Green plans foray into US with Topshop outlet in the Big Apple

Philip Green is gearing up to be the next British retailer to try his luck in the US, traditionally a graveyard for UK retailers, by opening a flagship store for his Topshop chain in New York.

The owner of Arcadia, which is home to the Topshop brand, is casting around for a suitably high-profile location in Manhattan to open his first US outlet. He has said he is prepared to invest up to $50m (£27m) to take the bargain fashion chain across the Atlantic but everything hinges on him finding the right site, which will be 60,000 to 90,000sq ft.

But New York fashionistas, who admit to stuffing their suitcases full of Topshop fashions when visiting London, will have a minimum six-month wait for the brand while Mr Green, who was knighted in last week's honours' list, works out how to run the business from a distance.

"We are looking at it but we haven't got our heads around servicing and logistics," he said yesterday. Topshop's lifeblood is frequent deliveries of new stock - sometimes as often as three times a day in peak periods. He will need to find a local partner who can help with the nuts and bolts of supplying the store, making spring 2007 look the earliest potential opening date.

Topshop's star has been rising in the US on the back of the current wave of Anglophilia. US Vogue featured the chain in its November issue in an article entitled "Top of the Pops", which it said was popular with "canny American travellers". The Burberry-sponsored AngloMania exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has made all things British very fashionable. A Lower East-side boutique, Opening Ceremony, already stocks some Topshop lines.

Sir Philip was in New York at the end of April to attend the AngloMania opening party and look at potential sites for the new flagship store.

The fashion trade bible, Women's Wear Daily, noted that the retail magnate is close to Gil Harrison, chairman of the US investment bank Financo, who has been introducing him to US retailers and manufacturers. Financo sponsored a luncheon with Sir Philip and 12 or so top retail chief executives, including, Bloomingdale's Michael Gould and Lew Frankfort of Coach.

In the US, Sir Philip will find himself up against some familiar competitors, like Zara, Mexx and Hennes & Mauritz (H&M).