The Latest from TopShop
24-04-2006
TopShop was opened in 1965 and is one of the eight high street brands owned by Taveta Investments Ltd which is opened by mega super rich entrepreneur Phillip Green. TopShop’s key target group is the 16-34 year old woman who is fashion conscious and particularly wants fast fashion. Items tend to be lower priced although within the last two years TopShop has made inroads to higher price merchandise with its Boutique section on the Lower Ground floor of Oxford Circus.
Of the eight retail outlets TopShop is leading the field for Phillip Green however Miss Selfridge is making headway. The store layout at TopShop is continually changed as it is lead by both themes and fashion stories and with the recent investment into Style Advisors (where young potential customers are told to bring a responsible adult incase they spend too much!).
TopShop also has capsule ranges from guest designers including Sophia Kokosalaki and Zandra Rhodes bringing that upmarket feel. Zandra Rhodes has a long association with Topshop via the Director Jane Shepherdson and they often work together at events such as Graduate Fashion Week when TopShop was a major sponsor.
The chain also offers the TopShop To Go initiative, a mobile service which brings a selection of clothes and accessories to the home or workplace for busy women who don’t have the time to shop. The service is only available within the M25 area but has been heralded as a great success.
So who are the main competitors to TopShop? Ironically, Miss Selfridge from the same group is a key competitor but TopShop also view Debenhams, H&M, New Look Group, French Connection and House of Fraser, quite a wide range really.
TopShop also has export growth in
TopShop also supports the New Generation at London Fashion Week and has helped launch the careers of some of
Designers that will receive New Generation sponsorship February 2006:
Avshalom Gur
Basso & Brooke
c. neeon
Customers own Property
Danielle Scutt
Gareth Pugh
Husam El Odeh
Kristian Aadnevik
Louise Goldin
Marios Schwab
Miki Fukai
Moderninst
Richard Nicoll
Roksanda Ilincic
SINHA-STANIC
Successful designers are featured in London Fashion Week’s publications and website and in press releases issued by the British Fashion Council in the run up to London Fashion Week. The specially designed New Generation area is one of the highlights of The Exhibition at London Fashion Week.
The New Generation application form for September will be available soon.
For further information about New Generation, including Application Forms, please contact Victoria Smith:
British Fashion Council,
tel: +44 (0) 20 7636 7788
fax: +44 (0) 20 7636 7515
Jennifer Holloway
Industry Advisor
