New Look casts its eye on upmarket brands to boost e-sales

Cheap fashion chain New Look is to sell up-market brands on its website to boost sales and customers.

It has agreed deals to sell brands including Miss Sixty, Firetrap and Wonderbra on the website which has customers in 120 countries.

New Look has signed up 40 brands for autumn and will have 100 brands live on its website for spring/summer next year. It brought in former House of Fraser, All Saints and USC buyer Sally Heath in January to lead the search for brands. Until now New Look had largely sold own-label clothing.

The chain, which is saddled with £1bn debt, has been undertaking a turnaround under new executive chairman Alistair McGeorge. It is this week rolling out click-and-collect service in all its 600-plus UK stores.

Dom McBrien, its e-commerce director, said: "We are making it easier and more convenient to shops with us. We have found brands that compliment our own ranges."

Sally Heath, the head of buying brands, said: "People do not just shop at one price level or one brand. They cross- shop. We have the great brands you know and the brands you don't as well as the core New Look range."

It said there are no plans yet to sell brands in store.