House of Fraser hails success of brand revival

House of Fraser today said a relaunched 1960s fashion label had established itself as the biggest womenswear brand within the business just two weeks after it hit the rails.

The department store chain said Biba – an in-house brand launched on September 9 – helped drive a 10% increase in like-for-like sales in the seven weeks since July 31.

The group, which has 61 stores in the UK and Ireland, has been rolling out a strategy to develop more profitable house brands, which currently represent 11% of sales.

Due to the success of brands such as Dickins & Jones, Casa Couture and Label Lab, the company said it was well placed to achieve its target for a sales mix of house brands at around 30% or 40%.

The department store chain said like-for-like sales lifted by 8.4% in the 26 weeks to July 31, building to a 10% rise in the first seven weeks of the second half of the year.