Frasers Group has launched Frasers Group Luxury, bringing together FLANNELS, Harvey Nichols and US luxury retailer The Webster within a new division spanning the UK and US, with longer-term ambitions for international growth.
The £1bn-plus business comprises more than 100 stores across the UK and US and brings Frasers Group’s luxury retail operations, brand partnerships and strategic investments into a single structure. Alongside its directly operated retail businesses, the portfolio includes investments in Mulberry, Burberry, HUGO BOSS and HULCAN’s MILE.
FLANNELS And Harvey Nichols Store Plans
The division builds on more than a decade of activity in the luxury sector, with FLANNELS remaining a central part of the strategy. The retailer currently operates 85 stores nationwide, while Frasers Group has identified mainland Europe as a potential future market when suitable opportunities arise. Its continuing UK expansion has included developments such as the FLANNELS store at Westfield Stratford.
Harvey Nichols will meanwhile concentrate its physical UK presence around London Knightsbridge, Edinburgh and Manchester. Frasers Group has acquired the properties housing the Edinburgh and Manchester stores and is continuing discussions with Cadogan Estate over the Knightsbridge flagship, where it has indicated that substantial investment could be made in the space.
The Harvey Nichols stores in Leeds and Bristol are set to transition to FLANNELS. Its digital platform has also resumed trading.
The Webster And US Investment
In the US, Frasers Group is continuing to invest in The Webster around a year after beginning its partnership with the luxury retailer. Its Bal Harbour store in Miami is due to reopen in November in a larger space, while Frasers Group has acquired The Webster’s South Beach and New York SoHo locations.
The Webster partnership is being positioned as a model for how the new division could work with other luxury retail businesses as Frasers Group develops its presence outside the UK.
Luxury Brand Partnerships
Luxury brand partnerships are another part of the strategy. Frasers Group’s wholesale relationships include Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Prada and Brunello Cucinelli, alongside other international luxury houses. The group says it is among the largest wholesale partners globally for a number of these brands and points to its payment record with suppliers as part of those relationships.
International Growth Plans
Alongside its operating businesses, Frasers Group Luxury will continue to make strategic investments where the group identifies growth potential, with its existing portfolio including Mulberry, Burberry, HUGO BOSS and HULCAN’s MILE.
The group intends to use the division to support partners entering new markets and reaching new audiences, while pursuing growth through a combination of organic expansion, acquisitions and further strategic investment. Its current geographical focus includes potential expansion for FLANNELS into mainland Europe and longer-term international development for Harvey Nichols.
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