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labels, testing, labels information

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Retail trends 2018

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Who are the Millennial shoppers? And what do they really want? | Accenture Outlook

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The digital prowess and market savvy of Millennials make them a difficult group for retailers to bracket-do they break all the rules, or are they more like other consumers? New research puts to rest a number of Millennial myths and provides insights marketers can use to engage and serve tomorrow's trillion-dollar demographic.

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Scottish manufactures

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The ultimate guide to British knitwear brands - all made in the UK

British knitwear is world-renowned. It's no wonder - the mechanical knitting machine was invented in England and the oldest operating factory in the world is owned by a knitwear manufacturer - John Smedley.

When it comes to quality, British knitwear can't be beaten. Whether it's menswear, womenswear or childrenswear; hand or machine knitted; cashmere, wool or cotton; heritage brand or start-up; there's a British knit for everyone.

If you're looking for the best British knitwear brands, you'll love our ultimate list.

A new soulful British knitwear brand, sharing the story of Beehives woollen heritage and knitting pattern archives from industrial Britain since 1785. The Beehive Brand is located in the market town of Darlington within the North East of England, where they explore and celebrate the community and industry of all things craft, the spirit of soul and the industrial era.

Riachi Studio is a contemporary heritage women's knitwear label by designer duo Scottish-born Natalie Riachi and her partner, Matt Scheurich. The studio is currently based in Paris. Focusing on knitwear means garments can be constructed with minimal wastage, and using well-established manufacturers in Scotland stays true to the ethos of supporting local artisans and economies.

Genevieve Sweeney launched her eponymous knitwear brand in 2015. Made exclusively in the UK, Genevieve Sweeney is writing a new chapter for the knitwear industry, marrying contemporary design with exceptional hand finishes. Indebted to the time-honoured techniques of artisan makers, the brand has reimagined the possibilities of knitwear.

Ally Bee makes beautiful sustainable knitwear, adopting a 'cradle to cradle' commitment to fashion. They seek out natural fibres with care for the land and animal welfare and adopt the cleanest processing and dying.

Oubas Knitwear create beautiful and timeless knitted pieces from natural fibres. Oubas values made in Britain; drawing on the rich history that surrounds them to bring contemporary products with high end craftsmanship.

Ross Barr is a Menswear Fashion, Lifestyle and Heritage brand that champions the craftsmanship and quality of British Manufacturing.

As well as making very nice knitwear, Ramnation are passionate about provenance and supply chain, insisting that their wool is British, their dyes natural and non-toxic, a Cornish mill and a factory in Nottinghamshire.

Richard Sexton & Co is a family run British clothing company based in Clapham, in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Since 1987 they have been supplying wholesale with their quality 'Glencroft' brand which includes some beautiful knitwear pieces.

At Make it British we love a Christmas Jumper and British Christmas Jumpers offer a huge range of designs, all made in the UK of course!

Nestled in the heart of Shropshire the Turtle Doves team specialises in turning pre-loved cashmere jumpers into practical and gorgeously soft new accessories.

We are Rushworth are a Scottish borders based clothing label started in 2012. All of their knitwear is made in Scotland.

Charles Kirk make bespoke school knitwear, all made in the UK, in their factory in Worthing, West Sussex to your precise specifications. Customise one of their standard styles or work with them to produce an entirely unique garment. They can also colour match to co-ordinate with your other garments and offer options for those with allergies or requiring smaller/larger than average sizes.

Established in 1784, John Smedley are the oldest manufacturing factory in the world, crafting beautiful, high quality garments that are designed to last, made in Britain and distributed the world over.

Founded in 1797, the Johnstons knitting mill in Hawick, has a team of highly skilled designers and craftspeople working together to create their wonderful knitwear.

Luxury women's knitwear & accessories made in Scotland & Ireland. Aran knit & cable wool jumpers, cardigans and hand-finished cashmere.

An historic manufacturer of premium cashmere, established in the Scottish Borders in 1903. Barrie Knitwear is renowned for its outstanding, traditional expertise.

Brora are known for their luxury, Scottish cashmere knitwear.

Knitted jumpers and accessories for men and women, designed and made in their small studio in the Scottish Borders. Using the finest lambswool, each scarf, hat, wrap, and jumper is individually knitted by Flora in her studio.

Traditional yet wearable clothes for children and adults. Cooking Apple designs are inspired by forgotten patterns and styles, which are then knitted up in beautiful colours. Each piece is hand-knitted in the Cotswolds by a small team.

Eleven Everything creates luxury fashion knitwear designed in London, knitted in Britain and completed with foiling and hand finishing back in London in an east end artisan studio.

Esk combine style and luxury in their knitwear. They make and mill everything in Scotland under the same roof and source their yarns with care and integrity, trying to use the small but rich seam of spinners in Britain.

Fanclub is a London based knitwear brand. Yarns are sourced from Britain's premium suppliers, spun in England and Scotland.

With a heritage born in the mill town of Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, and a reputation renowned the world over, Glenbrae's history is rich in developing technical yarns.

Since its foundation in 1978 on the hills of the Scottish Borders, Glenevan Mill has been producing exclusive handmade Cashmere knitwear for its discerning clientele around the world.

Harley of Scotland have produced quality knitwear for 87 years. Their ideas and inspiration, eclectic blends of the highest quality fibres, textures and patterns, and pairing their traditional techniques with highly sophisticated technology ensures the perfect balance between old and new.

Last Of England is a clothing brand which is led by design. Last Of England takes stylistic inspiration from the past to create items that will endure in the future and use the manufacturing talents of British industry.

Leith clothing is a British menswear brand whose range includes cable knit jumpers crafted on the Shetland islands using 100% Shetland wool from the Jamiesons mill - a company who have been supplying yarn since the 1890s.

Paul James is a luxury, Leicestershire-based knitwear manufacturer. They take yarns from all over the world and knit them into stylish, functional garments that are made to last.

Peregrine is an English Heritage clothing brand with British Heritage Merino wool jumpers and cardigans.

Luxury knitwear brand Plum of London makes its entire range within these shores meaning that they can support local, highly-skilled industries whilst keeping their carbon footprint to a minimum!

Richmond Knitwear is country, cricket, work and schoolwear knitted by Crystal Knitwear since 1990.

British clothing authentically made and inspired by Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. Range includes merino jumpers knitted in Hawick.

Designer men's luxury Scottish cashmere knitwear combining modern fits and design with traditional artisanal construction.

UMd is an experimental fashion label from the team behind Unmade. Everything produced by UMd is powered by Unmade technology, made to order and unique to the customer. UMd works in collaboration with other innovative global brands, reflecting Unmade's desire to transform fashion by working with the industry.

At Valentina Karellas every piece of knitwear is one-of-a kind. Valentina uses surplus yarn from large factories that would otherwise have gone to waste. The result: each piece of knitwear is a lifelong-lasting, entirely unique London original.

Based in the Outer Hebrides, Verisimilitude source Scottish wool for all of their knitwear and use its natural tone and grain to create uniqueness for each piece that they produce.

William Lockie is one of the oldest family run luxury knitwear businesses based in the Scottish Borders.
They specialise in knitwear made from natural fibres such as Cashmere, Camelhair, Merino, Geelong & Lambswool using traditional techniques that have been passed down for generations.

Wonderers makes knitwear for 3 to 10 year olds. All Wonderers knits are made in the UK using 100% natural fibres.

Please leave a comment below if you enjoyed this article about British Knitwear. You can also see which Make it British members make knitwear in our directory here

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The Ultimate Guide to British Knitwear Brands (Top 40) All Made in the UK

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British knitwear is world-renowned. It's no wonder - the mechanical knitting machine was invented in England and the oldest operating factory in the world is owned by a knitwear manufacturer - John Smedley. When it comes to quality, British knitwear can't be beaten.

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UK sourcing

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PESTEL analysis is a very useful tool that helps business strategists to understand the impact of the macro-environmental factors on their businesses. It also helps them in making strategic decisions. PESTEL analysis is usually conducted in the context of an industry; however, you can also carry it out on a country.
PESTEL analysis of the UK
This PESTEL analysis of the UK aims to address some of the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal issues concerning the country.
Political factors
The UK consists of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It is one of the most powerful countries in the world. Political stability is a great strength of the country; however, Brexit has created uncertainties and political debates. Some analysts believe that Brexit will create a chaos unimaginable, whereas others believe it will open doors to immense opportunities for the country.

The UK has long been a popular destination for foreign direct investment (FDI). Many business tycoons and organisations from around the world have invested in a variety of industries in the UK. Sports, real estate, technology, grocery and many other industries have drawn an enormous amount of interest from overseas.

The current corporation tax rate for company profits is 19%. However, the government announced a reduction to the corporation tax at Budget 2016. From 1 April 2020, the rate will be 17% (GOV.UK, 2018).
Economic factors
A very important element in the PESTEL analysis of the UK is the country's economic landscape. The UK is the 5 th largest economy in the world by nominal GDP (The World Bank, 2017). The recession in 2008 had put the economy in trouble; however, the government took necessary steps to improve the economy.

British households faced certain challenges in 2017. Prices in the shops rose at fast rates as the weak pound increased the cost of importing goods to the UK. However, wages did not go up in line with the increased prices. The current minimum wage for people aged 25 and over is £7.50 per hour which is due to increase to £7.83 from April 2018.

The inflation rate rose to 3.1% in November 2017. It is worth noting that the Bank of England has set a 2% inflation target. It increased its key interest rate in November 2017. The rate has gone up from 0.25% to 0.5% (BBC, 2017). It is unlikely that there will be another quick increase; however, many analysts believe that the age of low interest rate is over.
Social factors
The UK has a big consumer market. According to the data released in July 2017 by the Office for National Statistics, the population of the UK was 65.6 million in 2016. Births continue to outnumber deaths and the population is expected to reach 74 million by 2039. The population is getting older as well. In 2016, 18% of people were aged 65 and over, while 2.4% were aged 85 and over. This has implications on both the labour market and the health care system. However, there are a lot of opportunities for organisations to cater for the needs of older population. Real estate, holiday, insurance, health care and many other companies have already benefitted from this category of population.

The UK has historically been influenced by the concept of social class; however, the population is multicultural. Over the years, companies have developed a variety of new products and markets to cater for the needs of different races and religions. There are still many opportunities out there for organisations to explore.

The UK is one of the top 10 countries perceived to have the most educated population in the world. It is also No. 3 in the rank of overall Best Countries. However, it is worth mentioning that the costs of living and higher education are on the rise.
Technological factors
The UK is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. London is the great hub for both financial and technological institutions. Businesses are frequently developing new technologies to offer the best solutions for their customers. The advanced technological infrastructure offers entrepreneurs unlimited opportunities to do business in the UK.

Technology sector is a major contributor to the UK economy. A lot of investment and talent are coming into the sector. It is worth noting that the investment and development are spreading across the country. The UK attracted £28bn in technology investment since 2011, compared to £11bn in France and £9.3bn in Germany (McGoogan, 2017). However, the UK is falling behind the USA, South Korea, India, Japan and some other countries in technological development.
Environmental factors
Economic activities impact on the environment; however, the UK has made significant improvements in reducing the negative impact. The government, local councils, newspapers, charities and many others have taken a variety of initiatives to create environmental awareness and reduce the negative impact of economic growth on the environment.

The UK sometimes faces challenging weather conditions. However, weather still plays an important role in tourism. Millions of tourists from around the world come to the UK, particularly during summer. In fact, tourism is booming in the UK and contributes approximately £127bn annually to the economy.
Legal factors
The last element to examine in the PESTEL analysis of the UK is the legal landscape. However, a detailed discussion on the legal environment of the country is beyond the scope of this article. Nevertheless, the article addresses some of the key areas in brief. The Employment Act 1996 protects rights of employees. Maternity and paternity leave, minimum wage, holiday pay, sick pay, and some other rights are legally protected. Likewise, the Equality Act 2010 protects people from any discrimination.

We hope the article has helped you explore PESTEL analysis of the UK. You may also like reading PESTEL analysis of the USA. If you liked this article, please share it by clicking on the icons below.

The article publication date: 16 January 2018
Further reading/references
BBC (2017) UK inflation rate at near six-year high, available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42320052 (Accessed 22 January 2018)

GOV.UK (2018) Rates and allowances: Corporation Tax, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-corporation-tax/rates-and-allowances-corporation-tax (Access 20 January 2018)

McGoogan, C. (2017) Tech sector growing faster than UK economy with 72pc of investment outside London, available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/03/22/tech-sector-growing-faster-uk-economy-72pc-investment-outside/ (Accessed 24 January 2018)

Photo credit: Pixabay

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howandwhat.net welcome to the world of easy-to-use information!

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PESTEL analysis is a very useful tool that helps business strategists to understand the impact of the macro-environmental factors on their businesses. It also helps them in making strategic decisions. PESTEL analysis is usually conducted in the context of an industry; however, you can also carry it out on a country.

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Guardian

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Returning fashion manufacturing to the UK - opportunities and challenges

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With Mary Portas, traditional brands and new young designers, UK fashion manufacturing is making a comeback. Experts share their thoughts on its return and revival

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Manufacturing in UK

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fabric research

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Clothing manufacturers long ago discovered that blended fabrics (e.g. Cotton/Polyester, Nylon/Wool) benefit over single natural or synthetic fiber materials. Blended fabrics can not only lessen the cost to produce the product, they can improve the feel, appearance, and durability of the fabric while allowing easier care.

At Ivy and Pearl Boutique, questions about fabric blends are one of the most asked queries from our customers. The blend is also an important criteria for us when selecting products for our online boutique. Thus, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the variety of fabric blends used in our products is important for both customers and sellers.

Natural and synthetic fibers have distinct advantages and disadvantages when used alone.

Cotton

Advantages

Soft

Hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant

Breathes well

Disadvantages

Easily wrinkles and creases

Weakened by light exposure

Polyester

Advantages

Easily dyed

Light

Resists shrinkage

Resists stretching

Resists mildew

Not damaged by light

Resists wrinkling

Disadvantages

Does not breathe

Shine can be unattractive

Difficult to remove stains from

Nylon
Disadvantages

Not absorbent

Can have unattractive sheen

Prone to static electricity

Wool

Acetate

Advantages
Silky appearance and feel

Disadvantages

Dyes can fade or bleed

Heat sensitive

Relatively weak fiber

Ramie
Advantages

Resists bacteria, mildew, and insects

Absorbency properties are extremely high

Easily dyed

Strengthens when wet

Luster improves with washing

Holds shape well

Resists shrinkage

Silk

Rayon (Viscose)

Spandex/Lycra
Disadvantages

Does not allow skin to breath

May stick to the body

Is sensitive to heat

When the fabrics above are blended, manufacturers can take advantage of the fabric's inherent qualities while negating its weaknesses. It's important to note, when a blend is listed on a product, the fabric type with the highest content will be listed first. For instance, a "Cotton/Polyester" fabric will contain at least 51% cotton while a "Polyester/cotton" fabric will contain at least 51% cotton.

Cotton/Polyester

Cotton has a softer feel with high breathability. It is light and cool. However, cotton is more prone to shrinkage and wrinkles. Polyester is strong, durable, and lasts longer than cotton. It also resists shrinkage and wrinkles, the two biggest disadvantages of cotton.

A cotton/polyester blend is common in apparel, especially shirts. The blend is durable, maintains its color well, and is soft and light. A cotton/polyester blend is less susceptible to shrinkage, wrinkles, pilling, and static. The blend is not as breathable as 100% cotton, but its properties make it ideal for a sporty look or apparel that undergoes heavy usage.

Nylon/Wool

Wool is best known for its moisture wicking properties. Wool acts as a natural insulator for both cool and warm environments. It is also anti-microbial which allows it to keep odors at bay. However, some wool may be coarse and scratchy.

Blending nylon and wool emphasizes the benefits of wool without the itchiness and results in a fabric that is durable and wrinkle/shrinkage resistant.

Nylon/Acetate

Nylon is a synthetic material. It provides excellent durability, stretch, and wrinkle and shrinkage resistance. It is soft, supple, and dries quickly. Acetate is almost identical to Rayon (at one point, both were considered the same textile). It is breathable and lustrous with a beautiful satiny sheen.

Blending acetate with nylon offers the attractiveness of an acetate fabric with the durability, stretch, and wrinkle/shrinkage resistance seen with nylon.

Ramie/Polyester

Ramie is one of the strongest of all-natural fibers in the world and is highly lustrous and bright, and resists heat, insects, mildew, light, and acids. Ramie however, is prone to wrinkle. Polyester is also strong and durable. It wicks away moisture well but unlike Ramie, resists shrinkage and wrinkles.

Ramie combined with polyester provides all the strength and durability benefits of Ramie with the wrinkle resistance of polyester.

Wool/Cotton

Wool is best known for its moisture wicking properties. Wool acts as a natural insulator for both cool and warm environments. It is also anti-microbial which allows it to keep odors at bay. However, some wool may be coarse and scratchy. Cotton has a softer feel with high breathability. It is light and cool. However, cotton is more prone to shrinkage and wrinkles.

A Wool/Cotton blend improves the ability of the garment to retain its shape resulting in superior appearance, especially after several washes. Wool of course, improves wrinkle resistance while cotton softens the fabric making it more comfortable to wear. It's a common blend in hats, socks, and jackets and vests.

Linen/Cotton

Linen fibers do not stretch which causes them to break down when folded or ironed at the same place each time. A 100% linen fabric is difficult to maintain and expensive. However, linen fabrics are very absorbent, cool to the touch, and have a natural luster. Linen is also very durable and strong, particularly when wet. It is considered a "luxury" fabric. Cotton has a softer feel with high breathability. It is light and cool. However, cotton is more prone to shrinkage and wrinkles.

Blending linen with cotton increases the strength of the fabric while reducing the cost of an expensive linen-only material.

Linen/Silk

Linen fibers do not stretch which causes them to break down when folded or ironed at the same place each time. A 100% linen fabric is difficult to maintain and expensive. However, linen fabrics are very absorbent, cool to the touch, and have a natural luster. Linen is also very durable and strong, particularly when wet. It is considered a "luxury" fabric. Silk is lightweight but durable. It's soft, shiny appearance cannot be beat. However, it is expensive and yellows with age. It also requires special care when cleaning.

Both linen and silk are luxurious. A linen/silk blend will be expensive but will be durable with an unbeatable beautiful luster.

Linen/Rayon

Linen fibers do not stretch which causes them to break down when folded or ironed at the same place each time. A 100% linen fabric is difficult to maintain and expensive. However, linen fabrics are very absorbent, cool to the touch, and have a natural luster. Linen is also very durable and strong, particularly when wet. It is considered a "luxury" fabric. Rayon is a synthetic fiber that is breathable and drapes well. It has a beautiful luster and silky feel. However, Rayon easily creases, is prone to stretching, and requires dry cleaning.

The classic linen/rayon blend has a beautiful hand and drapes well. It combines the cool comfort of linen wit the excellent wearability of rayon.

Silk/Wool

Silk is lightweight but durable. It's soft, shiny appearance cannot be beat. However, it is expensive and yellows with age. It also requires special care when cleaning. Wool is best known for its moisture wicking properties. Wool acts as a natural insulator for both cool and warm environments. It is also anti-microbial which allows it to keep odors at bay. However, some wool may be coarse and scratchy.

A silk/wool blend retains the shine of silk and the weight of wool. The blend is breathable, drapes well, and possesses a luminous sheen.

Rayon/Cotton

Rayon is a synthetic fiber that is breathable and drapes well. It has a beautiful luster and silky feel. However, Rayon easily creases, is prone to stretching, and requires dry cleaning. Cotton has a softer feel with high breathability. It is light and cool. However, cotton is more prone to shrinkage and wrinkles.

A rayon/cotton blend is common. Rayon lends a silky feel and appearance to the blend but like cotton, it's prone to creases. Still, rayon wrinkles less than cotton which adds benefit to the fabric blend.

Cotton/Polyester/Rayon/Spandex

Another common but complex blend uses cotton, polyester, rayon, and spandex (i.e. Lycra). It's common in quality apparel that requires stretch (e.g. stretch pants). The fabric will have comfort and breathability of cotton. Spandex helps control the shape of the fabric since it resists wrinkles while polyester contributes strength. The stretchability of the blend derives from the Rayon component.

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Why are fabrics sometimes blended? The advantages and disadvantages of various common fabric blends. - Ivy and Pearl Online Boutique

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Clothing manufacturers long ago discovered that blended fabrics (e.g. Cotton/Polyester, Nylon/Wool) benefit over single natural or synthetic fiber materials. Blended fabrics can not only lessen the cost to produce the product, they can improve the feel, appearance, and durability of the fabric while allowing easier care.

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Cos fabrics care label

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Mid market

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"The worst place to be during times of uncertainty is somewhere in in the middle, without a compelling proposition for either value or quality."

Prism Skylabs' retail senior vice president Cliff Crosbie might sound pessimistic about the much broader middle-market sector, but the facts and figures seem to be on his side.

A key battleground that lays bare the wounds of the mid-market sector is fashion. While luxury brands continue to cash in on the foreign tourists, administrators are nipping at the heels of those at a more modest price range.

This year already Brantano and Jones Bootmaker have collapsed. Last year many more, including American Apparel and Banana Republic, disappeared from high streets. Furthermore, Next and Marks & Spencer - which analysts often regard as bellwethers of UK retail - have sounded alarms over the increasingly tough market since the fall in the sterling.

As Retail Gazette established in the previous Sector Wars instalment, few think that circumstances are likely to change anytime soon. But why exactly is the sector struggling so much when its counterparts are enjoying a relative boom?
READ PART TWO HERE: Will the luxury sector win the Brexit recession?
Professor Steve Burt from the University of Sterling thinks it's all about reducing risk.

"There is a tendency in recession to go one of two ways - for price as budgets are constrained or for known brands at higher prices because it is a known quality/reputation purchase, you know what you are getting for your money," he told Retail Gazette.

"If you feel income and spending power are constrained then you look to reduce risk by either trying to get more for your money (discount), or making sure you know what you are getting for your money (known brands)."

"the ability to be flexible with fixed or semi-fixed costs will be important"

The depreciation of the pound since the Brexit referendum a year ago has had a huge and complex effect on UK retailers, both good and bad. To prevent becoming another administration statistic, Burt believes mid-market retailers need to consider flexibility.

"The fall in the pound should reduce buying costs, but impact ultimately will depend on scale - how much can scale be leveraged to make a difference in purchasing," he said.

"Buying costs fall for everyone in theory so the largest and most flexible can make the most of the fall. Also the lead time becomes important, fast fashion has shorter lead times, others may buy a few months in advance.

"Mid-market often tends to go for less fashionable (up-to-the-present) styles so is likely to have longer lead times. It will take a little while for the currency impact to come, through.
READ PART ONE HERE: Will budget retail win the next recession?
"Margins will be pressured so the ability to be flexible with fixed or semi-fixed costs will be important."

The mid-market seems to be between a rock and a hard place. Not only are margins taking a pounding, meaning there is less flexibility on which it is dependent to succeed, but both its more and less expensive rivals are stealing market share.

The University of Sterling's professor Leigh Sparks believes retailers need to push their unique selling point (USP) in order to fight back.

"The mid-range retailers have to focus on areas where they have some potential advantage," Sparks said.

"They have an ability to offer a better level of service than the budget chains and a better experience, but they need to work on this and make it distinctive and valued by the consumers.

"They can also seek out somewhat 'quirky' or different lines to make a differential point. But it is tough especially if it costs continue to rise and incomes fall."

"mid-market retailers are at risk of becoming Brexit casualties."

Ed Bussey, founder and chief executive of digital retail content specialists Quill, argues that the changes don't need to be dramatic for mid-market retailers to start competing.

"There are some simple things that mid-market brands can do better to survive during the next year," he told Retail Gazette.

"Luxury and budget customers are much more likely to go directly to a brand's website. For the mid-market though, the customer journey is more likely to start with a search engine, so being visible in search engine results pages (SERP) to garner organic traffic is vital.

"The only way to do this effectively is through unique and useful content - but you'd be amazed how many retailers we see failing to even add category page descriptions to their sites - one of the most powerful ways to secure search rankings against the large volumes of generic search traffic.

"Equally, given that product returns impact the bottom line significantly, I continue to be surprised at the consistently poor quality of product descriptions we see across the mid-market retailer sector, particularly around fit on fashion product pages.
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"Unless online storefronts are held to the same quality standards as their offline stores are, and are providing at least the same level of product information as would be available from a helpful in-store assistant, then mid-market retailers are at risk of becoming Brexit casualties."

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Sector Wars: Can mid-market retailers survive without change? - Retail Gazette - retail news, features and analysis

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"The worst place to be during times of uncertainty is somewhere in in the middle, without a compelling proposition for either value or quality." Prism Skylabs' retail senior vice president Cliff Crosbie might sound pessimistic about the much broader middle-market sector, but the facts and figures seem to be on his side.

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Womenswear market

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The UK womenswear market grew by 3.2 percent to 28.4 billion in 2017 -- just one woman in twenty didn't buy any new clothes in 2017, according to a research by market intelligence agency Mintel, which surveyed over 1000 female shoppers from the UK aged 16 or more. Mintel also forecasts British women to spend 29.4 billion pounds in clothing this year, and the sales of womenswear to grow by 14 percent between 2018 and 2022.

"Although recent headlines give the impression that the current UK fashion market is in a terrible state, it's not all doom and gloom as sales of womenswear continue to grow", said Samantha Dover, Senior Fashion Analyst at Mintel, in a statement. "The market is undoubtedly challenging and more competitive than ever before, but those with a real understanding of what their customers want will continue to succeed", she pondered.

UK women moving away from fast fashion

The research also revealed that British women are looking for more quality when shopping for clothes. They have been moving away from fast fashion and investing more money in basic, seasonless pieces. 69 percent of surveyors agreed that buying timeless fashion saves money in the long run. A further 64 percent agreed that it is worth spending more on clothes that will last.

However, affordable clothes still have space in UK female consumers' heart, as 66 percent of respondents reported to have spent less than 50 pounds the last time they bought clothes. Almost half of them (49 percent) said they do buy clothes at supermarkets.

Wondering what's the most popular piece of clothing among them? Proving once again that athleisure is far from killing denim, over half (53 percent) of British female consumers have purchased a pair of jeans in the first 3 months of 2018, when Mintel's research was conducted.

Sustainability and inclusivity are important for young female shoppers

Mintel's survey confirmed that consumers expect fashion companies to be more sustainable and diverse. A quarter of the respondents said they'd be more likely to shop at a specific retailer if its advertising campaigns used models that represent the average person. This is even more important for younger female consumers: 30 percent of surveyors aged 18-27 said they are actively seeking brands which employ more representative models. The research also revealed that campaigns featuring celebrities are not so effective anymore: only 5 percent of those surveyed said they would be more inclined to buy a product because a celebrity they admire is the face of the brand.

"Evermore demanding consumers want retailers to be more representative and body-positive in their campaigns. Online-only young fashion retailers have been the most responsive to this demand, with these companies beginning to display their clothes on different sized models, while others are rejecting image retouching", noted Dover.

UK women also expect companies to be more transparent. One in three respondents said they are interested in knowing more about how their clothes are made. The percentage raises to 47 percent among Millennial women (18-27 years old). Another characteristic of younger respondents is that they find online shopping to be more convenient than browsing brick and mortar stores: 53 percent of surveyors aged 16-24 said so. However, 42 percent of them said it is often difficult to find the clothes they are looking for online. 61 percent of respondents belonging to this age group reported having returned items they bought online because "they didn't fit well".

Last but not least, retailers should bear in mind that brand loyalty is low among UK women. According to Dover, this means "fashion retailers need to communicate more effectively a compelling and differentiated offer to stand out from the crowd".

Photo: Asos website

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British women set to spend 29.4 billion pounds on clothing in 2018

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The UK womenswear market grew by 3.2 percent to 28.4 billion in 2017 -- just one woman in twenty didn't buy any new clothes in 2017, according to a research by market intelligence agency Mintel, which surveyed over 1000 female shoppers from the UK

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Retail rent prices fall

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Store closures

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The news comes as chairman Archie Norman and chief executive Steve Rowe prepare to reveal another slump in annual profits on Wednesday, according to The Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph.

In the 13 weeks to 29 December, total UK sales fell 2.7% to £2.7bn.

M&S previously announced in November 2016 that it expects to shut 100 stores by 2022. Since then it has closed 43 stores.

Drapers revealed earlier this month that M&S will cut at least 47 roles as it simplifies its clothing and home division.

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Marks & Spencer accelerates store closures

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The news comes as chairman Archie Norman and chief executive Steve Rowe prepare to reveal another slump in annual profits on Wednesday, according to The Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph. In the 13 weeks to 29 December, total UK sales fell 2.7% to £2.7bn.

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Bump on road for Marks and Spencer

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Profit before tax fell to £523.2m for the period, and group revenues also dropped - down 3% to £10.37bn for the year.

UK clothing and home revenues fell by 3.6% overall and 1.6% on a like-for-like basis. Online clothing and home revenue grew by 9.8%. In total 22% of clothing and home UK revenue now comes from online, up from 19% last year.

An overly large and confusing offer, supply chain issues and poor availability of popular styles were in part blamed for the disappointing performance of the sector.

However, gross margins on clothing rose by 20 basis points, as a result of 14% less stock going into Sale. For the year ahead, M&S expects to reduce options and duplications in styles, and focus more on fashion and trends in its designs. It will also shift to a "first price, right price" structure.

While stressing that the M&S transformation was making "good progress" Rowe conceded that the business had not been consistent: "M&S is changing faster than at any time in my career - substantial changes across the business to our processes, ranges and operations - and this has constrained this year's performance, particularly in clothing and home."

Rowe also said the retailer was focusing on "restoring the basics" and fixing legacy issues as a first stage in its transformation: "The objective of our transformation programme is to create a profitable, growing family of businesses under the M&S brand within three to five years, bound together not only by a common consumer brand but also by shared sites, employment values, technology and customer data"

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Profit before tax fell to £523.2m for the period, and group revenues also dropped - down 3% to £10.37bn for the year. UK clothing and home revenues fell by 3.6% overall and 1.6% on a like-for-like basis. Online clothing and home revenue grew by 9.8%.

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Sustainability report drapers

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While the fashion industry is starting to turn up the dial on its sustainability efforts, and despite the significant progress being made by brands and retailers to minimise their negative impact, there is still a long way to go.

Positive change is urgently needed and now is the time to work together to find solutions to the fashion industry's environmental and social influence - together we can collaborate for change.

Drapers Sustainable Fashion 2020 will bring together the most sustainable brands and retailers, trailblazers and unicorns, disruptors, progressive thinkers and pioneers to discuss what we can do to tackle the issues facing the industry through innovation and creativity.

Building on the success of last year's inaugural summit, 2020's event will take place on 11 March in King's Cross at Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG.

At the sold-out launch event in March, 300-plus attendees heard from speakers from more than 40 brands, including Adidas, Kering, Burberry, Farfetch, Marks & Spencer and The North Face.

Next year's conference promises to be even bigger and better. Already signed up to the agenda are Mary Creagh MP, chair of the environmental audit select committee, and Vestiaire Collective. To find out about more and to secure your place go to sustainablefashion.drapersonline.com.

For sponsorship opportunities please contact Paul Stewart, group commercial director on 020 3953 2054 or paul.stewart@emap.com.

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Drapers Sustainable Fashion 2020 launches

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While the fashion industry is starting to turn up the dial on its sustainability efforts, and despite the significant progress being made by brands and retailers to minimise their negative impact, there is still a long way to go.

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Pestle

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MPs have criticised UK fashion businesses for failing to prioritise sustainability in their company policies, and have called on them to participate fully in industry initiatives to tackle social and environmental issues. The comments were published in an interim report on 31 January by the environmental audit committee as part of its wider inquiry into the sustainability of the fashion industry.

The inquiry launched in June 2018 to investigate the social and environmental impacts of the fast fashion business model, and the wider clothing industry. It asked 16 fashion retailers to submit evidence on areas such as their use of organic or sustainable cotton, limiting the discharge of hazardous chemicals and the re-use or recycling of unsold stock. It also explored claims of unfair labour practices in UK supplier factories.

It's shocking to see that a group of major retailers are failing to take action to promote environmental sustainability and protect their workers

Mary Creagh, chair of the environmental audit committee

MPs assessed businesses according to their levels of participation in a range of programmes in place, and concluded that "retailers should show leadership through engagement with industry initiatives" and that the "current business model for [the] UK fashion industry is unsustainable".

They favoured involvement in the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) and the Microfibre Initiative as marks of environmental leadership, and membership of organisations such as the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and ACT for the labour market. The committee said it was "impressed with the level of engagement by some retailers" but found several are lagging behind.

Amazon, Boohoo, JD Sports, Missguided, Sports Direct and TK Maxx are "less engaged", it found.

Committee chair Mary Creagh said: "It's shocking to see that a group of major retailers are failing to take action to promote environmental sustainability and protect their workers."

At the other end of the scale, the committee found Asos, Burberry, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Primark to be "engaged", while Arcadia Group, Asda, Debenhams and Next are "moderately engaged" and "have the potential to go further".
Retailers' response
Those retailers considered "engaged" or "moderately engaged" broadly welcomed the findings.

A Debenhams spokeswoman said: "Industry membership is a great way to collaborate and effect real sustainable change on a larger scale." Although it participates in some of the programmes detailed in the report, the retailer added: "There are other initiatives that were not included that support both social and environmental improvements, through collaboration with unions, NGOs and retailers."

Some "less engaged" retailers said their sustainability policies and actions were not truly represented or their business models were misunderstood.

We continue to put energy and resource into reducing the environmental impact of our business

TK Maxx

In a statement to Drapers, TK Maxx said the report "does not reflect our commitment to working to make a positive, sustainable impact on the world in which we live". The retailer said it has a complex business model as an off-price retailer and is not as vertically integrated as others in the report, adding: "We continue to put energy and resource into reducing the environmental impact of our business." It cited the Carbon Trust Standard accreditation it has held since 2009 and its 14-year-old take-back scheme as examples of its efforts.

The report criticised JD Sports and Sports Direct for failing to be members of the Microfibre Consortium and for limited use of recycled materials.

JD Sports responded: "Around 90% of the group's sales come from products supplied by third-party brands. Our two principal brands - Nike and Adidas - are internationally recognised as industry leaders in driving sustainability within the design and development of their product ranges. Private-label sales make up the rest of the group's sales, and there is an ongoing project to review options on improving the sustainability of our manufactured garments."

Labour issues

MPs' biggest concerns focused on labour practices. Low wages in Leicester factories supplying etailers including Boohoo and Missguided surfaced as a key issue over the course of the inquiry. None of the "less engaged" group of retailers are signed up to the ACT living wage initiative and only Missguided is a member of the ETI.

Missguided agreed with the committee that "there are significant issues in Leicester with compliance to UK employment law and ensuring workers are paid the minimum wage". The retailer has now stopped working with 60 factories in the area, and taken measures to ban cash payments and fund a whistleblowing helpline.

MPs criticised Boohoo for not joining the ETI.

In a statement to Drapers, Boohoo Group said: "Just because we are not a member of the ETI does not mean we do not audit our supply chain accordingly. We have a strong framework of practices and policies in place that meet or exceed industry initiatives. We appreciate that signing up to specific industry initiatives demonstrates commitment, and are open to revisiting our stance on membership of those flagged in the report."

Be part of the solution on 14 March

Drapers Sustainable Fashion is our unmissable new event that will bring together the most sustainable brands and retailers, trailblazers and unicorns, disruptors, progressive thinkers and pioneers to discuss what we can do and why change is not optional.

When giving evidence to the committee back in November, Carol Kane, co-founder and joint CEO of Boohoo, attributed its reluctance to joining the initiative to the requirement to publish its information on its supply chain "which is currently our engine room".

Furthermore, the need for transparency outweighs any retailer's desire for supply chain secrecy, believes Mike Barry, director of sustainable business at Marks & Spencer - one of the "engaged" retailers. He told Drapers that concerns about the competitive advantage of not disclosing supplier names are increasingly unnecessary: "We also had those concerns around giving away trade secrets before disclosing our supplier details. But we realised that any competitor can find out where we source if they want to, so decided to push through and publish. First-tier disclosure is now the norm and retailers are starting to look out of step if they don't do it."
Retailers' participation in sustainability and ethical schemes and actions
Jenny Holloway, CEO of London manufacturer Fashion Enter, also advocates transparency: "With the Home Office announcing it will name and shame suppliers who are not paying decent rates, now is the time for buyers to look at their supply base. Being transparent about who you work with is part of that."
Sustainability leaders
MPs considered Asos, Marks & Spencer, Primark, Tesco and Burberry as industry leaders. Their goals include: M&S's aim for 80% of materials to come from sustainable sources by 2025; Primark's plan to source all cotton sustainably; Asos's commitment to sustainably source 100% of its raw materials by 2025, with an interim goal of 60% by 2020; Tesco's aim to use only sustainable cotton by 2019 and only recycled polyester by 2030; and Burberry's 2022 goal for 100% Better Cotton Initiative cotton.

On labour market initiatives, MPs singled out Tesco for the work it is doing via its 40-strong team of in-house human rights experts who work closely with all its non-food factories across Asia to ensure decent standards. They also praised Asos's involvement in Fast Forward - a traceability system to show every single worker involved in the garment.

Drapers contacted all 16 retailers in the report. Amazon and Next declined to comment. Kurt Geiger, Sports Direct, Arcadia and Asda did not respond.

The Drapers Verdict

The "engaged" UK fashion retailers are leading the way on how the industry as a whole can tackle and solve the issues around labour and the environment. Given the global nature of the sector, many believe the next step should be industry-wide and global collaboration.

Individual initiatives such as the Ethical Training Initiative and the Better Cotton Initiative show what success can look like. However, the industry now needs to find a way to collaborate on a broader scale and organise itself for more widespread change. It could follow the lead of the food sector, where competitors are working together to tackle plastic pollution, food waste and deforestation.

The environmental audit committee will publish a full report in the coming weeks, which will include policy recommendations. Greater collaboration could help to spread the burden and cost of change, and help the sector avoid almost inevitable legislation on labour and environmental issues.

A call for compulsory take-back schemes

Nine out of the 12 retailers with physical stores covered in the environmental sudit committee interim report have in-store take-back schemes or textile banks, an initiative regarded as an important sustainability action.

Next was the only retailer among those considered "moderately engaged" and "engaged" not to run such a scheme, citing cost as a barrier.

In its evidence to MPs, Primark suggested take-back schemes should be made compulsory, partly to overcome the perception of "fast fashion" as disposable. In 2016 the retailer launched a customer take-back pilot in five stores in the UK and Germany. It has confirmed it will scale this up and launch an in-store customer recycling scheme this year.

Marks & Spencer launched its Schwopping recycling scheme in 2008. Over the past 10 years it has collected 30 million garments.

TK Maxx has operated its Give Up Clothes for Good take-back scheme for 14 years, recycling 6,830 tonnes of clothing and saving 150,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, DEFRA has estimated. Through the scheme the retailer has raised more than £31m for Cancer Research UK Kids and Teens.

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Why fashion falls short: retailers respond to MPs' sustainability charges

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MPs have criticised UK fashion businesses for failing to prioritise sustainability in their company policies, and have called on them to participate fully in industry initiatives to tackle social and environmental issues. The comments were published in an interim report on 31 January by the environmental audit committee as part of its wider inquiry into the sustainability of the fashion industry.

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Edited sustainability

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When will the fashion industry take sustainability seriously? - EDITED

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Of course, landfill isn't the only sin this industry and its consumers commit, there's also usage of non-renewable energy, water consumption, toxic waste, polluting microfibres and carbon emissions on the black list. Given that the global population will have lifted 16% by 2030, there will be hordes more earthlings who will need dressing, and a growing middle class who will have more dollars with which to buy stuff.

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Mintel consumer research

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UK Clothing Retailing Market Report (Updated 2018) | Mintel.com

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Click here now for the most comprehensive market research reports on Clothing Retailing and the Fashion Industry. In-depth, insightful, invaluable market intelligence.

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Pros and cons UK manufacturing

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Show caption
Julie Deane says demand for one of Cambridge Satchel Company's bags soared after Alexa Chung bought one. Photograph: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images

What do Brompton bicycles, Heritage Prams and Hotel Chocolat have in common? All of them manufacture in the UK. Not only do many new businesses start out determined to manufacture at home, but an increasing number of companies, such as Hornby the toy train manufacturer, have started to bring production back to the UK from abroad. Trunki, the ride-on case made of plastic - a product suited for production in China if ever there was one - is bringing back 100% of production by the end of the year.

Research from the Manufacturing Advisory Service's found that UK SMEs are keen to bring manufacturing back to the UK. More than a quarter of respondents said that higher costs associated with overseas production were the principal reason, but 20% cited improving quality as the driver, while 18% were looking to reduce lead times.

This represents a significant shift from just five years ago when the focus was on the far east and cheap production. But increasing oil prices, making flights more expensive, and the efficiency savings in China decreasing, mean that it is just not as attractive.

Kate Hills, the founder of Make it British, saw the change coming when she launched her company, working to support British manufacturing. "I was a fashion buyer for a retailer and was fed up with sourcing everything from the far east," she says. "Five years ago I could see prices going up in China and the margin difference was closing. It is much easier to work with a British factory that is on your doorstep and you don't have to fly thousands of miles to see. Even the top of Scotland is easier to get to than northern China, so it all made sense to me."

For Julie Deane, the founder of Cambridge Satchel Company, it was never in doubt that she would make her bags in the UK - despite receiving many offers from factories in Pakistan and Vietnam. "It was really important to me to feel that I know the product from start to finish," she says. "Our product is based on a traditional school satchel that I had. I wouldn't like to think that my satchel is made in a country that I have never visited made by people who I have never met," she explains.

But keeping production at home is not always an option for startups. When Janan Leo launched her business, Cocorose London, producing an innovative foldable ballet pump, she spent a lot of time researching her options in the UK, but says nobody bought the idea.

"People would say 'you can't make shoes like that'. I really wanted to manufacture everything in the UK, but I wasn't able to do it at the price point I wanted to sell at," she says. "I felt like I had more of a chance to do it in China, because I could say 'well, this is the way that I want it' and there was more flexibility there, they wanted to give it a go," she explains. In the end she took production of the shoes to China but manufactured the carry purses in the UK. In the last couple of years the business has started production of a non-foldable shoe in the UK, the heritage collection, and Leo would like to expand that.

Deane has had to overcome similar hurdles. But she says the agility manufacturing here gives her is important. "We do bags in a lot of different sizes and colours and if I worked with manufacturers overseas I'd have to give them a lot more notice and try to predict accurately what people will be buying from my website in six to eight weeks time," says Deane. "For example, Alexa Chung bought the 11-inch navy, which wasn't one of our best selling bags. Then she bought it and was photographed with it. Suddenly everybody wanted an 11-inch navy. I would never have been able to foresee that."

What many small businesses soon realise is that the options and flexibility offered by factories in the far east are just not available in the UK. "In China you have a great supporting industry, people who can make the accessories, but here we don't have it," says Leo. "The season after we launched here, I was doing the new collection and I thought 'I really want a bow' and the manufacturer said, 'where will you get the bows from? We don't make them here'. That was an eye-opener."

While this is a recognised problem, Hills is optimistic that change is coming. "We have lost all of those auxiliary services that went with manufacturing, particularly in fashion and textile. In China you have it all on your doorstep and if it's not on your doorstep someone who is paid a lot less than here could spend three weeks running around for you sourcing it for you. But slowly it is coming back," she says. "The problem they are more likely to have is finding the manufacturers in the first place, there needs to be some help for this."

It is a problem that almost stopped Deane from making her satchels. She started out searching for leather manufacturers on the internet and leafing through the Yellow Pages, but she soon realised what she was up against.

"There needs to be a central comprehensive database," she explains. When she found the factories that could work with her, a new problem was inconsistency across different lines.

Five years since launching, Cambridge Satchel Company has worked in partnership with Vivienne Westwood and Comme de Garcons. Would these still have happened had she taken production to Vietnam? Deane is not so sure. "There is a real authenticity to what we do and it makes a big difference when we can invite people and fashion bloggers to our factory," she says. On the whole she believes staying in the UK has allowed her to grow the business long term.

"On one side going overseas would have meant I wouldn't have had the production constraint, so we could have grown even faster and broken new markets faster. But would there have been a demand for the Cambridge satchel that is made in Vietnam or China?" she asks. "I don't think it would have been as special, it wouldn't have caught the imagination of people."
Sign up to become a member of the Guardian Small Business Network here for more advice, insight and best practice direct to your inbox.

Many SMEs are moving production back to Britain, but some find manufacturers in the far east can be more flexible

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The pros and cons of manufacturing in the UK

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What do Brompton bicycles, Heritage Prams and Hotel Chocolat have in common? All of them manufacture in the UK. Not only do many new businesses start out determined to manufacture at home, but an increasing number of companies, such as Hornby the toy train manufacturer, have started to bring production back to the UK from abroad.

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Pros and cons manufacturing

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Made in the UK? The pros and cons of outsourcing clothing manufacture overseas

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Alison Lewy, author of Design Create Sell , our new guide for fashion start-ups, has already talked about how you go about selecting the right manufacturer for your fashion business. But should you use a UK supplier or one based overseas?It is usually practical and cost-effective to produce goods overseas if you are ordering large quantities, writes Alison (right).

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Marks & Spencer previewed their forthcoming Best of British range this week, and we got a sneak peak...

When Marks and Spencer announced that they were launching a Best of British clothing range earlier in the year there was a fair bit of scepticism, both from me and the readers of this website.

Was this a load of 'Brit-wash' on M&S's behalf in order to ride the wave of popularity surrounding all things British at the moment? Would the product actually be manufactured here, or just have a British link, such as fabric or design, like some retailers have done? Would the M&S Best of British collection go to more than just the flagship London store? And most importantly, would it actually be something that the customer would want to buy?

I am pleased to report, having been invited to the press show yesterday for a sneak peek at the new range that will launch in Autumn, that M&S seem to have done things right. Their Best of British collection, which includes clothing and accessories for both men and women, has been developed with integrit, and to a high level of quality and craftsmanship.

Belinda Earl, M&S' Style Director, who was previously at Jaeger and Aquascutum, assures me that everything in their Best of British collection will be 100% made in Great Britain. They have collaborated with some very reputable and long-established British manufacturers too - the jumpers are coming from the Scottish Border town of Hawick, renowned for its world class knitwear, the outerwear will be manufactured in Manchester, in a factory that has made for Barbour and Macintosh, and the footwear will be produced in Northampton, the home of the Goodyear-welted sole shoe. Not only that, but many of the fabrics used have been woven in the UK, with the mills, such as Abraham Moon and Mallalieus of Delph, being credited in the labels inside the garments. Some of you are now going to ask ' why are they not using all British-made materials?' And that is a good question. Neil Hendy, Head of Womenswear design at M&S, told me that whilst it had been easy to find fabrics such as the woollens in the UK, some of the other materials, such as the linings for coats, just weren't produced here anymore.

Much of the recent criticism of M&S has been that the quality is not as good as it used to be, or that they have attempted to be too 'fashion' in order to try to align themselves with the rest of the High Street. They have certainly addressed both of these issues with the Best if British collection. The clothes and accessories are back to where Marks & Spencer used to be in the good old St Michael days - timeless, good quality items that you could own for years and would consider a good investment. The designers have even raided the M&S archives to bring back some great classic pieces that are still relevant for today's customer.

" I bet it's expensive " I'm now hearing you say. Well, that depends on how you measure expensive. Yes, the prices are considerably more than the average person is used to paying on the High Street, with a coat costing up to £299 and a pair of men's brogues retailing for £265. But when you consider this on a cost per wear basis, it is really not too bad. I would much rather pay that price for a classic coat, that is well made and will see me through the next 10 years, than pay £50 for something where the fabric will look shabby, the seams come apart, and the style look dated before the season is out. And a Goodyear-welted pair of brogues will always be a good investment because they can be re-soled time and time again.

I actually think that when you compare the cost of similar quality items from 'British' brands such as Jaeger and Burberry, you are getting amazing value. And if you bought a coat from either of them it would cost at least double the price, and probably wouldn't be made in Britain either. In fact, M&S must have taken a considerable cut on their margins to produce this collection at these prices, so for that reason alone I think that they should be commended.

Sadly the collection will only go to 5 UK stores, 2 International stores and the M&S website, when it is launched at the beginning of October. This, I would imagine, is due to the current limitations of production space at the UK factories, who are not geared up to make the sort of volume orders that M&S would require to send the collection further. If Marks & Spencer are really serious about working with British manufacturers then this is something that they'll need to address if they want to quieten their naysayers.

What are your thoughts on the M&S Best of British collection? Will you buy it? Or do you still have your doubts? Please leave your comments below.

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M&S Best of British collection - is it any good?

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When Marks and Spencer announced that they were launching a Best of British clothing range earlier in the year there was a fair bit of scepticism, both from me and the readers of this website. Was this a load of 'Brit-wash' on M&S's behalf in order to ride the wave of popularity surrounding all things British at the moment?

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Logistics

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Earlier this month, UK clothing and homeware retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) announced plans to open a new mechanized distribution centre in 2019 as part of its strategy to further simplify its supply chain network.
This strategic decision follows the arrival of chairman Archie Norman in mid-2017, who described the retailer as "a business that has been drifting" for many years. M&S also delivered disappointing trading results in the important pre-Christmas period. Clothing and homeware sales dropped by 2.9% while food sales fell by 0.4%, and M&S's online sales growth lagged behind its competitors at just 3% (compared to 8% for the fashion industry in general). Furthermore, the retailer suffered some embarrassing operational issues at its high-tech warehouse close to Nottingham, meaning it was unable to deliver certain festive products to customers in time for Christmas.

The plans to revamp its distribution network demonstrate that M&S is now taking decisive action to further modernize its supply chain to reduce costs and improve speed and efficiency. The new DC will be located in the county of Hertfordshire, just north of London. Operated by a third-party logistics supplier, it will serve 150 M&S stores in the region and employ more than 500 people. In a further move, M&S plans to close its current distribution centre in Neasden, close to London, which employs around 400 people - although the company denies that these two developments are directly linked.

The retailer has already made strong progress in its 'Project 2020' initiative, announced in 2009, having reduce its number of warehouses from 110 to today's 19 distribution centres, but there are clearly still plenty of improvements to be made. These new plans form part of M&S's ongoing attempts to create a 'single-tier' logistics system in which the retailer's clothing and homeware products go directly from suppliers to a central warehouse and then straight to stores. This means that the retailer only moves products once, rather than multiple times as is currently the case.

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Marks & Spencer to open new logistics centre in 2019 - Supply Chain Movement

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Earlier this month, UK clothing and homeware retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) announced plans to open a new mechanized distribution centre in 2019 as part of its strategy to further simplify its supply chain network. This strategic decision follows the arrival of chairman Archie Norman in mid-2017, who described the retailer as "a business that has been drifting" for many years.

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critical path/ Comp Shop/ planogram.

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Profit dropped for M&S. drastic changes need to be made.

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Profit dropped for M&S. drastic changes need to be made.

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Profit before tax fell to £523.2m for the period, and group revenues also declined - down 3% to £10.37bn for the year to 30 March.

In a frank dissection of its recent struggles, chief executive Steve Rowe stressed "today's numbers are in the context of a transformation: M&S is changing faster than at any time in my career".

"Every single aspect of M&S is undergoing scrutiny and change. We're judging ourselves as much by the pace of change as by the numbers."

Chief finance officer Humphrey Singer reiterated the need for continued transformation across M&S - change through its new leadership team, its store estate and the supply chain are key focuses in its turnaround plan.

Rowe explained that "right-sizing" M&S's store estate was paramount, "making sure it is fit for the future, modern and accessible". He said the existing portfolio had "legacy issues", and the ongoing "reshape programme" is as much about "resizing and reopening stores as it is about the closures".

Every single aspect of M&S is undergoing scrutiny and change

Steve Rowe, Marks & Spencer

Singer confirmed that M&S will still close around 110 stores - the same figure detailed in its 2016 plans: "We will 'churn' the estate as we see fit. Across clothing and home there will be fewer but larger stores: a net total of 25% of store closures."

"The right thing to do is to reflect the change in trading between stores and online [ecommerce is predicted to make up a one-third of sales in the next few years]."

Rowe added that M&S will close or relocate 20 high-cost, small food stores across its estate. However, it will open larger food stores in better locations that have car parking and cater to families.

Singer confirmed: "We will lose footprints from full-line stores, but gain footprint from Simply Food. In the end we will end up with same amount of stores we had previously."

Falling sales

In its results, UK clothing and home revenues fell by 3.6% overall, and 1.6% on a like-for-like basis. Online clothing and home revenue grew by 9.8%. In total 22% of clothing and home UK revenue now comes from online, up from 19% last year.

An overly large and confusing offer, supply chain issues and poor availability of popular styles were in blamed in part for the disappointing performance of the division.

Addressing the issue of a lack of best-selling products, Rowe said: "With the change in operations, processes and people, we were always going to have bumps in the road.

"We didn't buy enough [popular products] - yes, we are disappointed. But customers have been supportive of changes in the road to style and fit."

He confirmed that part of the problem in the last quarter was that M&S had had issues in reshaping its denim ranges, which included one of Holly Willoughby's collections.

For autumn 19 M&S will reduce the number of lines by 12% and will refresh its Autograph brand.

Price focus

Rowe added that M&S has more work to do on pricing and "continuing to remove confusing promotions", to help volume sales growth. M&S will lower prices on more than 400 lines.

He also said that loyalty card Sparks "needs work" because "it's not delivering what customers want or what we want".

Chief digital and data officer Jeremy Pee, who joined M&S in 2018, is expected to sign off on the launch of a new Sparks proposition later this year.

Meanwhile, Rowe added that M&S's new leadership team is key to helping transform the retailer and "driving behavioural change" throughout the company.

They can help make M&S "bigger, bolder and faster on the way to making M&S special again".

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M&S admits 'bumps in the road' of transformation

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Profit before tax fell to £523.2m for the period, and group revenues also declined - down 3% to £10.37bn for the year to 30 March. In a frank dissection of its recent struggles, chief executive Steve Rowe stressed "today's numbers are in the context of a transformation: M&S is changing faster than at any time in my career".

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Sustainable fashion blueprint

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Mamoq Sustainable Fashion Blueprint 2018

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Merchandising spreadsheet

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Strategies, online pure players,

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'Generation Rent' has a new ally in the form of homewear retailer Ikea. The flat pack empire that has spent decades selling us furniture and homewares is looking at testing a concept in Switzerland to hire out furniture.

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'Generation Rent' has a new ally in the form of homewear retailer Ikea. The flat pack empire that has spent decades selling us furniture and homewares is looking at testing a concept in Switzerland to hire out furniture.

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The world of marketing is constantly evolving, with new digital channels emerging each year. Despite this, some traditional types of media, such as email, direct mail and print ads, have never gone away for many marketing teams.

However, new research suggests that when it comes to brand discovery, these "push" forms of advertising are a turn-off for many consumers.

The results make clear that "pull" strategies, whereby customers are encouraged to seek out brands themselves, are the clear winner.

In an era of "fake news" and distrust in the media, maybe this isn't such a surprise.

The results of the survey undertaken with OnePoll have been pulled together in this great infographic.

Key insights uncovered include:

71% of consumers prefer pull marketing techniques, including recommendations, reviews, social media and online search. [Source: @mentionmeshare]

Review sites and friend recommendations are 3x more trusted with consumers than endorsements from bloggers and YouTubers. [Source: @mentionmeshare]

31% of consumers find retargeting advertising creepy. [Source: @mentionmeshare]

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Push vs Pull Marketing - which is winning the race for trust? [Infographic]

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The world of marketing is constantly evolving, with new digital channels emerging each year. Despite this, some traditional types of media, such as email, direct mail and print ads, have never gone away for many marketing teams. However, new research suggests that when it comes to brand discovery, these "push" forms of advertising are a turn-off for many consumers.

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The current state of multichannel retailing in UK fashion

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Increase in Rent and reassuring metric sq ft 

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Increase in Rent and reassuring metric sq ft 

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Rising rent and stores closing

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"Closing stores and slashing rents is a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, and if a retailer has deeper issues, then closing a few stores isn't going to solve those issues," head of retail research at Knight Frank, Stephen Springham told Drapers. "These practices are just sticking plasters on much deeper wounds. There is no silver bullet for the retail market, but these alternative scenarios take a broader view than just slashing rents."

Denial of the 10 structural failings of the retail industry, identified in the Price of Change report, is "not an option" said Springham.

Knight Frank's 10 structural failings of the UK retail industry

Too much floor space: National vacancy rates are currently around 12.5% - implying an oversupply of 7%-8%.

Legacy stores: As the market boomed, many retailers undertook highly ambitious programmes, opening 30 to 50 stores. Now those with a large legacy portfolio are suffering the consequences of chasing market share as the market becomes increasingly volatile.

Failure to consolidate: Retailers have been turning a blind eye to their underperforming stores. Knight Frank found that stores making 10%-30% losses often make up as much as 50% of store estates.

"Retailers should have been weeding out their underperforming stores on a rolling basis," Springham told Drapers. "Before the [2008] financial crash, retailers, by and large, would just blindly renew their contracts. Company voluntary arrangements [CVAs] are now them effectively trying to extricate themselves from mistakes of the past. If they'd done it gradually, it would have been less drastic."

Rent inflation vs sales growth: Rents have grown at an annual average rate of 4% since 1981, and, factoring in occupancy overheads, total property costs have accelerated at a faster rate than most retailers' sales.

Cost crunches: It is not just property costs - retail expenses such as wages and utilities continue to grow at a faster rate than retail sales. Overall retail sales values grew by 4.2% in 2018 but many retailers would have recorded far lower growth than this, and the report found that all are likely to have seen both wages and utilities increase by more than 5%.

Private equity influence: The report found that most operators that have launched a CVA or gone into administration are backed by private equity or, like Debenhams, bear onerous debt from historic private equity ownership. Retailers should be run by retailers, the report maintains.

"Private equity is the root of a lot of pain among retailers, and the epitome in terms of how not to do it in retailing - expanding aggressively, racking up a load of debt and then passing it on to someone else," said Springham. "It's too much of a coincidence that those who have entered and who are entering CVAs and administration have had a history with, or are owned by, private equity."

The threat of online: Many store-based retailers have lost focus as a result of the complexity of adding online to existing business models. The rise of online and the need to embrace multichannel have resulted in capital expenditure being channelled away from core store-based operations.

Brand devaluation: The Black Friday effect. Many retailers have undermined their brand value for customers by constant promotions and engagement with industry-wide discounting events such as Black Friday.

Retailers simply copying others' promotional activity is a dangerous strategy, Springham explained: "It is terrible to see retailers on constant promotion because it does damage to their brand. If they aren't confident in their own pricing, what message does it send to the people they're most dependent on - customers?

"Black Friday is by far the worst manifestation of this. They have created a drug now, so consumers expect it."

Reluctance to invest: Neither retailers nor landlords are investing enough in retail stock, the report found. Most retailers have not allocated sufficient capital to maintain the upkeep of their stores, and landlords have not asset-managed their schemes proactively. This has resulted in many high streets, shopping centres and retail parks looking dated and tired, Springham said.

"Store-based retailers have made the change to be multi-channel, but this has deflected attention and investment away from their stores," said Springham. "They've spent a lot of money beefing up their online capability, but not their stores."

Lack of support: While the retail sector accounts for 5% of national gross value added and contributes £7bn in business rates to The Treasury, the Price of Change report says it receives little support from the government.

"One area where there is universal agreement from landlords and retailers is that the business rates regime isn't fit for purpose," said Springham. "The relief for those with a value of less than £51,000 is the wrong end of the problem.

"It's the top end that needs help. Debenhams is going to face a £2m rates increase just for its Oxford Street store, which isn't great in its current context."

Retailers, landlords and the government must now work together to implement the report's changes, argued Springham: "It's collaboration, not conflict. It's not the first time that's been said, and I look forward to the day when no one needs to say it. Those that don't get involved are missing out and potentially putting themselves at more risk."

10 structural failings the UK retail industry must address

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10 structural failings the UK retail industry must address

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Slashing rents and closing stores are "merely sticking plasters on much deeper wounds", a new retail report from Knight Frank has found. Instead, the industry must take a collective approach in addressing 10 structural changes to be able to make progress.

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Womenswear sales will grow 14% between this year and 2022 to reach an eventual £33.5 billion

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​With London Fashion week kicking off now, Mintel is predicting that UK womenswear sales will grow 14% between this year and 2022 to reach an eventual £33.5 billion as women seek greater quality in their fashion buys.

UK women are favouring quality over fast fashion a new Mintel report shows

That spending rise comes after the UK women's clothing market grew 3.2% last year to reach a figure of £28.4 billion with only 6% of women the researchers surveyed having bought no clothes for themselves at all in 2017.

And the company said that this year British women will spend £29.4 billion on clothing. That's despite the average woman spending less than the average man per clothes shopping trip. Mintel said that 66% of female shoppers spent less than £50 the last time they bought clothes, compared to just 46% of men.

It also said they're "showing signs of fatigue with the low-priced, fast fashion they've become accustomed to buying. Moving away from overtly trend-driven pieces in favour of more season-less fashion," 69% of female shoppers agree that buying timeless fashion items saves money in the long term. And 64% agree it's worth spending more on quality clothes that last.

UK women may be moving away from fast fashion, but especially among younger age groups, they don't appear to be tiring of denim. Women aged 16-34 are driving sales of jeans, with 53% having purchased a pair in the last three months.

It's interesting too that they're demanding more of the shops from which they buy with a move towards sustainability and more reality in marketing. Women are concerned with the origin of the fashion they wear and 36% would be interested in knowing more about how their clothes were made, rising to 47% of Millennial women.

They also want retailers to be more representative of their customers in their campaigns. Some 25% of women would shop at a specific retailer if it used models that represent the average person. This is most important for female Millennials aged 18-27 (30%). And while celebrity faces are popular with retailers and brands, only 5% of women would be encouraged by the use of a celeb as the face of the brand.

When it comes to where they buy, Mintel said that mid-market fashion retailers are the most popular place to buy clothes (63%), but women are increasingly shopping for fashion at non-specialist retailers such as supermarkets (49%).

They're also moving online fast with convenience being key here as 63% of female shoppers aged 16-24 agree that it's more convenient to shop online for fashion than in-store. But a large 42% of this age group also believe it is difficult to find what they're looking for when shopping online for clothes.

And when it comes to returning what they've bought, half of women have returned clothes because they don't fit well. This rises to 61% of women aged 16-34 who are the main clothes shoppers.

Copyright © 2019 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.

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UK women move away from fast fashion towards quality, but still love denim - report

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News media : ​With London Fashion week kicking off now, Mintel is predicting that UK womenswear sales will grow 14% between this year and 2022 to reach an eventual £33.5 billion as women seek greater quality in their fashion buys. (#1013353)

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New Disruptors. AI, Conscious consumers.

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John Lewis taps into the fashion market and the announced opening of the new 230,000-sq ft-store in Westfield, White City, is a showcase of that. On top of a more fashion-led range, the new store includes an experiential proposition with cookery classes.

In the latest financial results, released at the beginning of the month, fashion sales were up 3.2%, boosted by a particularly strong performance in womenswear, up 5.0%, especially buoyed by own brand womenswear, up 14.9%.

Our proprietary retail data product, Instock, confirms that John Lewis is dialing up its fashion proposition and it's doing it with own brands. New-in volumes of own brands have grown, in particular AND/OR, the retailer's first in-house denim lifestyle brand, up 37.9% YOY, and Modern Rarity whose new-ins quadrupled.

On the other hand, overall, the retailer's womenswear new-ins have declined by 18.9% YOY.

This is unsurprising as, like other retailers in the struggling mid-market segment, John Lewis has adopted the strategy of rationalising assortments to favour range curation over pure volume. This strategy enables them to avoid competing with other mid-market retailers on price matching and create a distinct fashion proposition allowing quick reaction to fashion trends and a tighter control over margins.

Based on our Barometer survey, interviewing more than 75,000 womenswear and menswear consumers yearly in the UK, without a doubt, and as expected, the retailer is perceived as 'quality, 'classic, 'trusted', 'professional' and 'premium by UK consumers. It will take some time to develop brand associations that makes them a fashion destination but the launch of the Westfield flagship store is definitely a good starting point.

-

Barometer is WGSN's daily retail consumer intelligence tool across menswear and womenswear.

Every day, we interview 260 consumers on 300 fashion retailers across 150+ measures, allowing you to fully understand where you're winning and failing in the eyes of your consumer. Get in touch to know more

Know what's next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.

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What mid-market retailers can learn from John Lewis

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John Lewis taps into the fashion market and the announced opening of the new 230,000-sq ft-store in Westfield, White City, is a showcase of that. On top of a more fashion-led range, the new store includes an experiential proposition with cookery classes.

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Turkey might have 12% import tax

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Last month, the UK government published long-awaited details of which imports into the UK from the European Union and countries that are part of the EU customs union would be subject to temporary tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The list includes 80 fashion product lines, such as T-shirts, jeans, polo shirts, men's blazers and women's underwear, most of which would attract a tax of 12%.

This has clear implications for those importing fashion from the EU, but another important market would also be affected - Turkey. Although it is not a member state, Turkey signed a customs union agreement with Brussels in 1995, so it would be subject to the same duties on imports and exports if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

The knock-on effect on the UK-Turkey trading relationship could be significant. The UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) reports that the UK imported £1.8bn of clothing from Turkey in 2018 - making it our third-biggest apparel import market behind China and Bangladesh. It is also the UK's sixth-biggest import market for textiles.

Find out the Brexit strategies of Next, Charles Clinkard, Black White Denim, Joules, Pentland Brands, Claret Showroom, Machine-A, Frugi, Douglas & Grahame and more.

If a no-deal Brexit goes ahead, UK companies will have to decide if the advantages of sourcing in Turkey - speed and flexibility - outweigh the additional costs 12% tariffs would entail.

Temporary pain

"Turkey is very important for our sector," says UKFT CEO Adam Mansell. "To go from no tariffs to tariffs on certain products would increase the cost of importing clothing from Turkey by £85m [a year]. That is a big enough number to make retailers think about changing their sourcing strategies."

The new tariffs would only be temporary - they would apply for up to 12 months while a full consultation and review on a permanent approach to tariffs is undertaken. However, they would come at a difficult time for UK retailers, which are facing tough trading conditions and weak sterling-to-euro and US dollar exchange rate.

Turkish factories can work very quickly with our designs, and offer fast repeats

Simon Brown, Joe Browns

As a result, the threat of even temporary tariffs has caused concern that UK retailers and brands - already cautious about sourcing in Turkey because of high costs, recent political unrest and ethical concerns - may look at alternative markets.

Lifestyle retailer Joe Browns currently sources 30% of its lines from Turkey - where it partners with four big factories - and the rest from China, India and Italy.

Founder and managing director Simon Brown says the advantages of sourcing from Turkey are clear: "We're very design led, and the Turkish factories can work very quickly with our designs, and offer fast repeats [of popular styles]. We can also buy smaller initial [volumes of] stock, see what the winners are, and then get into them quickly, so the warehouse isn't full of poor-selling lines - we're not taking as big a risk up front."

However, it is also Joe Browns' most expensive sourcing market - and that is before the addition of any possible new tariffs.

"A 12% tariff would be pretty dreadful," says Brown. "We couldn't just pass the cost on to the consumer - we work very hard on selling the right product at the right price. We would have to take the hit to our bottom margin."

As a result, Joe Browns is looking at new sourcing opportunities in Sri Lanka, and is in talks with existing suppliers in India about whether they could speed up production there: "We have some very good Indian suppliers, but we need to start to working with them in a different way if there's a no-deal Brexit. I'm going to see some of our Indian suppliers [in early April] to talk about how they could do quicker repeats."

However, Brown emphasises that he would not move production from Turkey unless absolutely necessary: "We really don't want to lose Turkey as a supply base. If it weren't for Brexit, we wouldn't be looking at Sri Lanka now. We don't want to chop and change - relationships with suppliers are so important, and take time to build."

The partnerships we have in place [in Turkey] are flexible and nimble

Richard King, The Cotton Textile Company

The Cotton Textile Company, which supplies clothing and accessories to several high street fashion, lifestyle and sportswear brands, has headquarters in Essex and an office in Turkey, from where it imports half of its product - the rest is brought in from the EU.

Sales director Richard King says the company is looking at factories in Pakistan and Bangladesh, but adds: "The issue we face is that the partnerships we have in place [in Turkey] are flexible and nimble. We can move things around - in terms of sampling, dye swatches - very quickly. A big brand today asked us for 40 salesman samples within 14 days. We couldn't do that in the Far East."

For King, the important thing is to communicate clearly with clients: "For some time, we've been warning customers that a duty might become applicable, as well as customs clearance charges, and charges for paperwork. To date, most have understood."

However, Elvan Unluturk, chairman of Turkish manufacturer Sun Tekstil, which supplies womenswear to retailers including Zara, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Amazon, argues that Turkey is still an attractive partner for the UK: "Turkey's close proximity [to the UK], design capabilities and speed to market are the main reasons for its success.

"If retailers look at the real cost of things, rather than the purchasing cost, it is still wiser to pay 12% more [on clothing from Turkey than to find new sourcing countries]. Buying with short lead times from Turkey lowers their stock costs and provides a better view of coming trends, and allows better buying decisions."

However, he fears that, in the short term, "there might be some decrease in total business": "I hope a free trade agreement (FTA) will be signed between the two countries as soon as possible, and everything will return to normal."
Free trade
One of the much-touted benefits of Brexit was the freedom to independently negotiate FTAs with certain countries, which would allow the UK to benefit from improved trading relationships outside of EU restrictions.

"We currently source 40% from Turkey, so a tax would hurt," says Cécile Reinaud, founder of maternitywear retailer Seraphine. "However, I hope Turkey would sign a no-tax deal with the UK [if we leave the EU without a deal], so, currently, we have no plans to exit our Turkish factories."

Turkey and the UK have spent the two years and 10 months since the Brexit vote informally discussing what a future FTA could look like. However, Turkey's status as a customs union partner with the EU means its hands are tied until the EU has struck a new deal with the UK.

"Civil servants are suggesting that it might not be possible to replicate a Turkey-UK FTA deal because of the terms of the Turkey-EU FTA," says the UKFT's Mansell. "It sounds like Turkey would need permission from the EU."

Sun Tekstil's Unluturk says there is "definitely" support from the Turkish side for an FTA.

"It might take some time, but I think both countries are equally important trade partners for each other," he argues. "[A UK] FTA with the EU would be necessary before signing one with Turkey, but I am convinced it will happen."

As of 10 April, the deadline for Brexit has been pushed back to 31 October. But given Theresa May's difficulties in passing her deal through parliament, the possibility of a no-deal Brexit still looms.

For the Turkish clothing sector, this could be the worst possible outcome, as UK retailers may consider shifting production to other countries. However, there is hope: the tariffs are only a temporary measure and there is support on both sides for an FTA between the UK and Turkey, which could strengthen this key trading relationship in the longer term.

Although a no-deal Brexit could hit the bottom line for those sourcing from Turkish factories in the short term, the speed and quality of its production mean Turkey still holds value for money for UK retailers.
No-deal tariffs at a glance

Tariff rates on the 80 lines of clothing affected would range from 6.5% to 12%. Check which items would be subject to a new tariff

The rates would apply for up to 12 months while a full consultation and review on a permanent approach to tariffs is undertaken

The rates would not apply to goods crossing from Ireland into Northern Ireland

Countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam, which currently benefit from duty-free importing to the UK under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, would not be subject to new tariffs

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Last month, the UK government published long-awaited details of which imports into the UK from the European Union and countries that are part of the EU customs union would be subject to temporary tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

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Alpana yarn, merino wool, organic cotton and cashmere

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get ideas for fabric compositions.

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10 ethical, sustainable, stylish knitwear brands for 2019 | pebble magazine

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From indie crafters to fair trade made sweaters, these slow and sustainable knitwear brands are worth investing in

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Coffee leather, hemp and another plant based fabrics.

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10 Sustainable textile innovations everyone should know

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Excessive water and chemical usage, overproduction and the inability to deal with overstock - the garment and textile industry, ever so anxious to be fashion

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Analytics from AW19/20

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expanding their distribution centre.

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The retailer has already hired 150 new staff for full- and part-time roles, Retail Gazette has reported.

Working with logistics company DHL, the warehouse services more than 90 stores in the south-east of England.

DHL started operating the site earlier this month and aims to recruit around 600 permanent staff by the end of 2019.

The announcement comes after Marks & Spencer last month revealed the next 17 shops proposed for closure across the UK as part of plans to reshape its store estate, which will affect more than 1,000 members of staff.

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Marks & Spencer expands distribution centre

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The retailer has already hired 150 new staff for full- and part-time roles, Retail Gazette has reported. Working with logistics company DHL, the warehouse services more than 90 stores in the south-east of England. DHL started operating the site earlier this month and aims to recruit around 600 permanent staff by the end of 2019.

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global data

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GlobalData Intelligence Center - Consumer

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As the days start to lengthen and blossom engulfs the trees, Drapers make our seasonal pilgrimage to test out the latest shopping offers from high street fashion retail's biggest names.

For spring 19, Drapers' mystery shoppers headed north of London to Intu Watford. With the centre having undergone a £180m makeover that added a 380,000 sq ft extension that opened in September 2018, hopes were high that the 1.4 million sq ft shopping centre with strong, modern store designs would offer a pleasant shopping experience.

Unfortunately, this was not always the case. The centre itself has benefited hugely from the refresh: the space feels modern and pleasant to wander around, while a miniature train that trundles through the top floor crammed with excited children is a fun touch. However, several stores had not kept pace with the wider modernisation. All too often impressive store fronts concealed dingy, dated and disappointing stores that often did not do justice to solid product offerings.

Despite a large number of mid-season Sales dominating stores, the new product on full-price sale was more appropriate for the spring season than in previous Hit or Miss outings. Trans-seasonal raincoats, trenches and macs were popular across all stores.

Elsewhere, two spring 19 trends stood out: midi-dresses and animal print. Every retailer tested had its own take on the midi-dress - from trend-led styles at Zara to more muted shirt dresses at Marks & Spencer. As a flattering, relatively safe option, it is no surprise that the high street is banking on midis to lure in customers.

Once again, the lack of service was a huge disappointment during the shopping experience - staff in most stores were happy to help when approached, but greetings and unprompted attention were rare. When done well, however, good service elevated the store experience hugely and made up for some shortcomings in other areas.

Time and again during Hit or Miss, retailers make the same, simple mistakes. When the high street is in such peril, ironing out these details should be a priority for all.

As always, we analysed the stores using our established criteria: product offer; store layout, presentation and visual merchandising; level - or lack of - customer service; value for money; and the overall shopping experience. Each category is rated out of five for total scores out of 25. Drapers visited Intu Watford on Friday 22 March.

Retailers:
Fat Face 19/25 Jack Wills 16.5/25 Primark 15/25 Topshop 15/25 Monsoon 14/25 River Island 14/25 Karen Millen 12.5/25 Phase Eight 12.5/25 New Look 11.5/25 Marks and Spencer 11/25 Superdry 10/25
Fatface 1072241

Fat Face 19/25

A store with real personality and good-quality products. Fat Face Watford transports shoppers to the beach

Product: 4/5

Presentation: 5/5

Customer service: 2.5/5

Value for money: 3.5/5

Shopping experience: 4/5

Shopping centre stores can feel homogenous and characterless. Impressively, Fat Face in Intu Watford manages to convey a quirky sense of brand identity, and the store brims with personality and individuality.

The store front is decorated with pale wood panelling that continues throughout on both walls and floorboards. The space takes full advantage of an unusually high ceiling: display shelves with product and additional decor - including suitcases, hanging pictures and bicycles - are dotted all the way up the walls. The attention to detail in the design of the store is impressive, and encapsulates the relaxed aesthetic of the brand.

I am particularly charmed by the creaking floorboards at the back of the store, which give a real sense of seaside authenticity and transport me away from the city shopping centre.

The product is spaced well throughout the store. This gives a pleasant, spacious feeling, and displays a satisfyingly large range without being overwhelming and making it easy to browse. Walking around, I see several items with large paper tags attached, which tell a little more about the "story" of each item - or offer styling tips as I browse. This is a nice touch.

The product is not trend led, but instead appeals well to a more mature customer seeking well-made staples. Overall, the value and quality are impressive: a sturdy, British-made, waterproof mac is excellent value at £110. However, an embellished 100% cotton vest at £30 feels a bit too expensive, as it is a very small item.

There are posters directing me to order online and collect in store dotted throughout the space, and staff are friendly and knowledgeable when I enquire more about this service. A chart on the shelves of the footwear section displays UK/EU/US shoe size conversions, which is a helpful touch.

Although I am not greeted as I enter the store, when I seek out and engage with staff, they are helpful and pleasant, and happy to offer fit advice and tips. The service is fine - but more attentive staff would have elevated the shopping experience to excellent.

Jack Wills 16.5/25

A charming service and store, but a very basic product is offer overwhelmed by promotions

Product: 2/5

Presentation: 4/5

Customer service: 4.5/5

Value for money: 2/5

Shopping experience: 4/5

I am greeted very warmly the moment I enter the Jack Wills store and offered immediate assistance should I need it. I am asked whether I have been to the store before, and when I say I have not, the assistant briefly and cheerfully explains where things are, as well as talking me through the promotions Jack Wills is running. After this brief interaction, I am left to browse on my own. The greeting feels genuine, and is a useful and pleasant start to my visit.

I am similarly impressed when I head to the changing rooms. Before I even reach the doors, I am spotted by a staff member and ushered inside. The fitting rooms are empty, and the assistant directs me to a specific cubicle, as she says it has the "best mirror for dresses". Her approach feels personal, and would absolutely encourage me to buy in store, or to return in the future.

The design of the store itself is also impressive. Wood panelling, framed portraits and sturdy wooden fittings fit the preppy, university style of the brand and lend a sense of personality to the space.

I particularly enjoy the accessories and lingerie displays in wooden cabinets and dressers in a style reminiscent of a grand stately home.

The fitting rooms are equally plush: different photos of retro university life hang on the wall of each cubicle. The one downside is a broken lock on the fitting room door.

Despite the pleasing store space, it is difficult to gauge a true sense of Jack Wills' offer, as almost every single product is on Sale.

Basics dominate the range. The overall the offer is quite boring dominated by plain T-shirts and other block-colour jersey basics, and few items catch my attention. However, the basics are cleverly displayed on mannequins in smart casual outfits - a hoodie is paired with a crisp trench (well priced at £99) and smart jeans.

Hoodies are the dominant item and come in a fresh array of colours - including a peachy, rose pink and grassy green. They are well made and super-soft, but expensive at full price - £49.95 - although on Sale at £24.98 they are a bargain.

A particular highlight is a lavender-coloured mini-bucket bag, which is dainty and appealing - although for £44.95 I am disappointed to find it is 100% coated polyester.

River Island 14/25

A pleasant, playful store - but most product is overpriced for its target market

Product: 2

Presentation: 4

Customer service: 3

Value for money: 2

Shopping experience: 3

River Island stands out in a sea of similar store fronts thanks to its bold, blue-tiled frontage, neon lighting and dramatically arranged window mannequins. Standingin a diamond formation, they are dressed in bold, trend-led styles that are sure to tempt in young shoppers. Neons, camouflage and high-octane glamour are all striking themes in the windows.

The inside of the store is similarly impressive. An exposed white brick shop fit with false railway arches gives an urban feel, which contrasts with the glamorous and youthful fixtures and fittings, which include chandeliers, neon lights and gold hardware. Mannequins are used particularly effectively - always showcasing the best, trend-led products.

The fitting rooms have a playful vibe, sturdy doors and a beachy aesthetic. They are brightly lit and have a large number of mirrors but unfortunately they have been vandalised with a lot of graffiti, which is not overly offensive but is a little unpleasant. They are manned by an attendant, who swiftly radios for alternative sizes when I seek assistance, and is very kind and helpful.

As with several other young fashion retailers tested, denim is a massive focus. There is a huge array on display, artistically presented on ladders with neon lights. At £30 the jeans are good value and feel well made, but there are a limited number of styles on display, and I find myself hunting for anything other than a super-skinny cut.

Generally, River Island's product offer feels slightly muddled. While there is no doubt that the trends are ticked off - leopard print, snakeskin, scarf prints and camo are dotted throughout - prices and quality vary wildly. A scarf print dress in a stretchy gauze material feels cheaply made and not worth the £42 price tag. Equally, £55 seems a hefty price tag for a relatively basic, boxy camouflage jacket with neon writing a neon printed across the piece. Many of the styles offer fast fashion trends but at higher prices than consumers would find at competitors - and I am tempted to find and compare alternatives online when I am in store.

Nevertheless, there are some stand-out items: a well-made, sturdy, heavy fake suede and houndstooth checked trench coat is one of the strongest items I see all day. At £85 it is relatively expensive, but worth it for the quality - although I find myself wondering if any of the teenage shoppers in the store would pay for it.

Phase Eight 12.5/25

Forgettable and dated. This Phase Eight store is stuck in the past

Product: 2.5

Presentation: 2.5

Customer service: 2.5

Value for money: 2.5

Shopping experience: 2.5

My entire shopping experience in Phase Eight is extremely forgettable. While the store is neat and tidy, and there is a good range of products - from occasionwear to everyday styles - in pleasantly arranged displays, the overall effect lacks impact. The dark store has brown walls and soft lighting, which makes it difficult to browse.

The store feels dated. The rails are scratched silver and clothes hang on basic, plastic hangers, so the premium pricing seems out of kilter with the distinctly average store set-up. I would be less willing to pay a high price for products in such uninspiring surroundings.

Several items have unreasonable points - for example, £69 seems wildly expensive for a plain jersey T-shirt dress. An embellished formal dress at £199 is relatively expensive, but is better value for money. However, the generally uninspiring offer, which includes predictable occasionwear designs, does provide some stand-out items. A watercolour print, billowy silk blouse is well made, good quality and a decent style that warrants its £89 price tag.

The fitting rooms are large and luxurious, and have good lighting and soft carpets, but feel quite exposed. The curtain between the two cubicles could easily be pulled aside, and there is no barrier between the fitting rooms and the rest of the store space. As it is a small store, passing shoppers would be able to see the fitting room entrance from the street.

While the staff are friendly, swift and helpful, there is no mention of multichannel options when I ask about alternative sizes, although I am told to try online.

Overall, the experience feels like it has not moved on in several years.

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As the days start to lengthen and blossom engulfs the trees, Drapers make our seasonal pilgrimage to test out the latest shopping offers from high street fashion retail's biggest names. For spring 19, Drapers' mystery shoppers headed north of London to Intu Watford.

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recent developement, product, promotion.

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Case study provided by Superbrands.

Market

Over 100 years Marks & Spencer has become one of the best-known names on the British high street serving an ever-widening range of customer needs.

Marks & Spencer has a wide variety of competitors, from the main supermarket groups, to specialist fashion and homewear retailers.

The rise of home shopping has also changed the competitive landscape, with more and more consumers buying a wider range of products from catalogues and the Internet. High street retailers including Marks & Spencer have to compete, not only against home shopping, but also to meet consumers' rising expectations for better price, convenience and in-store "experience".

Against a difficult trading environment, Marks & Spencer has responded with the introduction of new sub-brands in clothing, a flow of new products in food and the launch of its &more credit card. It has also focused more energy on the home retailing market with new in-store formats, such as Marks & Spencer Lifestore.

Achievements

One of the keys to the development of Marks & Spencer over the years has been the ability of the brand to meet the ever-changing needs of a broad customer base. The core brand values of quality, value, service, innovation and trust have consistently remained the cornerstones of the Marks & Spencer proposition.

In terms of sheer presence, Marks & Spencer has built a formidable business - trading in 30 countries and with more than 300 stores in the UK alone. Its in-store coffee shops now form the third largest branded coffee bar business in the country.

Marks & Spencer also attracted several accolades in 2003/4, including being named World's Leading Retailer 2004 in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the second year. It was also ranked by Greenpeace as the top food retailer for its performance on non-GM foods and was awarded the title of 'Most Advanced Supermarket' by Compassion In World Farming in 2003.

In May Marks & Spencer saw off strong competition at 'The Sammies', the British Sandwich Industry Awards winning Sandwich Retailer of the Year 2003 for the second year running. The company's longstanding reputation for innovation was reinforced when it received The Queen's Award for Enterprise Innovation 2003 for the development of a range of machine washable tailored men's suits.

The company has also set benchmarks in caring for its employees and the community. In 2003, its Ready for Work programme, offering work placements to homeless people, was endorsed by Business in the Community for being the UK's biggest employability scheme.

History

Marks & Spencer has experience of more than 100 years of retailing, dating back to the formation of the Marks & Spencer partnership in 1894. Michael Marks was a young Russian refugee who arrived in the North East of England in the 1880s and quickly established a chain of 'penny stalls' across the region. Tom Spencer was a cashier at the IJ Dewhurst wholesale company.

The new company's penny price point disappeared during World War 1. In the 1920s, Marks & Spencer adopted the revolutionary policy of buying stock directly from manufacturers, thereby forming long-lasting relationships with suppliers, some of which have survived to the present day. This practice is still key to the uniqueness of the Marks & Spencer brand and led to the first sale of textiles in 1926. This was a period of rapid growth for the company, with the flagship Marble Arch store opening in 1930.

In the 1930s the staff welfare service was introduced and a scientific research lab was established to allow the company to pioneer new fabrics.

In the late 1940s, before the concept widely appeared in the UK, Marks & Spencer experimented with its first trial of self-service shopping. It was also a pioneer in establishing 'own label' in fashion, with the famous St Michael brand first appearing in the 1950s.

Massive expansion took place in the 1970s in both the product range and opening of new stores. In the 1980s expansion took in out-of-town stores for the first time, with a new store at the Metro Centre in Gateshead. At this time the company also further expanded its product range, introducing furniture and financial services. Furthermore, the Marks & Spencer Chargecard was launched in 1985.

During the 1990s, the company responded to the e-commerce boom by moving into online shopping. Since 2000, the retailer has entered an important new era in fashion, replacing the St Michael brand by an increasingly successful and expanding range of sub-brands including Autograph, Per Una, Blue Harbour and DB07. Store formats have also seen a major change, with the rollout of Simply Food and the launch of a new home products-dedicated brand called Marks & Spencer Lifestore.

Product

Marks & Spencer is perhaps best known for its womenswear, an intensely competitive market of which it has an 11% share. Its challenge is to meet the needs of the older customer while anticipating trends in younger fashion. Women are increasingly shopping by attitude rather than age and are far more willing to experiment. This trend has put pressure on its formalwear offer but also helped to strengthen its position in casualwear.

As part of its response, Per Una, now in its second year, introduced the exclusive Collezione Italia -- a sophisticated high fashion range with slick tailoring. The 2003 Collection included soft separates and leather pieces that were an instant hit with fashion-conscious customers.

Marks & Spencer has been applauded for turning linen from a difficult to handle and exclusive fabric to one that can be machine-washed and worn on all occasions. In the summers of 2003 and 2004 linen featured in both the Autograph collection as well as the main range.

Innovation continued with the development of Marks & Spencer's Accessories range for women. The launch of platinum-plated jewellery in December 2003 was the first of its kind on the high street in Europe and was particularly successful.

Marks & Spencer's Menswear range includes the Autograph label, which saw sales double in 2003/04 with its footwear proving particularly popular. The new Sp range, launched in September 2003, offering footwear and accessories as well as clothing, which also exceeded expectations. A marketing campaign targeting 'dads who are lads at heart' tapped into the thirtysomething zeitgeist.

The Blue Harbour brand has also proved a huge success. Within a year of its launch the brand had become the largest men's casualwear brand in the UK - a market worth over £4 billion per year. Helped by Blue Harbour, Marks & Spencer's share of this increased to almost 7.5% (Source: FashionTrak). In 2004, the collection includes Blue Harbour Vintage, the washed-down offshoot of the classic American-inspired Blue Harbour.

One in three women in the UK wears Marks & Spencer lingerie, another well-known strength. The Truly You collection, launched in spring 2004, features fine laces and satins combined to create a functional yet flatteringly feminine look. 2003 saw the introduction of mw, Marks & Spencer's first cross-branded product bringing together menswear and lingerie for the first time.

This popular line is a sexy everyday range of underwear for men and women.

Beverly Knight, the award-winning soul star, exclusively launched Shades at Marks & Spencer, a range of hosiery specifically designed for darker skin tones.

The arrival of Vittorio Radice as director of Marks & Spencer's Home division in March 2003 signalled a major change in direction for this area of Marks & Spencer's products. A new range was designed to reflect the Lifestore concept, based on lifestyle rather than single decorative styles and encouraging the idea of mixing products and looks. To ensure freshness and variety for customers, up to 12,000 new lines are regularly phased in throughout the year, sourced from more countries than ever before.

Over the years, Marks & Spencer has also gained a very strong reputation for its food. The company's product developers travel all over the world researching ingredients to give customers an exciting, innovative range. For example, they recently travelled to India with top Indian chef Atul Kochhar to discover a new range of regional Indian food. These have been replicated in recipes that have proven very popular.

The food team also journeyed to Hong Kong to research ingredients and cooking methods for a new range of regional Chinese dishes.

Sales of wine were particularly strong, illustrated by the sale of one million bottles of Oudinot champagne in the run-up to Christmas 2003 - 150,000 more than during the millennium celebrations.

Recent developments

In September 2003 Marks & Spencer Financial Services was re-branded Marks & Spencer Money to coincide with the national launch of its combined credit card and loyalty programme, '&more'.

Retail developments included the rollout of Marks & Spencer's new store format, Simply Food, with 40 stores added in 2003. In Speke, near Liverpool, Marks & Spencer unveiled the first in its trial of new store formats, a new clothing only store with cutting edge dÈcor.

The Marks & Spencer Lifestore (above) in Gateshead, opened in February 2004, uniquely featuring a full-size two-storey house designed by architect John Pawson, creating the ultimate environment to showcase its new Home products. The second Lifestore opens in Kingston in Summer 2004 and a third in Thurrock in 2005.

In womenswear, following the success of Per Una, a new brand extension called Per Una Due was launched in May 2004. This is a harder-edged fashion offer, targeting young women from late teens to early 30s as well as the young at heart. Like Per Una, designs from Per Una Du will be updated every eight weeks to keep the collection in vogue.

Promotion

In the late 1990s, Marks & Spencer changed its promotional tack and adopted a much more high-profile marketing strategy. This campaign introduced the 'Exclusively for Everyone' tagline that has become a cornerstone of its brand message.

Since then, the company's promotions have made use of the full marketing mix to target a broad customer base. Customer insight has been key to the development of successful campaigns: for example, the Lingerie Heaven campaign (launched April 2003) was born out of intensive customer research and has not only driven share growth but also increased perceptions of style and range amongst younger customers. In womenswear, the focus has been to showcase the key wardrobe 'staples' that are not only high quality but also stylish: to this end, through-the-line campaigns such as Linen, Cargo and Simply Chic have given Marks & Spencer stand-out in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

With the launch of mw, its cross-branded underwear range, Mary McCartney-Donald was commissioned to create a series of images to showcase the collection using a variety of celebrities including Elizabeth Jagger, Theodora Richards and Jenson Button in media specials. The celebrity theme continued with its third 'Magic & Sparkle' campaign at Christmas.

The 2003 commercial, themed 'Once upon a Christmas', featured an array of stars showcasing a selection of Christmas ideas and presents.

To promote the speciality food retailer's new Oriental range, a television advertising campaign featured a first date scenario. Meanwhile, its Food Love campaign marked a fresh approach by starring groups of customers revealing their passion for Marks & Spencer's food.

The company also promotes its brand via its community-focused activity. Marks & Start, which complements the company's policy of helping others to help themselves, will become the biggest programme of its kind in the UK and Ireland over the next three years, by offering work experience to groups such as the young unemployed, the homeless and disabled people.

Brand values

The Marks & Spencer brand is built on core values of quality, value, service, innovation and trust. Overall, the brand's 'mission' is to make aspirational quality accessible to everyone, through the depth and range of its products.

The brand's 'vision' is to provide a standard against which its competitors may be measured, from customer experience, to care for the environment and community and to the working environment for employees.

© 2004 Superbrands Ltd
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Superbrands case studies: Marks & Spencer

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Case study provided by Superbrands. Market Over 100 years Marks & Spencer has become one of the best-known names on the British high street serving an ever-widening range of customer needs. Marks & Spencer has a wide variety of competitors, from the main supermarket groups, to specialist fashion and homewear retailers.

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Social.. PEST

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Women working in the fashion, footwear and accessories industry were paid on median average 92p for every £1 earned by a man in 2018/19 - the same as last year.

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M&S has a new intuitive to encourage its consumers to shop more regularly in their physical and online stores.

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SNAP TO SHOP: M&S INTRODUCES ONLINE PHOTO SEARCH

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Available on mobile devices, the technology enables customers to quickly find products with a photo

Customers can seamlessly search through thousands of M&S's womenswear and menswear products available online

As M&S transforms to become a digital-first retailer, over 75% of all its online traffic now comes from mobile devices

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has today launched Style Finder, a photo search feature on its mobile website, enabling customers to seamlessly discover a desired look with just a couple of taps.

Customers can upload an existing photo or take a new one of any outfit to reveal similar-looking products available at M&S, offering a quick and easy way to shop online. Whether customers are inspired by fashion finds on social media, an outfit in a magazine or a product in-store, the new feature helps them find what they're looking for in less than 10 seconds.

For the initial roll-out, Style Finder is available across womenswear and menswear and customers can easily navigate and filter through thousands of stylish M&S products.

With 75% of all M&S's online visits coming from mobile and tablet devices, Style Finder offers a completely new and enhanced shopping experience for busy customers who seek wardrobe inspiration while on the go.

Jim Cruickshank, Head of Digital Product and UX at M&S, said: "We know our customers are busier than ever and are often most inspired when they're out and about. Style Finder helps customers instantly find what they're looking for, without the need to manually search and filter through our products.

"Enhancing the customer experience is central to our digital transformation journey. This is a brilliant example of how we're becoming more relevant, more often, to our customers who are increasingly shopping online and in particular using mobile devices."

M&S's Style Finder tool uses artificial intelligence to display results with the closest-match. Customers can add additional filters to help them find the perfect product based on personal preferences, such as size, price and colour.

The initiative is part of M&S's digital-first strategy, which aims for a third of all Clothing & Home sales to be online by 2022.

The visual search technology has been developed with Syte and is available on M&S.com using mobile devices.

-Ends-
For further information, please contact:
M&S Corporate Press Office

0208 718 1919

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SNAP TO SHOP: M&S INTRODUCES ONLINE PHOTO SEARCH

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Available on mobile devices, the technology enables customers to quickly find products with a photo Customers can seamlessly search through thousands of M&S's womenswear and menswear products available online As M&S transforms to become a digital-first retailer, over 75% of all its online traffic now comes from mobile devices Marks & Spencer (M&S) has today launched Style Finder, a photo search feature on its mobile website, enabling customers to seamlessly discover a desired look with just a couple of taps.

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Aspirant. My target consumers will be under this group, New Casuals.

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Living for the moment, Aspirant Tribes know the look, music and lifestyle they want - and will spend big in order to get it! Attuned to what's happening in Leading Edge circles, it's about keeping up with what's cool but without all the hard work of creating it themselves. These Tribes will be found in Student Unions across the UK, from UE to Loughborough.

Social butterflies, they are spending summer holidays hitting the festival circuit - from Bestival and Secret Garden Party in the UK to Croatia's Outlook and Serbia's Exit festival. Whether it's the latest pop-up, food truck, concept store, art gallery or nightclub, they want to be the one to have seen it first - and post it on social media. Experience seeking drives the Aspirant segment, and introducing the newest fashion and music to their friendship group motivates Tribe members.

From the ubiquitous gap year alpaca jumper, to the MacBook Pro, Ugg boots and Hershel backpack, Aspirant Tribes are big consumers with strong brand affiliations. Brands trying to crack the Aspirants need to work hard to prove their cool credentials. They need to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right people - although appealing to them may be challenging, those who do are rewarded with surprising brand loyalty.

Trendies

Trendies are driven by beautiful things and beautiful people, Trendies love fashion and are always looking for the next big trend!

They're the biggest outwardly 'brand-me' Tribe - they're universally aspirational in fashion and music, both offline and online.The rise of Mainstream Brand Me behaviours and fast fashion means the Trendies are still going strong and are one of the biggest Tribes on the map in 2015. Their influence is if anything growing, as more and more Trendies lean towards vlogging and sharing their super-soft-focus, Instagrammable lives online - inspiring younger teens to live a perfect life.

Vloggers
Vloggers and Bloggers are at the heart of today's Tribal map - inspiring a whole generation how to live.
In 2012 Tumblr Kids joined the map - by 2015 Vloggers are one of the most familiar and famous Tribes in the UK. A catch-all Tribe to describe young people that are vlogging, blogging, tweeting and instagramming their lives, attitudes and values online; they aren't creating culture and new social norms (bar those with 1M+ followers!) but are having a huge impact on youth culture today.

New Casuals

New Casuals are football mad lads with a love of underground club music and understated fashion - but will move to the next thing once it becomes predictable...

Hypebeasts

Urban and Skater inspired, US-rooted breed of New Casual - who love Hip-Hop and electronic, niche knowledge, luxury sportswear and limited editions.

Hypebeasts are a new breed of New Casual/Hipster- obsessed with the aspirational Urban lifestyle and the brands that go with it. With a thriving online culture, key icon products and their own language (Bump, OG, Grail, Wavey...) they are thriving - but bitchy too!

New Casuals
The New Casuals are unchanged on the map - think twenty-something, understated lads that consciously maintained low-key style from Norse, APC and Folk.
Their hate of hype and broadcasting their lives makes them polar opposites to the Hypebeasts! While they share a love of music, festivals, fashion and footy - the Hypebeasts are all about niche language, products and 'getting in there first'.

Hipsters
It's been a long time coming - but the Hipsters are firmly out of the Leading Edge, and are getting younger by the year.
Poor Hipsters! Since 2012, they took over being the vilified Tribe from the Chavs - synonymous with being 'try hard' and vacuous at a Tribal level, but receiving derision from wider British culture too (even your dad knows what a Hipster is in 2015!).

As authenticity became a key tenet of youth culture and the Hipster look was disseminated to teens via Primark; the iconic skinny jeans, glasses and obsession with Bergheim made the Hipsters a stereotype and an insult for the original Hipsters (most of whom have now aged out of the Tribes model).

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Living for the moment, Aspirant Tribes know the look, music and lifestyle they want - and will spend big in order to get it! Attuned to what's happening in Leading Edge circles, it's about keeping...

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Rising Prosperity. Group D and E: City sophisticates and Career climbers.

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CACI's Acorn is a powerful consumer classification that segments the UK population. By analysing demographic data, social factors, population and consumer behaviour, it provides information and understanding of different types of people.

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Online pure player.
Need to add filters

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Product Details

Jumper by ASOS DESIGN

Ribbed finish

Crew neck

Dropped shoulders

For laid-back vibes

Relaxed fit

Think baggy and casual

Brand

Giving you the confidence to express your individuality, ASOS DESIGN interprets major trends, adding a unique ASOS spin from our London design team. All the denim, dresses, jackets and pieces you need - including our fit ranges ASOS Curve, Tall, Petite and Maternity and our ASOS DESIGN Makeup collection - to invent a style that's all yours, then switch it up again tomorrow, making every day, night and everything in-between as extraordinary as you are. Your life is eclectic and unexpected and, now, so is your wardrobe.

SIZE & FIT

Model wears: UK 8/ EU 36/ US 4
Model's height: 174 cm/5'8.5"

LOOK AFTER ME

ABOUT ME

Chunky knit
Welcome to the cosy life

Body: 100% Acrylic.

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ASOS DESIGN chunky jumper in rib with crew neck | ASOS

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Jumper by ASOS DESIGN Ribbed finish Crew neck Dropped shoulders For laid-back vibes Relaxed fit Think baggy and casual Giving you the confidence to express your individuality, ASOS DESIGN interprets major trends, adding a unique ASOS spin from our London design team.

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Stella McCartney sustainable.

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Women's Stella McCartney Knitwear - Farfetch UK

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Knitwear is a must-have for those eves toasting those marshmallows & snuggling by the fire. At Farfetch we can't get enough of Stella McCartney...

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Command a contemporary silhouette at work and on the weekend with our latest collection of Autograph clothing. Elevated but never austere, our women’s Autograph clothing range is the way to channel effortless sophistication. Expect softly tailored blazers and dresses as well as sumptuous knitwear and modern blouses here in clean neutral colours, on-trend prints and the finest fabrics including cashmere, leather and silk,

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Exude effortless sophistication in our Autograph clothing, from tailored blazers to blouses. Discover the new arrivals at M&S. Shop our wide range online.

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WGSN Colours for AW 19/20

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All news of Marks and Spencer

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Fashion retailer: Marks and Spencer | Drapersonline.com

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All the latest news, features and analysis on retailer Marks & Spencer

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total sales decrease by 0.5%

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Total sales decreased by 0.5% for the four weeks to 30 March, compared with an increase of 2.3% in the same month in 2018 as "Brexit continues to feed the uncertainty among consumers", the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor shows.

UK retail sales dropped by 1.1% on a like-for-like basis on March 2018, in comparison with an increase of 1.4% the previous year.

In-store sales of non-food items declined by 1.7% on a like-for-like basis, over the three months to March, above the 12-month average decline of 2.1%.

Online sales of non-food products grew 3%, against a growth of 7.9% in March 2018. Non-food retail sales in the UK were consistent on a like-for-like basis over the three months to March.

The sales monitor gave no individual figures for clothing, but the category moved up five places on the total sales ranking compared with March 2018, to fifth place. Although supported by Mothers' Day, Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive said shoppers were still cautious to not overspend.

She said: "Retail sales slowed in March, even when the Easter distortions were accounted for, as greater uncertainty caused people to hold off from splashing out. While jewellery, beauty products and clothing purchases were all up to indulge on Mother's Day, shoppers were generally cautious not to overspend, particularly on larger items.

"Brexit continues to feed the uncertainty among consumers. For the sake of everyone, MPs must rally behind a plan of action that avoids no deal - and quickly - or it will be ordinary families who suffer as a result of higher prices and less choice on the shelves."

Retail director for the UK at KPMG Sue Richardson said: "March marked a truly disappointing end to the first quarter of 2019 for retailers. Not only did total sales fall 0.5% compared with the same month last year, but no further clarity around Brexit came to light, and shoppers continue to waver.

"Not all categories or channels suffered the same fate though, and clothing generally bagged a welcome reprieve, thanks to more favourable weather - especially when compared with the Beast from the East this time last year.

"Online sales may have performed better than the high street, but the high proportion of sales occurring online actually nods towards the underlying issue of profit pressure. Retailers will be hoping for an end to this sustained uncertainty - it's clearly not good for business - but times have already well and truly changed, and agility remains the best form of defence."

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Consumers continue to waver amid Brexit uncertainty

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Total sales decreased by 0.5% for the four weeks to 30 March, compared with an increase of 2.3% in the same month in 2018 as "Brexit continues to feed the uncertainty among consumers", the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor shows.