TJ Hughes first eBay department store

Discount department store chain TJ Hughes has become the first national retail chain to open an online store with auction website eBay. Companies such as Heals, Vodafone and HP already use the site to sell excess stock, but eBay says TJ Hughes is the first to sell its core products.

The "eBay shop" is already selling as much as TJ Hughes' own site. It sells 110 lines, including digital cameras, DVD players and perfumes, and also hopes to boost its profile.

Many of the items are also sold via eBay's auction service, where TJ Hughes lists DVD players and digital cameras for as little as 99p before bidding starts. "Our deal with eBay has been designed to build awareness as well as boost sales," said Muriel Stirling, marketing director at TJ Hughes, which has 44 stores around the UK.

TJ Hughes' eBay operation was constructed by Improving Futures, a firm that specialises in helping companies and individuals sell more on the auction site. Its director Mark Craig says he is talking to more UK retailers about building eBay stores. "The site is like a global shop window, it offers a great opportunity to gain incremental business and new customers."

Superdrug expansion to 700 stores

Healthcare and beauty chain Superdrug is planning on opening at least 35 stores in the UK this year, including smaller format stores.
The addition of the new stores will bring the total number of stores of the privately owned chain to 720.

Superdrug is part of the AS Watson group, the retail division of the Hong Kong Hutchison Whampoa conglomerate. In May of last year, the company said it believed that the UK could handle 1,000 Superdrug outlets.

www.superdrug.com
4 January 2006

Jaeger store receives £1m refurbishment

Luxury fashion retailer Jaeger will spend £1 million on the refurbishment of its Regent Street flagship store, according to the FT. The work will commence after Christmas.

The revamping is part of the company management's investment programme, set to revive the brand. Jaeger was sold to retail entrepreneur Harold Tillman in 2003.

The firm, which managed to return to profit a the pre-tax level, launched the more contemporary women's wear line Jaeger London this year. The line is based on the company archives.

Paul Smith opens Mayfair furniture boutique

Today sees the opening in Mayfair of a Paul Smith store dedicated to selling furniture and "things". On Albemarle Street, in a plumb location between Old Bond Street and Dover Street, the store will sell a variety of "things" whose only common characteristic is that they are 'unique'.

Paul Smith has always sold a selection of stuff accrued on his travels, but this is the first store completely dedicated to his eclectic but peculiarly defined aesthetic: think mismatching, unexpected combinations, and blends of high and low-tech sitting cheekily together.

26 October 2005

Saks returns to profit

US department store group Saks Inc has reported a second quarter profit of $8.2 million (£4.7 million), compared with a loss of $25.3 million last year. The group's return to profit was boosted by the sale of some of its stores. It sold its Proffitt's and McRae's businesses and is considering selling some of its other divisions.

Saks said that sales dropped 3 percent to $1.32 billion from $1.35 billion last year. Same-store sales for the quarter grew 2.1 percent. The results included $57 million after-tax gains from the sale of Proffitt's and McRae's.

www.saksinc.com
18 October 2005

Co-op Group to shut down 10 stores

The British Co-operative Group is to shut down or sell its 36 department stores following the great losses the division suffered last year, according to a media report. The group lost over £4 million last year.
The group will close ten of the stores but hopes to sell the other 26 before February 2007. If not, it will close them too.

In the first round of closures 71 full-time and 70 part-time employees will lose their jobs. If the group is forced to close the remaining stores, a further 491 full-time and 379 part-time jobs will be cut.

The group has chosen to close the department store business in a bid to focus on its core businesses, which include its food stores and pharmacies. According to deputy chief executive Paul Hewitt, a review had revealed that “a complete exit from the sector, disposal of the stores and the re-investment of the proceeds into core businesses was the only commercial option.”

www.co-op.co.uk
18 October 2005

Closure Littlewoods opportunity for other retailers

The closure of Littlewoods Stores outlets will leave a gap in the age 55+ clothing and footwear market that could retailers like Marks and Spencer and Bhs. Market research group TNS FashionTrak found that Littlewoods stores attracted older consumers, with 60 percent of turnover generated by purchases made by people aged 55+.

The age 55+ market is worth £6.5 billion. High street retailers such as Marks and Spencer, Debenhams, Matalan and Asda offer ranges especially for this age group. However, according to TNS FashionTrak, M&S and Bhs are the two retailers that can really benefit from the gap left by Littlewoods, because they are the shops that consumers are most likely to shop in for clothes and footwear.

TNS FashionTrak says the sector is becomingly increasingly competitive as more fashion chains see the potential in the 55+ market. Older people are focusing more on dressing well and are shopping for more fashionable clothing. Chains like Next and New Look, who target younger customers, have already noticed that more sales have been generated by the 55+ age group.

Currently M&S takes 17.5 per cent of the Littlewood Stores customers' spend, while Bhs takes 5.2 per cent. Meanwhile, Debenhams comes in third with 4.8 per cent. “At the ‘value' end of the market, Littlewoods customers looking for cheaper items are also shopping in Matalan, Asda and Bon Marce – the latter having the oldest average age of any high street retail chain,” Fiona Bell, director at TNS FashionTrak, tells the FT. “All three could gain from the potential of Littlewoods customers.

“Although 40 of the current 119 Littlewoods Stores are reported to become Primark stores, Primark's offering is targeted at a younger market looking for cheap fashion items and so the incremental sales from Littlewoods customers looks likely to be low. Primark currently takes just 1.5 per cent of Littlewoods customers' spend in the market. No doubt several retailers will now be looking to refine and broaden their ranges to try and take advantage of the potential this change in the high street offers over the coming year, and this can only be good for the older customer.”

9 August 2005

Wade Smith In Administration

Liverpool retailer Wade Smith, one of the UK 's most influential independent stores, has gone into administration following a decision by its bank to fund the business. Owner Robert Wade-Smith told Drapers Record last week “He was determined to buy back the business, that he wasn't beaten yet, and is in talks with stakeholders to try to salvage the company.”

The business, which had been going for 23 years, faced tough trading conditions in recent times and the due opening of the of the Met Quarter scheme could possibly affect its sales even further. After closure of its athletic store and closing its womens apparel division, the company's balance sheet was duly weakened.

Wade Smith was started in 1982 as a footwear independent selling imported Adidas trainers. It expanded was was bought by Arcadia for £17.3 million in 1998. Wade-Smith bought back the business for £7m in 2001 and has since focused on reshaping the business into a menswear-only department store. Accounts at Companies House reveal that the business had a turnover of £15m in 2004, but pre-tax profits were only £255,000.

26 July 2005

Choo opens in Ireland

Last weekend Ireland's first Jimmy Choo store was unveiled in Dublin's department store, Brown Thomas. Jimmy Choo president, Tamara Mellon, intends to have "50 shoe boutiques by 2008", so the opening of the Dublin store is an important part of her expansion strategy.

The Choo store is situated in the extravagant Shoe Rooms of Brown Thomas - which were recently lanched by Christian Louboutin - and is done up in signature Jimmy Choo style, complete with sating panelling, crystal chandelier and mirrors.

Mellon was very excited about opening as she told vogue.com: "We are delighted to be opening in Dublin and especially so as the store will be located in the most famous department store in Ireland. Dublin is synonymous with fun, Grafton Street with prestige and Brown Thomas with style. What a perfect combination - and the ideal setting for Jimmy Choo. I know my late father would agree being Irish himself and so I am particularly proud to open our Dublin store."

www.jimmychoo.com
13 July 2005

Primark completes Littlewoods acquisition

Discount fashion store Primark today finally completed the acquisition of all the Littlewoods high street stores for £409 million. The transaction has taken a long time to complete, according to the Financial Times. Owned by Associated British Foods - the food and retailing consortium led by George Weston - Primark will purchase all 120 Littlewood stores from the Barclay brothers. The company will then sell approximately 60 per cent of them.

"This is a unique opportunity to acquire a portfolio of large stores in attractive high street locations," Weston told the FT. "It will bring Primark to many towns and cities where it is currently not present." Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay intend to keep the Littlewoods home shoppng catalogue business, although they have already sold the Index catalogue shopping stores.

Primark currently operates 122 stores but has chosen to expand its presence and shop size. It expects to trade from 128 stores with 2.9 square feet of shop space by February 2006. It also revealed that it plans to open more new stores from June 2006, thereby increasing its selling space by almost 30 per cent.

Associated British Foods invested £70 million in Primark in the past year. Unlike other clothing retailers, Primark experienced a growth of 6 per cent in like-for-like sales and is attracting a considerable amount of shoppers. Earlier this year, the retailer bought six stores from the administrator of Allders, the poorly performing department store.

According to the FT, it is thought that fashion store New Look and entrepreneur Philip Green are now interested in buying some of the Littlewood stores. New Look had been part of a joint bid for the Littlewood stores together with Primark until last week.

www.primark.co.uk
11 July 2005

Bid for Somerfield in trouble

A fraud charge against the executives of the Icelandic company Baugur may bring the GBP 1.1 billion bid approach for the UK supermarket group Somerfield in danger. Other members of the four-company consortium of which Baugur is a member have threatened to pull out.

According to the Financial Times, they have demanded that founder and chief executive of Baugur, Jon Asgeir Johannesson, should leave the consortium following his being charged by Icelandic police last week. If he does not comply, they have threatened to leave themselves. The consortium consists of Baugur, Barclays Capital, private equity firm Apax Partners and property entrepreneur Robert Tchenguiz.

Insiders have said that some of the consortium members are now concerned about being linked with Jon Asgeir Johannesson and his family, who own 70 per cent of Baugur. Six members of his family have been charged, including his father and sister. All six parties have denied the charges, the details of which have not yet been made public. Johannesson is supposed to be picking up the documents that support the indictments in Reykjavik today.

The consortium is one of the biggest purchasers of UK retail assets. It recently bought Karen Millen, Whistles and Hamleys. This year it bought the Big Food Group, which owns supermarket chain Iceland. Although Baugur's absence from the consortium would be damaging, it would not be debilitating. Insiders said the bid would go ahead without Baugur.

In the meantime, Somerfield is deliberating. Another bidder, the property group London Regional - together with Japanese bank Nomura - is also still in the running. Formal bids from both companies are expected from next month.

www.somerfield.com.uk
5 July 2005

It's a small world after all

If you're ever in the area the latest name in the Scandinavian style stakes to watch out for is BENEATH.

The Swedish store, which features a mix of high fashion with sports and street wear, has moved to the island of Kungsholmen. It now occupies an old photography lab in an old industrial building at Fridhemsplan. This new environment creates the perfect backdrop for a collection of brands that are at the cutting edge of fashion.

The store features an even balance of both Scandinavian and British brands for men and women, as well as a compact selection of international brand names. The assortment reads like a representatives list for a Mock UN congress.

Scandinavian brands include the Danish Peter Jensen and Henrik Vibskov, and the Swedish Midnight Division and Behnaz Aram. German brands Bless and Acronym are also included in the mix. The UK is represented by Kim Jones, Trickers, Tonite, Goodenough UK and Umbro by Kim Jones.

Further to this the store carries US apparel and accessories brands, such as Nike Edge, Priceless, aNYthing and Stussy Custom-made. Edwin and PLAY represent the Japanese contingency, while Mini waves the Australian flag. BENEATH also offers an exclusive range of sneakers, including Nike, Visium from Japan and Umbro by Kim Jones.

In addition to apparel and accessories, BENEATH also provides a selection of independent magazines as well as interesting things found on their travels such as Amos Toys, art books and independent mix CDs. Furthermore, the interior will change every six months and BENEATH will play host to art exhibitions on a regular basis.
The store's décor was created in association with UK illustrators Andrew Rae and Chrissie McDonald.

www.aworldbeneath.com
4 May 2005

James Lakeland to focus on concessions

James Lakeland is geared to focus on his concession and wholesale business and his King's Road shop will be changed to accommodate other brands and products.

The store, which was opened last year in a joint venture with john Papaioannou, will see its operation change this year, in line with Lakeland's other concessions in House of Fraser, Barkers and soon to open Dickins & Jones and Hoopers.

In an interview with Draper's Record, Lakeland said: "he would take the expansion slowly to retain the brand's exclusivity, with the emphasis on growing volumes through its existing 120 stockists in the UK and Republic of Ireland."

18 April 2005

Jasper Conran's New London Flagship

Jasper Conran's new store in Central London is a luxury Georgian townhouse that has all the grandeur of a stately home, rather than being 'just another' shop. His clothing empire, which now includes menswear, womenswear and childrenswear, is showcased amongst the original features of the townhouse, which, according to sources, was repainted nine times to get 'the perfect shade of grey.'

Conran, whose empire now also includes accessories, lingerie, homewares, as well as a diffusion range for Debenhams, has captured the perfect environment for his delectable collections. Upon entering the store, the first thing you notice is the excess of light. The neutrality of the colours and original features have allowed the product on display to be shown in their natural habitat, rather than showcasing it on a plethora of rails or Ikea-type shelves.

For instance, the dining room is set like a dining room; with Conran's porcelain Wedgwood collection and other homeware delectables on display, and the bedroom looks like any other well-dressed boudoir. The idea was to create a living space, rather than a shop filled solely with merchandise. Paul Smith has created a similar atmosphere with his flagship store in Notting Hill.

But for all its simplicities, Conran has always preferred a high-tech approach to service. The in-store database regularly updates his client's preferences - allowing new product to be delivered straight to your door. And instead of being followed by target-driven sales assistants, there are service buttons put in place throughout the store which transmit a signal to the nearest member of staff, when needed.

Best of all is the roof terrace. Perfect for afternoon tea in summer, when the weather permits.
Jasper Conran, 36 Sackville Street, London W1 (020 7292 9080).

March 15, 2005

Store Card Concerns & Probe

The Competition Commission has moved its probe into the UK store card market on by setting out its areas of concern and inviting comments. The commission areas of potential concern include the view that there may be to little competitive pressure on APRs and other card charges. It has also highlighted possible concerns about the competitiveness of the insurance services such as payment protection that are sold with store cards.

Commission chairman Professor Paul Geroski said:"After examining a huge amount of evidence in this inquiry to date, we think there are some areas of concern that we need to explore further and this document focuses on these as well as inviting views from all parties. "We are far from making up our minds, but we are concerned that there may be limited competitive pressure on APRs and other charges and that retailers and credit providers may benefit from the level of APRs to the detriment of consumers.

"Consumer behaviour may contribute to this because consumers appear insensitive to these charges. There may also be a lack of choice for consumers in relation to the insurance services sold with the cards. "There has been considerable activity in the 'upstream' market since we started this inquiry, with new entrants and contracts being renegotiated in favour of retailers but we need to consider whether this has translated into any beneficial effects for customers.

"We also need to consider further whether the nature of the store cards business is leading to outcomes such as excessive profits for providers and APRs being set at a similar level and not responding to changes in the base rate or credit cards' lower APRs." Retailers, card issuers and consumer groups are being asked to respond to by the end of January, with the commission planning a further round of hearings during February.

12 January 2005

Newcastle in flagship store onslaught

The recent opening of the Red Mall in Newcastle's MetroCentre sees a barrage of flagship stores opening their doors.

Debenham's compares their flagship store in the Red Mall to their Oxford Street emporium in London. Mango, Zara, H&M and Berschka are also set to open in the Red Mall, but will answer to the name 'flagship' to varying degrees. A true flagship store sells the entire range of products of a particular brand and must really represent the brand fully. So, whereas Zara might be a flagship store for the region, its real flagship store is in London. However, Berschka and River Island, the latter already available in the Red Mall, have true flagship stores in Newcastle.

Happy shopping for Newcastle!

www.icnewcastle.co.uk
11 October 2004

Sainsbury's new fashion label

The UK supermarket chain has launched fashion label "Tu". The new brand has been developed to rival those by competitors like Asda and Tesco. The Tu line is designed as a must-have item, following fashion trends and colours, at affordable prices. It includes clothing for men, women and children, accessories, jewellery and lingerie.

Head of clothing, Richard Jones and Tracey Hodgson, head of design, hand picked the ten specialist designers working on the line. The designers' collective experience spans both high street and high-end design.

The Tu brand will have its own section, complete with dressing rooms and separate till, in 160 Sainsbury's stores nationwide. 40 of these stores will only offer children's clothing. A special bonus for the consumer is the opportunity to try clothes on at home with a full refund if returned within one month in resellable condition.

Tu will eventually have a website where one can browse and buy clothes online. However, for the time being, the line will only be available in stores.

www.sainsbury.co.uk
28 September 2004

Designer Store Cruise Ram-Raided

Ram-raiders today escaped with thousands of pounds worth of designer clothes after smashing their way into one of the most prestigious stores in Edinburgh. The hooded thieves backed into the front doors of the Cruise store on George Street before helping themselves to GBP5000 worth of shoes and clothes, including t-shirts and hooded tops.

The raiders drove a new-style silver Astra into the men's clothes store, while an accomplice kept a lookout outside on a yellow 125-style off-road motorcycle. Mary McGowne, a spokesperson for Cruise, which has a second store nearby on George Street, said staff had been left in shock by the raid. "It's the first time it's ever happened to us," she said. She said the glass top-to-bottom frontage of the store had been destroyed.

"We are all really shocked that someone would have the audacity to undertake such a raid. It's pretty brutal when you slam a vehicle into the front of a shop." She said the shop, which had never suffered any kind of break-in before, was covered by CCTV cameras.

Bill Furness, chief executive of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said he hoped the incident would not lead to a wide-spread security panic among shop keepers. "It's not a phenomenon we've had to worry too much about before," he said. "You would expect electrical goods to be more attractive to thieves, but with the price of clothes now, it's just as profitable for them to steal from a shop like Cruise. The shop was expected to re-open later today.

6 July 2004

New Store Concept For Mandarina Duck

STX Design is rolling out a new store concept for Italian luggage fashion brand Mandarina Duck, starting with stores in Paris and Milan.

Mandarina Duck is known for commissioning designers, including Marcel Wanders, Droog, Studio de Lucchi, to create individual stores. The new concept, which is called Mandaring, is based on yellow laminated modular "rings" that wrap the existing stores' interiors.

www.stxdesign.com
27 May 2004

Get Intimate With George

Supermarket chain Asda is to launch it's own intimate range. Designed by Michelle Mone, who invented the Ultimo Bra, the George brand will see a sexy boost with a new lingerie line.

The new collection, simply called Michelle for George, will be available exclusively in Asda and its standalone George stores from this week. The Wal-Mart owned retailer said the launch 'adds a luxurious underwear range to George at fantastic supermarket prices'.

10 May 2004

Heidi Klein opens 2nd London boutique

Heidi Klein, W11’s dedicated year round holiday shop, is reaching out to SW1 with their second London boutique opening, spreading a little holiday heaven to all those jet set travellers. 257 Pavilion Road brings you a paradise of luxury holiday essentials for women, men and children from bikinis to bags, flip-flops to kaftans and beach towels to sunglasses.

The 3,000 sq ft shop, twice the size of their Notting Hill branch, is spread over two floors. Interior designers Hosker Moore Kent Melia have created a relaxing and calm atmosphere in which to shop - the use of stone, sand, raffia and bamboo give you a taste and feel of your holiday to come. The sumptuous sofas provide a comfortable rest for those to take it easy while their partners are selecting their perfect holiday gear.

Advice on fittings and sizes will be on hand from owners Heidi Gosman and Penny Klein with a personal shopping service in the privacy of your own dressing room. Should you be buying for a friend, there will be a gift-wrap service or to bring the scent of summer in to your home at any time of year, there is the Heidi Klein ‘Coconut Beach’ scented candle.

The ground floor will be dedicated to the womenswear collections with exclusive swimwear from Vitamin A, Shay Todd, Kristina Ti, Capucinne, Susan Elizabeth and TNA as well as the Heidi Klein Own Label range of bikinis, costumes, cover-ups and maternitywear. Children will be able to choose the cutest and most adorable pieces from Melissa Odabash, Skirt and Vilebrequin.

Stepping upstairs to the first floor brings you to the dedicated area for the mens collections with something to suit every modern man including ranges from Blanc Bleu, Vilbrequin, Blue Man and Heidi Klein’s Own Label. On this floor you will also be able to get buffed and polished in the Heidi Klein beauty salon with a variety of pre-holiday preparation treatments including waxing, facials, tans and manicures for both men and women.

www.heidiklein.co.uk
april 14 2004

London Sees Hot New Stores Opening

London is getting funky again with the opening of some hot new stores. Bond St is getting busy with D&G opening at number 53, just a short distance from the tastefully boarded-up Norman Foster/David Mlinaric building for Asprey set to open this May.

Sloane Street is trying to keep up with its Bond street superlative with Roberto Cavalli bringing his sexy glamour to South West London with a new boutique set to open in April. The debut of Martin Margiela on Bruton Street, probably the most anticipated of all the new stores, is set to open this month.

Dolce & Gabbana on Bond Street will be hosting the exhibition Calcio, a series of images of footballers wearing Dolce as taken by the photographer Mariano Vivanco. If you can't make it to the store, you can buy the book which is published by D&G themselves. Proceeds go to their four favourite charities.

5 April 2004

Hobbs Eyes US Market

Hobbs has revealed plans to enter the US and Middle Eastern markets on the back of continue growth in the UK and Irish Republic.

The company is said to be exploring opportunities in the two overseas markets, but has not made a decision on whether it will pursue a concession or standalone store strategy.

The business is in the second y ear of a three-year growth plan, and will open four stores and four concessions in the UK this year. A store at Brent Cross shopping centre is scheduled to open on March 20. The company is in negotiations over three more stores and hopes to sign the deal by later this month.

The new concessions will be in Selfridges at Manchester's Trafford Centre, House of Fraser in Reading, Jenners in Edinburgh and Fenwick in Newcastle.

The next Hobbs store to begin trading will be at Portsmouth's Gunwharf Quays outlet centre on February 21. The year's opening will take Hobbs to 41 stores in the UK. The company's only overseas store is a franchise in Sweden.

Hobbs is also relocating its head office in mid-February to larger premises around 200 yards away from the original office in Gloucester Avenue, London.

10 February 2004

Evisu Plans First UK Store

Japanese denim brand Evisu will open its first UK store by the end of this year. They are rumoured to be looking for a store on Savile row in London. The brand will further be opening a concession in Selfridges in March this year in hopes to boost brand awareness but not develop an Evisu retail chain.

5 February 2004

Beales To Face Challenging Year

Department store operator Beales is having trouble spotting light at the end of the tunnel in a tough UK market which has puts its core upmarket customers under pressure.

The Bournemouth based group, which operates 12 regional stores, said it is facing another 'challenging year' as it reported a like-for-like sales decrease of 4.5 per cent in the year to November 1.

Sales worsened as the year progressed, with first half like-for-like sales declining by 2.5 per cent, increasing to a second half decline of 6.8 per cent as the impact of a tougher trading environment combined with disruption from store refurbishments.

Sales remained hard to come by over the key Christmas and New Year sales period, with like-for-like sales down 5 per cent in the eleven weeks to January 17.

Chairman James Sexton said: "All indications are that 2004 will be another very challenging year; prime costs continue to increase and we anticipate there will be little sales price inflation. Trading over the 2003 Christmas period and the New Year continued to reflect the problems of the past financial year and the retail sector as a whole."

The company said its core customers, mainly upmarket and later in life, had seen their disposable income come under increasing pressure - higher council tax bills and falling value of investments and stocks have hit the UK middle classes hard.

This combined with the effects of intense competition in the high street, with high levels of discounting. Store refurbishments in Bournemouth and Bedford were also both completed in 2003, affecting sales.

27 January 2004

Suppliers Squeezed By New Managements

Arcadia, Debenhams and GUS Home Shopping amongst others, have all demanded extra discounts from their suppliers after takeovers by private investors. Changing business terms, especially demanding a retrospective discount, has become a standard way of wringing extra cash out of a retail acquisition.

But Debenhams is also making demands of big-name brands and substantial concession operators. There is a sense that by lengthening the payment terms - expected to average around 60 days against just under 30 days in 2002 - and demanding such a large price cut, the department store's new management has taken a step too far.

Suppliers are now looking at how they can change the way they work with high street stores. Suppliers can further protect themselves through a long-term agreement with the retailers, or by standing together as a core group as they will have bargaining power. At worst a store will refuse to do business, but with outside brands lending credibility to the department store's offer, this would be a blow to its high street appeal.

13 January 2004

Elys of Wimbledon Lines Up Revamp

London department store Elys of Wimbledon is to under go a GBP4million refurbishment programme. Work on the 85,000sq ft store, part of the Morleys group, will start next March and is expected to be completed in autumn 2005. Elys is being advised on the project by JHP, the consultancy that worked with Selfridges on its Masterplan revamp.

11 December 2003

Pilot Joins Flagships On Oxford Street

Pilot opened its flagship store on Oxford Street, London, last week. The store is split over two floors and features curved windows, floating mannequins on illuminated plinths and a purple and pink tunnel arching over purple escalators leading to the basement.

The lower floor features a curved mirrored ceiling and lilac fluorescent ceiling lights to enhance the feeling of space.

The new concept is a development on from the store treatment that launched in Brighton earlier this year. Pilot, which has around 107 branches, is the latest in a long line of retailers to launch flagship concepts in Oxford Street in recent months. Others include River Island, Principles, New look and Dorothy Perkins.

8 December 2003

Microzine Opens In Islington

Microzine, the lifestyle store devised by former Reebok creative director Chris Lee, has opened its door in Islington, North London.

The store's fashion offer is an eclectic mix that includes everything from Dunhill and Gieves No.1 at the top of the range through to streetwear labels Cockfighter and G-Star, and vintage sportswear. Also for sale are curios including limited edition Scalextrix, electric scooter and a set of Andy Warhol camouflage prints worth GBP32,000.

Chris Lee has been developing the concept for well over a year, but encountered planning difficulties with the first site he chose in Shoreditch. He said that he was considering the potential for Microzine stores in Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester.

The London store had a soft launch last week, attracting 100 customers on its first day. Anyone who is interested in product and design will be interested in Microzine.

Microzine is located on three floors on Colbrooke Row near Essex Road, Islington, London.

28 November 2003

Sainsbury's Settles Jeff Banks Row

Sainsbury's has reached an out-of-court settlement with designer Jeff Banks after a public row over the future of his Jeff & Co range.

A statement issued by the supermarket chain this week said that after a "very amicable" meeting between Banks, group chief executive Sir Peter Davis and supermarkets managing director Stuart Mitchell, the designer's contract will end in August 2004.

It is understood that Banks will be paid GBP2 million as part of the deal, and he is expected to retain a role as a consultant for Sainsbury's future clothing ranges.

25 November 2003

British Love BHS

Over the past 70 years, Bhs has grown from a single store in South London to a multinational retail company with a major presence both in the UK and overseas. British Home Stores opened its doors for the first time in Brixton in 1928. The highest price of any item sold then, believe it or not, was one shilling.
In 1986 an injection of design helped Bhs get a stronger presence within their merchandise range. In a merger with Habit, the store got a new look, logo and corporate image.
Now owned by Philip Green, Bhs is a one of the few department stores to really offer value for money. With better fashion ranges (their shoe department deserves a look if you haven't been lately) and a marvelous homeware area make it ideal shopping for those Christmas lists.

21 November 2003