FatFace's CEO and product director talk Europe expansion, digital growth, and Petite success

In 2025, British lifestyle brand FatFace made significant strides in adapting to shifting consumer demands. Following its 2023 acquisition by UK retail giant Next, the company has built on strategic and operational momentum, with the partnership further propelling it towards global opportunities within an evolving retail landscape.

The past year was therefore marked by key milestones. On its home turf, FatFace ventured into the new realm of concessions, the first of which opened in Next’s Lakeside Shopping Centre store in July. The site, offering a curated range of products, has allowed the brand to increase visibility among its parent company’s existing customer base.

European opportunities and a real estate refresh

Speaking to FashionUnited, FatFace’s chief executive officer, Will Crumbie, said that testing these formats offers a crucial “opportunity for us to engage directly with our customers in ways which wouldn’t previously have been possible and is something we’ll continue to explore”.

The strategy is part of a broader commitment to investing in FatFace’s “profitable UK and ROI store estate”, which includes store openings, refurbishments, and refreshed shopfronts. This, alongside bolstering digital and wholesale partnerships, forms the company’s “balanced approach that supports sustainable, long-term growth across our channels”, Crumbie added.

Internationally, FatFace has focused on digital expansion. In August, the brand launched digitally into Germany via Zalando, offering womenswear, menswear, and premium lines to a new audience.

Crumbie noted: “Joining a platform such as Zalando gives us another touchpoint to acquire new customers internationally. Since we’ve launched on Zalando, trading has been really positive; in fact, we’ve doubled our sales in Germany.”

This digital focus has shown early promise. Crumbie credited the ability to drive growth and enter new markets to joining the Next Total Platform, a business model that has enabled FatFace to build up a strong foundation on strengthened operations, digital infrastructure and, and new technology. As such, digital continues to be a key focus for the company, with it now accounting for 36 percent of total revenue.

The positive trajectory already seen in Germany has boosted FatFace’s confidence in European expansion, with future market launches already confirmed. “There are already a lot of learnings that we’ve picked up that we’ll be applying to our international growth strategy going forward,” Crumbie added.

Petite line shows promise as category prepares for expansion

In terms of product, FatFace has set out to enhance inclusivity by launching its first Petite offering in the latter half of 2025. Strong early reception has accelerated expansion plans, according to product director Kate Brown, who said the line will grow beyond dresses and jumpsuits into woven tops and outerwear for SS26, “earlier than expected”.

Developing Petite required FatFace to adjust its manufacturing and forecasting processes. Brown explained that Petite sizing demands proportionate adjustments across the agreement, a challenge managed collaboratively with existing suppliers and in-house technical teams.

The brand initially launched key categories to weigh demand before expanding based on sales performance and customer feedback. “Whilst the Petite demographic is more niche, the demand has already surpassed our expectations, and we are widening the choice of categories earlier than expected,” Brown said.

This category expansion reflects FatFace’s wider data-driven overview. Brown explained that the company analyses what’s selling well, how customers are wearing the product, and the feedback received across our channels, which plays into how new ranges are shaped. She concluded that inclusivity was a core value at FatFace, which has a commitment to “ensure that anyone who loves FaceFace product should be able to buy it.”