Following yesterday’s news (Monday 8^th April) that New Look is to remove menswear from its physical stores,

Pippa Stephens, Retail Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

“After a challenging few years for the retailer it is not surprising that New Look’s menswear store offer is the first to be cut. As a retailer best known for its womenswear ranges, New Look has struggled to drive male footfall into its stores and convince shoppers to shift their loyalty from leading menswear retailers such as River Island, Primark and H&M.

“The UK menswear market will reach £11.3bn in 2019 and is forecast to grow 10.8% by 2024, outperforming womenswear, so it remains one of the more desirable markets for retailers to target. However, since opening its first menswear standalone stores back in 2015, New Look has come under increased pressure from online pureplays such as boohooMan and ASOS, grabbing the attention of the younger male shopper via a strong social media presence and daring trends. New Look must now focus on trend-led pieces and affordable prices to drive appeal online via third-party sites ASOS and Zalando, and ensure it stands a chance of winning over shoppers.”