Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Style contrast: N Brown connects, rival doesn’t

 

James Thompson
Wednesday 16 January 2013 15:55 GMT
Comments

The contrasting fortunes of High Street retailing and online was laid bare today, as French Connection and N Brown waved goodbye to Christmas in very different moods.

Internet and catalogue specialist N Brown continued to power ahead but French Connection said it expects to make a painful full-year loss of up to £8 million. This forecast, along with weak festive sales, sent the fashion chain’s shares tumbling 2.7p, or 9%, to 26.8p.

French Connection, whose chief executive and chairman is Stephen Marks, said trading at its stores in UK and Europe had “softened a little in the run up to Christmas”. The company, which was founded by Marks in 1969, delayed the start of its clearance sale by a week, as it sought to “build brand equity” and protect margins from fierce pre-Christmas discounting on the High Street.

There were no such problems for N Brown, which is best-known for its Jacamo clothes for men and Simply Be for women. Online sales rocketed by 17% over the 19 weeks to January 12 to account for more than half of revenues at N Brown, which also sells through its catalogue business and 27 High & Mighty and Simply Be stores.

Its outgoing chief executive Alan White hailed the boost which Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff , the former England cricketer who is now trying his luck at boxing, had given Jacamo’s sales. Flintoff has been its “brand ambassador” since 2011. Total sales at N Brown rose by 8.5%. Its shares fell by 8.5p, or 2.3%, to 362.9p but are up sharply since October.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in