New Look to double in size

New Look, the high street fashion retailer, has drawn up ambitious plans to more than double the size of its UK chain. Phil Wrigley, New Look's chief executive, revealed the expansion plans to The Sunday Telegraph just days after the retailer acquired 34 former Littlewoods stores from Associated British Foods, which owns the Primark chain. The deal increased New Look's trading space in the UK from 1.6m sq ft to 2.4m sq ft.

However, New Look no plans to more than double its store space to 5m sq ft over the next decade as it capitalises on the growing demand from consumers for cheap fashion and the successful launch of its mensewear range. If New Look, which has 541 stores in the UK and 211 in France, succeeds in its expansion plan, the UK chain would be bigger than the current size of Next, its larger clothing rival.

Wrigley said the retailer would concentrate on opening large outlets of around 25,000 sq ft. New Look has already increased its floor space by 50 per cent since its founder, Tom Sing, took it private 20 months ago with backing from Apax and Permira, the private equity houses. The business has been refinanced and could be floated on the stock market in 2006.