Iconic noughties fashion brand returns to UK high streets after disappearing

Posted by Admin December 11, 2024 Fashion

AN iconic noughties brand has returned to UK high streets after disappearing for seven years.

Brit fans of Juicy Couture will be delighted after the chain made its comeback to physical retail with the opening of a new store at Westfield Stratford City.

Juicy Couture is returning to the UK after a seven year hiatusCredit: Getty

The 1,200sq ft space offers fans of the once ultra-popular American fashion brand an immersive experience, showcasing its “signature casual glamour aesthetic”.

Juicy Couture said: “the space blends iconic elements from previous Juicy stores, including slogans, graffiti-inspired artwork and neon lighting with modern touches like bursts of black and pink”.

It also features a metallic runway and a pink boudoir for consumers to explore and try new products.

The store will also spotlight the brand’s holiday campaign, Once Upon a Time, “which fuses Juicy’s early 2000s IT girl aesthetic with whimsical fairytale charm”.

And the collection includes a range of pieces, from pyjama sets to intimates.

The fashion brand’s UK stores, including its locations on Regent Street and in Westfield White City, were closed in May 2017 as part of the brand’s shift to focus on wholesale, ecommerce, and concessions.

Its decision to close physical stores followed broader struggles in the market and was a strategic move to revive the label through these channels.

At the time, the business also shut down its concessions in Harrods, Selfridges, and Topshop.

In 2017, its UK operations were managed by Hong Kong-based Global Brands Group, Juicy Couture’s largest apparel partner.

Two years later, Authentic Brands Group, the parent company of Juicy Couture, signed a licensing agreement with The Batra Group to handle the brand’s distribution across the UK and Europe.

Batra Group Director Rajiv Batra said: “Spanning more than two decades, Juicy Couture’s enduring legacy has gained the brand a loyal following throughout the world, and we can’t wait to bring the physical shopping experience to life for fans in London.

“This new space presents a modern take on Juicy Couture’s eclectic previous store concepts and perfectly encapsulates the brand’s unique approach to fun and casual glamour.

“Our fan base has always been devoted, and we’re delighted to be providing shoppers an in-person experience throughout the holiday season and beyond.”

Britain’s retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down

It comes after news that shoppers will be able to browse an iconic 90s fashion brand once more.

Ted Baker is now trading as an online business in the UK after all of its 46 stores shut for good.

The original website stopped taking online orders ahead of the stores shutting but now it’s back.

The fashion brand’s website went live late last week and stocks a range of menswear, womenswear and accessories.

It ships exclusively to the UK, but states that European versions of the site will be “coming soon”.

The relaunch of the website marks the first major move from new operating partner United Legwear and Apparel (ULAC), which was appointed by Ted Baker owner Authentic in September to run its online operations across UK and Europe.

Brands making a comeback

Shoppers have seen this happen to their favourite brands before.

In September Cath Kidston announced it’s making a surprise return to the high street after all its stores closed when it collapsed into administration.

After Paperchase collapsed and its stores were closed it was bought by Tesco and is now available to buy in concessions in the grocer.

Fashion chain M&Co returned to the high street after previously collapsing into administration and closing all stores.

Just a few months after collapsing into administration, Wilko made its high street comeback.

Thanks to the efforts of its new owner, The Range, Wilko stores have been reappearing across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Why are retailers closing shops?

EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.

The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.

In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.

Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.

The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.

Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.

Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.

Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.

In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.

What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.

They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.

Toys R Us is also among those who’ve managed to make a comeback. The popular toy brand opened up nine new shops in 2023 after vanishing from the high street in 2018.

However, the new stores are slightly different as they are “shop-in-shops” and are located inside WHSmith stores.

Fans of Laura Ashley can once again buy their favourite clothing items both online and in-store at Next.

Topshop could also be making a dramatic comeback to the British high street in a welcome boost for shoppers who mourned its loss.

Asos bought Topshop out of administration for £265million in 2021.

And earlier this month, bosses at ASOS confirmed they were exploring new ways to bring the iconic brand to customers.