Autumn styles are in the shops and the fight to be at the height of fashion is intensifying on the High Street. John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Next and Primark are all jostling to boost their share of the £71billion-a-year market. It comes with a new focus on British style or #Britishcore, as it is known on TikTok.
And the Oasis reunion tour has awoken interest among a new generation for the Cool Britannia band's characteristic swaggering 1990s look. As global tastes merge, the UK's street style appeals beyond these shores. This is reflected in the rise of overseas online sales for Next, which recently announced impressive figures.
The retailer, which could deliver £1billion of profits for the full year, already has a 6.8 per cent slice of the UK clothing market, as measured by analysts Global Data. Fall from grace: Pessimists fear British fashion house Burberry will succumb to a bid from the US after its shares fell almost 50% this year The chain, which is valued at £12.
8billion on the stock market, has secured this position thanks to its logistics infrastructure, which optimises customers' experience, online and in shops. Next, which offers both its own ranges and third-party brands, now plans to exploit this advantage to grow its slice of the pie by targeting wealthier shoppers. It ties in with a key trend of this autumn: women want to dress up for the office again, with heels and pencil skirts returning to popularity.
It translates into elegant yet edgy advertising campa.