Customer demand for fur-trimmed ranges have helped New Look drive strong sales in the run-up to Christmas. The fashion retailer reported total UK sales for the 14 weeks to January 1 up 18.8 per cent, with like-for-like sales up 11.6 per cent.

The company said strong customer demand for fake fur, mini-skirts, denim and rhinestone-studded ranges boosted sales. After a successful launch, New Look plans to extend its menswear ranges from 14 to 30 stores and is also planning to extend its fashion ranges to cater for children under nine.

Expansion plans call for larger stores, with the largest New Look store to date scheduled to open at the Metro Centre in Gateshead. There are also plans for a revamp of the flagship Oxford Street store, launched in August 2003.

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Imitation of Christ designer Sara Subkoff knows how to cause a little controversy, as much as she knows hot to get a little help from her friends. New this season for IOC is its denim label, and Subkoff decided to enlist the ever-so-beautiful looks of her best friend Scarlett Johansson to open the show dressed as a modern-day Marily Monroe.

Johansson, who’s pop idol pout is a red carpet favourite, opened the show. wearing skintight jeans, a tank top and red heels. She made her way down the elaborate stairs inside Surrogate’s Court smoking a cigarette, then strutted and vamped for the frenzied photographers, her hair done up in the fluffed Fifties style the starlet seems to prefer for her A-list appearances.

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We expect waiting lists for the high waisted, cigarette leg, indigo jean.

The explosive demand for cheap imitations of designer labels is at its peak, with the likes of Sienna Miller and Kate Moss at the forefront. British retailers are enjoying the success with sales increases at low-price retailers like Asda’s George and TK Maxx. Meanwhile, mid-market retailers like Marks & Spencer and Next are continuing their battle with the current retail climate.

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Earlier this week, value chain Primark bought 120 Littlewood shops, thereby expanding its presence onto some of the UK’s top high street sites. The timing is right, as even the wealthy have turned to bargain-prices.

According to the Scotsman, a recent survey showed that shoppers in the top “A/B” socioeconomic group spent 4.8 million more items of shoes and clothing from discount chains and supermarkets as they had the year before. The cheaper the shop, the better it does, according to Nick Bubb, a retail analyst for Evolution Beeson Gregory. He told the Scotsman: “In that game you’ve either got to be special or chep. Companies such as M&S are struggling because they are neither. Companies such as Primark seem to be doing well because they are cheap.”

British high streets have always been able to emulate the catwalk looks for a fraction of the price best. Furthermore, our high streets have extremely swift supply chains, offering looks similar to those worn by celebrities not long after they have been seen wearing them. This is because the British consumer public demands continuous reinvention. A perfect example is our pride and joy, TopShop. It always manages to imitate the catwalks styles perfectly, offering its own take on what is hot and creating its own, fabulous versions. And the process is always moving forward.

Offering a uniquely personal take on an imitated item is important though, as many of the big labels are responding to blatant copycatting with legal measures. Earlier this year, Primark was taken to court by Monsoon, who demanded £200,000 in damages from the discount retailer for allegedly copying a patterned skirt. The year before Primark has already to pay Monsoon a £23,000 out of court settlement for copying a girl’s top and a butterfly dress.

Watch out, Jessica, Paris and Lindsay: There’s a new object of the paparazzi’s dubious affection. And she’s proving to be a quick study of the red carpet’s perilous twists and turns, according to WWD.

Katie Holmes, currently on tour with new fiance Tom Cruise, is flirting with different looks and different designers, but so far is keeping it simple. No Glastonbury chic for her – at least not yet. “Katie’s charm comes from her always-bright personality,” says Giorgio Armani, who has dressed the actress often. “She combines a wonderful innocence with a subtle but strong sophistication in the way she dresses.”

Holmes’ stylist, Jeanne Yang, has carefully put the starlet in jeans and designer frocks from Chanel, Dior, Prada and Chloe – not to mention Armani – for everything from casual street appearances to black-tie galas. Mission accomplished.

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Italian designer Alberta Ferretti has opened another Russian flagship store. Her second store in that country, it is located in Kaliningrad, an up-and-coming Russian shopping destination. The new store also carries the Philosophy by Ferretti range.

The Ferretti boutique is franchised to 000 Status, the company’s Russian partner, which also opened a Moscow store with Aeffe, the company that controls the brands Alberta Ferretti, Moschino and Pollini.

A spokeswoman for the company told WWD that the opening “confirms the potential of the Russian market, which is developing exponentially”. During the fall/winter 2006 collection, Russian buyers represented 4.5 percent of Ferretti sales, up from 3.3 percent last year. Russian exports accounted for 7.2 percent of the total, up 1.7 percent from the year before.

The spokeswoman also pointed out the multinational character of the city, with inhabitants as diverse as Russians, Byelorussians, Ukranians, Armenians, Germans and Poles. Although Russian, it is separated from the country by Lithuania and Latvia and is a tax-free zone. Furthermore, it is Russia’s only port on the Baltic Sea.

The company has five Alberta Ferretti stores, five Philosophy stores and 12 boutiques that carry both collections.

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Luxury fashion house Hermès has reported a 7.4 percent rise in 2005 operating profit of 383.5 million (£264.8 million). Net profit increased 15 percent to 247 million, up from 214 million euro in 2004. Annual turnover rose 7.2 percent to 1.43 billion, due mainly to Japanese sales growth and strong growth in other Asian Pacific countries.

The operating profit fell below analysts’ expectations; they had predicted an increase to about 395 million euro. HSBC analyst Antoine Belge told the FT that Hermès was not performing as well as its competitors and that a 10 million euro provisions cost was the cause for profits falling below expectations. He added that he believed the company was overvalued, largely due to takeover speculation, but thought that the share price would remain unchanged thanks to confidence in the luxury sector and strong sales in Asia.

Hermès now has 13 sales outlets in China, where it said it sales were particularly strong. The company opened its second store there in the fourth quarter. Directly operated stores saw sales rise 10 percent. This strong performance through directly owned stores, where margins are higher, led the company to increase investment in new stores this year. Last year the majority of investments were directed towards increasing production capacity for leather goods and for expansion and renovation of the company’s distribution network. Hermès plans to open about 20 stores in 2006, including Seoul, Tokyo, Bangkok, Hangzhou, Paris and Amsterdam. Investments are derived from cash flow, which increased 7 percent to 310.8 million euro.

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The sales have started which means it’s time to sharpen your elbows and join the annual battle at the tills. Or is it? Do you really need to fight the crowds, the snow, and that menacing fashion victim who claims she saw those half-price sandals first? You can now enjoy the magic of the sales from the comfort of your own home, by hunting for bargains on the websites of the major high-street stores.

Sales die-hards don’t have to sleep in a freezing tent for days to be first through the door. They can sleep in their own bed, make a cup of tea, and log on the minute their favourite store’s online doors open. Although Selfridges and House of Fraser offer little for shoppers via their websites except gift vouchers, most of the major department stores and chains replicate their high-street sales online.

Often they offer exactly the same discounts on the same products. One advantage of shopping online is that you get to the bargains first. Boots and Debenhams both kicked off their online sales on December 22, but didn’t cut prices until Boxing Day. Most items are reduced both online and offline, but in Debenhams there will be some “early bird” offers available only in branches. These will include a £250 Jasper Conran cashmere blend overcoat for £125 and a £90 DKNY bracelet watch for just £45, against the usual sale price of £63, plus a range of other cut-price offerings.

John Lewis started both its online and offline sales on December 27, but you stand more chance of snapping up a bargain at one of its stores, where there are price cuts on a massive 500,000 product lines. In contrast, only 15,000 items are reduced online. Deals include 30% off selected handbags from DKNY, Fiorelli, Longchamp and Radley, 40% off watches by Quicksilver, Diesel, Storm and Seiko, and 50% discount on end-of-line Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and Phillips TVs.

Clothing chain Next opened its stores to sales-hungry shoppers at 5am on December 27 and the price-cutting went online at 6am, giving surfers an extra hour in bed. Next will offer the same deals on its website, cutting prices by up to 50%. Offers include a women’s black and white striped jacket reduced from £69.99 to £34.99, with matching trousers reduced from £34.99 to £16.99.

If you do opt to stay at home there is always the danger that your chosen store’s website could crash under the weight of shoppers. All the major retailers say their sites are up to the potential crush of visitors, but some, including Debenhams’ site, have occasionally groaned under the weight of Christmas shoppers, and the real test is yet to come.

Another drawback with online shopping is that you may have to pay delivery charges. Next, for example, charges £3.50, regardless of order size. You can order your goods online and pick them up for free at one of its 240 stores, although this may defeat the object of shopping online Whether you buy online or in the store, retailers generally operate the same returns policies.

Online shoppers also benefit from a statutory seven-day “cooling-off” period, giving you the unconditional right to return any item you aren’t happy with. But if you keep your receipts, most stores will allow you to return unwanted goods in up to 14 or 28 days, provided they are in a resaleable condition. There are bargains to be had online, but hardened sales fans know there is no substitute for rolling up your sleeves and rummaging through the racks for a real snip.

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Caroline Charles, the eponymous designer from her namesake label from the 60s, is set to return to the catwalk for AW/06 after a ten-year absence. Charles is planning a catwalk show in February at the Royal Academy of Art. The label also returns to Selfridges in spring 06 with a concession stocking a selection from her three labels.

These include luxury suits from the London line and the younger, more casual Carline label. Selfridges will also carry her more expensive Studio range inspired by antique textiles. The spring 06 collections feature 1950s-style white cropped trousers, coloured jeans and polka dot silk sundresses. The designer has three stores in London, shops in Cheltenham and Tunbridge Wells, and concessions in the Manchester and London Harvey Nichols stores. Charles is probably best known for her elegant evening and occasionwear.

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US clothing retailer Liz Claiborne, maker of brands such as Juicy Couture, is to increase its China sourcing to up to 80 pct by 2010, following the lifting of quotas on Chinese apparel imports in 2008, the South China Morning Post reported. The company’s senior vice president Robert Zane was cited as saying that China now accounts for 25 pct of Liz Claiborne’s global sourcing of apparel and accessories, which is worth more than two bln usd annually.

Speaking at an apparel forum in Hong Kong, Zane was cited as saying that he expects to see massive consolidation in the global clothing trade and that his firm expects to reduce sourcing from 340 factories in 40 countries to 125 factories in 15 countries.

Liz Claiborne will increasingly source from large factories, each employing tens of thousands of workers while offering supply chain services besides manufacturing garments, according to the report. One such supplier is Hong Kong-listed Luen Thai Holding, which has extensive manufacturing and supply chain facilities in Guangdong province, the paper said. Following the end of the global textile quota system on Jan 1 last year, China’s share of the US textile and apparel market jumped to 27.7 pct from 20.3 pct in 2004.

29 March 2006

Icelandic retailer Baugur has squashed rumours that it might retract its bid for the House of Fraser department store chain. Nevertheless, the chain’s shares still slipped 3.4 percent as a result of the conjecture. “This is just a scurrilous rumour,” said a spokesman for Baugur. “It is completely false. Due diligence is progressing on schedule.”

In other news, the acquisitive Icelandic concern stepped up its presence in the UK fashion market with the merger of its Mosaic Fashions with Rubicon Retail. In a deal valued at £250 million, the two groups partly owned by Baugur wil merge to create one of the UK’s biggest fashion chains, with 1,700 stores in 27 countries. Mosaic owns brands like Oasis and Karen Millen, while Rubicon controls high street chains like Principles and Warehouse. Derek Lovelock, chief executive of Mosaic said his strategy was “to build a profitable, multi-branded fashion group.” The new, combined group will intensify international expansion with further moves into Europe, Asia and the US, Lovelock said.

Mosaic is the fourth biggest retailer in the UK, with sales of £891 million in the year ended January 2006. It ranks just behind New Look. Arcadia and Marks and Spencer are the number one and two fashion groups in the UK. Last year, Arcadia – which owns TopShop and Dorothy Perkins among others – generated sales of £1.77 billion. The majority stake in Rubicon is owned by chief executive Donald McCarthy, finance director Stefan Cassar and chief operating officer of the shoe business John Egan. They are said to be receiving a 20 percent stake in Mosaic and cash. Meanwhile, Rubicon was acquired by the Shoe Studio Group in 2005. Shoe Studio is partly owned by Baugur and Kaupthing.