Billionaire Topshop owner plans global push for Arcadia

Sir Philip Green's Arcadia retail empire is to massively step up its international expansion, stretching as far afield as Azerbaijan and Chile.

The tycoon has also agreed to significantly increase the presence of his Topshop and Topman brands inside the Nordstrom's upmarket department stores in the US from the autumn. The group is looking to introduce company-owned Topshop and Topman stores in other US cities, including Miami, San Francisco and Boston.

Arcadia plans to open a further 185 stores overseas via franchise partners by August 2014, with its Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Wallis and Burton brands featuring heavily. This marks a big increase on the 110 stores it is on track to open internationally in 2012-13.

Over the next year, Arcadia will open the first Topshop and Topman stores in Azerbaijan, launch Miss Selfridge in Chile and Australia, and introduce Burton into the Far East. Topshop opened its first outlet in Hong Kong this month and the addition of a further 49 new stores in the Far East will take its total to 225 shops across Arcadia's brands by next summer.

Sir Philip has also agreed to put Topman's suits into between 15 and 20 Nordstrom shops. He told The Independent: "I believe that Topshop and Topman are real fashion brands that deliver trend-led product, on pretty much a weekly basis to our stores and websites around the globe. A great team leading these brands, a lot of hard work, and this constant stream of fresh must-have pieces, gives us the confidence to continue to push on internationally both with our franchise partners and with our search for our own fully owned flagships."

Topshop and Topman opened in 14 Nordstrom shops last year but the two brands will go into a further 28 of its department stores this autumn. These plans include putting Topshop's shoes into Nordstrom's world-renowned footwear departments and the brand's make-up into its beauty halls.