Member Info for ragtrade

@PM, The Group now has so many facets to it that i think it is quite a big beast for one CEO to manage, interesting that he is actually given the CEO moniker tho!! Given that this is a Global online company and current headwinds Worldwide everyone in the sector is facing then this is a wise move, ten years across multi channel at JD under the beady eye of Peter Cowgill, Finley is no slouch.

SCB , imho i actually think it has the potential to be the main show.

Interesting and bit odd that he is not bought in as a COO to Debenhams.com, sooooo who does he report to, JL Group CEO ????orrrrrr does he leap JL and report to Mahmud Kamani. Group Executive Chairman, Carol Kane. Group Co-Founder and Executive Director.
Perhaps we are seeing the first inklings of pressure now being exerted on JL and a bit of insurance just in case.

Source Bella @Drapers
Boohoo Group's Debenhams.com has appointed former JD Sports Fashion group multi channel director, Daniel Finley, as its new chief executive.
Finley, who was group multi channel director at JD Sports Fashion between 2012 and January this year, has this month joined Debenhams.com as CEO.
In a social media post, Finley said: "After an incredible decade as group multichannel director at JD Sports Fashion, I decided it was time to take up a new challenge. Today (24 January), I am excited to have started my new role as chief executive of Debenhams, following it’s acquisition last year by Boohoo Group. I am delighted to take charge of a great British heritage brand and looking forward to building on the progress that the team have made since it’s acquisition."
On 25 January 2021, Boohoo Group bought Debenhams' brand and website for £55m, in a deal that excluded its 124 stores, financial services and stock.
The Debenhams website relaunched on the Boohoo Group's platform in spring 2021. In December, Debenhams.com opened its first beauty and fragrance store at the Manchester Arndale shopping centre.

No bad thing for the trade, we have been in a deflation race to the bottom for last few years.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60067334

Kall , lol, your putting a shout out for throw away fashion, sssssssshhhhhh, your not allowed to say that anymore.

Actually Festival is a big part of Primark/BH Group/Asos ranges, 2020 didn't happen so lost full rev and some, last year very bitty, lots chat about everyone be avin it large lol, i'm off to Wilderness shortly followed by Boardmasters where i will mostly be wearing whatever Molly Mae H tells me to.

Shorters are shorting, the massive uncertainty like we are seeing is a rare event, taking advantage across a wide range of sectors due to costs and margin fear. Demand and therefore shortage of containers is 10000% causing issues, costs can be and to a certain extent are being be factored in, what is currently more of an issue due to shortage is shipping lead times, these have gone up three fold, this is especially a problem in Fashion sector as demand is strong, however this is being addressed and sign offs on new ranges are being brought forward, lots of issues however no one is sitting idle, problems are being addressed and when they start to impact the situation will obviously turn. We are still emerging from the new variant yet look at these headlines today in Drapers from last couple of weeks to date, i can't remember the last time i saw such a raft of positive trading headlines across all demographics of the trade.
Asos predicts £3.8bn boost to UK economy
Sales up at Matalan despite stock availability issues
High streets drive footfall uplift
The Hut Group’s record revenues surpass £2bn
In-store fashion sales ‘baloon’ in January
Festive sales surge at Quiz
Asos festive sales rise despite ‘challenging’ conditions
JD Sports ups profit guidance after strong Christmas
Weird Fish celebrates 133% leap in EBITDA
Very Christmas sales surge
I could go on, yes deffo headwinds, which shorts are filling their boots with as uncertainty dampens sentiment, however when Covid fades does everyone think the young are going to sit in their back gardens all summer sipping porn star martinis !!! Never gonna happen, when we had an inkling that Xmas was open for business we saw the result, ok it was then tempered but results still very strong and judging by the experts going into Spring Summer we are going to be back to normal as close as ever to where we were pre covid, even Glasto is going ahead, gloves will come off. In meantime shorts will short, for how much longer remains to be seen.

Save it for bullying Rag with cameras and Pennywise., errrrrr i'm not sure he even knows what Pennywise is, as for the Cameras perhaps the wise penny is finally dropping as to at least one of the reasons why the Asos returns are less, anyway i digress

Transitional is normally a quiet time of year but current demand on new stock hitting down is strong but both Asos and BH have a big issue and it's not just freight costs, it's the freight delays that are causing the biggest headache, its great when you are having a fantastic start to new season but equally frustrating to know how much better it could be if you had actually received all your planned stock, last week i heard that a delivery of Xmas jumpers had just hit down in one of the DC's, not ideal !!!!!, at mo merchandisers across both companies are really struggling to track stock, the fact that they both have such big band width on number of lines and consolidate the stock at ports is part of the problem in causing these delays, this started back end of summer and i would have expected them to have resolved but it is still going on, evening knowing where this stock is in the UK DC's is proving hard. If Covid keeps waning then demand is going to go through the roof across all areas of Fashion, from Office to Weddings to Beach to Festival to Clubbing and to any emerging Trend eg Flares , this generation will want to dress to impress for all of these occasions and if they finally free to do so then we could see some impressive figures PROVIDED the stock is in place.

Source Drapers just posted, i really think this gives a massive heads up for year ahead for BH and Asos
Drapers looks at Asos' best-performing product.
1 Love is in the air: bridal and formalwear
Consumers bought 1.5 million bride and bridesmaid dresses in 2021. The £140 Iris dress was the most popular, clocking up sales of 15,000. Sage green was the top colour chosen for bridesmaid dresses.
Despite the downturn in formalwear, Asos sold 100,000 men's suits in the UK, and sales of men's formal footwear increased by 80% year on year. In womenswear, Asos said it sold enough black trousers to fill Wembley Stadium 14.5 times – suggesting that not everyone has been working from home.
2 Big nights out: heels and party dresses
Pent-up consumer demand for nights out returned in 2021, and Asos sold a pair of high heels every 13 seconds. Asos also revealed that it sold 100,000 party dresses once coronavirus restrictions started lifting on 12 April.
3 Knit wits: fun jumpers
Asos consumers covered up in bright and bold knitwear, the etailer sold 7,000 of this cloud-print style, £38.
4 That 1990s show: baggy trousers and flares
Asos's womenswear customers bought 200,000 pairs of baggy and cargo jeans, but flares proved the most popular: 446,000 pairs were sold in 2021.
5 High school graduation: varsity jackets
Asos sold 34,000 varsity jackets in autumn/winter 21, and searches for the style multiplied 3,397% on Asos Marketplace. The etailer attributes this to Jackson Marchetti's character on Netflix's Sex Education series.

The numbers on the denim are impressive, this is important as it's a core product and underpins the whole offer, its a 365 day a year 7 day a week garment.

Nice to see Asos own label performing well, i believe some on here thought the marketplace model far less onerous, shame that posting history no longer is available.
Firstly, Leics aside, BH Group and Asos sourcing cross over in many Countries and Factories, in many instances they are using the same factories and the same fabrics, no surprise these days as they have London Office which has enables them to take staff from likes of Asos, River etc this includes buyers, garment techs and sourcing, with them comes knowledge and a whole list of compliant factories, me being one of them, we own two factories in Asia making for the BH Group and Asos, many fabrics are common.
Specifically concentrating on BH/PLT Own Buy i think it's very tricky to compare these Own Buy Brands and Asos main Own Buy, they are not the same Demo, yes they cross over but BH/PLT are far more Glamour Girl, Asos would rather stick pins in their eyes than do a pool shoot in Dubai !!!!! however for BH/PLT it's the very essence of their Brand, FFS this Girl Dresses up to take a bloody selfie and go to Asda !!!! Asos more refined yes still elements of Glamour but customer not as fickle and i no where near as fixated as trying to look like a R&B Diva sipping ****tails @ the Delano South Beach Miami, to that ends Asos Womenswear is spread a much wider across product and Demo, there is an argument that says BH need to sort this and get a more Indie Brand on board, they did try to do this with Topshop, also Asos has a much much stronger offer on mens, this often gets overlooked.
As i've mentioned in the past Asos is far more mature at addressing the nuances and pitfalls of Fashion Industry, they have pretty much looked at every angle in ESG and they have done the same with Distribution (it still blights tho) and not least returns, they leave no stone unturned to reduce returns because as we all know it murders margin, you only have to look at the Asos photography and videos's, it gives them an edge and the fact they have also spent a massive amount of time analysing fits, through a combination of actions on these nuances they are able to manage customer expectation. So the Asos customer approach is far more considered and far better informed. BH Group, again yawn! as i've said in past is getting there but FFS they have taken on a massive amount and it takes time to check, learn and address the issues, the most pressing issue ESG they addressed and they will address all areas, FFS they are not blind, easy to sit on sidelines and in hindsight have a go but Rome wasn't built in day, i believe in time BH Group has better opportunities for growth than Asos.
I know it's been mentioned on these pages, i do agree that both these companies now need CEO's that have a Global u/s of etail and that word again the nuances that this all entails.
For the record i own both.

PM-1880 legacy brogues, Samba's and Birken's , nice, i like the Samba Golf Trainer, much easier on the eye than a Golf Brogue!
We don't work with Joules but i have met Nick Jones and i know the office and alot who work there very well. have to be careful what i say, he's under pressure at mo, people saying he is too nice to make the hard decisions!!

PM -A Classic English Shoes older they get the better they get, as you know they will last a lifetime which is why a ture English handmade shoe will cost over £300 but worth every single penny, imho the best in the World.
Mate of mine used to supply the hides to Griggs Group when they produced out of Cobb Lane in Wollaston, i know they started re making there sometime in the noughties, BTW if your not aware and ever passing Loakes recently opened a factory outlet in Mkt Harborough, near the Joules H/O.

Each to their own but
Quote b)
(eg: Shein, warehouse development & Europe generally has more style/ better quality anyway

On the development and style point/ quality point this could not be further from reality , totally the opposite.

Quote c)
Recent reports that becoming fashionable to keep clothes longer & buy from charity shops & secondhand.

This has zero relevance to the BH/PLT demo, they would rather go naked than been seen in charity shop or second hand clothes. The second hand Demo is affecting the Indie end of the market eg Urban Outfitters , its way way way off the mark for the BH/PLT Glamor Girl!!!!!

@Kal sorry i didn't see post.
Pretty much all of the low to middle end shoe manufacturing which was mainly produced in Northamptonshire was wiped out in late 70's/80's due to cheap European imports and later pretty much destroyed by agreements with the WTO when quotas were abolished, result was cheap shoes flooded in from Asia, this also affected Europe. Def still high end footwear produced in UK Barkers, Churchs, Grensons etc but even these guys also make in Asia, as for fast fashion footwear, if there is a need for it then it probably comes out of Turkey.

If if if we are finally seeing the final days of Covid then i strongly concur with this statement from Henry Birch yday CEO @ Very Group, they have just posted Xmas trading figs but his thoughts on year ahead are what i think most in the trade agree with, this is of course against the backdrop of price increases but i think we will see strong trading for Spring ranges onwards across the sector throughout the coming year.
I think this statement also bodes well for BH Group with there breadth of offer they tick an awful lot of boxes so will be set to also Capitalise, i think Retail to also benefit strongly as they did in the run up to Christmas, room for both!!
Birch Quote
Giving his predictions for 2022, he said: "In terms of trends, I think two things that will move fashion in particular: 1) people going back to the physical workplace, and 2) being able to socialise freely alongside the return of weddings, parties and travel.
"What we find with our fashion business is there is a strong element of seasonality, and if people are going on holiday that will drive fashion sales. That has been lacking for the last two years in terms of summer 2020 and summer 2021, and we would expect summer 2021 to be back to normal holiday ways, and therefore driving our spring/summer 22 fashion sales.
"We’re positive and optimistic for fashion in 2022."
To capitalise on customer fashion spend, Birch said the etailer will look to expand its third-party brand ranges: "We aren’t going to do anything radically different in 2022, but I think the casualisation brought on by the pandemic will not completely evaporate, but people will be looking to buy back into premium and occasionwear.

NS99 Agree with you here. Not only this, but wage inflation could hit margins. From what I could find around 85% of production has been outsourced to Asia. While BOO plans to move production back to Leicester in the long term, I can't see this until FY25

The only Brands that require test repeat are BH/PLT, the rest of the group does not need as demo for these is nowhere near as reactive, i suspect most if not all Leics production will be BH/PLT the balance Brands i think will pretty much continue to be made overseas from Turkey to Asia (as per supplier list), biggest issue here still remains getting the stock in, it is taking up to 17 weeks still ex Factory to DC , that's a season lost, to some extent it is affecting all in fashion sector, this is on top of rising costs.

In-store fashion sales soar post-Christmas
In-store fashion sales soared by 500.5% between 27 December and 3 January as shoppers took advantage of post-Christmas Sales, new data shows.
Total fashion like-for-like sales increased 49.41% in the week to 3 January, compared to the same week in the prior year, BDO's High Street Sales Tracker showed.
In-store like-for-like sales for fashion ballooned by 500.5%, offsetting a poor base of -68.55% during the same week last year.
The BDO High Street Sales Tracker covers online and in-store sales across fashion, homeware and lifestyle.
Total in-store like-for-like sales increased by 455.77% from a weak base of -64.42% for the same week last year. Meanwhile, total non-store like-for-like sales grew by 1.96% from a solid base of 99.55% the year before.
Total like-for-like sales increased by 44.88% during the week, from a base of -10.68% for the same period last year.
Overall footfall saw an increase of 92.4% this week, compared to the equivalent week last year.
Footfall on the high street was also up by 110.5%, while footfall to shopping centres improved by 105.6% and grew by 39.3% in retail parks.

Bruce these are bulk orders are for the likes of BH, Asos, River Island etc that they have placed with us and we have produced at our Fty in India, they will not show on actual websites until the stock is in DC and can be full filled within there specified delivery times, so upshot is it won't affect any customer purchase, due to shipping lead times ate country of make it just affects the choice the customer will have because until they are in the warehouse they won't be offered.

Still an issue, Bdesh carnage up to 21 weeks Ex Fty to UK, China 17 weeks Ex Fty to UK, we are an FOB supplier but being told that once our orders Ex our India it is taking 16 weeks to UK, to USA 21 weeks to Euro Hub 18 weeks, pre covid all orders Ex India to UK 4 weeks, many orders in danger of missing the season, logistics not expecting normality to return until AW22, most companies planning earlier sign offs to compensate, we are currently taking AW22 orders for mid Feb ex India that would normally not be leaving till Mid June. Good news is that demand for new product when it does hit down is still very very strong all departments are up on plan but a lot of this stock is A/F, cost pressures remain, retail prices def on the up.

T4G quote Dan as I've said before I don't think you are a troll. However you cant say his assumptions are errors, just that they differ to yours.

Classic Napoleon Complex, most patronizing asrehool on here, only ever gives it large when he can pick apart a statement or a year end and then proceeds to tell the Company Board and all on here what they should of done, always in hindsight. Green screened him long ago, appears though they i still get to pleasure him as it looks like he reads mine, lol.