Sainbury's Tu gains market share

Sainbury's Tu fashion brand is on track to gain a 1 percent share of the British clothing market before the end of the year. The label, which launched in 2004 and is preparing a more directional collection for this autumn, will be rolled out to an increasing number of stores and a new store concept will be introduced to further house the range.

"As we grow the Tu brand, it's not just about developing product," Sainsbury's buying and design director Adrian Mountford told Drapers. "I'd love to get clothing into all 500 stores but there isn't the space. We will be introducing Tu to more stores and we're working on a new store design, which is in its infancy. Shoppers now come to Sainsbury's for the clothing and then do their food shopping - the foodies love Tu."

Mountford said that Tu was targeting high street shoppers and was not, as such, taking on it supermarket or discount competitors. "We don't pitch ourselves against Primark and throwaway fashion," he said. "We cater mainly for the 30-plus market, which looks for quality and sophistication."