bought out of administration by its original owner West Coast Capital today.

  • USC rescued from administration

    29 December 2008

    USC has been bought out of administration by its original owner West Coast Capital this afternoon.

  • Adams on brink of administration

    29 December 2008

    Kidswear chain Adams is expected to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers as administrators within the next few days.

  • Bluewater records busiest day for five years

    24 December 2008

    Bluewater shopping centre recorded its busiest day for five years on Monday December 22, as late Christmas shoppers came out in search of bargains.

  • Start boutique seeks future design stars

    24 December 2008

    London independent Start has teamed up with online style site fashion156.com to create a competition to find future fashion design stars.

  • Officers Club rescued from administration

    23 December 2008

    Officers Club has been bought out of administration by its chief executive Dave Charlton.

  • Atlantic Fashions in liquidation

    23 December 2008

    Young fashion chain Atlantic Fashions went into liquidation yesterday.

  • Footfall up for first time this Xmas

    23 December 2008

    Shopper numbers rose 13.63% yesterday against the same Monday last year, which was Christmas Eve.

  • New Look expands transactional site

    23 December 2008

    New Look has added its entire menswear and men’s accessories offer to its transactional website.

  • M&S confirms post-Christmas Sale plans

    22 December 2008

    Marks & Spencer has confirmed its Sale will begin at 12.01am on December 25 on its website. Discounts will be as much as 50%.

  • JJB Sports shuts Qube stores

    22 December 2008

    JJB Sports has closed a raft of its Qube stores this morning - just three days before Christmas - fuelling speculation about the long term future of the footwear chain.

  • Xmas Sale watch: Pre-Xmas footfall falls 8.7%

    22 December 2008

    Shopper numbers were fell by 8.7% this weekend against the same weekend last year according to data from Experian.

  • 2009: year of challenge and opportunity

    19 December 2008

    The nail-biting final run into Christmas has prompted an unprecedented level of discounting on the high street and panic among suppliers as to whether their customers would come out the other side of what could be the worst Christmas ever for the fashion retail sector.

  • Drapersonline to deliver Xmas news

    19 December 2008

    Drapersonline.com will deliver daily news updates over the crucial Christmas and Boxing Day Sale period.

  • Xmas Sale watch: Discounting hits record levels

    17 December 2008

    Burton, Hugo Boss, Oasis and Oliver Sweeney have joined the raft of high street retailers on pre-Christmas Sale today, as Ernst & Young said that the level of pre-Christmas discounting had reached record levels.

  • Debenhams to open in Iran

    16 December 2008

    Debenhams is to open a store in Tehran in Iran.

  • Xmas Sale watch: Gap joins high street discounters

    16 December 2008

    Gap has kicked off a 'Sale preview' today, offering shoppers discounts of up to 50%.

  • Weekend footfall down 9.1%

    15 December 2008

    Shopper numbers fell by 9.1% over the weekend (December 13-14) against the same weekend last year according to Experian Business Strategies.

  • Amanda Wakeley steps down following sale of label

    15 December 2008

    Amanda Wakeley has stepped down from her eponymous label after it was sold to investor Jason Granite.

  • Discounting helps West End fight back against Westfield London

    15 December 2008

    London retail sales fell back 0.4% on a like for like basis in November, the third consecutive monthly fall, but footfall was slightly ahead of November 2007.

  • H&M like-for-likes fall for fourth month

    15 December 2008

    H&M saw like-for-like sales fall 4% in November, which meant comparable sales for the last 12 months were behind 1%.

  • Choice opens Westfield London store

    11 December 2008

    Choice, the premium independent, has opened its new £1.5 million concept store at Westfield London shopping centre.

  • Ideal Shopping Direct axes staff

    10 December 2008

    Ideal Shopping Direct is to axe 70 jobs after sales fell back 17% for the six weeks to December 7.

  • JJB revises loan repayments as sales dip

    10 December 2008

    JJB Sports will not have to pay the full £20 million bridging loan with Icelandic bank Kaupthing on the due date December 14, after it struck a deal with its banks.

  • OFT raps retailers over VAT cut behaviour

    10 December 2008

    The Office of Fair Trading has written to leading fashion retailers warning them to be 'mindful of competition law' after they co-operated with each other last month to issue a statement on how they planned to pass on the 2.5% VAT cut to consumers.

  • EBTM co-founder steps down

    9 December 2008

    Quentin Griffiths, the co-founder of music fashion website EBTM, has stepped down from the board.

  • Xmas Sale watch: Debenhams plans third pre-Xmas promotion

    9 December 2008

    Debenhams will launch its third pre-Christmas Spectacular Sale tomorrow, just two days after its last promotion ended.

  • Retail sales decline for second consecutive month

    9 December 2008

    Like-for-like sales fell 2.6% and total sales fell 0.4% in November according to the British Retail Consortium.

  • Kevin Stone

    8 December 2008

    In spite of difficulties in the menswear sector, the BMB Group is ramping up its branded operation under sales and marketing director Kevin Stone, who has plenty up his sleeve for the coming months.

  • Primark reiterates its commitments to ethical sourcing

    5 December 2008

    Primark has issued a statement reiterating its commitment to ethical manufacturing to defend itself from campaign group War on Want, who plan to demonstrate at its London Oxford Street flagship and its Annual General Meeting today.

  • Future of Envy chain unclear

    5 December 2008

    The future shape of young branded fashion chain Envy is unclear.

  • VAT cut fails to lift footfall

    4 December 2008

    The Chancellor's VAT cut has failed to warm up footfall on the high street for the week so far, with shopper numbers down 3.1% between Monday and Wednesday.

  • Bank of England slashes interest rates to 2%

    4 December 2008

    The Bank of England has slashed interest rates to 2%.

  • Xmas Sale watch: M&S Spectacular launches today

    4 December 2008

    Marks & Spencer will launch its second pre-Christmas 20% off Spectacular today, which should bring a much needed footfall boost to the high street.

  • JJB Sports confirms talks continue with lenders

    4 December 2008

    JJB Sports remains in ‘constructive discussions’ with its debt providers, after its share price plummeted this week.

  • OFT investigates whether Sports Direct and JJB merger on cards

    2 December 2008

    The Office of Fair Trading is investigating whether arrangements are ‘in progress or in contemplation’ for a merger between JJB Sports and Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct chain.

  • Debenhams to launch second 20% off Sale tomorrow

    2 December 2008

    Debenhams will launch a second Mega Day Sale offering discounts of up to 20% and starting tomorrow.

  • Kate Moss to collaborate with Liberty for Topshop

    2 December 2008

    Kate Moss is understood to be working with Liberty's print designers for part of her next collection for Topshop.

  • Stylo warns on November trading

    2 December 2008

    Stylo, the company behind Barratts and Priceless, has said trading since its interim results has been below expectations.

  • JD Sports Fashion sales tumble

    2 December 2008

    JD Sports Fashion has seen sales dip dramatically for the 11 weeks since September 13 but the group said it expected to meet profit expectations for the full year.

  • Moss Bros issues profit warning

    1 December 2008

    Moss Bros has seen like-for-like sales worsen to -5.2% for the first 18 weeks of the second half and has warned that the challenging trading environment is likely to have a materially adverse impact on market expectations for the full year.

  • Xmas Sale watch: December 1

    1 December 2008

    Clarks, Karen Millen, Miss Selfridge and Moss Bros are among the retailers to have already launched pre-Christmas Sales - all considerably earlier than their start Sale dates last year according to Patonz's daily Compshop survey.

  • Roland Mouret heads to Paris Fashion Week

    1 December 2008

    Roland Mouret will show his RM by Roland Mouret collection during Paris Fashion Week next March as he accelerates deliveries of his range.

  • Selfridges profits rise but Xmas sales soften

    1 December 2008

    Selfridges saw profits jump 30% to £84.1 million for the year to last January.

  • JJB Sports offloads stores to Sports Direct

    1 December 2008

    JJB Sports has sold four of its store to rival Sports Direct for £3.4 million, while one of its key lenders, Barclays is understood to have appointed Grant Thornton to advise it on JJB’s future business plans.

  • Reiss profits dip on increased costs

    28 November 2008

    Reiss recorded a 10% fall in operating profit to £8.8 million for the year ended January 31 2008, because of increased costs attached to global expansion at the company.

  • Simon Berwin: no intention to make full bid for Moss Bros

    28 November 2008

    Updated: Menswear supplier Simon Berwin and a consortium of investors have acquired Sir Philip Green’s 28% stake in Moss Bros.

  • Internaçionale steps in to save 85 MK One stores

    28 November 2008

    Internaçionale will use its rescue of MK One to boost its retail presence in mid and southern England.

  • Investors split over future of Mosaic

    28 November 2008

    Investors in Mosaic Fashions are understood to be split over the best way to extract value from the Baugur-backed fashion conglomerate which owns Oasis, Principles, Warehouse and Karen Millen.

  • CBI says Christmas trade will 'deteriorate'

    28 November 2008

    57% of retailers plan to cut expenditure after forecasting trading will worsen over the next three months, according to the latest survey by the CBI.

  • JD Sports Fashion linked to full bid for JJB

    28 November 2008

    JD Sports Fashion is reported to have met with JJB Sports to discuss its stake building in the mainstream sportswear chain, fuelling speculation JD Sports Fashion is considering making a bid for JJB.

  • Boutique 1

    27 November 2008

    Two-store designer retailer Boutique 1 has joined the big guns at Dubai’s new open-air shopping centre

  • Green says no intention to bid for Moss Bros

    27 November 2008

    Sir Philip Green's Warbeck Holding Company has issued a statement saying it has no current intention to make a bid for Moss Bros.

  • Ugg sales soar at John Lewis

    27 November 2008

    John Lewis saw a 300% increase in sales of Ugg boots last week and sales of cashmere also rose 4% against the same week last year.

  • Retailers launch innovative VAT cut marketing initiatives

    27 November 2008

    M and M Direct and White Stuff are tackling the Chancellor's 2.5% VAT cut with innovative marketing initiatives.

  • Search for buyer for Woolworths begins

    27 November 2008

    Woolworths administrator Deloitte has received several expressions of interest for the high street chain, which collapsed last night.

  • High street leaders plan VAT cuts at till points

    26 November 2008

    Next, New Look and Matalan are among the fashion retailers planning to deduct the 2.5% VAT reduction at the till to overcome the ‘logistical nightmare’ associated with the Chancellor’s tax cut.

  • Allegra Hicks rescued

    26 November 2008

    Allegra Hicks has been bought out of administration by a newly formed company called AH Lifestyle.

  • Luella takes top gong at British Fashion Awards

    26 November 2008

    Luella Bartley was awarded the accolade of Designer of the Year last night at the british Fashion Awards, organised by the British Fashion Council.

  • French Connection cautious despite retail sales lift

    26 November 2008

    French Connection saw retail like-for-like sales rise 1% for the 16 weeks ended November 25 but the young fashion company said it was cautious about the outlook given the recent volatile nature of the UK high street.

  • Guy Critchlow to leave Kookai

    25 November 2008

    Kookai UK managing director Guy Critchlow is to step down on February 1.

  • MK One rescued by Internacionale

    25 November 2008

    MK One has been rescued from administration by young fashion chain Internacionale.

  • Next chief Simon Wolfson criticises VAT cut

    25 November 2008

    Next chief executive Simon Wolfson has criticised the Chancellor’s decision to temporarily cut VAT to 15%, describing it as an extraordinary decision which ‘defies all economic logic’ and which will ‘do nothing to stimulate demand’.

  • H&M signs Matthew Williamson

    25 November 2008

    British designer Matthew Williamson will be the next guest designer for H&M.

  • JD Sports Fashion takes stake in JJB Sports

    25 November 2008

    JD Sports Fashion has splashed out more than £8 million on a 10% stake in JJB Sports.

  • Discounting fails to fire up footfall

    24 November 2008

    Discounting at Marks & Spencer and Debenhams last Thursday temporarily lifted shopper numbers but overall footfall fell 3.73% year-on-year last week.

  • Rose and Sharp warn of Xmas discounting

    24 November 2008

    Debenhams deputy chief executive Michael Sharp believes the retail sector is “staring into the face of the worst Christmas we have ever had.”

  • Chancellor urges retailers to pass on VAT cut

    24 November 2008

    Chancellor Alistair Darling has called on retailers to pass on the 2.5% VAT reduction 'as soon as possible'.

  • Market share drop for M&S

    24 November 2008

    The battle to maintain market share has heated up in the middle market after high street retailers Marks & Spencer and Next lost share in core menswear and womenswear categories.

  • House of Fraser joins promotional stance

    24 November 2008

    House of Fraser will join the raft of high street retailers on Sale this week with discounts of up to 40% on Thursday and Friday.

  • VAT cut unlikely to stimulate consumer spending

    24 November 2008

    Marks & Spencer chairman Sir Stuart Rose has said he will pass on any VAT cut to shoppers, however the overall impact of the cut on consumer spending is expected to be marginal.

  • George Davies plots next venture

    24 November 2008

    George Davies, the retail guru behind Next, George at Asda and Marks & Spencer’s Per Una sub-brand, is planning to launch his fourth fashion label next year.

  • Alexon sales worsen

    24 November 2008

    Alexon saw like-for-like sales fall back 11% for the 17 weeks ended November 22, after trade collapsed in October and November.

  • Isis raises stake in EBTM

    21 November 2008

    Isis Equity Partners, the private equity firm, has increased its stake in EBTM, the online retailer of music inspired fashion and accessories, to 16.8%.

  • Sales improve at Gap International

    21 November 2008

    Gap saw like-for-like sales fall back 12% in the third quarter, but its international business, which includes its UK stores, only saw a 1% decline in comparable sales.

  • MK One in administration

    20 November 2008

    MK One has gone into administration for the second time this year.

  • Credit insurance crisis builds

    19 November 2008

    More than 12,000 UK businesses have had credit insurance cover withdrawn in the past week according to reports.

  • Footfall rockets at Manchester outlet centre

    19 November 2008

    Manchester outlet centre, The Lowry Outlet Mall, saw sales and footfall rocket in October, thanks to bargain-hunting shoppers.

  • Woolworths in talks to offload retail chain

    19 November 2008

    Woolworths is in talks with restructuring specialist Hilco to sell its retail chain for £1.

  • Drapers Fashion Summit: Luxury sector feels slowdown

    18 November 2008

    The luxury sector has begun to feel the impact of the recession with October sales at their worst for years, according to Robert Bensoussan, founder of the Sirius Equity investment fund and chairman of LK Bennett.

  • Drapers Fashion Summit: Debenhams director warns of Christmas discounting

    18 November 2008

    Debenhams deputy chief executive Michael Sharp believes the retail sector is 'staring into the face of the worst Christmas we have ever had.'

  • Drapers Fashion Summit: Fashion retailers will suffer the least pain

    18 November 2008

    Fashion retailers are likely to suffer the least and for the shortest period during the current recession according to Paul Smiddy, head of pan-European Retail Research at HSBC.

  • Asos profits defy consumer slowdown

    17 November 2008

    Asos saw pre-tax profit rocket 68% to £4.1 million for the six months to September 30, suggesting that internet sales remain resilient to the downturn in consumer spending.

  • H&M like-for-likes fall 2%

    17 November 2008

    H&M saw like-for-like sales fall back 2% in October.

  • Marchpole administrators close to rescue package

    14 November 2008

    The administrator of brand house and supply group Marchpole was understood to have received several expressions of interest in the business as Drapers went to press.

  • Moss Hire tempts Green in downturn

    14 November 2008

    Sir Philip Green is likely to put Moss Bros Hire into his Burton chain if he goes ahead with a full bid for the menswear retailer.

  • Middle market loses out to niche players

    13 November 2008

    Premium fashion retailers have grown their share of the womenswear market at the expense of middle market players, according to a report by Verdict Research.

  • Ted Baker sales rise 1.8%

    13 November 2008

    Ted Baker saw group revenue rise 1.8% for the 13 weeks to November 8 but wholesale sales fell back 21%.

  • Sir Philip Green considers offer for Moss Bros

    12 November 2008

    Sir Philip Green has bought a 28% stake in Moss Bros via the Green family investment company Warbeck.

  • Alexon demands supplier discounts

    12 November 2008

    Alexon has sent a letter to suppliers demanding discounts for its Ann Harvey and Bay Trading chains.

  • TK Maxx like-for-like sales rise 4%

    12 November 2008

    Bargain hungry shoppers helped TK Maxx record a 4% rise in comparable store sales (in GBP terms) for the third quarter ended October 25.

  • Marchpole in administration

    11 November 2008

    Marchpole, the brand house and supply group, has gone into administration.

  • One in five shops could be empty after recession

    10 November 2008

    As many as one in five shops could be vacant by the time the recession is over, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

  • Job concerns knock consumer confidence to record lows

    10 November 2008

    Consumer confidence has plummeted to a record low because of increasing concerns over job prospects.

  • Online fashion sales to soar 25% for Christmas

    10 November 2008

    Online spending is expected to rise 15% on last year to £13.16 billion in the run up to Christmas as hard-up shoppers search for bargains on the internet.

  • Stylo banks on Barratts

    7 November 2008

    Stylo is pinning its recovery on the roll-out of its new Barratts concept after posting losses of £9.3 million for the first half to August 2.

  • Sole unveils fresh store concept

    7 November 2008

    Sole, the premium footwear fascia owned by Soletrader, unveiled a new look at Westfield London shopping centre in London’s White City last week.

  • George launches £12 Little Black Dress

    5 November 2008

    George at Asda has launched two Little Black Dress styles for £12 to help shoppers beat the credit crunch.

  • Celebrity faces under threat at M&S

    5 November 2008

    Marks & Spencer's celebrity models including Twiggy and Erin O'Connor are under review as part of a cost cutting drive at the retailer.

  • Alexander McQueen to collaborate with Target

    5 November 2008

    Alexander McQueen is to design a range for US value fashion chain Target next year.

  • Ideal Shopping sees sales plummet

    5 November 2008

    Ideal Shopping Direct said it anticipated making a 'small trading loss' for the year after sales in the seven weeks to October 26 fell back 10%.

  • Laura Ashley finance director resigns

    5 November 2008

    David Cook has resigned from his position as finance director at Laura Ashley after nine years to pursue other opportunities.

  • Next like-for-likes down 4.4%

    5 November 2008

    Next saw like-for-like sales fall 4.4% over the 14 weeks to November 1.

  • Russell & Bromley profits soar

    4 November 2008

    Russell & Bromley saw profit on ordinary activities jump 33% to £8.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2007.

  • Fenwick profits up 16%

    4 November 2008

    Fenwick, the department store group, saw pre-tax profits rise 16% to £41.7 million for the year ended January 25.

  • The Dubai Mall opens today

    4 November 2008

    The Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping centre, finally opened its doors after several delays today.

  • Primark outperforms sector with 17% profit rise

    3 November 2008

    Primark saw profits swell 17% to £233 million and like-for-like rise 4% for the year ended September 13.

  • M&S profits sink 34%

    3 November 2008

    Marks & Spencer saw adjusted pre-tax profits crash 34% to £297.8 million for the 26 weeks to September 27. UK sales fell 1.1% over the period.

  • Spindler exits in Debenhams reshuffle

    3 November 2008

    Debenhams managing director Angela Spindler is to leave the department store on November 30, less than a year after she joined, following a management shake up.

  • Baugur warns against quick fire sale of assets

    3 November 2008

    Baugur directors Jon Asgeir Johannesson and Gunnar Sigurdsson say the company can survive the Icelandic banking turmoil and have warned against a quick fire sale of Baugur’s ‘decent’ assets.

  • Baugur bosses defiant at Westfield London launch

    31 October 2008

    The directors of Baugur were out in force and in defiant mood last night to celebrate the opening of the new House of Fraser store in Westfield London.

  • Whistles unveils new image at Westfield London

    30 October 2008

    Whistles plans to roll out its new brand image which it unveiled at its concession within House of Fraser at Westfield London today.

  • Dubai Mall delays opening

    30 October 2008

    The Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping centre, has put back its opening to November 4.

  • Wintle appoints chief executive

    29 October 2008

    Wintle, the luxury menswear brand, has appointed Diane Metcalf as chief executive.

  • High street sales fall for seventh consecutive month

    28 October 2008

    High street sales fell for the seventh consecutive month in October according to the latest Distributive Trades Survey from the CBI.

  • London Fashion network to host Brand Licensing event

    27 October 2008

    The London Fashion Network will host a Brand Licensing debate on November 20.

  • Credit squeeze spooks suppliers

    24 October 2008

    Brands and suppliers are facing a credit insurance crisis due to the banking meltdown. Will a supplier shake-out follow?

  • PPR reports Q3 sales uplift

    24 October 2008

    PPR, the company behind Gucci Group and Puma, saw third quarter sales rise 1.7% to €4.9 billion (£3.67bn). Comparable sales rose 1.8%.

  • John Lovering keen on TPG Baugur bid

    24 October 2008

    Debenhams chairman John Lovering has said that a Texas Pacific Group (TPG) bid to rescue Baugur's retail interests in the UK could offer 'interesting angles' for the department store group.

  • BSSA calls for urgent Government action as indie sales slip 3.8%

    24 October 2008

    Independent retailers saw sales fall back 3.8% in the quarter ended September.

  • Harvey Nichols opens Jakarta store

    23 October 2008

    Harvey Nichols has opened its store in Jakarta in Indonesia today.

  • Scottish Retail Sales flat in September

    22 October 2008

    Scottish retail sales were flat on a like for like basis in September - the worst performance since March 2006 - and clothing sales were in negative territory.

  • Online spending slows

    22 October 2008

    Year-on-year online sales growth slowed to 14.8% in September but shoppers are still splashing out on clothes online - spending 23.6% more in September against the previous month.

  • Woolworths appoints chief financial officer

    22 October 2008

    Woolworths has appointed Robert McDonald as group chief financial officer, replacing Stephen East.

  • Arcadia profits dip but Topshop has record year

    21 October 2008

    Topshop was among Sir Philip Green's brands to score record sales and profits this year but parent company, the Arcadia Group, recorded a 6.1% fall in operating profit to £275.3 million for the year ended August 30.

  • Debenhams profits fall

    21 October 2008

    Debenhams saw pre-tax profits fall 16.9% to £105.9 million for the year ended August 30.

  • Shoe Studio relaunches website

    20 October 2008

    Shoe Studio has relaunced its website at www.shoestudio.com.

  • Replay appoints new UK country manager

    20 October 2008

    Replay has appointed Colin Naylor from Diesel as country manager of Replay from early November.

  • Bidders vie to safeguard high street stores

    20 October 2008

    A flurry of speculation surrounded the future ownership of Baugur’s retail interests as Drapers went to press, with Sir Philip Green, private equity bidders and various management teams vying to safeguard many high street stores.

  • London retail sales in September fall for first time since 2005

    20 October 2008

    Retail sales in London fell 0.04% on a like-for-like basis in September - the worst performance since summer 2005, but still stronger than the 1.5% decline in sales across the UK.

  • Future of Kcaj-backed chains secure

    17 October 2008

    The futures of Cruise, Jones Bootmaker, Mountain Warehouse and Duchamp are secure according to sources close to investment firm Kcaj after its links to Iceland and the collapse of its Hardy Amies business prompted speculation about the health of its other investments.

  • John Lewis sales fall 4.8%

    17 October 2008

    John Lewis saw sales fall back 4.8% in the week ended October 11 but fashion sales posted a 4% increase.

  • Mike Hancox to join Ideal Shopping Direct

    17 October 2008

    Ideal Shopping Direct has appointed former Otto UK chief executive Michael Hancox as chief executive.

  • Business leaders call for stable banking

    17 October 2008

    Small business leaders have called for banks to stabilise terms to help independent retailers ride out the economic crisis.

  • Trade tumbles amid the credit crunch gloom

    17 October 2008

    High street retailers have seen sales plummet in the past fortnight after negative headlines about the current banking and credit crisis hammered consumer confidence.

  • Baugur chain bosses look at buyout opportunities

    16 October 2008

    The management teams of several Baugur-backed businesses are understood to be looking at buying back their chains.

  • Mothercare like-for-likes rise 0.5%

    16 October 2008

    Mothercare saw like-for-like sales rise 0.5% for the second quarter ended October 11.

  • Kurt Geiger EBITDA soars

    15 October 2008

    Kurt Geiger saw EBITDA rise 24.4% to £10 million for the year to February 2 and like-for-like sales have continued in positive territory since the year end.

  • Sir Philip Green faces competition on Baugur deal

    15 October 2008

    A clutch of private equity firms are understood to have begun talks with the Icelandic government about buying stakes in and the debt in several Baugur-linked retail businesses. Sir Philip Green is also in talks with the Icelandic government about a deal.

  • M&S to enter the energy market

    15 October 2008

    Marks & Spencer has joined up with Scottish and Southern Energy to launch M&S Energy which will supply electricity and gas to domestic customers and reward them with M&S vouchers for cutting back their energy usage.

  • H&M comparable sales slip 2% in September

    15 October 2008

    H&M saw like-for-like sales slip 2% during September against a total sales rise of 10%.

  • JD Sports Fashion in talks to buy JJB lifestyle chains

    14 October 2008

    JD Sports Fashion is understood to be close to buying JJB’s Original Shoe Company and Qube chains.

  • Baugur clarifies restructuring speculation

    14 October 2008

    Baugur has issued a statement denying it has appointed advisors and denying it plans to put its UK business into administration.

  • British Fashion Awards shortlist announced

    14 October 2008

    Jimmy Choo, Agent Provocateur and Paul Smith have been shortlisted for the Designer Brand of the Year accolade at The British Fashion Awards.

  • Fashion sales worsen in September

    14 October 2008

    Like-for-like retail sales in September fell by 1.5% and clothing sales worsened against August according to the British Retail Consortium.

  • Baugur assessing restructuring options

    14 October 2008

    Baugur is in talks with BDO Stoy Hayward to advise it on restructuring options for the company which could include administration.

  • MFN to host Online Trading Master Class

    13 October 2008

    MFN in London, the networking group, will hold a masterclass in online trading this Thursday.

  • JJB drafts in KPMG

    13 October 2008

    JJB Sports has appointed accountancy firm KPMG to advise it on its future and to lead negotiations with its banks.

  • Boden sales and profits rocket

    13 October 2008

    Boden saw pre-tax profit rise 20.7% to £27.4 million and sales soar 19.45% to £153.6m for the year ended December 31.

  • Moss Bros sets hire target

    3 October 2008

    Moss Bros has set ambitious targets for its hire business after the division posted a 2.5% hike in like-for-like sales despite the difficult retail market.

  • Shoppers ‘less impulsive’

    26 September 2008

    Female shoppers bought fewer items of clothing in the first six months of 2008, cutting back on impulse buys and opting to shop around more, according to data from TNS Worldpanel Fashion.

  • Limeys lifts Cruise’s sales

    26 September 2008

    Cruise, the designer mini chain, saw sales leap 38.5% to £26.7 million for the year ended February 2, thanks to rapid expansion and the acquisition of Midlands-based chain Limeys.

  • Moss Bros losses widen

    25 September 2008

    Moss Bros saw pre-tax losses widen from £700,000 to £1.6 million for the six months ended July 26 but sales picked up in the second half.

  • James Bidwell to head Anthropologie Europe

    24 September 2008

    James Bidwell, the former marketing director at Selfridges and former chief executive of Visit London, has been appointed managing director of Anthropologie Europe.

  • Alexon H1 profits fall 40%

    24 September 2008

    Alexon recorded a like-for-like sales fall of 7.3% and an 40% slump in operating profit to £5.2 million for the 26 weeks to July 26.

  • Nigel Beale made President of Beales

    23 September 2008

    Nigel Beale, the great grandson of the founder of Beales, is to step down from his board position after 37 years at the end of October but he has been made honorary President of the department store.

  • Indies record market share dip

    23 September 2008

    Independent clothing and footwear retailers lost market share in the 12 week period ended July 20 according to research by TNS Worldpanel Fashion.

  • Gap acquires Athleta sports company

    23 September 2008

    Gap is to buy the US women's sports and activewear mail order business Athleta for around $150 million (£80.9m).

  • JD Sports Fashion scores 54% profit hike

    23 September 2008

    JD Sports Fashion recorded like-for-like sales growth of 6% and total sales growth of 19% to £298.95 million for the 26 weeks ended August 2.

  • Own labels help lift Debenhams puts

    22 September 2008

    A strong own-label performance and market share gains across all clothing categories helped Debenhams to report a like-for-like sales fall of just 0.9% for the year ended August 30.

  • Jacques Vert like-for-likes down 7%

    22 September 2008

    Jacques Vert saw like-for-like sales fall back 7% for the first 21 weeks of the year beginning April 27.

  • Bluewater records uplifts in August

    22 September 2008

    Bluewater shopping centre said like-for-like sales were up 2.5% in August with footfall up 8.5%.

  • Fairtrade cotton sales rocket

    22 September 2008

    Items made with Faitrade cotton increased by 323% to six million units between April and June this year.

  • Asda says cost of living rose 7.4% in August

    22 September 2008

    Asda's monthly Income Tracker survey showed that the average UK family was £11 worse off each week during August and that the cost of living had risen 7.4% during the month.

  • Moda buys kidswear show Bubble London

    22 September 2008

    ITE Moda, the organiser of the middle market womenswear, menswear and footwear Moda shows in Birmingham, has bought contemporary kidswear show Bubble London.

  • House of Fraser to cash in with new outlet plans

    19 September 2008

    House of Fraser is to convert some of its stores to a discount concept called House of Fraser Outlet to maximise sales across the business and cash in on the discount boom.

  • Fashion sales volumes rise 4.1% in August

    18 September 2008

    Strong sales of footwear and fashion boosted retail sales by 3.9% in August against the previous year according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

  • Ken Bartle returns to Jones Bootmaker

    18 September 2008

    John Watkinson, the chief executive of Jones Bootmaker, has stepped down after two and a half years in the role and will be replaced on an interim basis by former chief executive Ken Bartle.

  • Applications open for M&S graduate recruitment scheme

    18 September 2008

    Applications have opened for Marks & Spencer's 2009 graduate recruitment and business placement programme.

  • M&S' graduate recruitment applications open

    18 September 2008

    Applications for Marks & Spencer's 2009 graduate recruitment and business placement programme opened yesterday.

  • European Commission could axe footwear duties

    18 September 2008

    15 EU countries declared their opposition to proposals to extend the import duties on leather footwear from China and Vietnam to the European Commission yesterday but it remains unclear what the EC will take.

  • London Fashion Week secures slot from September 2009

    17 September 2008

    The British Fashion Council secured its five day slot on the international catwalk calender from September 2009 at a meeting with the other fashion week organisers yesterday.

  • Inditex reports strong first half

    17 September 2008

    Inditex, the owner of Zara, saw sales rise 14% to €4.5 billion (£3.5bn) and net profit rise 7% €406m (£322.2m) for the first six months of the year.

  • BFC launches largest UK fashion fund

    16 September 2008

    The British Fashion Council will launch a new fashion fund to celebrate its 25th birthday and to help develop up and coming designers.

  • London Fashion Network to host networking event for entrepreneurs

    16 September 2008

    The London Fashion Network will hold its second networking event in the capital on September 25 focusing on how entrepreneurs can finance and fund their businesses.

  • Debenhams to hit market forecasts

    16 September 2008

    Debenhams saw like-for-like sales fall 0.9% for the year ended August 30 but said full year profits will be in line with expectations.

  • Levi's debuts 501 relaunch campaign

    15 September 2008

    Levi's has kicked off its advertising campaign to relaunch its iconic 501 jeans.

  • Wonderbra launches full Dita Von Teese film

    15 September 2008

    Wonderbra has launched its Dita Von Teese film today to celebrate the launch of its collaborative collection with the Burlesque dancer.

  • London sales rise 8.2% in August

    15 September 2008

    Like-for-like retail sales in central London in August rose 8.2% outperforming the UK as a whole, which saw like-for-likes fall 1% over the month.

  • Preview: Next's autumn ad with Dannii Minogue airs tonight

    12 September 2008

    Next will air its autumn television advertising campaign this evening which stars Australian pop star Dannii Minogue.

  • Tough August for US

    12 September 2008

    Gap was among the US retailers to post disappointing August sales last week as a late back-to-school period and continued consumer caution slowed retail spending.

  • Kinnaird to put Faith up against Barratts

    12 September 2008

    Retail entrepreneur John Kinnaird was finalising a pre-pack administration deal to buy Faith as Drapers went to press.

  • French Connection losses widen

    12 September 2008

    French Connection reported pre-tax losses of £3.5 million for the six months ended July 31, against a pre-tax loss of £2.5m for the same period last year.

  • Bench to open London flagship

    11 September 2008

    Streetwear brand Bench is to open a flagship store in London's Covent Garden later this month.

  • Beales like-for-like sales down 6%

    11 September 2008

    Beales saw like-for-like sales sink 6%, excluding VAT and concessions, for the 43 weeks ended August 30.

  • John Lewis profits dip

    11 September 2008

    John Lewis saw operating profit fall back 34.4% to £40 million on a total sales rise 0.5% to £1.24 billion for the half year ended July 26.

  • Tide-Frater to develop Simon Fuller's fashion business

    10 September 2008

    Susanne Tide-Frater, the former creative director at Harrods and Selfridges, has joined Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment company to help develop its fashion collections which include dvb by Victoria Beckham and Roland Mouret.

  • Faith pre-pack administration deal expected today

    10 September 2008

    Faith is expected to be put into administration this afternoon before being immediately sold in a pre-pack deal to retail entrepreneur and former Dolcis owner John Kinnaird.

  • Next profits slide

    10 September 2008

    Next saw like-for-like sales fall 6% and pre-tax profits profits dip 12.4% to £173.5 million for the first half ended July.

  • August sales hit by poor weather

    9 September 2008

    Like-for-like retail sales fell 1% in August. Clothing sales remained poor but improved on June and July's figures according to the British Retail Consortium.

  • M&S debuts Patricia Field collection in New York

    8 September 2008

    Patricia Field, the celebrity stylist best known for her work on the Sex and the City series, showed her exclusive autumn capsule collection for Marks & Spencer on the catwalk in New York Fashion Week this weekend.

  • Former Dolcis owner in running for Faith

    8 September 2008

    John Kinnaird, the former owner of Dolcis, is understood to be among the parties bidding for fashion footwear chain Faith.

  • John Lewis recruits Karen Elson

    8 September 2008

    John Lewis has signed supermodel Karen Elson to be the face of its autumn advertising campaign, which will be its biggest fashion campaign yet.

  • Primark profits 'well ahead'

    8 September 2008

    Primark is expected to achieve like-for-like sales growth of 2% for the second half which ends on September 13.

  • Gap sales fall 5% in August

    5 September 2008

    Gap saw sales sink 5% to $1.14 billion (£647.4 million) and like-for-like sales fall back 8% during August.

  • Highcross Leicester opens

    4 September 2008

    Hammerson's Highcross Leicester shopping centre opened its doors this morning.

  • Pheobe Philo joins Celine

    4 September 2008

    Phoebe Philo, the former creative director at Chloé, is to join Celine in October.

  • Clothing deflation slows further

    3 September 2008

    The annual rate of deflation in clothing and footwear in August was 2%, marking the 20th consecutive deflationary month since the start of the British Retail Consortium Shop Price Index.

  • Price hikes likely as sterling weakens

    3 September 2008

    The fashion sector is facing the prospect of massive price hikes following the collapse of sterling against the dollar.

  • Losses narrow at Dawson International

    3 September 2008

    Dawson International, the knitwear and spinning firm, narrowed its operating losses from £3.8 million to £1.1m in the six months to June 28.

  • Net-a-Porter racks up record sales results

    2 September 2008

    Net-a-Porter, the upmarket fashion etailer, has defied the economic slowdown by increasing its sales by a massive 48% to £55.2 million for the year ended February 2, while pre-tax profits leapt by 42% to £3m.

  • Adili to raise more cash for growth

    2 September 2008

    Adili, the ethical etailer, said sales were up by more than 100% to the end of July, and that it was in the process of raising further cash from its largest shareholder to help it develop its own label.

  • Keeping Faith in the future

    1 September 2008

    Faith is on the blocks after its banker put the footwear chain on the market. Where next for the troubled footwear retailer?

  • John Lewis expansion plans hit

    1 September 2008

    John Lewis said its expansion plans could be hit by property companies scaling back new developments in the wake of the economic downturn.

  • Adidas launches UK website

    1 September 2008

    Adidas has launched Adidas Shop, the brand's first UK specific online store.

  • Footfall up in August

    1 September 2008

    Footfall in August was up 0.4% on the same month last year and up 3.9% on July according to the Experian National Retail Footfall Index.

  • Bread & Butter Footwear Spring 09

    30 August 2008

    Footwear brands at Bread & Butter Barcelona failed to stir up much excitement amongst visitors to the show.

  • Net-a-Porter sales and profits rocket

    22 August 2008

    Net-a-Porter, the luxury etailer, saw sales rise by a massive 48% to £55.2 million and pre-tax profits jump by 42% to £3m for the year ended February 2.

  • Autumn comes early for Debenhams

    22 August 2008

    Debenhams has experienced an early pick up on sales of thermal underwear and winter woollies because of the bad weather.

  • Gap profits rise after cost cuts

    22 August 2008

    Gap saw net earnings rise 51% to $229 million (£122.5m) for the second quarter ended August 2.

  • Online spend soars in July

    21 August 2008

    Online fashion and footwear sales grew by 23% in July as people opted to shop from the comfort of their living rooms in the wet weather, while also taking advantage of special offers on websites.

  • Faith hopeful of finding backers

    21 August 2008

    The Faith management team is understood to have garnered potential bid interest from four private equity firms after the beleaguered footwear chain was put on the market by its banker Barclays last week.

  • Drapers pinpoints typical indie

    21 August 2008

    The average womenswear independent turns over £8,388 a week, or £436,176 per year, according to exclusive research conducted by Drapers.

  • Cortefiel to debut in Debenhams

    20 August 2008

    Debenhams has signed a deal with Spanish fashion giant Cortefiel Group to launch its fashion brands in the UK, as the department store attempts to further differentiate itself in the market.

  • Online fashion sales power ahead in July

    20 August 2008

    Online fashion and footwear sales grew by 23% in July as people opted to shop from the comfort of their living room in the wet weather and to take advantage of special offers on the internet.

  • New finance director joins Blacks Leisure

    20 August 2008

    Marc Lombardo has joined Blacks Leisure as finance director today.

  • M&S proposes to cut redundancy benefits

    19 August 2008

    Marks & Spencer plans to cut redundancy benefits for its staff by up to 25%, prompting speculation the retailer may be considering cutting jobs.

  • Jumper in administration

    18 August 2008

    Jumper, the classic womenswear retailer, has gone into administration.

  • Woolworths rejects offer from Baugur consortium

    18 August 2008

    Woolworths has rejected an offer for its high street stores from Iceland chief executive Malcolm Walker and a Baugur consortium.

  • Airport retailing in line for boost

    18 August 2008

    Retail sales at airports will grow by 11% in 2008 to $30 billion (£16bn) - defying the general economic slump.

  • London retail sales outperform UK

    18 August 2008

    London retail sales rose 6.2% on a like for like basis in July against a 0.9% decline in the rest of the UK.

  • Faith management kick off hunt for buyer

    15 August 2008

    The management team at footwear retailer Faith have appointed corporate finance house Baker Tilly, to help them find a buyer for the business.

  • A week in fashion: Keeping Faith

    15 August 2008

    After months of speculation around difficult trading, fashion footwear chain Faith has been put up for sale.

  • H&M records 3% uplift in like-for-like sales

    15 August 2008

    H&M saw group sales in local currencies rise 15% and like-for-like sales rise 3% for the month of July.

  • M&S and Debenhams launch Sales

    14 August 2008

    Marks & Spencer will go on Sale next week while Debenhams kicked off a 70% off Sale today.

  • Liberty of London

    14 August 2008

    Liberty has successfully blended traditional styling with a contemporary edge in its new own-label store.

  • Wolford records strong first quarter

    14 August 2008

    Wolford saw sales rise 4.6% to €31.9 million (£25.4m) for the first quarter ended July 31.

  • Skechers bids for Heelys

    14 August 2008

    Skechers has made a $142.8 million (£76.2m) bid for Heelys, the sneaker brand with wheels.

  • Gap unveils autumn ad campaign

    13 August 2008

    Gap has signed a range of actors and style leaders to front its autumn advertising campaign.

  • Daks head of retail resigns

    13 August 2008

    Rebecca Wilson has resigned as head of retail at Daks.

  • TK Maxx scores strong Q2 growth

    13 August 2008

    TK Maxx saw like-for-like sales rise 5% in GBP and total sales hit $548 million (£288.1m) for the second quarter ended July 26 thanks to bargain hungry shoppers.

  • Fashion sales worsen in July

    12 August 2008

    UK like-for-like retail sales fell 0.9% in July and footwear and clothing sales fell back further against last year according to the British Retail Consortium.

  • Shipton & Heneage kicks off search for sixth store

    11 August 2008

    Shipton & Heneage is looking to open its sixth store after sales grew by 10% year-on-year to £2.2 million.

  • Charles Tyrwhitt signs four stores

    11 August 2008

    Charles Tyrwhitt is to open four new stores on the back of a 25% increase in sales.

  • Retail chiefs top pay league

    11 August 2008

    Retail chief executives and finance directors are paid up to 68% more than other sector bosses according to research from BDO Stoy Hayward.

  • Gap axes European design team

    11 August 2008

    Gap has axed its London-based design team in a dramatic U-turn on its European strategy.

  • Footfall down 2% in July

    8 August 2008

    Footfall fell by 2% in July against the same month last year, but was up 8.1% against a lacklustre June, according to SPSL's Retail Traffic Index.

  • Gap sales slump in July

    8 August 2008

    Gap saw like-for-like sales fall back 11% in July.

  • Pentland sales defy downturn

    7 August 2008

    Pentland Group, the parent company of mega brands Lacoste, Speedo and Kickers and majority shareholder in retailer JD Sports Fashions, is ready to swoop on more brands after it defied the sector gloom to post a 6% rise in sales and profits at its branded division.

  • Interest rates held

    7 August 2008

    The Bank of England has held interest rates at 5%.

  • First glimpse of Harvey Nichols Bristol

    7 August 2008

    Harvey Nichols will open its sixth UK store in Bristol at the end of September.

  • M&S international boss takes on internet and homeware

    7 August 2008

    Marks & Spencer has handed responsibility for its internet business and homewares business to its head of international Carl Leaver, fuelling speculation he could be the front runner to succeed Sir Stuart Rose as chief executive.

  • Fiorelli targets global growth

    6 August 2008

    Handbag brands Fiorelli and Modalù will expand into global markets under new owner Synova Capital – but the message to UK stockists is that it is “business as usual”.

  • Profits tumble at Jigsaw

    6 August 2008

    Profits at Robinson Webster Holdings, the owner of womens-wear retailers Jigsaw, Kew and The Shop at Bluebird, crashed by almost 70% to £2.2 million last year.

  • H&M rejigs board

    6 August 2008

    H&M has promoted Jyrki Tervonen to chief finance officer replacing Leif Persson effective from November.

  • Marchpole signs DKNY license

    6 August 2008

    Marchpole has signed a joint venture and strategic licensing agreement with Donna Karan International to design and distribute a full range of DKNY menswear.

  • Adidas sales rise 12%

    5 August 2008

    Adidas Group saw currency-neutral sales rise 12% to €5.1 billion (£4bn) for the first half, and 4% year-on-year in euro terms.

  • Marchpole posts heavy losses

    5 August 2008

    Marchpole swung to a pre-tax loss of £6.1 million for the 53 weeks ended April 5, against a £6.3m profit the previous year.

  • London Fashion Week unveils provisional schedule

    4 August 2008

    London Fashion Week launched its provisional catwalk schedule today.

  • London Mayor to support small shops

    1 August 2008

    London Mayor Boris Johnson has outlined measures to ensure affordable small shops are provided for in new retail developments.

  • Pure extends opening hours

    1 August 2008

    Pure Womenswear, the London trade fair, has extended its opening hours this Monday to 7pm.

  • Radley bags new chairman

    1 August 2008

    Radley, the premium handbag brand, has drafted in Paul Mason, former president of Levi Strauss Europe, as chairman.

  • Fashion sales fall at John Lewis

    1 August 2008

    John Lewis saw fashion sales fall back 1.5% for the week ended July 26 - the first fall in fashion sales at the department store since the end of March.

  • London Mayor outlines plans to support small shops

    31 July 2008

    London Mayor Boris Johnson has outlined measures to ensure affordable small shops are provided for in new retail developments.

  • Fashion administrations rise 28% in H1

    29 July 2008

    Total retail administrations fell by 30% for the first half of 2008 against last year, but fashion retail insolvencies rose by 28% during the period according to the latest research by Deloitte.

  • LVMH delivers strong first half fashion sales

    29 July 2008

    LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs, saw fashion and leather goods sales rise 6% to €2.7 billion (£2.1bn) for the first half of 2008. Operating profit rose to €858 million (£675m).

  • Hooch launches in Topshop flagship

    29 July 2008

    Hooch has opened a concession within the Topshop Oxford Circus flagship store.

  • Mango mulls special format shops

    29 July 2008

    Mango, the Spanish young fashion chain, has said it is considering testing specialised market concepts to fuel its growth strategy.

  • Outlook bleak for August sales

    29 July 2008

    Sales volumes fell sharply in July with summer Sales failing to lure shoppers back to the high street and the outlook for August is bleak, according to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey.

  • Change Capital to offload Jil Sander?

    29 July 2008

    According to reports, private equity firm Change Capital Partners has sounded out potential buyers for its Jil Sander brand.

  • Guess opens new UK office

    29 July 2008

    Guess UK has moved to a new head office in central London.

  • Melka to supply ITV Sport

    28 July 2008

    Melka, the Swedish lifestyle brand, has become the official clothing supplier to ITV Sport.

  • Fiorelli bought by Synova Capital

    28 July 2008

    The Lunan Group (TLG), the owner of the Fiorelli and Modalu handbag brands, has been sold to Synova Capital for an undisclosed sum.

  • Natalie Massenet

    26 July 2008

    Convincing luxury labels to sell online was the hard part for Net-a-Porter’s founder, whose groundbreaking business has gone on to change the way women shop.

  • The next step for concessions

    26 July 2008

    The footwear concession market is set for a shake-up – but who will be the winners and losers of changes at department stores?

  • Fashion leads John Lewis

    25 July 2008

    John Lewis saw sales rise 0.4% to £49.79 million for the week ended July 19 as transitional stock began to pick up.

  • Uterque makes debut in Spain

    24 July 2008

    Inditex, the Spanish fashion conglomerate behind Zara and Massimo Dutti, opened its first accessories concept stores in Spain last week.

  • New boss hunt at LK Bennett

    24 July 2008

    LK Bennett is on the hunt for a chief executive following the sale of the womenswear-to-footwear retailer to private equity firms Phoenix Equity Partners and Sirius Equity this week.

  • M&S faces fresh attack over dual chairman role

    24 July 2008

    The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum said yesterday it would file a shareholder resolution at Marks & Spencers's annual general meeting next year if the retailer does not move to split the chairman and chief executive roles.

  • Landlords ready to work with retailers on rents

    24 July 2008

    The British Property Federation, which represents the UK property industry, says its member are prepared to talk about rents with retailers that have been hit by the retail downturn.

  • M&S bag charging scheme cuts usage by 80%

    24 July 2008

    Marks & Spencer's plastic bag charging scheme has cut bag usage at its stores by 80%.

  • Tough climate knocks JJB Sports

    24 July 2008

    JJB Sports said like-for-like sales fell 1.2% for the 12 weeks ended July 20 and warned the second half of the year would be ‘very challenging’.

  • 3i buys stake in Soya Concept womenswear

    23 July 2008

    3i, the private equity firm, has bought a 45% stake in Danish womenswear brand Soya Concept.

  • BSSA says indies feeling worst of the downturn

    23 July 2008

    The British Shops and Stores Association's sales monitor showed that independent retailers are suffering the effects of the retail slowdown to a greater extent than multiples, with like-for-like sales down 1.83% for the three months ended June.

  • David Adams appointed chairman of Moss Bros

    23 July 2008

    David Adams, the former deputy chief executive of House of Fraser, has been appointed non-executive chairman of Moss Bros.

  • Gloom at Beales as sales fall 6.4%

    22 July 2008

    Like-for-like sales at Beales dropped 6.4% for the 26 weeks to May 3 and the department store group warned it did not foresee any improvement in trading for the rest of the year.

  • Tributes to Republic’s Bray

    22 July 2008

    The young fashion industry has paid tribute to Robin Bray, co-founder of Republic, who died last week aged 57.

  • Shopper loyalty is falling away

    22 July 2008

    Shoppers are more disloyal to and dissatisfied with fashion retailers than at any time in the past 10 years, according to a new report from Verdict Consulting.

  • Muller to open B&B-inspired store

    22 July 2008

    Bread & Butter show organiser Karl-Heinz Müller is set to open a denim and branded fashion independent in Berlin, called 14 oz, to help showcase his vision for the exhibition.

  • Levi's launches global campaign for classic 501 style

    22 July 2008

    Levi's has launched its biggest ever global marketing campaign to promote its iconic 501 style.

  • Northern Threads widens appeal with internet shop

    22 July 2008

    Northern Threads, the menswear independent in South Shield, Tyne & Wear, has launched a transactional website and is preparing to expand its shop just two years after it debuted.

  • Peter Werth moves away from the lads

    22 July 2008

    Peter Werth has unveiled a new casual sub-brand called Werth and its first mainline tailoring range for spring 09.

  • Margin show launches denim section

    22 July 2008

    Margin, the London streetwear show, will launch a new denim area called Selvage this August.

  • 17,000 fashion jobs facing axe

    22 July 2008

    About 17,000 fashion retail jobs could be axed because of cost pressures, according to a report by analyst Plimsoll.

  • Dune hires chief executive and takes a step upmarket

    21 July 2008

    Fashion footwear chain Dune is to launch a premium range and expand its concession and international operations following the appointment of former Shoe Studio Group boss John Egan as chief executive.

  • Office signs deal with House of Fraser

    21 July 2008

    Fashion footwear chain Office has signed a deal to open 17 concessions in House of Fraser from September.

  • Bradbury warns of ‘worse to come’

    21 July 2008

    River Island chief executive Richard Bradbury has warned that the young fashion sector has “worse to come” as slowing consumer spending starts to filter down from the middle market to younger shoppers.

  • TM Lewin beats slump with record results

    21 July 2008

    TM Lewin, the shirt retailer, saw sales rise by 14% to £63.4m and EBITDA grow by 21% to £11m for the year ended February 23.

  • What the weekend newspapers said (July 19-20)

    21 July 2008

    The best of the fashion business headlines from the weekend newspapers...

  • London sales grow at fastest rate since February

    21 July 2008

    Like-for-like retail sales in central London in June were 8.7% higher than the previous year.

  • LK Bennett sold to Phoenix and Sirius

    21 July 2008

    LK Bennett has been sold to Phoenix Equity Partners and Sirius Equity for an undisclosed sum.

  • Sales fall at Chloe

    17 July 2008

    Richemont, the luxury goods group behind Chloé, saw sales rise 13% to €1.4 billion (£1.1bn) for the three months ended June 30.

  • Mothercare scores strong Q1

    17 July 2008

    Mothercare saw like-for-like sales rise 1% for the 15 weeks ended July 11. Total group sales rose 20.7%.

  • Blacks Leisure hit by weak surfwear sales

    17 July 2008

    Blacks Leisure saw like-for-like sales fall 5.4% for the 19 weeks to July 12, largely because of poor performance at its boardsports division.

  • Instore like-for-likes fall 1.9%

    16 July 2008

    Instore, the value retailer, saw like-for-like sales fall 1.9% for the 19 weeks ended July 11. Group sales were 0.3% up on last year.

  • VF Corporation scores record Q2 revenues

    16 July 2008

    VF Corporation, the US company behind denim brands Wrangler and 7 For All Mankind, saw second quarter revenues rise 11% to a record $1.7 billion (£846 million).

  • Halston creative chief departs

    16 July 2008

    Marco Zanina, the creative director hired by Tamara Mellon to relaunch Halston, is understood to have left the business after 12 months.

  • French Connection buys out Japanese partner

    15 July 2008

    French Connection has bought out Renown, its Japanese partner, and taken 100% control of French Connection Japan.

  • Fashion sales sink in June

    15 July 2008

    Like-for-like retail sales fell back 0.4% in June - the third fall in the last four months - but total retail sales were up 2.1%.

  • Thousands of fashion retail jobs under threat

    14 July 2008

    Almost 17,000 fashion retail jobs are under threat because of cost pressures on retailers according to a report by Plimsoll.

  • Base London to launch Gibson London footwear

    14 July 2008

    Base London, the footwear brand, has signed an exclusive European license to design, manufacture and distribute a range of Gibson London footwear.

  • River Island profits fall

    14 July 2008

    River Island saw profits fall to £152.8 million for the year ended December 2007, down from £157m the previous year.

  • Mango calls for UK entries for its International Awards

    14 July 2008

    Mango is seeking up and coming fashion designers in the UK to enter its International Fashion Awards. The ultimate winner will scoop a €300,000 (£240,000) cash prize.

  • French Connection in talks to buy out Japanese partner

    14 July 2008

    French Connection is in talks with Renown, its Japanese joint venture partner, to buy back its 50% stake in French Connection Japan.

  • Dune appoints Egan as chief executive

    11 July 2008

    Dune has appointed John Egan, the former chief operating officer of Shoe Studio Group, as chief executive.

  • Interest rates held at 5%

    10 July 2008

    The Bank of England has held interest rates at 5%.

  • Shopper loyalty is falling away

    10 July 2008

    Shoppers are more disloyal to and dissatisfied with fashion retailers than at any time in the past 10 years, according to a new report from Verdict Consulting.

  • Primark knocked by soft April

    10 July 2008

    Primark’s sales since the half year have risen 14% but like-for-like sales in the third quarter were held back by weak trading in April.

  • UK attendance up at Bread & Butter

    9 July 2008

    Last week's Bread & Butter Barcelona saw visitor numbers from the UK and Republic of Ireland rise 12.8% to 7,516 against July 2007.

  • Levi's hammered by global downturn

    9 July 2008

    Levi's saw net income crash from $46 million (£23.3m) to $1m (£507,000) for the second quarter ended May 25.

  • Mary Queen of Mean?

    8 July 2008

    Last night's Mary Queen of Shops on BBC2 made uncomfortable X-Factor style viewing.

  • Kate Bostock honoured by University

    8 July 2008

    Kate Bostock, executive director for clothing at Marks & Spencer, has been honoured for her services to fashion retailing by Manchester Metropolitan University.

  • Jacques Vert hit by slowdown

    8 July 2008

    Jacques Vert saw like-for-like sales fall back 5.9% for the 10 weeks since April 26 as the effects of the retail slowdown kicked in.

  • A week in fashion: A Bread & Butter slow down

    7 July 2008

    So attendance at Bread & Butter Barcelona was as we all thought, down. As the show opened last Wednesday, retail stock prices crashed back home on the back of the M&S profit warning. What we could all have done with was a good dose of Bread & Butter buzz topped with some interesting trends to bring back some belief that there is still spend to be had despite rising food/energy/fuel/mortgage bills.

  • What the weekend newspapers said (July 5-6)

    7 July 2008

    The best of the fashion business related headlines from the weekend newspapers...

  • Stylo appoints new non-exec

    7 July 2008

    Stylo, the footwear retailer, has appointed Terry Bond as non-executive director.

  • Bread & Butter attendance falls

    7 July 2008

    Last week's Bread & Butter Barcelona saw attendance fall 2.5% against last year's July show.

  • Counting the cost

    5 July 2008

    How will Primark be affected by the BBC’s child labour exposé? Drapers commissioned an exclusive ICM poll to find out.

  • Primark fans may desert after child labour allegations

    4 July 2008

    Primark faces losing up to 42% of its customers in the aftermath of child labour allegations, an exclusive ICM Research poll commissioned by Drapers shows.

  • M&S like-for-likes drop 5.3%

    2 July 2008

    Marks & Spencer saw like-for-like sales sink back 5.3% for the 13 weeks ended June 28.

  • BSSA quarterly sales monitor opens

    1 July 2008

    The British Shops and Stores Association is seeking input from independent retailers for its latest quarterly sales monitor.

  • What the weekend newspapers said June 28-29

    30 June 2008

    The best of the fashion business related headlines from the weekend newspapers...

  • Asos scores record results

    30 June 2008

    Asos saw pre-tax profit rise 117% to £7.3 million on sales up 90% to £81m for the year ended March 31.

  • Matalan profits soar

    30 June 2008

    Matalan saw pre-tax profits rise 89.3% to £53.2 million, despite a 1.4% slip in revenue to £1.01 billion for the 53 weeks ended March 1.

  • Tommy Hilfiger posts record 2007 results

    28 June 2008

    US casualwear brand Tommy Hilfiger scored record results for the year ended March 31, with EBITDA ahead 23.9% to €268 million (£211.7m).

  • First sign of Primark fallout

    28 June 2008

    Primark saw its “Brand Buzz” score in the daily Brand Index survey run by research firm YouGov plummet in the wake of the BBC’s Panorama exposé on Monday.

  • Republic founder Robin Bray dies

    26 June 2008

    Robin Bray, one of the founding directors of Leeds-based jeanery Best Trading Co, which later evolved into branded chain Republic, has died.

  • Shareholders vent anger at Moss Bros AGM

    26 June 2008

    Moss Bros chief executive Philip Mountford faced tough questions from shareholders at the company's annual general meeting yesterday.

  • Primark issues video update on ethical policy

    24 June 2008

    Primark spokeswoman Breege O’Donoghue has been put in the hot seat in a new video interview on the www.ethicalprimark.com website following the BBC’s Panorama documentary.

  • Primark Panorama special draws 4.2m viewers

    24 June 2008

    BBC1's Panorama exposé on Primark and its suppliers was the most watched television programme at 9pm last night.

  • Panorama Primark special draws 4.2m viewers

    24 June 2008

    BBC1’s Panorama exposé on Primark and its suppliers was the most watched television programme at 9pm last night.

  • A week in fashion: Picking on Primark

    24 June 2008

    The BBC Panorma Primark exposé last night was not uncomfortable enough viewing to put off its most passionate and loyal shoppers.

  • Hobbs chief executive to step down

    24 June 2008

    Nick Samuel, the chief executive of Hobbs, is to step down this summer.

  • Richard Jones quits Sainsbury's for Tesco

    23 June 2008

    Richard Jones, director of general merchandise and global sourcing at Sainsbury's has quit to join Tesco.

  • The weekend newspaper headlines (June 21-22)

    23 June 2008

    The best of the fashion business headlines from the weekend newspapers...

  • Skechers US market share climbs

    23 June 2008

    Footwear brand Skechers saw its share of the US branded athletic footwear market by value at wholesale rise by 10% to a share of 9% or $1.1 billion (£560 million) in 2007 according to a survey by Sporting Goods Intelligence.

  • Dawson International sales slide

    23 June 2008

    Dawson International, the spinner and cashmere supplier, saw sales fall 9.3% to £92.6 million for the year ended December 29 after sales slowed in the second half.

  • Debenhams extends supplier terms

    23 June 2008

    Debenhams is understood to have extended its supplier payment terms to 96 days.

  • Dnk follows second-hand jeans success with bags

    21 June 2008

    London-based womenswear independent Dnk has introduced second-hand accessories following the success of its nearly-new jeans sales initiative.

  • Primark bids to ride out child labour storm storm

    21 June 2008

    Industry experts believe that value fashion chain Primark has moved quickly enough to avoid a consumer backlash against it after the BBC found some of its factories had sub-contracted work out to children.

  • LK Bennett eyes new boss

    21 June 2008

    Phoenix Equity Partners is understood to have lined up Robert Bensoussan, the former chief executive of luxury footwear label Jimmy Choo, to chair LK Bennett when it completes its buyout of the company.

  • Liberty of London store debuts

    20 June 2008

    Liberty, the department store, opened its first dedicated standalone for its Liberty of London brand in the capital's Sloane Street yesterday.

  • Animal chief exec quits

    19 June 2008

    John Stockton, the chief executive of boardsports brand Animal, is to step down from his post after eight years in the role.

  • Wolverine appoints outdoor group managing director

    19 June 2008

    Wolverine has appointed Jean-Pierre Petit as outdoor group managing director for the Europe, Middle East and African regions (EMEA).

  • Mothercare appoints non-exec director

    19 June 2008

    Mothercare has appointed Richard Rivers as a non-executive director.

  • Mulberry profits dip

    19 June 2008

    Mulberry saw pre-tax profit fall by 16% to £5.2 million for the year to March 31 because of increased marketing spend.

  • Eco-fashion awards calls for entries

    18 June 2008

    Anti-Apathy, Ethical Fashion Forum and Futerra Sustainability Communications have joined forces to set up the RE:Fashion Awards to recognise ethical fashion companies.

  • Woolworths chief executive to stand down

    18 June 2008

    Woolworths chief executive Trevor Bish-Jones is to stand down in September, six years after he joined the value retailer.

  • Campaigners slam Primark's decision on factories

    17 June 2008

    Labour Behind the Label, the workers rights group, has slammed Primark for its decision to axe three of its suppliers in South India for sub-contracting some work out to children and breaching its ethical code.

  • Inflation up to 3.3%

    17 June 2008

    The rate of inflation rocketed to 3.3% in May, leaving the Bank of England with a difficult decision to make about interest rates.

  • Crown Crest tipped as Instore bidder

    17 June 2008

    Crown Crest, the cash-and-carry food supplier, is thought to be the mystery company behind an approach for Instore, the value chain.

  • EBTM moves into the black

    17 June 2008

    EBTM, the online retailer of music inspired fashion, has move into the black for the first time since its launch, posting operating profit of £903,000 for the year ended April 30.

  • Primark factories axed after ethical code breach

    16 June 2008

    Primark has ditched three of its suppliers in Southern India after it discovered that they had sub-contracted some work to children.

  • London retail sales rise 8.2% in May

    16 June 2008

    London retail sales were up 8.2% on a like for like basis in May - way ahead of the 1.9% sales gain across the UK as a whole.

  • The weekend newspaper round up (June 14-15)

    16 June 2008

    The best of the fashion headlines from the weekends' newspapers...

  • White Stuff in talks with Phoenix Equity

    16 June 2008

    White Stuff, the lifestyle retailer, is understood to have entered into advanced talks with Phoenix Equity Partners about selling a minority stake in the business.

  • Instore receives takeover approach

    16 June 2008

    Instore, the value retailer, said it had held preliminary talks with a third party about a possible takeover.

  • Liverpool One welcomes one million visitors

    13 June 2008

    Liverpool One has hit one million visitors just two weeks after phase one of the development opened.

  • Stuart Paver wins entrepreneur of the year award

    13 June 2008

    Stuart Paver, the managing director of footwear chain Pavers, has been named Ernst & Young Business to Consumer Entrepreneur of the Year for the Northern Region.

  • Bluewater fashion sales up 10%

    13 June 2008

    Bluewater shopping centre recorded a 10% rise in fashion sales in May against the previous year while footfall also rose 2.8% during the month.

  • Online shopping 'better for bargains'

    12 June 2008

    Some 62% of shoppers believe shopping online will save them money during the credit crunch according to a poll conducted by discount etailer M&M Direct.

  • Green: Trade will get tougher

    12 June 2008

    Sir Philip Green has forecast that trading will get tougher and has warned that the high street has yet to feel the full effect of the credit crunch.

  • GFW winners announced

    12 June 2008

    Jessica Au of Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication picked up the River Island Gold Award at the Graduate Fashion Week Gala last night.

  • Sloggi launches interactive fashion shoot online

    12 June 2008

    Lingerie brand Sloggi has launched its 'Show me your Sloggi 2008' campaign online to find its next male and female bottom models.

  • Jobis appoints new agency

    12 June 2008

    Jobis, the German womenswear brand, has appointed London-based fashion agency Partners in Fashion as its new agents for the UK and Ireland.

  • Inditex scores record Q1 profits

    11 June 2008

    Inditex, the parent company of Zara, Bershka and Massimo Dutti, saw sales rise 12% to €2.2 billion (£1.74bn) for the first quarter of 2008.

  • Moss Bros close to appointing new chairman

    10 June 2008

    Moss Bros is understood to have offered Barry Gibson, the former retail director of BAA, the airport operator, the role of chairman.

  • Tesco sees non-food growth slow

    10 June 2008

    Tesco saw group sales rise 13.7% for the 13 weeks ended May 24, but non-food growth has slowed.

  • Julien Macdonald joins board of GFW judges

    10 June 2008

    Julien Macdonald has joined the board of judges and presenters of the River Island Gold Award at Graduate Fashion Week.

  • Fashion sales score first gains since August

    10 June 2008

    Like-for-like retail sales in May rose 1.9%, with fashion scoring its first positive sales growth since August 2007 according to the British Retail Consortium.

  • Strong sales growth at Ted Baker

    10 June 2008

    Ted Baker saw group revenue rise 8.4% for the 19 weeks ended June 7 but wholesale sales fell 8.6% below the same period last year.

  • BRC argues anti-dumping duties are hitting the poor

    9 June 2008

    The British Retail Consortium and high profile retailers including Clarks, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and John Lewis, are briefing the UK government today on their call for the EU to investigate the impact of anti-dumping duties on the poor.

  • Consumer confidence sinks to record low

    9 June 2008

    Consumer confidence is at an all time low because of rising costs and falling property values, according to research by Nielsen and the British Retail Consortium.

  • JD sees trading improve

    9 June 2008

    The John David Group said that like-for-like sales at both its sports and fashion divisions had marginally improved in the seven weeks since May 31.

  • Debenhams’ new look: the verdict

    7 June 2008

    Debenhams chief executive Rob Templeman spent £79 per sq ft on opening its first store in Liverpool last week – less than it costs Marks & Spencer to refurbish one of its existing stores.

  • Liverpool One launch given mixed reaction

    7 June 2008

    Liverpool One attracted 200,000 shoppers on its first day of trading last week, but only 38 shops out of the 80 in phase one were open on the launch day.

  • Early Sales ruin indies’ summer

    7 June 2008

    Department stores are set to deal a killer blow to independent retailers this summer as they count down to start Sales in less than a fortnight.

  • Deloitte appoints Richard Hyman

    6 June 2008

    Business advisory firm Deloitte has appointed Richard Hyman, the founder of Verdict Research, as a strategic adviser to its consumer business practice.

  • UK Fashion Exports winners announced

    6 June 2008

    Joseph Ettedgui, founder of Joseph, picked up the Export Personality of the Year at yesterday's UK Fashion Exports Awards while Orla Kiely scooped the top prize for Gold Award for Exporter of the Year.

  • Gap international posts flat May sales

    6 June 2008

    Gap saw group sales fall by 8% to $1.09 billion (£557 million) in May but like-for-like sales were flat at its international division, which includes the UK.

  • Fashion performs in tough week for John Lewis

    6 June 2008

    John Lewis saw like-for-like sales fall 4.7% for the week ended May 31 but fashion posted an excellent performance with comparable sales ahead 5.6%.

  • Aftershock kick starts expansion strategy

    4 June 2008

    Aftershock, the occasionwear and accessories brand, plans to open concessions in UK department stores and expand overseas to escape the high retail rents that put the business into administration in 2006.

  • Yves Saint Laurent funeral to take place on Thursday

    3 June 2008

    The funeral for Yves Saint Laurent, one of the industry's most influential designers, will take place on Thursday afternoon in Paris.

  • Baugur billed £500k for Moss Bros

    2 June 2008

    Baugur has run up adviser bills of half a million pounds through its due diligence process on Moss Bros.

  • Patrick Cox sold for £2.5m

    2 June 2008

    Patrick Cox, the footwear brand, has been sold to entrepreneur Lord Eddie Davenport for £2.5 million.

  • Pringle appoints chief executive from Chanel

    2 June 2008

    Pringle has appointed Mary-Adair Macaire, global marketing director at Chanel, as its new chief executive.

  • Yves Saint Laurent dies

    2 June 2008

    Yves Saint Laurent, the designer credited for introducing ready-to-wear, has died in Paris aged 71.

  • Barratts reveals new look

    1 June 2008

    Footwear group Stylo has opened its first new-look Barratts stores at Meadowhall in Sheffield and Liverpool One as it looks to reposition the business.

  • Top-level exits at FrostFrench

    1 June 2008

    FrostFrench managing director Sharon O’Connor and head of design Jim Coughlan have left the business.

  • New chief exec for Net-a-Porter

    1 June 2008

    Net-a-Porter, the designer etailer, has appointed Sven Gaede as its new chief executive ahead of a new site launch and a massive international roll-out.

  • House of Fraser’s tough terms defy credit crunch

    1 June 2008

    House of Fraser’s strategy to move upmarket and squeeze suppliers has helped it to defy the credit crunch and put it firmly on track to post profits in excess of £75 million for this financial year – well ahead of management’s internal targets.

  • A week in fashion: Livening up Liverpool

    30 May 2008

    The opening of the first phase of the Liverpool One shopping centre yesterday brought crowds of shoppers out, eager to see what the new shops were offering. Whether they were spending any money was another question though.

  • Laura Ashley hit by weak consumer spending

    28 May 2008

    Laura Ashley saw like-for-like sales fall 7.6% for the first 17 weeks of the financial year because of weaker consumer spending.

  • Shoe Studio appoints MD from Wolverine

    27 May 2008

    Mosaic Fashions has appointed Wolverine’s Gordon Baird as managing director of its Shoe Studio footwear business.

  • Stylo losses hit £7.8m as Barratts director departs

    27 May 2008

    Stylo racked up pre-tax losses of £7.8 million for the year ended February 2, up from £7.1m in 2007.

  • Baugur drops Moss Bros offer

    27 May 2008

    Baugur will not proceed with its indicative offer of 42p per share for Moss Bros.

  • Jeckerson eyes global roll-out

    24 May 2008

    Jeckerson, the Italian sportswear brand, will embark on a major international expansion and retail roll-out following the sale of the company for €140 million (£111.5m) to Stirling Square Capital Partners and Sirius Equity, the firm set up by former Jimmy Choo chief executive Robert Bensoussan.

  • JJB buys Qube for £1

    22 May 2008

    JJB Sports has bought footwear chain Qube from Sir Tom Hunter’s private equity fund for £1, as predicted by Drapers (May 2).

  • Sales flat at French Connection

    21 May 2008

    French Connection said that sales in its UK and European retail division were flat in the quarter ended May 17 but warned that wholesale sales remained difficult.

  • Bridgepoint buys back Fat Face debt

    20 May 2008

    Bridgepoint, the private equity house, has bought back some of the debt it used to purchase lifestyle retailer Fat Face last year.

  • Sports Direct bows to pressure from OFT on 'closing down' Sale strategy

    20 May 2008

    Sports Direct has agreed not to mislead consumers over its 'closing down' Sale strategy following discussions with the Office of Fair Trading.

  • M&S hits billion pound profits but cautious on outlook

    20 May 2008

    Marks & Spencer saw full year pre-tax profits hit £1.1 billion but fourth quarter trading fell back 1.7% like for like with general merchandise, including clothing, down 3.1% on a like for like basis.

  • JJB like-for-likes fall 6.5%

    20 May 2008

    JJB Sports saw group revenue slump 8.3% for the 13 weeks ended April 27 which reflected a 6.5% fall in retail like-for-like sales.

  • PPR appoints new chief exec at Hussein Chalayan

    19 May 2008

    PPR has appointed Giorgio Belloli as chief executive of its Puma subsidiary and London based label Hussein Chalayan.

  • London retail sales outperform UK in April

    19 May 2008

    London retail sales rose 2.7% on a like for like basis in April against a 1.5% like for like fall across the country.

  • Tillman considers sale of Jaeger

    19 May 2008

    Harold Tillman has appointed UBS to complete a strategic review of his Jaeger fashion business which could lead to him selling the chain.

  • Jeckerson sold for €140 million

    19 May 2008

    Premium Italian sportswear brand Jeckerson has been sold to Sirius Equity, the private equity vehicle founded by former Jimmy Choo chief executive Robert Bensoussan and Stirling Square Capital Partners for €140m (£111.5m).

  • Gio-Goi looks for backer to fuel growth

    17 May 2008

    Streetwear brand Gio-Goi is courting private equity firms to take a stake in the business to help support massive international expansion plans.

  • Hugo Boss appoints new chief executive

    16 May 2008

    Hugo boss has appointed Claus-Dietrich Lahrs as chief executive following the departure of Bruno Salzer in February.

  • John Lewis hit by hot weather

    16 May 2008

    John Lewis saw sales fall back 4.3% to £46.9 million for the week ended May 10 when footfall dipped because of the hot weather. However fashion outperformed with sales ahead 5.6%.

  • TK Maxx sees strong Q1 trading

    14 May 2008

    US owned discount chain TK Maxx saw comparable sales rise 5% in GBP for the first quarter ended April 26.

  • New exhibitors at Londoncentral

    13 May 2008

    Londoncentral and Londonedge, the London streetwear shows, have signed up a raft of new exhibitors for the next edition.

  • Laura Ashley raises Moss Bros stake

    13 May 2008

    Laura Ashley has raised its stake in Moss Bros to 7.45%.

  • Jaeger boosted by overhaul and expansion

    13 May 2008

    Jaeger saw sales climb 16% to £82.2 million and EBITDA rise 22% to £6.1m for the year ended February 23.

  • April retail sales worst for three years

    13 May 2008

    Fashion and footwear sales deteriorated further in April, falling to their lowest level for at least eight years according to the British Retail Consortium's monthly sales monitor.

  • Net-a-Porter may seek new investment partner

    12 May 2008

    Net-a-Porter, the designer fashion etailer, is understood to be conducting a review of the business which could lead to a sale of part of the business.

  • City worries hit M&S forecasts

    10 May 2008

    Marks & Spencer had its profit forecasts slashed this week amid concerns in the City about slow clothing sales.

  • Manolo Blahnik enters Dublin store

    10 May 2008

    Luxury footwear brand Manolo Blahnik is to open its first concession in the Republic of Ireland in Dublin department store Brown Thomas.

  • Peter Tainton

    10 May 2008

    In the late 1980s, Peter Tainton took over River Island’s footwear offer from its concession partner. In doing so, the Drapers Footwear Awards Lifetime Achievement Award winner helped revolutionise the UK footwear sector.

  • Bank of England holds interest rates

    8 May 2008

    The Bank of England has held interest rates at 5% today.

  • Austin Reed sees profits soar

    8 May 2008

    Austin reed saw EBITDA increase by 31% to £8.8 million for the 12 months ended January 31, thanks to improved gross margins and better product ranges.

  • Next like-for-likes sink 8.9%

    8 May 2008

    Like-for-like sales at Next plunged 8.9% in the quarter ended April 26 and total retail sales fell back 5% to £518.1 million against the previous year.

  • Restructure at Ugg parent company

    6 May 2008

    AMG Group, the UK distributor of several outdoor and footwear brands including Ugg, has restructured its business and set up a dedicated footwear company called AMG Footwear.

  • Baugur still considering offer for Moss Bros

    6 May 2008

    Baugur is still considering to evaluate a possible 42p a share offer for menswear chain Moss Bros.

  • Retail Trust calls for fundraisers for Retail Trust Week

    1 May 2008

    The Retail Trust charity is urging retailers across the country to come up with fun fundraising ideas for the second Retail Trust Week.

  • Indies under 'increased threat' from supermarkets says BSSA

    1 May 2008

    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

    30 April 2008

    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.

  • Base London strengthens sales team to boost indie accounts

    29 April 2008

    Footwear brand Base London has appointed Nathan Cooper as sales executive amidst a reorganisation of its sales team.

  • N Brown scores record results

    29 April 2008

    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.

  • Mosaic Fashions falls into loss after Rubicon distractions

    28 April 2008

    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.

  • The weekend newspapers: April 26-27

    28 April 2008

    The best of the fashion news stories from the weekend's newspapers...

  • Laura Ashley raises Moss stake to 6.61%

    28 April 2008

    Fashion to furnishings retailer Laura Ashley has raised its stake in Moss Bros to 6.61%.

  • Green's empire nudges M&S share

    28 April 2008

    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.

  • Asos powers ahead despite economic slowdown

    28 April 2008

    Asos saw sales rise 80% for the four weeks to April 27 thanks to the continued trend for online shopping.

  • Primark set for bumper growth

    26 April 2008

    Primark’s value positioning and strong summer ranges have put it firmly on track to outperform in the second half of the year.

  • A week in fashion: all eyes on autumn

    25 April 2008

    The autumn 08 high street press shows kicked off this week and there was a clear sense of relief from those directors' in attendance. Talking spring trade was almost off the agenda and newness and the chance to bring autumn stock in early was definitely the debate of the week.

  • GMB draws up legal claims for JJB workers

    24 April 2008

    The GMB has slammed JJB Sports’ over its decision to shut 72 stores and axe 800 jobs and accused it of breaching employment rights.

  • Outlook bleak for Q2 trading

    24 April 2008

    The KPMG/SPSL Retail Think Tank (RTT) has warned that although Q1 sales had not been as bad as it anticipated, the outlook for Q2 is somewhat bleaker.

  • PPR see comparable sales rise 4%

    24 April 2008

    PPR, the luxury goods group, saw reported revenues grow 20% to €4.9 billion for the first quarter which equated to a comparable sales rise of 4%.

  • Sports Direct says trade 'remains challenging'

    24 April 2008

    Sports Direct said that trading has 'remained challenging' since March 13, when it last made a statement to the City.

  • Online fraud hits £500 million

    23 April 2008

    Card fraud was more than £500 million in 2007 according to credit card fraud specialist The 3rd Man.

  • New names at Victoria Quarter in Leeds

    23 April 2008

    Mulberry and Church's are among the new names to open stores at the Victoria Quarter in Leeds.

  • Primark outperforms sector with strong sales growth

    22 April 2008

    Primark saw operating profit rise 22% to £111 million and sales increase by 25% to £899m for the 24 weeks to March 1.

  • Families £1 a week worse off in March

    21 April 2008

    The average household was £1 a week worse off in March as the cost of living continued to rise according to the latest Income Tracker survey by Asda.

  • Free Drapers' Directors' Dinner - 'Taking Advantage In a Downturn'

    21 April 2008

    Are you a director of a retail business or fashion brand? If so, you are eligible to attend the next Drapers' Directors' Dinner entitled 'Taking Advantage In a Downturn'.

  • Cash payments rise amidst consumer caution

    21 April 2008

    Cautious consumers are paying for more goods with cash according to research by the British Retail Consortium.

  • Burberry creates senior vice president of marketing role

    17 April 2008

    Burberry has promoted Sarah Manley to senior vice president of marketing and communications.

  • Usdaw in talks with Ethel Austin administrators

    17 April 2008

    Usdaw is in urgent talks with Menzies Corporate Restructuring after the Ethel Austin administrator axed 181 jobs and prepared to close 33 stores yesterday.

  • Tommy Hilfiger launches Tommy TV

    17 April 2008

    Tommy Hilfiger has launched a new website called TommyTV which will feature live music broadcasts alongside fashion content.

  • BBC launches ethical fashion magazine online

    17 April 2008

    The BBC is to launch an online ethical fashion magazine called Thread.

  • RSPCA calls for entries for Good Business Awards

    17 April 2008

    The RSPCA is urging fashion retailers to enter its Good Business Awards, which recognised ethical business approaches to animal welfare in the fashion, cosmetics and food industries.

  • Crocs rocked by first quarter guidance slash

    16 April 2008

    US footwear phenomenon Crocs has slashed its financial guidance for the first quarter after weaker than expected domestic sales.

  • Three in five adults cancel spending plans

    16 April 2008

    57% of adults have cancelled their spending plans amidst the economic uncertainty according to a consumer survey carried out by Mintel.

  • JJB to close 72 stores

    16 April 2008

    JJB Sports is to close 72 shops to streamline its portfolio after retail operating profits slumped 17.9% to £49.4 million for the 52 weeks to January 27.

  • Baugur puts MK One up for sale

    15 April 2008

    Baugur has appointed Deloitte to sell MK One, its value fashion chain.

  • Shortlist announced for Brand of the Year at the Drapers Footwear Awards

    15 April 2008

    The shortlist for the Brand of the Year, Trend-setting Brand of the Year and Student Footwear and Student Accessories Designer at the Drapers Footwear Awards 2008 have been announced.

  • Clothing sales worst for eight years

    15 April 2008

    Clothing sales were the worst for eight years in March according to the British Retail Consortium's sales figures which showed total retail sales fell back 1.6% like for like during the month.

  • Debenhams like for likes slip

    15 April 2008

    Debenhams like-for-like sales slipped back 0.7% for the 26 weeks ended March 1 but the department store said it had scored market share gains in all major clothing categories.

  • JD profit soars 103%

    15 April 2008

    The John David Group saw sales rise 11.6% to £592 million and profit before tax rocketed 103% to £35m for the 53 weeks ended February 2.

  • Alexon appoints Jane McNally as chief executive

    14 April 2008

    Alexon chief executive John Osborn is to retire as exclusively revealed by Drapers March 29. Osborn will be replaced by Peacocks’ buying and merchandising director Jane McNally.

  • £430m added toBaugur cash pot

    12 April 2008

    Baugur Group chief executive Gunnar Sigurdsson is back on the retail acquisition trail after the investment firm added £430 million to its retail war chest, following the divestment of its media, technology and financial services arm.

  • Mystery Moss investor is property developer

    9 April 2008

    The mystery investor who placed a £4 million spread bet on Moss Bros shares rising is property developer Paul Singh.

  • GFW launches Education Day for potential fashion students

    8 April 2008

    Graduate Fashion Week is to launch an 'Education Day' during GFW to enable member universities to promote their courses to 14-18 year old school children and Further Education students.

  • EBTM appoints finance director

    8 April 2008

    EBTM, the online retailer and wholesaler of music inspired fashion, has appointed Ian Collins as group finance director.

  • Baugur divests media arm to focus on retail acquisitions

    8 April 2008

    Investment firm Baugur is to sell its media, technology and financial services arm for £430 million generating a substantial 'war-chest' for new retail acquisitions.

  • Skechers outlet to debut in Scotland

    7 April 2008

    Footwear brand Skechers will open its first store in Scotland in McArthurGlen's Livingston Designer Outlet later this month.

  • The weekend newspaper round up

    7 April 2008

    The best of the fashion business news stories from the weekend’s newspapers (April 5-6)…

  • UK Fashion Exports finalists announced

    7 April 2008

    The shortlist for the UK Fashion Export Awards features has been unveiled.

  • Former MK One director linked to Ethel Austin rescue

    7 April 2008

    Elaine Gray, the former chief executive of MK One, is understood to be close to finalising a deal to rescue value chain Ethel Austin.

  • Struggling stores pin hopes on hot summer

    5 April 2008

    High street retailers are hoping that a hot summer will revive flagging sales, but have given up all hope of matching last year’s figures.

  • New Look refocuses on UK

    5 April 2008

    New Look is understood to be in the process of restructuring its management board to help refocus the business.

  • JT Morgan sues local council for lost trade

    5 April 2008

    Swansea department store JT Morgan has launched legal action against the local council in an attempt bid to reclaim £800,000 in lost trade after roadworks pushed the business into administration.

  • JT Morgan sues local council for lost trade

    4 April 2008

    Swansea department store JT Morgan has launched legal action against the local council in an attempt bid to reclaim £800,000 in lost trade after roadworks pushed the business into administration.

  • H&M in tie up with Comme Des Garcons

    3 April 2008

    Comme des Garçons' founder and head designer Rei Kawakubo is the latest guest collection to join forces with H&M.

  • H&M in tie up with Comme Des Garcons

    3 April 2008

    Comme des Garçons' founder and head designer Rei Kawakubo is the latest guest collection to join forces with H&M.

  • Moss Bros records £1.4m loss, like-for-likes flat

    3 April 2008

    Moss Bros has slipped into to the red posting pre-tax losses of £1.4 million for the year ended January 26.

  • Greenwoods rules itself out of Moss Bros bid

    2 April 2008

    Greenwoods, the menswear multiple, has pulled out of the running to buy Moss Bros after failing to reach an agreement with family shareholders in the business.

  • Baugur links up with London College of Fashion

    1 April 2008

    Investment group Baugur has pledged to sponsor the London College of Fashion’s graduate fashion shows and will offer the students work placements at its companies and a mentoring service.

  • BFC launches search for New Gen designers

    1 April 2008

    The British Fashion Council has kicked off its search for the next round of New Generation sponsored designers at London Fashion Week.

  • Start date postponed for new Beales boss

    1 April 2008

    Tony Brown's start date as chief executive of department store Beales has been put back to June 1.

  • BFA appoints new chief executive

    31 March 2008

    Richard Kottler has been appointed chief executive of the British Footwear Association.

  • Profits rise but like-for-likes tumble at Alexon

    31 March 2008

    Alexon, the multi-brand womenswear group, saw like-for-like sales plunge 5.6% for the year ended January 26, but operating profit (excluding exceptionals) rose to £10.5 million against £9.9m the previous year.

  • Steve Makin

    29 March 2008

    There is no room for mediocrity at 10-store branded footwear retailer Footasylum, as its co-founder strives to bring passion and innovation back to the trainer market.

  • John Lewis bucks Easter misery

    28 March 2008

    John Lewis scored Easter sales 7% ahead of last year, shaking off last weekend's collapse in footfall amidst the unseasonal weather.

  • A week in fashion: the buying conundrum

    28 March 2008

    April 12. That is the date etched on most retailer's minds as we come out of Easter week and the first of the school holidays.

  • Liberty of London launches transactional site

    28 March 2008

    Liberty has launched a transactional website selling accessories under its own label Liberty of London.

  • Is Carla Bruni the new Diana?

    27 March 2008

    President Sarkozy. Who? Looking at the newspapers this morning, Sarkozy barely gets a name check despite him being on an official state visit to the UK.

  • DR Shoes appoints new designer

    27 March 2008

    Footwear supplier DR Shoes has appointed Scott Wills to the permanent position of men's footwear designer.

  • Laura Ashley like-for-likes slump but profits soar

    27 March 2008

    Fashion to furnishings retailer Laura Ashley saw like-for-like fashion sales collapse 4.4% for the year to January 26 but group profit before tax soared 62.3% to £19.8 million.

  • Morgan to shut UK retail operation

    26 March 2008

    French young fashion brand Morgan is close its seven UK stores and 28 department store concessions.

  • Now is the time for retail acquisitions says Plimsoll

    26 March 2008

    The economic downturn has brought big opportunities for UK fashion retailers to buy each other out and strengthen their position in the market according to a report by industry analysts Plimsoll.

  • JT Morgan rescued by management

    25 March 2008

    JT Morgan, the Swansea department store, has been rescued from administration by its management team.

  • Mike Lynskey joins Timberland

    25 March 2008

    Mike Lynskey has been appointed European wholesale director of footwear brand Timberland.

  • George Clooney denies he is to launch a fashion range

    25 March 2008

    Hollywood actor George Clooney has denied reports he is to launch a luxury menswear, womenswear and accessories collection bearing his name.

  • Splash the cash or bag a bargain?

    22 March 2008

    As shoppers weigh up the difference between a synthetic bag from New Look and a botox-injected Zagliani python-skin handbag, we ask what’s next for the accessories market.

  • M&S inks joint venture deal for Central and Eastern Europe

    20 March 2008

    Marks & Spencer has entered into a joint venture with franchise operator Coms to expand in Central Europe and Eastern Europe.

  • H&M to open Divided store in London's Camden

    19 March 2008

    H&M will open its first UK standalone under its Divided brand in Camden, North London.

  • BRC says Easter sales will rise 3%

    19 March 2008

    The British Retail Consortium predicts that the eight days of Easter sales will be worth £8 billion to retailers, up 3% on last year

  • Skechers launches television advert for adult ranges

    19 March 2008

    Skechers has kicked off its biggest ever spend on advertising in the UK and Ireland with the launch of a television campaign for its adult ranges this week.

  • Schuh completes refinancing deal

    19 March 2008

    Schuh has completed a £36 million refinancing package which will help fund expansion of the chain from 50 stores to 90 shops.

  • Next boosted by Directory sales

    19 March 2008

    Next saw group pre-tax profit rise 4.1% to £498 million for the year to January 2008, helped by a robust performance by Next Directory business and good cost controls.

  • Sir Philip Green to speak at the World Retail Congress

    18 March 2008

    Sir Philip Green will join the World Retail Congress’ Hall of Fame this year, which recognises the contribution that key individuals have made to modern retailing. Green will also share his views on the future of retail at the conference in Barcelona on April 9.

  • Gap and All Saints join Liverpool One line up

    18 March 2008

    Gap, All Saints, Monsoon and Principles are among the latest lettings at the Liverpool One development.

  • Fenwick snaps up Williams & Griffin

    18 March 2008

    Fenwick has bought Williams & Griffin, the Colchester department store, for an undisclosed sum.

  • Blacks investigates £2m accounting discrepancies

    18 March 2008

    Blacks Leisure had discovered accounting discrepancies relating to its O'Neill operation and has suspended Darren Spurling, the managing director of the operation.

  • Debenhams like-for-like sales fall 0.7%

    18 March 2008

    Debenhams saw sales rise 1.2% for the 26 weeks ended March 1 but like-for-like sales fell back 0.7%, hit by the challenging trading conditions in January and February.

  • Ted Baker sales soar

    18 March 2008

    Ted Baker saw retail sales climb 15.5% for the 52 weeks ended January 26, helping group profit before tax rise 10% to £22.1 million.

  • Stylo offloads Shellys

    17 March 2008

    Stylo has sold its Shellys brand to Hong Kong-based footwear supplier Eternal Best Industries.

  • Debenhams to launch Easter Sale tomorrow

    17 March 2008

    Debenhams will launch a half price Sale tomorrow, two weeks after Marks & Spencer kicked off the Easter discounting season.

  • Swedish duo to grow after H&M acquisition

    15 March 2008

    Young fashion retailer H&M will lead the expansion of Swedish fashion chains Monki and Weekday, after it bought a 60% stake in parent company Fabric Scandinavien last week.

  • Shucandi hits the market

    13 March 2008

    Marianna Katsoulis, former head of accessories at womenswear chain Wallis, has launched footwear label Shucandi London for autumn 08.

  • Sports Direct confident of meeting forecasts

    13 March 2008

    Sports Direct International said it was confident it would meet revised EBITDA forecasts of £148 million for the full year.

  • Suits You bought by Egyptian supplier

    12 March 2008

    SRG, the company behind Suits You, has been bought by Egyptian menswear supplier Arafa Holding.

  • French Connection hit by consumer downturn

    12 March 2008

    French Connection saw profits plunge 22.5% to £3.1 million for the year to January 31.

  • Designer bags to suffer in wake of consumer slowdown

    11 March 2008

    Sales of designer handbags and celebrity 'It-bags' will dip as shoppers tighten their belts and opt for cheaper high street versions according to a report by Mintel.

  • Chloe replaces creative director

    11 March 2008

    Chloe has appointed Hannah MacGibbon as creative director.

  • Chloe appoints new creative director

    11 March 2008

    Chloe has appointed Hannah MacGibbon as creative director.

  • Chloe appoints new creative director

    11 March 2008

    Chloe has appointed Hannah MacGibbon as creative director.

  • February clothing sales down for fifth consecutive month

    11 March 2008

    Like-for-like retail sales in February rose 1.5% but clothing and footwear sales were well below last year for the fifth consecutive month.

  • Losses widen at Liberty

    11 March 2008

    Department store Liberty saw EBITDA losses widen to £3.6m for the year to December 31 2007 because of increased investment in its Liberty of London own brand venture.

  • Marchpole appoints group finance director

    10 March 2008

    Marchpole has promoted John Macaulay to group finance director.

  • H&M unveils its design for dominance

    10 March 2008

    H&M has thrown down the gauntlet to its value competitors with its new statement store on London’s Regent Street.

  • Ventura set to deliver an inside job

    10 March 2008

    Third-party retailers are now being offered the services and know-how of the Next-backed distribution business.

  • Rose announces retirement date amidst M&S management rejig

    10 March 2008

    Sir Stuart Rose will step down from Marks & Spencer in July 2011.

  • House of Fraser to introduce staff bonus scheme

    10 March 2008

    House of Fraser is to introduce a new staff bonus scheme, which will net its store staff the equivalent of four weeks pay if it hits profit targets this year.

  • Crunch time for credit

    10 March 2008

    As consumer spending dives on the back of the credit squeeze, wholesalers and suppliers are also starting to feel the pinch.

  • Donatella Versace to chair Fashion Fringe

    10 March 2008

    Donatella Versace is to take over from Tom Ford as chair of the Fashion Fringe competition.

  • Alan White

    10 March 2008

    Anyone looking at N Brown’s figures would think there was no such thing as an economic slowdown. And chief executive Alan White sees no reason why business will not continue to boom at the niche home shopping group.

  • Luke

    9 March 2008

    Indie-loyal menswear label Luke has grown from a bedroom business into a booming brand in just six years.

  • A week in fashion: The hunt for Easter sales

    7 March 2008

    The early Easter is giving retailers a terrible headache around their discount and promotional strategies.

  • Belfast's Victoria Square scheme opens

    7 March 2008

    Victoria Square, the £400 million shopping centre development in Belfast, attracted 70,000 visitors on opening day yesterday.

  • Gap like-for-likes fall 6% in February

    6 March 2008

    Sales at Gap were flat during February at $907 million (£451.6m) but like-for-likes collapsed 6%.

  • Debenhams to test charging for carrier bags

    6 March 2008

    Debenhams is to trial charging its customers 5p for each carrier bag - the first fashion retailer to levy a charge on shopping bags.

  • John Lewis storms 2007

    6 March 2008

    John Lewis saw operating profits (excluding property profits) climb 12% to £189.9 million for the year ended January 26, which helped generate a 20% salary bonus for John Lewis partners.

  • H&M acquires Cheap Monday

    6 March 2008

    H&M has bought a 60% stake in Swedish fashion company Fabric Scandinavien which owns the Weekday and Monki chains as well as the Cheap Monday denim brand.

  • Minimum wage rises to £5.73

    5 March 2008

    The National Minimum Wage will rise from £5.52 to £5.73 for over 21 year olds from October 2008.

  • Joules website relaunches

    5 March 2008

    Lifestyle retailer and brand Joules has relaunched its website with a new look and improved navigation.

  • M&S launches 50% off Sale

    4 March 2008

    Marks & Spencer is the latest retailer to launch a spring clearance Sale and is offering up to 50% off its fashion collections.

  • Umbro gets new boss after Nike takeover

    4 March 2008

    Nike has appointed Matthew Cook, the former general manager of Nike Italy, as chief executive and president of Umbro following its takeover of the brand yesterday.

  • Patrick Cox in rescue attempt

    3 March 2008

    Patrick Cox is reported to be in talks to rescue the business after the Chinese backers of the company withdrew their support last week.

  • Spring discounting kicks off

    3 March 2008

    House of Fraser kicked off spring discounting on the high street this weekend and rival Debenhams will hold its first spring promotional event this week.

  • JC Penney hopes own brand will boost sales

    1 March 2008

    JC Penney has launched its largest own brand offer across 600 department stores to help differentiate its offer from rivals and halt sliding sales.

  • Kurt Geiger hits US after buyout

    1 March 2008

    Kurt Geiger will dip its toe into the US wholesale market this year, following a £95 million secondary buyout of the luxury footwear retailer by private equity group Graphite Capital.

  • Micam hit by early dateline

    29 February 2008

    Milan footwear show Micam saw attendance drop back this season because of an early dateline and a clash with Paris accessories show Première Classe.

  • Mexx to close UK stores

    27 February 2008

    Liz Claiborne is to shut down its Mexx retail operation in the UK.

  • Select Retail in administration

    26 February 2008

    Value fashion chain Select has gone into administration after difficult trading at the start of the year.

  • JJB offloads Soccer Domes to focus on core retail chain

    26 February 2008

    JJB Sports has sold five of its Soccer Domes to Powerleague, the organiser of 5-a-side football tournaments, for £17.4 million.

  • Fairtrade Fortnight kicks off

    25 February 2008

    Fairtrade Fortnight launched today as the Fairtrade Foundation said retail sales of Fairtrade products hit £500 million.

  • Primark like-for-likes rise 4%

    25 February 2008

    Associated British Foods said that Primark, its value retail chain, saw profits and sales substantially ahead of the previous year which helped offset declines in other parts of its business.

  • Kurt Geiger sold for £95 million

    23 February 2008

    Kurt Geiger has been sold to Graphite Capital in a deal thought to be worth around £95 million.

  • Jos van Tilburg

    23 February 2008

    As G-Star’s popularity continues to rocket, founder Jos van Tilburg reveals his plans to maintain the brand’s cool credibility while driving the franchise business.

  • Jones in Wal-Mart deal

    23 February 2008

    Jones Apparel Group has inked a deal to supply Wal-Mart with its L.e.i kidswear brand and will introduce a fast fashion model across its womenswear brands.

  • Stylo Dolcis deal buoys suppliers

    23 February 2008

    Suppliers welcomed Stylo’s rescue of Dolcis this week, saying it marked the next stage in the recovery for the middle-market footwear sector.

  • Cacharel boss departs

    21 February 2008

    Philippe Cardon, the chief executive of Cacharel, has left the business after only a few months in the role.

  • Old Navy boss steps down

    20 February 2008

    Dawn Robertson, president of Gap's Old Navy brand, has resigned with immediate effect.

  • Base London plans international expansion

    20 February 2008

    Footwear brand Base London has hired Jonathan Frost as export sales manager to lead its expansion overseas.

  • London retail sales growth slows

    18 February 2008

    Like-for-like retail sales in central London rose 3.7 per cent during January, well below the 6.6 per cent posted last year, according to a report by the London Retail Consortium.

  • Marchpole makes Phillips executive chairman

    18 February 2008

    Marchpole has appointed Chris Phillips as executive chairman with immediate effect.

  • Arnotts to axe 580 jobs during new store construction

    18 February 2008

    Arnotts, the Dublin based department store, will shed 580 jobs during the construction phase of the new Northern Quarter and its new store.

  • A week in fashion: stores can make or break a range

    15 February 2008

    H&M's new concept store on London's Regent Street is a new benchmark for value fashion retailers. The store is at least as exciting as nearby River Island and anyone flogging £4 catwalk-copies from a white box ought to be worried.

  • John Lewis sees mixed sales amidst mild weather

    15 February 2008

    John Lewis saw sales rise 5% for the week to February 9 but sales were hit by mild weather last weekend.

  • H&M sales improve in January

    15 February 2008

    H&M saw like-for-like sales rise 3% in the month of January.

  • Brantano launches 'new for old' charity campaign

    14 February 2008

    Brantano has launched a new campaign to recycle old shoes and raise money for baby charity Tommy's.

  • H&M to open Regent Street

    14 February 2008

    H&M will open its new flagship in London's Regent Street at midday today but Drapers had a sneak preview of the shop last night.

  • Stylo buys Dolcis

    14 February 2008

    Stylo has bought Dolcis out of administration, as predicted by Drapersonline.com on Monday.

  • Barclays appoints new head of retail and wholesale

    13 February 2008

    Barclays Commercial Bank has appointed Jeremy Rance as national director of the retail and wholesale sectors.

  • LFW: Day three Christopher Kane

    13 February 2008

    Christopher Kane showed a collection inspired by the Pre-Raphelites for autumn 08.

  • Retail sector faces 'toughest year'

    13 February 2008

    The UK retail sector will slip back into negative like-for-likes this year with the slowdown in consumer spending compounded by space saturation and intense competition, according to a report by Verdict Research Consulting.

  • M&S distributes discount vouchers for staff

    13 February 2008

    Marks & Spencer has issued thousands of discount vouchers to its staff.

  • Vivienne Westwood wants British designers to return to London

    12 February 2008

    Vivienne Westwood has called for British designers to return to London to support the capital's fashion week.

  • LFW day two: Ossie Clark relaunch

    12 February 2008

    The Ossie Clark label made its comeback yesterday at London Fashion Week.

  • French Connection appoints ex-Adams boss to the board

    11 February 2008

    French Connection has appointed former Myriad Childrenswear chief executive Dean Murray as non-executive director.

  • Pure opens in optimistic mood

    11 February 2008

    Womenswear exhibitors at Pure were upbeat on day one of the show but footfall was stronger in the footwear and accessories areas.

  • LFW show of the day: Biba

    11 February 2008

    The comeback of iconic 1960s label Biba lifted London Fashion Week on opening day yesterday.

  • Alexon appoints new chairman

    8 February 2008

    Alexon Group has appointed Richard Handover as non-executive chairman.

  • A week in fashion: What makes an entrepreneur?

    8 February 2008

    The acquisition of Envy from Alexon by John Kinnaird this week, just one month after his Dolcis business collapsed into administration has outraged and intrigued suppliers, former employees and rival retailers.

  • SSG boss on the prowl for deals

    8 February 2008

    Shoe Studio Group chief operating officer John Egan will look at retail and supply deals and new opportunities after resigning from Mosaic Fashions last week.

  • Colin Temple

    5 February 2008

    As managing director at Schuh, Colin Temple’s firm grip on the retailer has enabled it to sneak under the radar and establish itself as one of footwear’s few recent success stories

  • Sector saved by Shoe Zone deal

    5 February 2008

    Shoe Zone has been hailed as the saviour of the footwear industry after it rescued the Stead & Simpson chain from administration.

  • Will footwear live happily ever after?

    5 February 2008

    It has been another frenzied week of footwear news, with Shoe Zone’s incredible rescue deal for Stead & Simpson.

  • Sports Direct to invest £20m in Chinese venture

    5 February 2008

    Sports Direct has signed an agreement to supply Chinese multi-brand retailer ITAT with some of its labels.

  • US footwear brands sign up to Pure exhibition

    4 February 2008

    The countdown to the launch of Pure's new footwear section has begun, with a raft of brands including You by Crocs and Steve Madden signing up to show.

  • Ecommerce provider Fresca bought by BT

    4 February 2008

    Fresca, the ecommerce solutions provider which runs transactional websites for Mosaic Fashions, Harvey Nichols and Moss Bros, has been bought by BT.

  • John Egan to leave SSG

    1 February 2008

    John Egan, chief operating officer of Shoe Studio Group, is to step down, 18 months after the business was acquired by Mosaic Fashions.

  • H&M scores strong 2007

    31 January 2008

    H&M saw sales rise 15% to SEK 78,346 million (£6.2m) and profits rise 21% to SEK 19,170m (£1.5bn) for the year to November 30.

  • TBC adds second tranche of labels

    30 January 2008

    Religion will show its Second Edition brand at TBC on February 10-11.

  • January high street Sales flat

    29 January 2008

    The high street only recorded a slight uplift in trading for the first half of January according to the CBI's Distributive Trades Survey.

  • Retail Trust raises £780,000

    29 January 2008

    The Retail Trust raised £780,000 at its 175th anniversary annual ball last night.

  • Shoe Zone reassures Stead & Simpson suppliers

    29 January 2008

    Shoe Zone will run Stead & Simpson as a branded family retailer after it rescued the business from administration yesterday.

  • Indies record disappointing Christmas

    29 January 2008

    Some 47% of independent retailers reported a worse Christmas than in 2006 according to the British Shops and Stores Association's quarterly sales monitor.

  • Dunhill appoints Kim Jones

    29 January 2008

    Menswear designer Kim Jones has been appointed creative director of Dunhill.

  • Sir Tom Hunter sells D2

    28 January 2008

    Sir Tom Hunter has offloaded his D2 chain to streamline his retail porfolio.

  • Littlewoods acquires Empire debtor book

    28 January 2008

    Littlewoods Shop Direct Group is to buy the Empire Stores name, its customer database and its debtor book as at the end of the current season's catalogue.

  • Dolcis and Stead & Simpson directors joins Barratts 'dream team'

    28 January 2008

    Roger Parr, the former Stead & Simpson buying director, is to join Stylo as women's buying director for Barratts while Dolcis buying director Richard Bower will take the position of merchandise director at the chain.

  • Hardy Amies sees sales rise

    28 January 2008

    Hardy Amies saw sales rise 35% to £1.64 million but will not break into profit this year.

  • Beales cautious after posting loss

    28 January 2008

    Beales has slipped into the red and recorded an operating loss of £1.07 million for the 53 weeks to November 3 2007.

  • Shoe Zone linked to Stead & Simpson stores

    25 January 2008

    Shoe Zone is rumoured to be close to buying up to 200 stores from the Stead & Simpson portfolio while Clinkards has purchased 12 shops from the footwear giant's branded division today.

  • A week in fashion: Specialists need to find their feet

    25 January 2008

    It's been another week of shoe news with the collapse of Dolcis and Faith wielding the axe on up to a quarter of its staff in head office. At the other end of the spectrum though the competition to buy Kurt Geiger is hotting up with five private equity companies battling for exclusivity on the deal.

  • Footwear specialists' market share crumbles

    25 January 2008

    Specialist footwear retailers saw their share of the market fall to around 41.8% in 2007 as more shoppers than ever opted to by their shoes from value clothing multiples and the supermarket.

  • John Lewis fights off doom and gloom fears

    25 January 2008

    John Lewis saw sales rise 8.3% to £46.4 million for the week to January 19.

  • Sales increase at The Original Factory Shop

    25 January 2008

    The Original Factory Shop saw like-for-like sales rise 4.7% for the nine weeks to January 13.

  • Dolcis in administration

    21 January 2008

    Beleaguered footwear retailer Dolcis has collapsed into administration after a long-running battle to save the business by owner John Kinnaird.

  • The White Company sees Xmas sales rise

    21 January 2008

    The White Company saw Christmas sales soar 12% for the 10 weeks to December 29, with like-for-likes 7% ahead.

  • Sports Direct reiterates EBITDA target

    21 January 2008

    Sports Direct scored group sales of £280 million and gross profit of £126m for the 11 weeks to January 13.

  • Empire Stores closes but N Brown powers ahead

    18 January 2008

    There were mixed fortunes in mail order this week as Redcats UK pulled the plug on its Empire Stores arm, but rival N Brown stepped into the winners’ camp in terms of Christmas trading.

  • ‘Dream team’ plots Barratts’ recovery

    18 January 2008

    Stylo is to kick-start a radical recovery strategy for its Barratts chain under its new “dream team” management.

  • Would you credit it?

    18 January 2008

    It might be a bloodbath on the high street but you wouldn’t know it from the buzz at the Bread & Butter show in Barcelona.

  • Tufnell snaps up Peter Werth

    15 January 2008

    Greg Tufnell, the former chief executive of fashion group Marchpole, has bought young fashion brand Peter Werth for an undisclosed sum.

  • Primark out in front after bright Xmas

    14 January 2008

    Consumer spending is down but Primark is set to report stellar Christmas sales and is gearing up to threaten the specialists.

  • M and M Direct sees Xmas sales rocket

    14 January 2008

    M and M Direct saw Christmas sales rocket 29% for the nine weeks to December 30.

  • Womenswear powers Xmas sales for N Brown

    14 January 2008

    N Brown, the home shopping retailer, recorded like-for-like sales ahead 14% for the 20 weeks ended January 12.

  • Trading up or trading down?

    11 January 2008

    Marks & Spencer and its disappointing trading update has been hotly debated by the industry all week.

  • Laura Ashley raises Moss Bros stake again

    11 January 2008

    Laura Ashley has raised its stake in troubled menswear retailer Moss Bros for the second time this week.

  • Beales warns on full year results

    10 January 2008

    Beales, the department store group, said that full year results would be below expectations after sales deteriorated in the run up to Christmas.

  • Tufnell snaps up Peter Werth

    10 January 2008

    Greg Tufnell, the former chief executive of fashion group Marchpole, has bought young fashion brand Peter Werth for an undisclosed sum.

  • Sainsbury's boosted by clothing sales

    10 January 2008

    Sainsbury's saw like-for-like sales grow 3.7% excluding fuel for the 12 weeks to December 29.

  • Liberty warns £7m costs will impact results

    10 January 2008

    Liberty recorded sales up 5% for the four weeks to December 24 but warned that £7 million of restructuring costs and investment in the Liberty of London brand would impact financial results for 2007.

  • JD to beat profit forecasts after strong Xmas trading

    10 January 2008

    The John David Group saw sales soar 9.3% for the eight week Christmas trading period to January 5 and said full year profits would beat market expectations.

  • Jacques Vert sales soften in run up to Xmas

    10 January 2008

    Jacques Vert saw like-for-likes fall back 2.2% for the 10 weeks from October 27, as sales slowed after the first half.

  • Select secured by foreign investors

    9 January 2008

    Select, the young fashion chain, has finalised an emergency funding package worth £13 million with foreign investors.

  • Laura Ashley ups stake in Moss Bros

    9 January 2008

    Laura Ashley has raised its stake in menswear retailer Moss Bros to 4.44%.

  • Sir Stuart Rose splashes £1m on M&S shares

    9 January 2008

    Sir Stuart Rose, the chief executive of Marks & Spencer, has splashed out £1 million on shares in the company signalling he is confident the business is well placed to trade through the economic crisis in 2008.

  • Sir Stuart Rose splashes £1m on M&S shares

    9 January 2008

    Sir Stuart Rose, the chief executive of Marks & Spencer, has splashed out £1 million on shares in the company signalling he is confident the business is well placed to trade through the economic crisis in 2008.

  • Hawkshead appoints brand director

    8 January 2008

    Hawkshead, the outdoor brand, has appointed Richard Utting as brand director.

  • John Lewis scores strong Christmas like-for-likes

    8 January 2008

    John Lewis outperformed the market this Christmas, scoring like-for-like sales growth of 6.2% for the five weeks to January 5.

  • Alexon post-Christmas pick up pushes profits to top of expectations

    8 January 2008

    Alexon, the multi-fascia fashion group, said that pre-tax profits would be at least £12.5 million for the year after post-Christmas sales were better than expected.

  • Christmas sales slowest for three years

    8 January 2008

    Like-for-like retail sales grew 0.3% in December - the slowest rate of growth for three years according to the British Retail Consortium.

  • Select confident of rescue investment

    7 January 2008

    Select, the value fashion chain, is close to finalising a deal with a foreign investor which will save the business from administration.

  • A tale of two Sale strategies

    4 January 2008

    So Christmas has put retailers firmly into two camps: winners and losers. No surprise there then but what did effect did the pre-Christmas discounting have on profits and what is the potential fall out for January trading which is traditionally motored by bargain hunters?

  • McQueen targeted by London thieves

    4 January 2008

    Alexander McQueen's head office in East London was robbed over the Christmas break according to reports.

  • JJB non-exec retires

    4 January 2008

    JJB Sports non-executive director Andrew Thomas has retired after 13 years in the post.

  • Otto returns to family ownership

    3 January 2008

    Mail order group Otto is back in family hands after chairman Michael Otto bought back the 25% stake held by publishing group WAZ.

  • David Lockyer joins Stylo board

    3 January 2008

    David Lockyer, the former chief executive of Stead & Simpson, has joined Stylo as non-executive director.

  • London Fashion Week unveils provisional schedule

    3 January 2008

    Vivienne Westwood is confirmed as one of this season's big draw designers at London Fashion Week in February but Jonathan Saunders has defected to show in New York this season.

  • Next 'cautious' despite profit uplift

    3 January 2008

    Like-for-like sales at Next’s stores fell 3.2% for the period July 30 to December 24 but full year pre-tax profits will beat market expectations thanks to tight cost controls.

  • Fashion bosses recognised in New Years Honours list

    2 January 2008

    Marks & Spencer chief executive Stuart Rose was awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year Honours list, while River Island managing director Richard Bradbury and Oasis founder Maurice Bennett were honoured with CBEs.

  • It's Christmas crunch time

    21 December 2007

    Retailers may be heading off to their fancy holiday homes and yachts next week, but one thing's for sure there won't be many of them relaxing over the next few days.

  • High street footfall collapses pre-Christmas

    21 December 2007

    The number of people out Christmas shopping this week has plummeted according to figures from Footfall.

  • Pre-Xmas discounts deeper than last year

    21 December 2007

    Discounting on the high street this Christmas is deeper and more widespread according to the Ernst & Young Christmas Retail Pricing Survey.

  • Landmark and Hobbs lead first round bids for LK Bennett

    20 December 2007

    Middle-Eastern retailer Landmark Group and Hobbs are believed to be among the parties submitting first round bids for LK Bennett today.

  • December sales growth the slowest for a year

    19 December 2007

    Retailers experienced the slowest sales growth in more than a year for the first two weeks of December.

  • Cherokee sale in the offing

    19 December 2007

    US casualwear brand Cherokee has hired Goldman Sachs to investigate options for maximising shareholder value, which could lead to a sale of the company.

  • Sports Direct profits crash

    19 December 2007

    Sports Direct said pre-tax profits fell 35.2% to £52 million for the 26 weeks to October 28.

  • SRG banks on 2008 recovery

    18 December 2007

    Menswear company Speciality Retail Group will open five new stores next year under the Suits You fascia as it battles through its recovery plan.

  • Nike in talks with Ashley over Umbro bid

    18 December 2007

    Nike is in talks with Sports Direct deputy chairman Mike Ashley in an attempt to persuade him not to block its £285 million bid for football brand Umbro.

  • JJB buys Original Shoe Co

    18 December 2007

    JJB Sports has bought Original Shoe Company from Sports Direct in a surprise £5 million deal.

  • John Lewis smashes £100m sales mark

    17 December 2007

    John Lewis has smashed the £100 million weekly sales barrier, scoring its biggest ever trading week.

  • Xmas Sale watch: Number of Sales doubles says Patonz

    17 December 2007

    The number of retailers on Sale has doubled against last week according to Patonz, the retail networking association.

  • Laura Ashley like-for-likes collapse

    14 December 2007

    Laura Ashley reported like-for-like sales down 10.8% for the 19 weeks from July 28 but said full year profit would be in line with market expectations.

  • New year, new job?

    14 December 2007

    With Christmas trading as depressing as it is, it's no wonder so many people are already thinking about jumping ship and looking for a new job with a clean slate in the new year.

  • Xmas Sale watch: Laura Ashley and Moss buckle

    14 December 2007

    Laura Ashley and Moss both launched their pre-Christmas Sales yesterday with discounts of up to 50%.

  • Mandelson calls for fair trade with China

    14 December 2007

    EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has said he is ready to use all of the instruments at his disposal if the end of quotas on clothing in January causes a sudden upsurge in Chinese textile imports.

  • Shareholder fury as Baugur circles Moss

    13 December 2007

    Moss Bros shareholders have reacted angrily to Icelandic investor Baugur’s statement that it is considering a bid for the group and called for the immediate appointment of a new chairman.

  • Xmas Sale watch: French Connection kicks off discounts

    13 December 2007

    French Connection has gone on Sale today with discounts of up to 50%.

  • Karstadt owner to join forces with rivals

    13 December 2007

    Arcandor, the owner of Germany's Karstadt Premium department stores, said that Italian department store chain La Rinascente and French department store Printemps had agreed to take cross stakes in each others operations, to create a European super group.

  • Mulberry bucks consumer slowdown

    13 December 2007

    Luxury brand Mulberry recorded retail like-for-like sales up 9% for the nine weeks to December 1 - well above trading performance of middle-market players on the high street.

  • Patrick Cox label to be sold

    11 December 2007

    Patrick Cox is understood to have been put up for sale after a mooted licensing deal with House of Fraser collapsed.

  • BRC appoints Stephen Robertson new director general

    11 December 2007

    Stephen Robertson, the former marketing director of Woolworths, has been appointed director general of the British Retail Consortium, replacing the outgoing Kevin Hawkins.

  • Radley bought by Exponent Private Equity

    11 December 2007

    Premium handbag brand Radley has been bought by Exponent Private Equity, valuing the business at £130 million.

  • Gresham injects £21m into Hotter Shoes

    11 December 2007

    Gresham Private Equity has taken a minority stake in British-made comfort footwear brand Hotter Shoes.

  • The best of the headlines from the weekend papers

    10 December 2007

    Highlights from the weekend's paper December 8-9.

  • John Lewis beats last year's Christmas sales record

    10 December 2007

    John Lewis has smashed last year's biggest Christmas week with sales nearing £96 million for the week ending December 8. The record trading came one week earlier than last year's biggest Christmas week at the department store.

  • Baugur plots bid for Moss Bros

    10 December 2007

    Baugur is planning a £40 million bid for Moss Bros, after the menswear group issued a profit warning last week.

  • Hobbs appoints new creative director

    10 December 2007

    Hobbs has appointed Sandy Verdon as creative director.

  • JD acquires Bank

    10 December 2007

    The John David group has splashed out £18.5 million buying branded fashion chain Bank as predicted by Drapers (December 1).

  • Interest rate cut means little to shoppers

    7 December 2007

    Trimming interest rates by quarter of a per cent will make little different to the cash in consumer pockets this Christmas.

  • High Street will die, says David Jones

    7 December 2007

    Retail guru and former Next chief executive David Jones has forecast a revolution in British shopping habits and the death of the high street.

  • New Look launches transactional website

    7 December 2007

    New Look has launched its transactional website, with the new site going live last night.

  • Topshop is target of demonstrations today

    6 December 2007

    High street retailers will be bracing themselves for a raft of demonstrations about factory worker exploitation outside their stores today.

  • Former Lambert Howarth boss joins Theo Fennell

    6 December 2007

    Pamela Harper, the former chief executive of the defunct Lambert Howarth, has been appointed chief executive of luxury jewellery company Theo Fennell.

  • Alexon issues profit warning

    6 December 2007

    Alexon has issued a profit warning after like-for-like sales crashed 7% in the 18 weeks to December 1.

  • JD relaunches London flagship

    5 December 2007

    The John David Group unveiled its revamped Oxford Street flagship store last night.

  • Moss Bros warns on profit

    5 December 2007

    Moss Bros said like-for-like sales fell 1.5% for the 18 weeks to date after footfall dipped and sales slowed in the last seven weeks.

  • Footfall slump piles on Christmas fears

    4 December 2007

    Footfall fell back 3.5% for the week commencing November 26 against last year, prompting further fears that Christmas sales will be a wash out this year.

  • Shoplifting to surge this Christmas

    4 December 2007

    Retailers must brace themselves for a huge surge in shoplifting in the run up to Christmas - £431.2 million worth of stock will be stolen from UK stores in the four-week period according to Checkpoint Systems.

  • November sales uplift driven by discounting

    4 December 2007

    UK retail sales in November grew 1.2% on a like-for-like basis but this was driven by heavy discounting.

  • JD invests in Focus Group

    4 December 2007

    The John David Group is to invest in design and license business Focus Group after like-for-like sales at the sports retailer rose 11.8% for the 44 weeks to December 1.

  • Christmas rush 'yet to materialise' says CBI

    1 December 2007

    High street sales are up but retailers will need a late Christmas rush to score a strong performance according to the CBI High Street Survey.

  • Debenhams renegotiates with banks

    1 December 2007

    Debenhams has rejigged lending terms with its banks to prevent it from breaching covenants.

  • Julien Macdonald gets boost from Matalan family

    1 December 2007

    Jamey Hargreaves, son of the Matalan founder John Hargreaves, has invested in London Fashion Week label Julien Macdonald.

  • Londoncentral adds new exhibitors

    1 December 2007

    Londonedge and Londoncentral will showcase a raft of new exhibitors next season.

  • Mariella Burani approached by private equity

    1 December 2007

    Mariella Burani, which owns the Mariella Burani and René Lezard brands, has received approaches from private equity firms.

  • No excuses: Luxury lags behind on ethics

    1 December 2007

    So the World Wildlife Fund has slammed luxury goods retailers for a lack of commitment to ethical policies in the same week that luxury guru Tom Ford told an international conference that it was time for the sector to radically rethink its policies.

  • Stella McCartney picks up Designer of the Year

    1 December 2007

    Stella McCartney picked up the prestigious Designer of the Year Award at the British Fashion Awards last night.

  • David Jones joins JJB Sports

    30 November 2007

    Former Next chief executive and chairman David Jones has joined JJB Sports as non-executive director.

  • SRG sales and profits dip

    30 November 2007

    SRG, which owns the Suits You chain, has recorded a 7% dip in gross profit to £36.7 million and a 10% slide in sales to £65.4m for the year ended January 2007 - its first full year under ownership of Gresham Private Equity.

  • JD rumours bring more brand headaches

    30 November 2007

    Speculation that The John David Group is eyeing young branded fashion chain Bank reached fever pitch this week.

  • Cruise opens Nottingham store

    30 November 2007

    Cruise opened its 13th store in Nottingham yesterday

  • Findel reports record first half results

    29 November 2007

    Findel, the home shopping group which owns The Cotswold Company and Kitbag businesses, saw pre-tax profit shoot up 107% to £8.5 million for the six months to September 30.

  • Blacks appoints new chief executive

    24 November 2007

    Blacks Leisure has appointed Neil Gillis as chief executive of the group with immediate effect.

  • Christmas sales figures to rise

    24 November 2007

    Christmas sales will be ahead by between 2% and 3% against last year according to a report by Mintel.

  • Michael H appoints brand sales manager

    24 November 2007

    The Fashion House of Michael H has appointed Karen Peacock as its UK brand sales manager.

  • Saks reports strong third quarter

    24 November 2007

    US department store group Saks saw like-for-like sales fire ahead 11.4% for the third quarter ended November 3.

  • The battle of the Christmas promotion

    24 November 2007

    ‘Tis the season to promote your wears ahead of Christmas, but how do retailers decide when, how and what to offer their customers as an extra incentive to spend with them?

  • Burberry posts stellar performance

    17 November 2007

    Burberry saw underlying revenue and profit climb 19% for the six months to September 30.

  • Diesel to launch premium range

    17 November 2007

    Diesel is to launch a top-end casualwear line called Diesel Black Gold for autumn 08.

  • H and M reports strong October

    17 November 2007

    H&M said October sales in local currencies rose 15% against the previous year.

  • House of Fraser strengthens board

    17 November 2007

    House of Fraser has promoted Mark Gifford to chief finance officer and appointed Colin Porter, its commercial director to the board.

  • Management change brings challenges and opportunities

    17 November 2007

    The departure of Moss Bros chairman Keith Hamill presents a real opportunity for shake up at the menswear business.

  • Marchpole profits fall back on expansion

    17 November 2007

    Marchpole, the brand supplier and distributor, saw first half pre-tax profit slump to £0.5 million for the six months to September 30 against £4m for the same period last year.

  • Moss Bros chairman to retire

    17 November 2007

    Keith Hamill, the chairman of Moss Bros, is to retire after almost seven years at the suiting specialist.

  • Richemont reports strong six months

    17 November 2007

    Luxury goods group Richemont grew operating profit by 28% to €560 million (£400m) for the six months to September 30.

  • Ted Baker posts strong Q3 results

    17 November 2007

    Ted Baker saw group revenue rise 14.3% for the 13 weeks to November 10.

  • John Heath

    13 November 2007

    A year after acquiring designer mini-chain Cruise, John Heath is quietly contemplating his next move.

  • Alexon says trading remains challenging

    10 November 2007

    Alexon has said autumn trading continued to be challenging, reiterating the statement it gave about sales at its interim results in September.

  • Kids’ stuff for Hugo Boss

    10 November 2007

    Hugo Boss is to launch kidswear under its Boss Orange brand and expand its tailoring offer under the casualwear label next year.

  • Marks and Spencer post strong first half performance

    10 November 2007

    Marks and Spencer saw sales rise 6.5% to £4.2 billion and adjusted operating profit soar 9.1% to £488 million for the 26 weeks to September 29, thanks to a strong performance across fashion.

  • Marks and Spencer posts strong first half results

    10 November 2007

    Marks and Spencer saw sales rise 6.5% to £4.2 billion and adjusted operating profit soar 9.1% to $488 million for the 26 weeks to September 29, thanks to a strong performance across fashion.

  • US luxury spend dips

    10 November 2007

    Luxury goods retailers in the US are facing the prospect of an horrific Christmas after a sharp downturn in domestic consumer confidence.

  • Harris Tweed industry rescued by Scottish oil trader

    3 November 2007

    The Harris Tweed industry has been saved by Scottish oil trader Ian Taylor, who will reopen Shawbost mill on the Hebridean island of Lewis.

  • High Street Hit or Miss: Glasgow

    3 November 2007

    Fashion and footwear retailers have raised their game when it comes to accessories this season, with most retailers in our Hit or Miss survey scoring highly. The reason?

  • Inditex plans accessories chain

    3 November 2007

    Spanish retail group Inditex is creating a new accessories-only standalone concept.

  • Mary Queen of Shops seeks indies for second series

    3 November 2007

    Mary Portas star of the BBC 2 programme 'Mary Queen of Shops' is seeking the final two independent retailers to take part in the second series.

  • Sports Direct ups stake in Umbro

    3 November 2007

    Sports Direct has upped its stake in Umbro to 29.9% sparking speculation it may try to thwart Nike's takeover of the sports brand.

  • Cruise founder returns to industry with Sand role

    20 October 2007

    Cruise founder Jim Gibson has made a surprise return to the industry to lead Sand’s retail operation.

  • Anya Hindmarch targeted by robbers

    20 October 2007

    Accessories label Anya Hindmarch has had £20,000 of stock stolen from its Ledbury Road store in London.

  • European retailers face uncertain outlook

    20 October 2007

    European retailers reliant on discretionary spending such as fashion are facing a tough outlook for the rest of 2007 and in to 2008 according to a report by Moody's.

  • Mothercare reports strong second quarter

    20 October 2007

    Mothercare saw like-for-like sales in the UK rise 3.9% for the 13 weeks to October 13.

  • Nike sets sights on Umbro

    20 October 2007

    US sportswear giant Nike is understood to be the unnamed suitor behind a bid for Umbro, following an announcement yesterday by the business that it had received a buyout approach.

  • Pitti Uomo organisers bullish despite Zegna exit

    20 October 2007

    The organisers of Pitti Uomo are confident the show will retain its importance on the menswear buying calender despite the departure of key exhibitor Zegna from the January edition.

  • Postal strikes deliver a blow to mail order

    13 October 2007

    Mail order and internet retailers were dealt a bitter blow by the postal strike this week, which delayed hundreds of thousands of catalogues that were en route to customers.

  • Kurt Geiger to launch in the Middle East

    13 October 2007

    Kurt Geiger has inked a deal with Landmark Gulf Group to take the luxury footwear chain to the Middle East.

  • N Brown posts stellar first half performance

    13 October 2007

    Sales at mail order company N Brown shot up 13.6% to £290.6 million for the six months to August 25 helped by a strong performance in womenswear.

  • Stella McCartney and Christopher Kane make British Fashion Awards shortlist

    13 October 2007

    The British Fashion Council has unveiled its shortlist for the British Fashion Awards 2007 which takes place on November 27.

  • Timberland Takes Back UK Rights to SmartWool

    13 October 2007

    Timberland has taken back the UK rights to distribute SmartWool products.

  • Veteran analyst Richard Ratner dies

    13 October 2007

    Richard Ratner, one of the retail industry's leading analysts, died yesterday after suffering a heart attack last week.

  • Blacks rebels meet Adrian Wright to discuss CEO role

    6 October 2007

    Former Moss Bros chief executive Adrian Wright is understood to be meeting with rebel Blacks Leisure shareholders this week about taking the chief executive role at the retailer.

  • Bench and Hooch owner strengthens management team

    6 October 2007

    Americana, the owner of Bench and Hooch, has strengthened its management team with a raft of new appointments including new chairman Mike Metcalf, the former chief operating officer at Burberry.

  • BRC calls for minimum wage controls

    6 October 2007

    The new minimum wage comes into force today, as the British Retail Consortium said that last year’s hike cost retailers £1.7 billion - 13% above expectations.

  • Column: Autumn brings sales bonanza but will Christmas be crackers?

    6 October 2007

    It seems that all that talk of doom and gloom was premature and fashion retailers are actually reporting a cracking start to autumn sales.

  • FrostFrench store targeted by burglars

    6 October 2007

    FrostFrench's store in London's Islington has been burgled, just three weeks after it opened.

  • Home shopping sales soar at Findel

    6 October 2007

    Findel's home shopping division saw sales growth of 9% for the six months to September 30.

  • John Lewis boosted by cold snap

    6 October 2007

    John Lewis recorded a 7% sales rise for the week to September 29 thanks to the autumnal weather.

  • M&S unveils Take That ad

    6 October 2007

    Marks & Spencer has given the industry its first sneak preview of its new menswear ad campaign featuring boy band Take That.

  • Mosaic earnings rocket despite mixed performance across chains

    6 October 2007

    Mosaic Fashions saw sales shoot up 92% to £407 million and EBITDA rocket 23% to £31.5m for the six months to July 28, following last year’s acquisition of Rubicon Retail.

  • Nike debuts NIKEiD Studio in New York

    6 October 2007

    Nike unveiled its first NikeiD Studio at its Niketown store in New York yesterday, to support its plans to create a virtual design community.

  • SRG completes refinancing

    6 October 2007

    The management of Speciality Retail Group, which owns the Suits You chain, have completed a refinancing of the business.

  • CBI says high street sales up but clothing falls back

    29 September 2007

    The CBI September sales survey showed that high street sales were up in September, but clothing sales fell for the fourth month in a row.

  • Moss Bros posts first half loss

    29 September 2007

    Moss Bros swung to a first half loss of £0.8 million despite recording retail like-for-likes up 3%.

  • Peter Simon launches bid for Monsoon

    29 September 2007

    Monsoon's founder and chairman Peter Simon has launched a bid for the fashion company, valuing it at £755 million.

  • A licence to print money?

    22 September 2007

    As competition hots up, retailers are hunting for exclusive brand licensing deals. The short-term gains are obvious, but the long-term impact on the core brand is less certain

  • Blacks Leisure revives bid interest in Freespirit chain

    22 September 2007

    Blacks Leisure is attempting to kick-start interest in its £40 million Freespirit business, claiming Sports Direct has backed down from threats to call an EGM.

  • GfK to challenge TNS and BRC with fashion monitor

    8 September 2007

    GfK, the world's fourth largest research agency, is to launch a free monthly fashion sales performance monitor to rival Taylor Nelson Sofres' FashionTrak.

  • Indies find that only the strong survive

    1 September 2007

    Young fashion independents have been hit by a wave of administrations. Although some have bounced back, others may not be so lucky. So how can indies stay afloat?

  • Supply rethink at MK One as losses continue to rise

    25 August 2007

    Value retailer MK One has kicked off a review of its suppliers after losses at the chain sunk to £21.4 million for the year to January 27.

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