Ted Baker shops are to disappear from Irish high streets by the end of this Tuesday, some 36 years since the fashion chain first opened in Glasgow. The fashion chain’s 31 remaining stores in the UK and Ireland are expected to have shut down by Tuesday, while the website has also been pulled. Ted Baker was founded by Ray Kelvin in 1988, and the brand’s clothing and accessories are widely recognised for their patterns and florals.
Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets for Hargreaves Lansdown, said the nationwide stores had come to a “sorry conclusion in a very tough fashion retail environment”. Its future was put at risk when the firm behind its UK shops, No Ordinary Designer Label Limited (NODL), collapsed into administration in March. A different American company, Authentic Brands, which owns Ted Baker’s intellectual property, said that despite “tireless efforts” it could not “overcome” the financial issues the business faced.
READ MORE: Man arrested by gardai investigating organised retail theft Ted Baker had also flagged economic challenges in recent years, having faced weaker consumer demand and difficulties in its supply chain, after being among the luxury retailers to take a hit during the Covid pandemic. Ms Streeter said: “Ted Baker shot into the fashion limelight with tailored ranges that quenched a thirst for luxury amid mid-market shoppers. “Although lockdowns were like a bad dream for many retailers, they were a nightmare for Ted Baker, .