Drapers
Lisa Berwin
Lisa Berwin is senior news reporter on Drapers
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Zara's transactional website unveiled
1 September 2010
Zara will launch its transactional website tomorrow, allowing UK customers to buy its entire fashion collection online for the first time. -
Freemans to launch plus-size collection after return to profit
28 August 2010
Home-shopping retailer Freemans Grattan Holdings [FGH] is to launch a plus-size offer early next year and said it had returned to profit following a major restructure. -
N Brown launches Simply Be in America
23 August 2010
N Brown has launched its first catalogue in the US as it continues to seek growth in international markets. -
EBay Fashion brings in Koodos founder Miriam Lahage
16 August 2010
The founder of online fashion site Koodos, Miriam Lahage, has been appointed general manager of eBay Fashion. -
Mango plots major global push with one store opening every day
10 August 2010
Spanish womenswear retailer Mango is planning to take on rivals such as Inditex and H&M by opening a store a day worldwide and rapidly ramping up its expansion in China. -
Zara returns to profit in the UK
9 August 2010
Zara UK has returned to profit for the first time since 2007. -
Karen Tyler
7 August 2010
Mamas & Papas’ fashion director tells Lisa Berwin how the maternitywear and kidswear retailer’s focus on quality is paying off -
Lipsy follows Next in selling rival brands
31 July 2010
Next-owned young fashion brand and retailer Lipsy is to broaden its offer by selling third-party brands on its website and in stores. -
Profits rocket at Joules after shoppers snap up new ranges
24 July 2010
Operating profits at Joules almost tripled in the year to May 1, which the lifestyle business put down to customers responding to new ranges and being undeterred by the downturn. -
E-Trader receives £2m investment
14 July 2010
The owner of online fashion site Koodos, E-Trader, has received a £2m investment from existing backer MMC Ventures to support the growth of the online business. -
Foot Patrol returns to action under JD Sports’ command
10 July 2010
JD Sports Fashion has pushed the button on the relaunch of Foot Patrol, the sneaker geek’s retailer of choice. -
Retail Trust launches second Search for a Star competition
5 July 2010
The Retail Trust has launched its second ‘Search for a Star’ competition after a successful hunt for the best musical talent in the retail sector last year. -
London retail sales rise 11.6% in May
14 June 2010
Retail sales in London improved in May, rising 11.6% on a like-for-like basis as tourists came back to the capital following the easing of disruption caused by the volcanic ash cloud. -
Gwynn Milligan
5 June 2010
Asos’s merchandising director is using her razor-sharp maths skills to help the etailer move beyond its ‘spotty teenager’ phase and fulfil its international ambitions -
Own-brand move helps Sweaty Betty shape up
29 May 2010
Women’s sportswear specialist Sweaty Betty has sustained positive like-for-like sales this year after it implemented an own-brand strategy and made improvements to product. -
Sir Philip Green vows that merged Bhs will ‘make money’
29 May 2010
Sir Philip Green expects his Bhs chain to return to profit this year - after 12 months of it trading as part of his Arcadia Group. -
Sports Direct stake in Blacks diluted after fundraising approved
20 May 2010
Sports Direct has had its stake in Blacks Leisure diluted after the outdoor retailer’s £20m fundraising was approved this afternoon. -
JD Sports Fashion acquires Sonneti from WDT
20 May 2010
JD Sports Fashion has bought men’s young fashion brand Sonneti from the WDT stable of brands. -
Inflation hit 3.7% in April
18 May 2010
The rate of consumer price inflation rose to 3.7% in the year to April, according to the Office for National Statistics. -
Kitbag opens pop-up store for World Cup
8 May 2010
Online branded sports retailer Kitbag made its first foray into bricks-and-mortar retail this week with the launch of a pop-up shop to celebrate this year’s football World Cup. -
Otto invests £10m to stem losses at UK arm
8 May 2010
Freemans Grattan Holdings (FGH), the UK arm of German home shopping giant Otto Group, has been granted a £10m cash injection from its German parent to help stem losses at the UK business. -
John Lewis fashion sales boosted by own brand
9 April 2010
John Lewis said “phenomenal” fashion sales last week helped the department store chain post a 30% rise in turnover year on year, 21% ahead of Easter week in 2009. -
Fixed-price fashion targeted by eBay
10 April 2010
eBay UK will launch a major marketing drive to support the launch of a new fashion area on its site and persuade customers that it is not just an auction site but afixed-price branded etailer too. -
Mango sales up 5.7% as international expansion gathers pace
8 April 2010
Mango has announced total sales rose 5.7% to €1.48bn (£1.3bn) excluding VAT in 2009 and has confirmed that it will open its 1,500th global store in 2010. -
Strong start to the year for H&M
8 April 2010
Swedish young fashion retailer H&M has announced a strong first quarter with sales up 7% in the three months to February 28. -
Lipsy US debut in Bloomingdales
26 March 2010
Lipsy, the young fashion chain owned by Next, is to launch in the US next month in partnership with national department store chain Bloomingdales. -
Constan Hernandez
27 March 2010
The boss of premium Spanish womenswear brand Hoss Intropia tells Lisa Berwin why the UK market has such appeal -
Online fashion sales grow 17% in February
22 March 2010
Strong Valentine’s Day sales helped clothing, accessories and footwear retailers achieve growth of 17% online in February, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Index. -
Inditex records 5% profit rise
17 March 2010
Inditex net profits grew 5% over the year to January 31 with total sales across the Spanish fashion group up 7% to €11bn (£9.95bn). -
Former La Senza boss to launch Hed Kandi stores
16 March 2010
Former La Senza chief executive Rose Foster is working with nightclub group the Ministry of Sound to open clothing stores under its Hed Kandi brand. -
Asos offers shares to its managers
16 March 2010
Etailer Asos has unveiled details of a management incentive plan. -
M&S launches plan to be world's most sustainable retailer
1 March 2010
M&S has introduced a raft of commitments to its ethical Plan A programme in a bid to become the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015. -
Selfridges soft-launches transactional website
27 February 2010
Selfridges has launched a beta version of its much-anticipated transactional website. -
Ex-Harvey Nicks buyer sets up premium etailer
27 February 2010
Former Harvey Nichols menswear buyer Damien Paul is launching a fashion website selling women’s designer bridge brands. -
Blacks to postpone fundraiser meeting
24 February 2010
Blacks Leisure, the outdoor specialist, is expected to postpone its general meeting today to continue negotiations with rival sportswear retailer Sports Direct which plans to block Blacks’ proposed fundraising. -
Liverpool's oldest department store Lewis's to close
23 February 2010
Liverpool independent department store Lewis’s is to close in June after 154 years of trading with the loss of more than 200 jobs. -
Womenswear to lead growth at Supergroup
19 February 2010
Supergroup chief executive Julian Dunkerton said the young fashion business would radically ramp up its womenswear and footwear offers after it confirmed plans for a £125m float next month. -
Kasabian unveil new England away kit at Paris concert
9 February 2010
Rock stars Kasabian launched Umbro’s new England away football shirt last night in Paris. -
Fashion outperforms in worst January for 15 years
9 February 2010
Clothing and footwear sales in January came in ahead of all other retail sectors compared with a year ago, but slowed since December. -
Adili's future unclear as shares suspended
3 February 2010
The future of ethical etailer Adili is unclear after its shares were today suspended as it failed to secure finance for the company’s future. -
Asos taps into plus-size market
30 January 2010
Asos has launched plus-size range Asos Curve in an attempt to take a slice of the £3.7bn plus-size market. -
Rivals settle with Lipsy over design imitations
30 January 2010
Women’s young fashion brand Lipsy has reached undisclosed settlement agreements with two rivals over claims that two of its dresses were copied. -
Early success inspires Mint Velvet retail push
23 January 2010
Womenswear retailer Mint Velvet is to ramp up its presence across the country after sales in its first three months of trading “exceeded expectations”. -
Etailers enjoy sales bonanza at Christmas
23 January 2010
Online fashion retailers celebrated a sparkling Christmas, with shoppers spending more than £500m on clothing, accessories and footwear in December, an 18% hike on last year. -
Anthony Thompson appointed chief executive of Fat Face
21 January 2010
George at Asda’s managing director Anthony Thompson will join lifestyle retailer Fat Face as chief executive on April 19. -
Millets teams up with Zandra Rhodes
15 January 2010
Outdoor specialist Blacks Leisure has teamed up with designer Zandra Rhodes to launch a collection of women’s outdoorwear for itsMillets chain. -
Moss Bros finance director steps down
14 January 2010
Michael Hitchcock, finance director of Moss Bros, has stepped down from his role at the high street menswear chain. -
Strong Xmas sales for Mothercare
14 January 2010
Mothercare said UK like-for-like sales grew by 4.2% over the 13 weeks to January 8. -
N Brown like-for-like sales up 3.6%
13 January 2010
Home shopping group N Brown has continued to grow sales with like-for-likes ahead 3.6% in the 19 weeks to January 9. -
D2 bought out of administration by its management
8 January 2010
D2 has been bought out of administration by its management team. -
Wholesale booms at Hackett but pre-tax losses widen
9 January 2010
Men’s lifestyle brand Hackett saw sales rise 42% to £52.7m in the year to March 31, 2009 helped by a strong performance in its wholesale arm. -
Next to kick off Christmas trading updates
4 January 2010
Next, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and JD Sports Fashion are among key retailers to update on Christmas trading this week, providing an indication of how the retail sector fared over the festive period. -
Esprit buys out Chinese partner
18 December 2009
Young fashion chain Esprit is set to buy out its Chinese venture partner as it looks to ramp up its presence in that market. -
Mike Ashley could face Icelandic bank probe
16 December 2009
Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley is understood to be facing an investigation over loans he may have secured from the now collapsed Icelandic bank Kaupthing. -
H&M sales up 1% in November
15 December 2009
Sales at Swedish fashion group H&M increased by 1% in local currencies in November compared to the same month last year. -
New Jil Sander range for Uniqlo to hit shops in January
14 December 2009
Uniqlo has announced it will extend its collaboration with fashion designer Jil Sander after its successful debut in October. -
JD sells stake in JJB
9 December 2009
JD Sports Fashion has sold its 10% stake in rival sports retailer JJB Sports. -
Asos signs labels for launch of ethical site
5 December 2009
Etail giant Asos is gearing up to launch The Green Room, a new section on its site to target ethically minded shoppers and boost Asos’s ethical credentials. -
Phil Wrigley steps down from New Look
3 December 2009
New Look has appointed John Gildersleeve as its new chairman, he will take over in January replacing Phil Wrigley who will stand down after nine years at the fashion retailer. -
Uniqlo sales up 16.4% in November
3 December 2009
Strong sales of winter clothes helped total sales at Uniqlo rise 16.4% in November. -
Sonia Rykiel for H&M unveiled
2 December 2009
H&M has unveiled its latest designer collaboration, a lingerie range with Sonia Rykiel. -
JD Sports Fashion sales improve
1 December 2009
JD Sports Fashion said that trading over the 11 weeks to November 28 had been positive, with both its fashion and sports fascias performing well. -
Blacks Leisure CVA approved
23 November 2009
Blacks Leisure, the troubled sportswear retailer, has had its Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) approved by its landlords at a creditors meeting today. -
Woolworths owner mulls high street return
23 November 2009
Woolworths may return to the high street as a 200-store chain as brand owner Shop Direct considers launching a bricks and mortar franchise strategy. -
Blacks CVA vote expected to be approved today
23 November 2009
Blacks Leisure is expected to have its Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) approved by landlords today, which would secure the future of the outdoor retailer. -
John Lewis integrates online into core business
20 November 2009
John Lewis Direct managing director Robin Terrell will leave in the new year ahead of an integration of the department store chain’s online arm into the mainline John Lewis business. -
Gap profits rise 25%
20 November 2009
Comparable sales at Gap’s international stores, which includes its UK shops, fell by 6% in the third quarter to October 31, but overall profits at the US chain rose by 25%. -
Adili finance director leaves as part of restructure
18 November 2009
The finance director of ethical etailer Adili has left the business as part of a restructure. -
Paul Smith named Walpole British luxury brand of the year
17 November 2009
Iconic British designer brand Paul Smith, won the accolade of British luxury brand at Walpole’s annual awards last night. -
Christmas spending expected to fall
17 November 2009
Spending this Christmas could fall for the first time in twenty years according to retail research firm Verdict. -
H&M: October sales drop but Jimmy Choo range is a success
16 November 2009
H&M sales were worse than expected in October, down 3% on a like-for-like basis. -
Cotswold Outdoor hits expansion trail
13 November 2009
Cotswold Outdoor is looking to snatch market share from close rival Blacks Leisure, which is currently going through a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), by opening 20 stores within the next two years. -
Benetton delivery changes help sales
12 November 2009
Sales for Italian fashion group Benetton had a strong third quarter with revenues ahead 13.1%. -
Indies rage at discount sites’ in-season stock
6 November 2009
Independent retailers have hit out at brands for offloading current season stock through discount etail sites, in the same week that leading clearance site Brand Alley was criticised by the advertising watchdog for misleading ads. -
Gap sales beat expectations
5 November 2009
Gap sales improved in October up 5% on last year to $1.14bn (£70m). -
Blacks looks to exit 89 stores with CVA proposal
3 November 2009
Blacks Leisure has unveiled details of a proposed company voluntary arrangement (CVA) as part the group’s restructuring. -
Peter Davies and Liz Houghton
24 October 2009
Mint Velvet, born out of the ashes of Principles, is the latest brand to target the over-30s womenswear market. Its brand director and non-executive chairman explain what sets it apart from the pack. -
Postal Strike set to run into next week
23 October 2009
The national post strike has entered its second day with more strike action likely to go ahead next week. -
Sports Direct trading in line with expectations
22 October 2009
Sports Direct, the sportswear retailer, said trading has remained in line with group expectations and is on track to achieve underlying EBITDA of at least £150m in its current financial year. -
Cos to open first concession in Selfridges
16 October 2009
Cos is opening its first concession in Selfridges. -
Royal Mail strike to go ahead
16 October 2009
A national postal strike will go ahead next Thursday and Friday after the Royal Mail rejected the Communication Workers Union (CWU) offer to avoid action. -
Gap to bring back TV adverts
15 October 2009
Gap is to relaunch its iconic television adverts next month, two years after scrapping the strategy. -
Mothercare confident on second half
15 October 2009
Mothercare saw UK like-for-like sales rise 3% in the second quarter, helping the retailer to post a 4.1% rise in comparable sales over the first half ended October 10. -
N Brown pre-tax profits rise 13%
14 October 2009
N Brown, the home shopping group, said pre-tax profit rose 13% to £41.8m in the 26 weeks to August 29. -
Amazon UK to offer free delivery on all products for Christmas
13 October 2009
Amazon UK will offer free delivery on all of its products in the run up to Christmas. -
Amazon steps up footwear push
10 October 2009
Etail giant Amazon unveiled its standalone footwear website Javari in the UK last week, offering free next day delivery of competitively priced branded shoes. -
Next launches branded sportswear shop-in-shops
5 October 2009
Next has launched branded sportswear shop-in-shops into a handful of its stores. -
Matalan set for £1.5bn sale
5 October 2009
Matalan, the discount chain, could be put up for sale next year with a £1.5bn price tag, according to reports. -
Zara’s UK operations knocked by £20m pre-tax loss
2 October 2009
Zara UK, the UK subsidiary of Spanish fashion giant Inditex, has slumped into the red. -
Uniqlo unveils Jil Sander range
29 September 2009
Uniqlo has unveiled its new range in collaboration with designer Jil Sander. -
Gap co-founder Don Fisher dies aged 81
28 September 2009
Gap founder Don Fisher has died aged 81 after a long battle with cancer. -
Ebay takes brand fight to the European Union
18 September 2009
Ebay has taken a petition signed by 750,000 of its users to the European Union to ask it to amend EU competition law to stop brands from restricting the sale of their products on the internet. -
Joanna Lumley to star in Marks & Spencer Christmas campaign
15 September 2009
Marks & Spencer is understood to have signed Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley to star in its Christmas advertising campaign. -
Adili to open bricks-and-mortar stores
15 September 2009
Adili, the ethical etailer, is broadening its reach on to the high street by opening its first bricks-and-mortar stores. -
Adili banks on rebrand as losses grow
14 September 2009
Losses at online ethical retailer Adili have widened to £1.9m in its full year to April 30, up from £1.6m the year before. -
Ex-Principles team give first look at Mint Velvet
12 September 2009
Mint Velvet, the retailer created by Clarks chairman Peter Davies and the team behind the now defunct Principles chain, is to focus on casual pieces and separates for the 30-plus woman. -
Adams sold to investment group
10 September 2009
JHS Childrenswear, the company behind Adams Childrenswear and kidswear brand Mini Mode, has been sold to investor Habib Alvi Investments. -
N Brown poised to snap up High & Mighty
9 September 2009
Home shopping group N Brown is understood to be on the verge of buying outsize menswear chain High & Mighty. -
Next pulls the plug on Brand Directory site
05 September 2009
Next has axed its Asos-style Brand Directory website just 18 months after it launched and migrated selected branded merchandise to the core Next Directory site. -
High street sales fell in August
27 August 2009
High street sales fell for the fourth consecutive month in August, according to figures from the CBI Distributives Trades Survey. -
Esprit to invest in underperforming markets after profits slump
26 August 2009
Esprit has laid out plans to invest in its underperforming markets as the global downturn contributed to a group pre-tax profits fall of 26% to HK$5.97bn (£475.9m). -
Barön Jon saved by founders’ rescue deal
21 August 2009
Branded menswear retailer Barön Jon has been bought out of administration by its founders, brothers Wayne and Lewis Selt. -
JD Sports set to snap up online sports retailer Kitbag
18 August 2009
JD Sports Fashion is understood to be continuing its recent retail spending spree and is reportedly poised to buy online sports retailer Kitbag from Findel. -
Nike UK and Ireland boss to head up Umbro
18 August 2009
Nike vice president, general manager of the UK and Ireland, Jim Allaker has been appointed chief executive and president of Nike’s subsidiary Umbro. -
The weekend newspaper round up: August 15-16, 2009
17 August 2009
The best of the fashion business headlines from the weekend’s papers. -
H&M like-for-like sales drop 3% in July.
17 August 2009
Sales at H&M fell 3% on a like-for-like basis in July compared to a 3% increase for the same month last year. -
Boden to target cult teenwear market
15 August 2009
Multichannel retailer Boden is to tap into the resilient teenage market with a new range called Johnnie B, due to launch next year. -
Principles team reunites for Peter Davies venture
14 August 2009
Ex-Principles chief executive Peter Davies has reunited his former management team at the womenswear chain to lead the launch of his latest retail venture, called Mint Velvet. -
Chris Ronnie continues to wage war with Sir David Jones
11 August 2009
Chris Ronnie has sustained his attack on JJB Sports chairman Sir David Jones in a bid to improve his tarnished reputation after being dismissed from the retailer. -
Gap sales tumble in July
6 August 2009
Gap sales fell to £550m ($924m) in July, a 7% drop on the same month a year ago. -
Sports Direct stalls on corporate governance compliance
6 August 2009
Sports Direct has conceded that it is not in line with corporate governance best practice and said that it is not taking any action to change that. -
Asos appoints non-exec
6 August 2009
Asos has appointed Karen Jones as non-executive director. -
Benetton profits hit by delivery changes
6 August 2009
Benetton profits were hit by over 60% after the Italian group rescheduled its autumn deliveries. -
Adidas profits plunge 93%
5 August 2009
Adidas suffered a 93% plunge in profits in its second quarter as the downturn continues to take its toll on consumer spending. -
JD snaps up Canterbury for £6.5m
4 August 2009
JD Sports Fashion has bought the global rights to the Canterbury and Canterbury of New Zealand brands and taken the key assets of its European licensee out of administration.
