Peacock Group to spread its wings

The Peacock Group will open 65 stores next year, after scoring strong sales at its new fashion-led shops.

Peacocks will open 40 stores next year and sister chain Bonmarché will open 25 shops, as part of plans to target younger customers.
Peacock Group chief executive Richard Kirk said the new trend-led stores were trading "fantastically" well. "We've had positive like-for-like sales in August and September," he said.

Peacocks will open its fourth fashion-concept store in Leicester next week, with four more planned before the end of the year. The stores range from 6,000sq ft to 10,000sq ft.

The new-format shops, part of a £21.5 million investment plan, opened in Manchester, Cardiff and Southampton this year.
Separately, Bonmarché brand director Mark Tesseyman said four stores would open this year in the chain's new design format, which was unveiled in August in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, Cosham in Hampshire, St Albans in Hertfordshire, Manchester, and Oldham. He said: "The stores are a way of modernising. We'll reduce the space dedicated to older shoppers to focus on attracting 45-plus customers."
The Peacocks Group has about 470 stores in the UK.

 Peacocks managing director Tim Bettley will be among speakers at the Drapers Fashion Summit 2007, which takes place alongside the Drapers Awards on November 20-21 at The Cumberland Hotel in London. Other speakers include M&S boss Stuart Rose. To register, go to www.drapersonline.com/summit.